Book excerpt: This book presents a series of case studies from systems librarians all over the world. It documents how the profession has changed in recent years with the introduction of new web technologies services such as hosted databases that are supported by vendors rather than in-house, as well as shifts in technology management. New skill sets are constantly being added as systems librarians become much more versed in dealing with service providers outside the library as well as training and supporting their traditional constituencies. - Written by practitioners in the field who have real world experience - Draws on a wide authorship to show how different perspectives can colour the perception of similar issues - Provides real world scenarios where challenges in the field have been met and overcome