Library instruction goes online

Purpose To demonstrate how there is an irreversible momentum towards the adoption of online modes of delivery for library instruction, a process which will have distinctive benefits in the promotion of enhanced levels of information literacy (IL). Design/methodology/approach The author uses case study and other literature, plus examples from personal professional practice to build an argument. Findings The momentum towards “cyber‐delivery” is inevitable and is driven by a variety of factors, which can be understood as either external or intrinsic to the arena of IL. External factors include the pressure to find the most effective educational approaches to train students to use tools such as Google appropriately (virtual formats are best to deal with virtual challenges); intrinsic factors include the innate suitability of online IL for encouraging independent learning and student‐centred education. Research limitations/implications The research technique consists of a dualistic analysis of dynamic factors driving the digital library movement towards online delivery of IL: this has the potential to be extended to other LIS contexts and tested for robustness and relevance. Practical implications The paper shows how the LIS practitioner can better understand the relevance of courseware‐based models of IL delivery for their user education practice. Originality/value An insightful summary and coherent analysis of a range of disparate trends in digital library developments helps provide a coherent overview of a fast‐developing aspect of the current LIS world.