a type of service that allows users, without actually stepping into the library, to read library books and conduct research at home, in the office, or at school, using the Internet
A library "builds" an electronic library, accessible from anywhere via the Internet, to deliver personalized, library-caliber knowledge directly to their users, without being confined to the contents of a physical library nor by being caught in a Web of unorganized, unmanaged information; information from any online source can be managed and shared by librarians with their users, making more knowledge available to users than ever before; the goal of an e-library is to perform online all the functions of the traditional library, plus many more available in today's digital world.