Las bibliotecas a comienzo del siglo XXI

The criteria of different authors on the so-called virtual, hybrid, electronic, and digital libraries are reviewed with the objective of knowing the characteristics distinguishing them. The present information society demands librarians and information professionals with new know-how and skills to improve their professional performance. The importance of the cooperation among the Latin American countries in the field of technical and scientific information is emphasized. Finally, the centres of information and virtual knowledge are dealt with as information management models in the 21st century