ict in libraries an overview

8/3/2019 Ict in Libraries an Overview

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Dr. R. K. Chadha

Jt. Secretary

Lok Sabah Secretariat

Parliament Library of India

New Delhi

ICT IN LIBRARIES: AN OVERVIEW

Introduction

The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have brought revolutionary

changes in handling delivering and storage of information. The transition of traditionallibrary collections to digital or virtual collections presented the librarian with new

opportunities and challenges. The internet, especially WWW has given the librarian a

new dynamic role to play in the society and serve the new information based in better ways than every before, Because of the powerful features of web i.e. distributed,heterogeneous, collaborative, multimedia, Standards and Protocols, architecture, world

wide web has revolutionized the way people access information and has opened up new possibilities in areas such as digital libraries, Virtual libraries, efficient information

retrieval and dissemination.

Our world continues to become increasingly complex, interconnected, and dynamic.There are more people and institutions; they engage in more relationships and exchange;

and the rates of change continue to grow, largely because of developments in technologyand the importance of information to human and technical development. We live in an

information society in which more people must manage more information, which in turnrequires more technological support, which both demands and creates more information.

The general consequences of the information society are threefolds: larger volumes of information, new forms and aggregations of information, and new tools for working with

information.

First, we find ourselves dealing with more information in all aspects of our lives.More of us are ³knowledge workers´, generating, managing, and communicatinginformation to produce and provide goods and services for an increasingly global

economy. In addition to the often-noted trend toward more people managing moreinformation in the workplace, people must go beyond the workplace to learn new skills

and acquire new knowledge to do their jobs. But new knowledge is no longer acquiredonly to prepare for a career but, rather, is now an essential part of ³knowledge work.´ Not

only are we required to continually seek and acquire information, but increasingly moresources and larger volumes are available.

These large volumes of information are organized into many collections that

require secondary and tertiary indexes and directories that in turn are growing in size andcomplexity. The growth of directories and indexes is reflected in the competition among



different companies that offer phone directories and bibliographic databases. Thedevelopment of new and alternative organizational structures for dealing with large

volumes of information in turn demands more information management shills. In our personal lives, billboards, newspapers, mail, telephone, and television serve as vehicles

for the incessant information in our lives, we have developed complex personal

information infrastructure, which require time and effort to build, maintain, and use.These structures include conscious and unconscious filtering and finding strategies for achieving our immediate goals and protecting ourselves from information overload.

There is a tension between the goals and plans we make and the information resourcesnecessary to achieve them; we travel a narrow road toward our goals with a sea of

seductive information to distract us on one side and a spiraling abyss of confusion andinformation overload on the other. Technology accelerates the rate at which we are able

to travel toward our goals, but is also increases the scope and peril of the two sides.

Second, we deal with information in new forms, especially electronic digitalforms that are more abstract, more dynamic, and more malleable than is printed or

painted information. Much more information is becoming available in electronic form.Therefore, Information in electronic digital form is both enabling and complicating. On

the one hand, electronic digital information is more accessible ± available from anywherein the world with a few computer keystrokes or mouse clicks. On the other hand, it is

less accessible because it is not directly perceivable to humans unaided by technology.We are dependent on machines to express this information in forms that we can perceive.

Electronic digital information is manipulable ± it allows us to use the computational power of computers systematically to aggregate, classify, compare, change, and transmit

information. Electronic digital information forms allow copies to be made perfectly andrecursively, unlike analog or physical forms that degrade over generations of copies.

Electronic digital information is simple because it is fully expressed by only twoelements (bits), but it is complex because many levels of coding schemes must be used to

map the enormous variety of structure and meaning in the world into binary form.Standard coding schemes (e.g., American Standard Code for Information Interchange -

ASCII, Tag Image File Format - TIFF, Digital Alternative Representation of MusicalScores - DARMS) facilitate communication and exchange of information, but the many

possibilities support a kind of information alchemy in which words, numbers, images,and sounds can be interchanged ± for better or worse. Govern the sound and graphic

editing tools available, it is no longer possible to believe that digitally recorded sounds or images represent reality. The implication for humans is that additional levels of learning

and cognitive effort are necessary to use, interpret, and validate information based onelectronic digital expressions.

Third, we find ourselves using new tools to manage information ± tools that we

must learn to use, pay for, and maintain. The primary tool of the information society isthe computer. Microprocessors are used to improve the performance of other

technologies, and computers are increasingly used to control and integrate other kinds of information technology (e.g., TV, radio, telephones). Computer literacy has become a

component in primary and secondary school curricula in all industrialized countries, and billions of dollars a year are spent on training and upgrading workers¶ computer skills.



As more computing technology is created, more new learning and retraining will beneeded, placing demands on our time and financial resources. The computer industry

accounts for an increasingly large share of the gross national product of the industrializedcountries, and the massive personal computer market has driven the invention of new

software tools that fit the needs of a great variety of users. The need to produce products

that can be used by the general population has in turn spurred advances in human ± computer interface research. Although much progress has been made in makingcomputers easier to use, the evolution of hardware and software and the rapid pace of

information creation and manipulation mean that for the foreseeable future, significantmaterial and intellectual resources must be devoted to acquiring, learning to use, applying

and maintaining electronic tools. At the very least, it is obvious that more and more of our time and financial resources must be spent using computers, and we will become

even more dependent on them in the future.

Past three decade has witnessed unprecedented developments in computer andcommunication technology. Computers are being used increasingly to automate various

activities in libraries with a suitable off-the-shelf general or specific-purpose software package that are now available in a wide range. Tremendous storage and processing

potential of computers are being fully realized through existing communication andnetworking technologies. The two technologies are interdependent, inseparable and share

a symbiotic relationship. The computer¶s ability to store and process vast amount of information and communication technology with its ability to transmit this information

from one location to another converged to form ³information and communicationtechnology´ (ICT). The ICT refers to mosaic of technologies, products and techniques

combined to provide new electronic dimensions to information and retrieval activities.The term information and communication technology represents convergence of four

strands of technologies, namely computer, communications, networking and multimedia.ICT is used to describe products and services that came-up with rapid changes in

computer and communication technologies and their fusion. Thus technologies, whichimprove the efficiency and effectiveness of an information system or service, fall under

the purview of information technologies. Some of these information and communicationtechnologies are available to the libraries for many years, while a few are now emerging

as important tools for overcoming the barriers in the access and dissemination of information.

Rapid changes in information and communication technologies during past three decades

have drastically changed the functions and activities of information professionals inlibraries. Most functions in modern libraries are being performed using software

packages that are now available off-the-shelf. Several libraries have their cataloguesavailable on the Internet with a web-based search interface along with links to resources

either acquired through external agencies or created in-house. Most libraries are on theCampus network with CD ROM networks put-in place to serve the information

requirement of their academic community. Several libraries have taken-up small-scaledigitisation projects for part of their collection. The librarians and information

professionals are required to develop skills that are required to use, develop and maintainIT-based services and products used by today¶s libraries. The programme deals with new



information technologies, their applications in libraries and their products and services. Itdescribes web-based library services, which are modified versions of existing services

and technology-driven new web-based library services.

3. Elements of ICT applications in Libraries

Library automation can be defined in simple terms as the use of the Information and

Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Libraries that are used to replace the manualsystems in the Libraries. It has also been defined as a µintegrated systems¶ that

computerize an array of traditional library functions using a common database, rapidtechnological change is forcing a re-examination of what it means to µautomate the

library¶. In the broadest sense, automation in the words of Markuson meansµemployment of machines for library process¶. In the context of computerization, a

library information system may be defined as a set of library transaction, processingsystems designed to provide information to library members and to support the

operational, managerial and decision making information needs of library staff. Itincludes computer as one of its components. Although computers have a major role in

library automation, telecommunication, networking and multimedia technologies haveequally important roles because of the support they offer to library automation. An

automated library is one where a computer system is used to manage one or several of thelibrary's key functions such as acquisition, serials control, cataloguing, circulation and the

public access catalogue. Thus, a computerized library and information system is a set of functional system encompassing:

Computer Hardware - the physical element of a computer system categorized according

to the basic operations they perform: input, processing, output, storage andcommunications.

Computer Software - provides the step-by-step instructions that tell the computer whatto do. Generally software is divided into system software and application software.

Communications - refers to networks including Internet, Intranet and Extranets for electronic transfer of data from one computer to another.

People - the most important part and beneficiary of a computer system, generallycategorized as either end-users or developers

Procedures and standards- are descriptions of how things are done, i.e. manuals,documentations, etc.

Data/Information - raw facts (data) and processed data (information) that are used to produce the desired result

4. History of ICT applications in Libraries

The word automation has been derived from a Greek word "Automose" which means

some thing, which has the power of spontaneous motion or self-movement. Automation,when used in a library context, refers to the computerization of various library

operations. D. S. Harder first introduced the term automation in 1936 but the wordlibrary automation has been in literature for the last five decades when punch cards



were used in library acquisitions and circulation. The process of automation in libraries can be said started with Herman Hollerith of the US Census Bureau, who invented punched

card machinery, attributes the idea to a suggestion by Dr. Jolul Shaw Billing, the thenDirector of Surgeon-General's Library now the National Library of Medicine. In 1936

Ralph Parker modified the Hollerith Punched Card System for circulation control at the

University of Texas and by the middle of 1940s had also experimented with its use inSerials Control. Another milestone in the history of library use of punched cards was in theyear 1942, when the Moniclair Public Library in New Jersey installed a specially designed

book-charging system.

In 1945, Vannevar Bush envisioned an automated system that would store information,including books, articles and personal records. Bush (1945) wrote about a hypothetical

'memex¶ system, which he described as a mechanical library that would allow a user toview stored information from several access points and look at several items

simultaneously. The development of the computer progressed substantially from 1946 to1961, moving quickly through a succession of vacuum tubes, transistors and finally to

chips. During 1946 and 1947 two significant computers were built.

In 1950, the Library of Congress produced a book catalogue using punched cards. Therewere a number of scattered experiments of mechanized systems in the late 1950s and the

early 1960s but most of these were in specialised libraries. The history of libraryautomation, replacement of manual operations by computerized methods in libraries, is

linked to the history of modern day data processing and computer technology. In theearly days of library automation, efforts to automate libraries were directed at the

management of circulation records, using punch card technology. However, Due to theslow progress in the development of computer systems, it was only in the mid 1960s that

more effort was put into experimental projects on the use of computers in libraries, withemphasis on the management of circulation records, production of card catalogues.

Librarians then moved beyond a vision or idea for the use of computers, given thetechnology, and they were able to make great advances in the use of computers for library

systems.

This led to an explosion of library automation in the 1970s. The 1970s were the era of the dumb terminals that were used to gain access to mainframe on-line databases. During

this period, commercial vendors started supplying turnkey library systems, and thiscontributed to the spread of library automation to other countries outside the USA and

UK. Most systems supplied by vendors were hardware and operating system dependent,and were therefore beyond the means of many small libraries. The arrival of

microcomputers in the 1980s accelerated the pace of library automation and thedevelopment of library software systems that could run on mainframe, mini, and

microcomputers. In addition, reductions in library budgets and the need for resourcesharing and cooperation resulted in libraries implementing electronic networks for

providing access to Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) and other cooperativeelectronic bibliographic databases. Use of telnet to access library OPACs and other

commercial databases via the Internet also started. Compact Discs -Read Only Memory(CD-ROMs) appeared commercially which, were initially used to store text based data.



Modern integrated library management systems offer user-friendly graphical user-

friendly graphical user interfaces (GUI), and users, through hypertext technology, can bereferred to other resources, such as electronic journals and other full-text materials, from

in-house bibliographic or Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) records. What is

more, almost every module of modern integrated library management system isaccessible via the Internet to the extent that ordering, circulation, cataloguing, invoicing(through Electronic Data Interchange-EDI), etc. are done electronically with minimum

paper work.

The introduction of CD-ROMs in the late 1980s has changed the way libraries operate.CD-ROMs containing databases, software, and information previously only available

through print, became available making the information more accessible. Connections toexternal online databases such as OCLC. DIALOG, and RLIN continued, but, in the early

1990s, the databases that were previously available online became available on CD-ROM, either in parts or in their entirely. The World Wide Web, which had its official

start date as April of 1993 is becoming the fastest-growing new provider of information.It is also possible, to connect to international library systems and information through the

Internet and with ever-improving telecommunications. Expert systems and knowledgesystems have become available in the 1990s as both software and hardware capabilities

have improved. The technology used for the processing of information has also grownconsiderably. With the development of more advanced silicon computer chips, enlarged

storage space, faster access and, increased-capacity telecommunication lines, the abilityto quickly process store, disseminate and retrieve information has led to flourishing of the

current information delivery services.

Technological advances will continue to open new opportunities for libraries to provideefficient and exhaustive information services and to link to computer networks

worldwide.

5 Challenges before Libraries

The libraries rapidly evolve into something that looks quite different than it did lust a few

decades ago. It is critical that librarians not only become aware of this evolution, but thatthe actively intervene to help reshape their libraries in ways that are consistent with the

core mission of the respective organisations. The integrated automation of basic internal processes such as acquisition, cataloguing and circulation has produced very large

efficiency gains. The almost universal use of shared bibliographic data, loaded into localsystems from a variety of external sources, has also been a major time-saving

development, and has also produced in many cases improvements in the quality of dataon offer to users. OPACs have also fulfilled a good deal of their potential. The software

programmes have traveled through the technological advances from DOS, UNIX,Windows, LINUX operating systems, and now on to online networks and the WEB,

providing applications for every environment. The library automation system, whether the software package came from CDS/ISIS, Libsys, SLIM++, TLMS, Easylib, SOUL or



any of the other major suppliers, has become the centre of attention of the librarians andof high expectations of library users. Library automation, which started in late 1970s in a

few special libraries, has now reached a large number of the libraries in the country. It ishowever yet to be reach majority of the libraries of college, school and public libraries in

India. The challenges being faced by today¶s librarians are:

y High cost of Publications

y Shrinking budgets

y Increasing cost of maintenance of Publications

y Shortage of space

y Shortage of trained manpower

y Growth in size of storage

y Increase in processing speed

y Decreasing cost of hardware

y User-friendly software

y New services

y New Products

y Multimedia applications

y Telecommunication revolution

y Library users expect more than they currently receive.

y ICT savvy users

y Google and other modern web destinations set high user expectations

6 Need and Objectives of ICT in Libraries

The application of information technology in libraries results in increased operational

efficiency. The IT increases productivity of library staff. It relieves professional staff from mundane jobs that involves a lot of duplication so that they can be fruitfully used

for user-oriented library services. It improves quality of services rendered by the library. Use of information technology ensures ease of functioning, accuracy and economy in

human labour with greater speed. The exponential growth of information has mademanual system redundant giving way to computerized information storage and retrieval

tools making the. Effective and efficient handling of huge quantum of information is only possible by using computers, which have the added advantage of being highly accurate

and efficient that adds value to information. ICT applications in libraries has manifoldadvantages:

Relieving professional staff from routine work: Routine and repetitive jobs are

handled easily saving and eliminating drudgery. The time saved from labourious androutine wok could be effectively used for providing new library services.

Increased operational efficiencies: By contributing to efficiency it improves

productivity. Many of the library functions like acquisitions and cataloguing are partlyclerical and partly professional involving decision making and are tedious. As a result,



backlogs in the acquisition section/cataloguing section are fairly common. Computerscan help solve this problem by improving productivity.

Multiple Outputs: A variety of multiple outputs may be generated with a single input

in automated systems. This feature has provided enormous advantages. Outputs of

various sequences and various kinds of reports maybe generated without spendingadditional energy or resource. For example a database of bibliographic records can beused for generating

accession lists, shelf lists, special purpose bibliographies, searching catalogue, querying, etc.Thus a variety of services, which were hitherto contemplated but could not be offered,

can now be provided.

Improves Quality of Services: Application of ICT has opened up new vistas in libraryservices and also has immensely improved the quality of services offered.

Redefining the existing services: ICT offers a new range of products processes and

services. Traditional services like current awareness services (CAS) and selectivedissemination of information (SDI) can be given to the users very easily.

Instantaneous answers to multiple queries: A variety of queries are posed to library

sub-systems, for example, to find out the status of a book recommended for acquisition,the users would like to know the whereabouts of a document through the circulation

system, etc. Answering such queries is easy, and instantaneously in an automated system.Decreasing costs, versatility and stupendous processing power of computers have made

automation -very cost effective. Reducing of time wasted, immediate access to data andsharing of limited resources are some of the advantages.

Provide new services: Some of the concepts/ services considered Utopian at one time

are now a reality. It is now possible to offer a range of new services like instant documentdelivery, on-line reference service, etc.

Participate in library networks: ICT empowers us to share resources appears only in

electronic format (e.g. CD-ROM, Internet resources, databases, etc.) at local, national andglobal level through high speed library networks.

Application of ICT in libraries has opened up varied means of fast and portable access,

encouraged new research routes, refreshed the information consumer-base and redefinedthe public domain, among other obvious benefits. Use of ICT in libraries is critical to

enabling:

y ready access to services, 24/7/365, regardless of geographic location;

y effective resource discovery, online access to digital and digitized content and

seamless navigation around content;y unmediated service delivery, adaptive to the purposes and capacities of individual

clients;



y proactive engagement of clients with information and ideas through innovativevirtual exhibitions and packaging of content;

y interaction and communication between clients ± community website publishingservices, web based interactive public programs, chat services, discussion lists,

and online forums and debates;y

access to a Library system by other libraries and institutions;y effective and efficient information and knowledge management.

7.0 Areas of ICT Applications in Library and Information Services

The library automation refers to computerization or mechanization of all library

activities. It deals with the design and development of process and system that minimizethe necessity of human intervention in their operations. The library automation is defined

as ³integrated systems´ that computerize an array of traditional library functions such asacquisition, cataloguing, circulation and serials control, etc. using an integrated library

software. A computerized library and information system is a set of functional systemencompassing:

y Automation of library management functions (e.g. Acquisition, Cataloguing,Circulation, Serials Control, Reference, etc.)

y Office automation (e.g. word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.)

y CD / DVD ROM and their Networking

y ICT based services (including accessing remote electronic resources e.g.electronic document delivery, virtual reference service)

An automated library is one where a computer system is used to manage one or several of

the key functions of a library such as acquisitions, serials control, cataloguing, circulationand the public access catalogue. An integrated library system or an integrated online

library system is used for computerization of in-house activities of a library. Suchapplication packages use a single bibliographic database and a set of interrelated

application programs to support multiple library operations. Most integrated library packages are modular in design consisting of a number of optional and basic modules.

Most library packages typically incorporate modules for: Acquisition, Cataloguing,Circulation Control, Serials Control and Public Access Catalogue. Online Public Access

Catalogue is often a principal motive for the implementation of an integrated library package. Several off-the-shelf packages are available in the market that can be used for

computerization of in-house activities of the Library. These software packages are

available for single user in a workstation mode (Windows 95/98/2000) as well insimultaneous multi-user environment on Windows NT / Unix / Linux / Sun SolarisOperating Systems. LibSys, Alice for Windows, Slim +, VTLS, etc. are some of theimportant software packages available in India.

7.1 Automation of Library Management Functions:



The advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has compelledlibraries to increasingly attempt to automate some of their activities involving clerical

routines and thereby make library staff more productive. Automation of libraryhousekeeping operations is considered especially a critical area from which future

benefits will emerge. Libraries deal essentially with recorded knowledge, which is

expressed in some language written on some suitable medium. The technology pertinentto library functions has therefore been that dealing with the storage, processing,organization, retrieval and dissemination of knowledge contained in library materials.

ICT is an invention of direct relevance to libraries¶ prime concern, which enables performance of the housekeeping operations more efficiently and results in the optimum

utilization of library manpower.

The performance of a library largely depends on the organization of itshousekeeping operations. Most of the activities related to library housekeeping follow

some definite routines and obviously are amenable to computerization. It means acomputer or a group of computers can perform routine clerical chores quickly and

cheaply.

I. Acquisition

Acquisition of documents is one of the basic functions associated with any

library. A library must acquire and provide all the relevant documents to its users withinits budgetary limitations. An acquisition subsystem performs four basic operations.

They are selection, ordering, receiving and accessioning of documents. Let us try andunderstand as to how these operations are performed in a library.

i) Selection

Selection of documents of library users is a very responsible job and should be based ondefinite principles and accepted norms. For a given library the book budget is a limited

quantity and it should be spent judiciously to provide services to an optimum number of library users. Therefore, book selection becomes necessary. There are a number of tools

(such as bibliographies, publisher¶s catalogues, etc.), which will be useful to library staff in selection process. Requests from library users and suggestions from library authority

are also considered for selection purposes. Such selection of documents needs theapproval of the competent authority, before they are purchased for the library.

ii) Ordering

This procedure starts with pre-order searching, especially to avoid duplicate orders. Inthe next stage, purchase orders are generated and placed either directly to the respective

publishers or to the list of vendors approved by the competent authority. Additionally,generation of reminders for overdue items and cancellation of orders also comes under

the purview of ordering procedure.

iii) Receiving

Documents and invoices or bills usually arrive together. Bills are checked with the order

list before processing for payment. Newly arrived books are tallied with the bills and theorder list to check whether the books received are as per the order and the author, title,



edition, imprints and price are correct before accessioning. It is essential to ensure that books are not defective in any way before accessioning.

iv) Accessioning

A stock register is maintained by libraries in which all the documents purchased or

received in exchange or as gift are recorded. Each document is provided with aconsecutive serial number. The register is called Accession Register and the serialnumber to each document is referred to as Accession Number of the document.

Accession register is one of the important records of the library.

The above processes have been automated by using library application software packages, which can easily be picked up off the shelves. The details of various software

packages have been discussed in subsequent modules.

II. Processing

The processing procedure is the pivot round which all the housekeeping

operations revolve in a library. Processing helps in the transformation of a librarycollection into serviceable resources. The procedures under this subdivision are

classification, cataloguing, labeling and shelving.

A.Classification of Documents

Classification is grouping similar objects together. This principle is used to

organize documents in libraries according to their subject content. It forms thefoundation of librarianship. The following are the important classification schemes,

which are used in different libraries of the world: Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC),Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), Library of Congress Classification (LC), Colon

Classification (CC), and Subject Classification (SC), etc. The purposes for classifying of documents are to:

a) help the user to find a document whose call number (i.e., class number + book number) he/she knows. The class number represents the subject of a book while the book

number individualises it among books of the same subject. b) find out all the documents on a given subject.

Classification is a mental process and demands intellectual exercises from a classifier.

As a result, automatic synthesis of class numbers requires the application of ArtificialIntelligence (AI) techniques in the development of software. In India, some research

work has already been carried out at DRTC, Bangalore for building class numbers (basedon Colon Classification) automatically through a software (called Vasya), written in

PROLOG (PROgramming in LOGic) ± a non-procedural programming language. Theelectronic version of Dewey (Electronic Dewey) is available on CD-ROM.

B. Cataloguing

All the cataloguing procedures start with technical reading of the document to becatalogued by studying title, sub-title, alternate title, editor, edition, reprint, imprint,

dedication, preface, table of contents, collation, series, bibliographies, etc. In case of manual cataloguing, the cataloguer makes separate cards for author, title, subject, cross-



references and analytical entries by following any standard catalogue code (such asAACR-II, CCC, etc.) and file them as per the rules laid down by the library.

Computerised cataloguing begins with entering bibliographical data in a pre-designedworksheet. The worksheet or datasheet is very similar to a data entry form and is based

on any standard bibliographic record format (such as MARC 21, CCF, UNIMARC, etc.).

Finally bibliographical data recorded in the worksheets are entered into the computer to produce a machine-readable catalogue file and OPAC. Computer-based cataloguingsupports importing of bibliographical records for the library resources acquired by it

either from centralized cataloguing service agency or from other libraries and exportingof bibliographical data of its own collection to other libraries and exporting of

bibliographical data of its own collection to other library systems. This facility reducesunit cost of cataloguing and ensures standardization in cataloguing. The recent trend of

cataloguing is to utilize Z39.50 protocol to download bibliographical data from other libraries and to provide global access to its own collection through Web OPAC.

III. Circulation

Most libraries lend books and other library materials to be read elsewhere byusers. This is convenient for the users, increases the use made of libraries¶ collection and

reduces demand for reading space within library building. This function requires somesort of record keeping arrangement of what has been lent and to whom. The reasons for

keeping loan records are to: reduce the loss of library materials; and help library staff toanswer users¶ queries about the location of items not on the shelves.

A variety of systems of record keeping of loans have come into being based on needs.

These are known as circulation systems. These involve some common jobs for successful implementation such as enrolment of members, issue and return of library

documents, reservation of documents, renewal of documents, maintenance of documentsand records, maintenance of statistics, inter-library loan, issuing of gate pass, etc.

In a computer based circulation system, the machine-readable file consists of records for all items on loan from the library updated periodically with new records. This file is

called ³transaction file´ and it takes required data from other two files ± ³document file´and ³borrower file´. Modern library management software support barcode based

circulation system. In such a system, a barcode reader scans barcoded accession number of a document and the barcode in turn acts as a pointer to the document file. It helps to

minimize labour and error in data entry operation. The concept of RFID (RadioFrequency Identification) based circulation system is emerging rapidly in developed

countries. It comprises three components: a tag, a reader and an antenna. The tagcontains important bibliographical data. The reader decodes the information stored on

the chip after receiving it through the antenna and sends data to the central server tocommunicate library automation system. RFID technology supports patron self-checkout

machines and has the ability to conduct inventory counts without moving a single book from the shelve. As a whole, RFID improves library workflow, staff productivity and

customer service.



IV. Serials Control

Serials in general and periodicals in particular are essential for research and development

(R&D) activities. These are the primary means of communication for the exchange of scientific information. The periodicals or journals subscribed by libraries can be grouped

into the following categories:

y

Indexing/Abstracting periodicalsy Periodicals containing news items

y Periodicals containing full-text research articles and technical papersAcquisition of serials/periodicals in a library is different from book ordering system. Incontrast to books, the libraries regularly subscribe periodicals against advance payment.

The modes of subscription of periodicals in a library are as follows:

y Through local vendors/subscription agents

y Through foreign vendors/subscription agents

y Direct from the publishers

y As gift or complimentary

y In exchange

The fundamental tasks of any serials control system, manual or mechanized, can be listedas below:

y Selection of serials

y Selection of subscription mode

y Formulation of terms of procurement

y Selection of vendors

y Order

y Advance payment

y Receiving and registration of serials issues in Kardex

y Sending reminders in case of issues not received

y

Adjustment of advance payment for missing issuesy Preparation of list of journals procured, new arrivals and serials holdings for the

users.

y Binding and accessioning of back volumes of serials.

In an automated system all these tasks are performed by library management softwareefficiently. It reduces workload of library staff. Computer based serials control systems

may be predictive or non-predictive. Predictive systems predict the arrival of individual journal issues and can generate reminders in case of non-receipted issues. Prediction

means the ability to inform that a named issue of a named journal will arrive in thelibrary within a stated time interval. Modern library management software supports

predictive mode of serials control with the facilities of online acquisition and access of journals through World Wide Web (WWW).

7.2 Office Automation and Computer-based ElectronicMessage System (CBEMS)

Libraries, besides using integrated library packages, also use office automation softwarelike word processing (MS Word or Word Pro), spread-sheet (MS Excel or Lotus 123),

database management systems (MS Access or Lotus Approach), presentation packages



(MS Powerpoint or Lotus Freelance Graphics) and graphic applications (Photoshop or Paintshop). Librarians and information professionals, therefore, require basic training in

use of such general-purpose packages.

Similarly, libraries also use computer-based electronic message system while attending

their day-to-day routine works. A computer-based electronic message system (CBEMS)allows communication between computer users hooked into a network. A message or aunit of communication is sent by its originator to one or more recipients. CBEMS is used

for communication between person-to-person, human-to-machine and machine-to-machine. A document or message sent through electronic system may contain text,

graphics, image, speech as well as other types of information.

All local, national and international communication networks offer CBEMS facilities. Acomputer-based system used for sending a message or document may have facilities to

create, edit, file, receive, transmit and print it electronically.

Computer-Based ElectronicM

essage System (CBEM

S)

Image Voice Text Text and Graphics

Telefax Telephone Telex TelefaxVideodisc Voice Mail Teletext Videodisc

Videoconferencing E-Mail Videotex

Fig. 1: Computer-Based Electronic Message System (CBEMS)

Computer-based electronic message handling offers many advantages over itsconventional counterparts. The system improves the information flow process and does

not require the presence of two communicating parties simultaneously. A group of persons working on the same project geographically dispersed over a large area can

communicate with each other using CBEMS. Some of the important CBEMS modes of communication are given in figure 1 above.

7. 3 CD / DVD ROM and their Networking

CD-ROM technology uses hand-size, circular plastic platters made from polycarbonate

with a shiny underlay that stores digital information optically. A typical disc used in acomputer-based CD drive stores 650 MB using 333,000 sectors. All sections and sub-

sections can be digitally labelled, located and read, but not altered by the user. CD-ROMscomes with data already encoded onto them. The data is permanent and can be read any

number of times, but cannot be modified. The CD-ROM drive's nominal speed is the



same as its transfer rate. Single-speed drives have a 150 kbps transfer rate while the ratefor 12x drives is 1.8 Mbps. 48x and 52x drives are now available in the market.

Writable CD ROMs are now available as WORM (write-once, read-many). With a

WORM disk drive, the disk can be read and reread but once it is recorded it cannot be

changed. Data on erasable-Optical disks (EO) or CD-re-writable disc can be erased andloaded, just like magnetic disks. An optical disk drive reads and writes data onto the disk using laser technology.

Digital Versatile Disk or DVD initially stood for Digital Video Disc. Like a CD, it is an

optical storage system for read-only, recordable and rewritable applications. But, beingsimilar to a CD in many ways, DVD is considered as potential replacement for CDs.

The DVD format provides several configurations of data layers, moving from 2D storage

to 3D storage. Each configuration is designed to provide additional storage capacity. Thesimilarity between the DVD and the CD gets smaller with each upgraded configuration,

DVD-5 utilizes two layers to store the information and two laser beams to retrieve thedata. Even higher storage capacity is achieved in DVD-9 by going 3D. The first layer is

semi-reflective in DVDs, which allows the second beam to reach the second layer, whichis fully reflective. Likewise in three-layered DVDs three laser beams are used to retrieve

data, while the first two layers are semi-reflective, that allows third beam of laser to reachthe third layer to retrieve the data. The disk is made by bonding together two 0.6 mm

thick substrates using transparent (with no internal defects or bubbles) UV-cured (UV =ultra-violet) lacquer. This disk design allows almost twice as much data to be stored as

DVD-5. Labels are printed on the other side of the disk conventionally.

The libraries are acquiring CD ROM-based information products in increasingly larger numbers. Networking CD ROMs is essential to facilitate simultaneous access to these CD

ROM products to multiple number of users. The benefits of networking CD-ROMsinclude easier management, installation, configuration and updates, and better security.

They also offer cost savings in hardware and network software licenses and ultimately,higher user productivity and higher performance. The CD ROM networking solutions

available in the market includes i) plug and play mini-server; ii) dedicated CD ROMservers; iii) Hard disc-based CD ROM servers (thin client / server technology; and iv)

Silver Platter¶s Electronic Reference Library (ERL).

8 ICT based Services

I. Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and User Services

Library catalogue is perhaps the most important tool for locating material in the

Library. Unfortunately until recently its value has been restricted by its physical form,most commonly a large card catalogue or a set of printed volumes. The advent of

computers, with their ability to process large amounts of information and output in a



variety of formats has finally brought the library to the customer, wherever he or she may be located, in the form of OPAC.

OPAC provides access to the catalogue through a computer terminal. OPAC

allows searching the entire catalogue online, conveniently and quickly, using one or more

search criteria. One can, for example, search by author, title, keywords, class number or one or more of these combined together. OPAC even shows the current status of a book,whether it is loaned out, available on the shelf or lying elsewhere. Another advantage of

OPAC is its ability to display catalogue records in a variety of formats such as AACR2,MARC, etc., and the records can be displayed in a desired order. For example one can

display records arranged (sorted) by author, title or call number. Most librarymanagement packages offer printing of bibliographies from OPAC either on a printer or

on a file. An OPAC terminal should be equipped with search software, which is usually part of library management software such as LibSys, EasyLib, SOUL, Sanjay, etc.

Another convenience that OPAC offers is accessibility from outside the library

from a computer connected to library Local Area Network (LAN). With modern librarysystems offering interface to OPAC, it is also possible to provide access from anywhere

in the world via Internet. Internet enabled OPAC is called Web OPAC. Web OPAC can be searched using any common browser, such as Microsoft Inernet Explorer or Netscape

Navigator. Apart from searching OPAC, some libraries allow their remote users to availcertain online services like book reservations, loan requests for postal loan, loan

renewals, membership application, address change, suggesting books, etc.

II. Reference Service

Asynchronous tools such as e-mail, subject gateways, FAQs, and electronic libraries andinteractive tools like chat rooms, virtual reference desk, and ask-me are replacing the

conventional means of post, phone or in-person reference enquiries. As-a-Librarianallows the user to click on ask-a-librarian link to send a formatted enquiry to the

reference librarian. The reference librarian either provides an answer, links to resourcesor links to a subject expert. Interactive tools now allow a reference interview online.

Reference sources in electronic media are becoming common. Electronic reference

sources include the CD-ROMs of abstracting journals, electronic dictionaries, almanacs,handbooks, encyclopedias, etc. Most of them are available on the Internet or DVDs. The

encyclopedias are sometimes available free and some are priced. For example,Encyclopedia Britannica, Encarta Online are priced even if available on the Net. To make

use of the CD-ROM based encyclopedias or abstracting and indexing services one needsto install special software on PC's for using them. Also, there are a number of free

dictionaries available on the Internet. In addition, almanacs, handbooks etc. are alsoavailable on the Net. A library cannot purchase all the reference sources or all available

sources are not useful to the readers of the library.

E-reference: A user can ask any kinds of questions from the service for free by using aWeb-based form. The service providers promise that an answer to any question will be



delivered to the email address given by the user within three working days. Answers are provided by using library collections, databases and the Internet resources. Because of the

vast amount of sources available, the answers given are not always exhaustive but willanyhow help the user to examine the question more deeply. The questions and answers

are also automatically archived for further use. In the archive of the service, no personal

details of users are exposed, just the questions that have been asked and the answers provided to them. The themes of the questions have varied from the running speed of elephants to qualifications of a librarian to studying in a European country, just to take a

few examples. The librarians can solve the problems presented by the users dialogically.However, usually only one answer is sent to each question.

III. Bibliographic Service

A bibliography is an organized list of primary or other sources relating to a given subject

or person. It is usually arranged alphabetically by author or chronologically or by topic-wise. The compilation of a bibliography involves the following steps:

y Definition of the subject

y Scope of the subject in terms of the coverage to be achieved by the bibliography

y Items of information to be included for each document

y Kinds of entries to be prepared

y Arrangement of entries to be followed

y Physical form on which the entries are to be prepared

y Form of bibliography in which it is to be finally to be finally presented to theusers.

Some of the libraries compile bibliography on a particular subject only on demand from

the users. This section provides details of this service. The bibliographies compiled andsupplied to the particular user on request.

Compilation of bibliographies, reading lists and state-of-the art report is one of the most

important aspects of LIS work, particularly in research and academic libraries. Browsingthrough the manual indexes and abstracts is a tedious and time consuming work, and does

not always produce up-to-date result. Availability of databases in electronic from on CD-ROM or online, offers convenient, efficient and cost effective information retrieval.

Electronic databases also provide unique search features such as searching on multiplecriteria (keyword, subject, author, source, classification code, year of publication,

Language, etc.), and variety of display formats and styles.

Advance features like natural language query, ranking the search results, are alsoavailable in many databases. Web-based services facilitate full-text searches and link to

full-text of the documents. Dialog, STN and Silver Platter are some of the popular database companies that offer bibliographic and reference databases on CD-ROM and

online platforms.

IV. Current Awareness Service



Current Awareness Service is a service to make the users aware of the availabilityof recent publications. It can be defined as - a device of information system through

which the users of information promptly, as soon as possible after publication but beforeabsorption into the comprehensive secondary sources, of current literature on a broad

subject field or on an area in which a group of persons are interested. In the context of

library the time limit should be after the receipt of the publications but well before thereceipt of secondary publications containing them.

Current Awareness Service has been important means for keeping the users up-to-date in their areas of interest. A current awareness service may be as simple as copy of

table of contents or a bulletin containing bibliographic records, of articles selected fromthe current issues of journals and other material, and usually organized by subjects.

Libraries now compile current awareness bulletins using predefined search strategy andrunning on the database either on CD-ROM or online periodically and getting the desired

output. Subject to copyrights, the output can also be stored on a local system, anddisseminated online (Internet, Intranet) and offline (print, CD-ROM, e-mail). Table of

Contents (TOC) of most journals are available free from the publisher¶s sites. Some publishers even offer free e-mail update of table of contents.

The need for people to keep up with the latest developments in their areas of interest has

long been recognised. Similarly the threat of information overload has been recognised.For a number of years libraries have been providing their users with current awareness

services (CAS) to help them keep track of developments. Unlike retrospective searchservices, which search backwards for information published in a specific period, CAS

cover information as it is published and then brings it to users¶ attention.

At first CAS were based on manual methods such as accession lists and indexing or

abstracting bulletins. Over the last decade a number of electronic CAS have beenintroduced, and more recently a number of very useful services have become availablethrough the World Wide Web (WWW). In the Internet era we need to reconsider the

definition of CAS. Fourie (2001), for example, defined CAS as:

A selection of one or more systems that provide notification of the existence of newentities added to the system¶s database or of which the system took note (e.g.

documents, websites, events such as conferences, discussion groups, editions of newsletters). CAS automatically notify users or allow users to check periodically for

updates. The entities can be specified according to users¶ subject interests or according to the type of entity (e.g. books or newsletters).

Internet has enabled a lot of innovations in contents, methods of production anddistribution of current awareness products. Tools such as Listserv, Weblog, Webzines

and e-newsletters are common. Listserv gives the latest information hot topics, ideas andopinions, a chance to discuss issues, a source of advice and assistance. Weblogs literally

log the web. They review, select and package the latest relevant information, in a subjectarea. Some examples of web-based current awareness service are the NSDL Scout

Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology



(http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/NSDL/MET/Current/) and Free Pint (www.freepint.com)are example of web-based current awareness services.

CAS available via the WWW offer a number of advantages over their traditional printed

counterparts: they are speedy and appear very frequently (some even appear on an hourly

basis), they are very convenient to use from your desktop, and as the WWW is available24 hours a day (depending on the reliability of your service provider), these services arealso highly available.

CAS offers many benefits to librarians. Given below are some examples how the Internet

in general can be used Acquisition Section of a library.

Benefits Examples

Can keep track of new developments in a particular field(s) of interest

In-house web-based acquisitions systems,collection development policies, e-

publications, measuring tools for journal

cancellations, in-house acquisition processes, ordering methods, etc.

Can keep track of new websites, discussion

groups (listservs, Usenet groups), publications (e.g. books), etc.

Especially those of key or marginal

relevance to acquisitions

Can keep track of new research projects inorder to react timely.

Digital libraries projects, JSTOR (JournalSTORage), document delivery projects,

etc.

Can keep track of Internet-related

developments

Search engines, web browsers, etc.

Can take note of daily news events of

interest (e.g. as reported in newspapers)

New laws on value added tax, increase in

inflation, etc.Can take note of developments concerning

vendors

Dialog, ISI, Ovid, SilverPlatter, STN,

EBSCO, OCLC, Sabinet, etc.

Can take note of market-relateddevelopments

Noticing mergers, vendor and publisher acquisitions, etc.

Can take note of important opinion papers Debate on access v/s ownership, freeaccess to information, etc.

Can keep track of new titles for differentdocument types

New books, CDs, videos, journal and serialtitles, etc.

Can keep track with acquisitions toolsavailable via WWW

Review resources, publishers¶ websites, outof print dealers, etc.

Can support productivity in terms of research and publications

Acquisitions librarians need to be activelyinvolved in action or academic research to

refine their procedures on an ongoing basis

Can keep track of forthcoming events It is useful to monitor the websites of

relevant organisations such as Aslib, ALA,IFLA,

Can keep track of financial developmentsof interest

Currency rates, serious currencyfluctuations, etc.



V. Inter-Library Loan and Union Catalogue

It is not possible for any single library to fulfill all the needs of its users from its

collection. Resource sharing through Inter-library Loan (ILL) is a necessity for the

libraries. Access to the catalogue of partner libraries is crucial to inter-library lending.Union catalogues, standardization and machine readable catalogues are aimed at promoting resources sharing. Printed union catalogues and Computer Output on

Microfiche (COM) catalogues and CD-ROMs are now being replaced by Web OPAC andweb-based union catalogues. Librarians can now access catalogues of thousands of

libraries across the world using Internet. Developments in digital library and Internettechnologies have made it possible to automatically update the catalogue records from

member library systems, distributed searches using a single user interface, and valuedadded services.

VI. Audio-visual Services

Audio-visual materials are important sources of information, education and

entertainment. Many libraries particularly media libraries and large academic and publiclibraries hold audio-visual material such as music, films, pictures and photographs, etc.

Old media of LP records and tape slide have long been replaced with audio and videotape. The new multimedia of audio CD, Video CD(VC), and Digital Video Disks (DVD)

have advantage of higher storage capacity, random access and longer life than audio andvideo tapes and cassettes. Many libraries allow their members to borrow these.

Multimedia documents can now be played on standard PCs, stand-alone or networked.Recent developments in storage media, compression and encryption technology have

made it possible to storage large amount of multimedia documents on hard disk anddisseminate through Internet. Software such as Quick Time Player, Microsoft Media

Player, etc. are now freely available to play or see these documents in a browser. Youwill learn more about various hardware, software and document formats that are used for

creation, storage, distribution and use of digital multimedia documents later in thiscourse.

VII. Customer Relations and User Education

LIS being service profession, customer services and user training are important aspects of

its activities. A continuous interaction with users for feedback and information is a mustto maintain the standards of service. While the conventional means of interaction such as

meetings, suggestion box, surveys and interviews are still important, use of new means of communications such as e-mail, web forms, bulletin boards, discussion forums and

listserv are fast replacing these. Not only these tools provide a fast, convenient andtransparent and cost effective medium, but also offer scope for innovations and greater

peer participation. Some of these tools can even be used by the libraries to involve theusers in book selection etc. LIS customer relations can be tremendously improved by

innovative use of technology like virtual library tours, making interactive library mapsand floor plan available on the library web site. A highly ICT enabled environment



requires appropriate training to its users also. The contents of user training must includeuse of Internet tools and resources. Conventional user education programmes can be

supplemented with web-based instructions and guide for use of resources. In theconventional classroom based user education also ICT tools are used for presentation and

demonstration.

VIII. Automatic Identification and Data Collection Technology

i. Bar Code Technology

Bar code technology is being used in library and businesses for the past 30 years to minimize

data entry errors, speed processes and reduce costs. Most books, journals as well as other consumer products in the market carry black and white thin and thick strips. These black

and white strips are known as barcode. Barcode technology offers a mechanism that can be used for identification, location and tracking of items that are bar coded.

Barcode is not a new technology, it was introduced in 1940 although it was first applied

commercially in 1960¶s as a method for tracking rail road cars. Since then, it has been usedextensively in consumer industry, material handling, industries and libraries. A bar code is amachine readable code consisting of a series of bars and spaces printed in defined ratios. Bar code symbologies are essentially alphabets in which different widths of bars and spaces arecombined to form characters and ultimately, forms a message. Because there are many ways toarrange these bars and spaces, numerous symbologies are possible. Common linear symbologies include UPC/EAN, Interleaved 2 of 5 (I of 5), Codabar, Code 39 and Code 128.While each symbology is in some way unique, the composition of a complete message (bar code)is regardless of the symbology used.

Barcode by itself, is not a system but is an identification tool that enables accuratereading of data for sophisticated management systems. Use of barcode increasing

accuracy in data collection, saves time and brings about the efficiency in libraryactivities.

Bar code technology is being used in libraries all over the world especially for circulation

of books as well as for several other functions. The Bar code technology has several other applications in the library including location control or book tracking, stock verification,

receipt of issues of journals, cross checking of documents issued from the library, etc.

ii Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a term used for a radio-enabled device that

communicates with or interrogates a tag or smart label, which is embedded with a singlemicrochip processor and an antenna. The origin of the term lies in the invention of ³tags´that reflects back or re-transmit a radio frequency signal. The two components of RFID

are tags and readers. The tags or label is equipped with a single microchip processor, anantenna and an ID code that can be embedded in almost any object. RFID readers are

radio-enabled devices, that communicate with or interrogate RFID tags or labelswirelessly and obtain the ID code on the tags from a distance of several inches. The RFID



readers can be fixed or made portable just like barcode scanners. RFID can also bereferred as a high-tech version of the barcode.

In the past few years, the cost of RFID tags has come down drastically. Low cost RFID

tags, typically costs less than Rs. 50.00 each for up to 1 meter range making the

technology affordable as an alternative to the barcode, magnetic strip or printed label.RFID has advantages that include tolerance of mis-orientation and obscuration, lower cost over life and ability to ³read´. Most importantly, RFID tags are cheap enough to be

disposable and thin enough to go even inside the sheets of paper in some cases.

How it Works? An RFID tag is a means of storing and retrieving data through a radiofrequency transmission to the chip inside the tag. An RFID tag is simply an integrated

circuit (chip), which includes memory for data storage and a substrate backing materialwith an antenna pattern. The chip can typically hold up to 1,024 bits (128 bytes) of

information. In a typical library implementation, each book is equipped with smart labelsand library patrons are given library cards imbedded with smart labels. Tags or smart

labels can be programmed to store i) unique accession number of documents; ii) classnumber of a document; and iii) a unique security code for EAS.

While accession number is used for carrying out functions of circulation, stock

verification and other library applications, class number can be deployed for sortingdocuments according to class numbers and segregating then into bins for different

shelving areas. As mentioned earlier, the RFID tags can also be used as antitheft devicesin libraries. Such applications of RFID are called Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS).

New forms of RFID performs EAS functions as well, obviating the need for a separatedevice.

An interrogator, or reader, is a radio frequency device used to write data to and read data

from the chip. Smart tags used in a library are passive, having no internal power sourcesuch as a battery. The interrogator provides enough RF energy to power and activate the

tag to reflect or to present information stored on them.

RFID tags transmit data, antennas receive or transmit the RF signal through the air andreaders decode the RF information received from the RFID tag through the antenna. The

data is then transmitted to the host application for necessary processing.

In a typical library application, RFID readers can be installed at various strategic placesto support different functions that RFID tags can perform. Some of the typical

installations could be:

y Workstation designed specifically for library staff to facilitate the smoothhandling of books and other material having RFID labels/ tags.

y The security gates with Theft Detection System (AES). Any item that has not been checked-out either by staff station or self check-out station, will be detectedas it goes past these pedestals.

y Self-service station with provision for checking out books independently by the borrower without any intervention of library staff. The theft detection system of



the smart label for that book is deactivated to enable smooth passage from thesecurity gate.

y ³Drop Box´ where returned books are placed through suitable slits by patronsthemselves. As books are returned through the Book Drop facility located

suitably in a library, the smart labels are automatically read, and both patron

record and Library database gets updated.

9 Skill Development in IT for Librarians

The Library and information centers are going through a process of transformation with

increase in the use of new information technology its products and services in libraries.The librarians and information workers find difficulties in copying with fast

technological developments due to lack of sufficient continuing education for them. Agreat deal of strategically planning is required to address this issue.

While it is important to revise library science curriculum with introduction of strong

components of IT for fresh library science graduates, it is equally important to trainexisting manpower in the libraries through continuing educational programmes.

Continuing education may include educational activities primarily designed to keep practicing librarians and information professionals abreast of their particular domain inlibrary, and to provide them with training in new fields of IT. Continuing education

activities in our country, is generally offered on irregular basis through training programmes organized by institutions, individuals, association and departments of library

and information science of universities.

10 Conclusion

Rapid growth of information technology, particularly, the Internet and associatedtechnologies, has opened up an entirely new medium for providing improved information

services and resources for the users. As information professionals, we have theopportunity not only to play a leading role in the organization and navigation using new

tools and technologies, but also in the development and maintenance of IT-based servicesand resources for our users and organizations. With availability of web-based resources

and services, the local collection of a library is not the only source of information for auser. The users are interacting virtually with the library collections and resources as well

as with host of resources that the librarian did not select or may not even know aboutthem. The librarians can no longer stay behind the desk to wait for the users to come,

assuming that the users would approach at the right time and for the right things. The roleof library as a primary aggregator of content for its user is less and less unique. In an

environment of self-service databases, electronic forms, web information and the growthof distance education, a user is likely to approach the librarian after he has already begun

his search, but was not satisfied with the results.

The future will require the librarians to reorient themselves, think creatively and adoptnew technology to generate services and resources where their skills of structuring and

organizing resources are put to its best use. With myriad of disorganized and unverified



information, the web is in need of librarians who are trained in the structuring andorganizing information, have the ability to locate and evaluate information resources, and

have in-depth subject expertise. If the librarians are committed to sustain their roles as providers and facilitator of information in the emerging and competitive space of higher

education, they would need to adopt new technology, interact with users to learn about

their requirements and expectations. The librarians have to join the academic communityas facilitators and collaborators, guide the students through the complex maze of printand digital resources, teaching them how to search effectively and helping them judge the

quality and usefulness of the information that they encounter. The opportunities arelimitless especially in the chaotic scenario of Internet.

Glossary

y Automation: The replacement of manual operations by computerized

methods. Office automation refers to integrating clerical tasks such as

typing, filing and appointment scheduling. Factory automation refers to

computer-driven assembly lines.

y ICT: Information and Communication(s) Technology (ICT) is the studyor business of developing and using technology to process information and

aid communications. It is concerned with the use of technology in managing

and processing information, especially in large libraries. In particular, IT

deals with the use of electronic computers, computer software andcommunication technologies to convert, store, protect, process, transmit,

and retrieve information.

y Hardware: Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer,

including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software

that executes within the hardware. The hardware of a computer isinfrequently changed, in comparison with software and data, which are

"soft" in the sense that they are readily created, modified or erased on the

computer. Books provide a useful analogy. The pages and the ink are thehardware, while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall meaning



are the software. A computer without software is like a book full of blank

pages -- you need software to make the computer useful just as you need

words to make a book meaningful.

y Information Society: An information society is a society in which the

creation, distribution, diffusion, uses, and manipulation of information is asignificant economic, political, and cultural activity. The knowledge

economy is its economic counterpart whereby wealth is created through theeconomic exploitation of understanding. Specific to this kind of society is

the central position information technology has for production, economy,

and society at large. Information society is seen as the successor to

industrial society.

y Knowledge Management: KM is the µprocess through which organizations

generate value from intellectual and knowledge based assets¶

y Networking: Connecting two or more computers together with the ability to

communicate with each other.

y Software: Computer software or program, enables a computer to perform

specific tasks, as opposed to the physical components of the system

(hardware). This includes application software such as a word processor,which enables a user to perform a task, and system software such as anoperating system, which enables other software to run properly, by

interfacing with hardware and with other software or custom software made

to user specifications.

y Systems software: Includes the operating system and all the utilities that

enable the computer to function.

y Applications software: Includes programs that do real work for users. For

example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems

fall under the category of applications software.



y RFID: Short for r adio f requency id entification, a technology similar in

theory to bar code identification. With RFID, the electromagnetic or

electrostatic coupling in the RF portion of the electromagnetic spectrum isused to transmit signals. An RFID system consists of an antenna and a

transceiver, which read the radio frequency and transfer the information to a

processing device, and a transponder, or tag, which is an integrated circuit

containing the RF circuitry and information to be transmitted. RFID is also

called dedicated short-range communication (DSRC).

y OPAC: An OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) is an online bibliography

of a library collection that is available to the public. OPACs developed as

stand-alone online catalogs, often from VT100 terminals to a mainframelibrary catalog. With the arrival of the Internet, most libraries have made

their OPAC accessible from a server to users all over the world. User

searches of an OPAC make use of the Z39.50 protocol. This protocol can

also be used to link disparate OPCS into a single "union" OPAC.

y CD-ROM: Short for C ompact Disc- Read-Only M emory, a type of optical

disk capable of storing large amounts of data -- up to 1GB, although the

most common size is 650MB (megabytes). A single CD-ROM has the

storage capacity of 700 floppy disks, enough memory to store about

300,000 text pages. CD-ROMs are particularly well suited to information

that requires large storage capacity. This includes large softwareapplications that support color, graphics, sound, and especially video.

y DVD-ROM: A new type of read-only compact disc that can hold a

minimum of 4.7GB (gigabytes), enough for a full-length movie. The DVD-ROM specification supports disks with capacities of from 4.7GB to 17GB

and access rates of 600 KBps to 1.3 MBps. One of the best features of

DVD-ROM drives is that they are backward-compatible with CD-ROMs.

This means that DVD-ROM players can play old CD-ROMs, CD-I disks,and video CDs, as well as new DVD-ROMs. Newer DVD players can also

read CD-R disks. DVD-ROMs use MPEG-2 to compress video data.

y Word-Processing: Using a computer to create, edit, and print documents.

Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. To



perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a

word processor , and a printer. A word processor enables you to create adocument, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it

by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a

printer

y Database: A database is a structured collection of records or data which is

stored in a computer so that a program can consult it to answer queries. Therecords retrieved in answer to queries become information that can be used

to make decisions. The computer program used to manage and query a

database is known as a database management system (DBMS). The properties and design of database systems are included in the study of

information science.

y Union Catalogue: The library catalogue combining in alphabetical or

classified sequence the materials available in more than one library or in

branches of the same library.

y Internet: The Internet is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of

interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switchingusing the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a "network of networks" that

consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and

government networks, which together carry various information and

services, such as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the

interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web.

y Intranet: An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet

protocols, network connectivity, and possibly the public telecommunication

system to securely share part of an organization's information or operationswith its employees. Sometimes the term refers only to the most visible

service, the internal website. The same concepts and technologies of the

Internet such as clients and servers running on the Internet protocol suite areused to build an intranet. HTTP and other Internet protocols are commonly

used as well, especially FTP and e-mail. There is often an attempt to use

Internet technologies to provide new interfaces with corporate 'legacy' dataand information systems. Briefly, an intranet can be understood as "a

private version of the Internet", or as a version of the internet confined to

an organization

y Extranet: An extranet is a private network that uses Internet protocols,

network connectivity, and possibly the public telecommunication system to



securely share part of an organization's information or operations with

suppliers, vendors, partners, customers or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's Intranet that is extended to users outside

the company (eg: normally over the Internet). It has also been described as a

"state of mind" in which the Internet is perceived as a way to do business

with other companies as well as to sell products to customers. Briefly, an

extranet can be understood as "a private internet over the Internet".

y User-friendly: Or, Usability are the terms todenote the ease with which

people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to

achieve a particular goal. Usability can also refer to the methods of measuring usability and the study of the principles behind an object's

perceived efficiency or elegance. In human-computer interaction and

computer science, usability usually refers to the elegance and clarity with

which the interaction with a computer program or a web site is designed.

FAQ's

1. What is Artificial Intelligence? Explain.

The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was first used by John McCarthy

who considers it to mean "the science and engineering of making

intelligent machines". It can also refer to intelligence (trait) as exhibited by an artificial (non-natural , manufactured ) entity. The terms strong and

weak AI can be used to narrow the definition for classifying such

systems. AI is studied in overlapping fields of computer science, psychology and engineering, dealing with intelligent behavior, learning

and adaptation in machines, generally assumed to be computers.

Research in AI is concerned with producing machines to automate tasks

requiring intelligent behavior. Examples include control, planning and

scheduling, the ability to answer diagnostic and consumer questions,

handwriting, natural language, speech, and facial recognition. As such,

the study of AI has also become an engineering discipline, focused on providing solutions to real life problems, knowledge mining, software

applications, strategy games like computer chess and other video

games.What is the full form of OPAC? How does it work?



characters in the bar code cannot be interpreted individually. Most

barcode readers have a feature called "auto-discrimination", whichallows them to be configured to automatically recognize and read

different barcode symbologies, much the same way a human reader can

interpret and read different font types.

4. Please explain the different components of multimedia?

The use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, andsound in an integrated way. Long touted as the future revolution in

computing, multimedia applications were, until the mid-90s, uncommon

due to the expensive hardware required. With increases in performance

and decreases in price, however, multimedia is now commonplace.

Nearly all PCs are capable of displaying video, though the resolutionavailable depends on the power of the computer's video adapter and CPU

5. Discuss various applications of Spreadsheet in libraries?

A spreadsheet is a rectangular table (or grid) of information, often

financial information. The word came from "spread" in its sense of anewspaper or magazine item (text and/or graphics) that covers two

facing pages, extending across the center fold and treating the two pagesas one large one. The compound word "spread-sheet" came to mean theformat used to present bookkeeping ledgers²with columns for

categories of expenditures across the top, invoices listed down the left

margin, and the amount of each payment in the cell where its row andcolumn intersect²which were traditionally a "spread" across facing

pages of a bound ledger (book for keeping accounting records) or on

oversized sheets of paper ruled into rows and columns in that format and

approximately twice as wide as ordinary paper.

6. What is WWW?

The World Wide Web ("WWW" or simply the "Web") is a system of

interlinked, hypertext documents that runs over the Internet. With a Web

browser, a user views Web pages that may contain text, images, and



other multimedia and navigates between them using hyperlinks. The

Web was created around 1990 by the Englishman Tim Berners-Lee andthe Belgian Robert Cailliau working at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.

As its inventor, Berners-Lee conceived the Web to be the Semantic Web

where all its contents should be descriptively marked-up.

Summary

The advent of information and communication technologies (ICT) has brought

drastic changes to all information-oriented activities, esp. the functions andactivities of libraries. Library automation has transformed most of the manual

operations into sophisticated computerized systems thereby increasing accuracy

and efficiency in house-keeping activities and assuring improved quality of services. Use of the Internet and WWW has equipped the Librarians with more

resources and devices to handle a bigger amount of information with greater precision. Application of ICT has left an indelible impression on conventional

library services like Acquisition and Processing of documents, Circulation,Serials control, etc. It has also opened up a new vista of e-services by

introducing OPAC, e-Reference, CAS, A-V and such other services. Since

these new services and products demand appropriate knowledge and expertisein IT, the modern library professionals need to be properly trained and develop

IT skills in order to cope up with the advancements of technology.