Impact of ICT on Indian Academic Libraries

B.G. Shivakumari,

Asst. Librarian,

Dept. of Civil Engineering,

BANGALORE UNIVERSITY

Introduction:

Academic libraries in India are facing sweeping changes on account of impact of information, communication, and technology applications in libraries.

They are progressing well in automating the house keeping operations of libraries, such as automated circulation system, acquisition of books, e-books, acquisition of periodicals, e-journals, databases, and hosting of OPACs (i.e., Online Public Accesses Catalogues) on library web pages and refining old services and starting fresh ones.

ICT facilitated to have information on different forms:

•Information in electronic form is a potential asset and that it can be vigorously applied in any environment.•The advent and spread of electronic formats has made a major difference in the information processing and services environments in libraries.•The emergence of the internet and web as the dominant path way and repository of electronic information resources has brought great impact on library services.•In an academic environment libraries act as facilitators to provide right information to the right user at the right time.

E-JOURNALS, BOOKS AND REFERENCE SOURCES

• The advent of web enabled information resources, such as e-journal e-books and e- reference sources and their access through networks has taken the library to the users.

• Thus, significant amount of information access is now taking place beyond the four walls of the library.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

• The impact of ICT has resulted in “information explosion”.• This information overload caused doubts in the users regarding the relevance of information services.• Here the library shall take the responsibility of identifying what is demanded by the user.• It must be effectively retrieved to satisfy the user by the library professionals. Libraries must organize and retrieve the relevant information. The ICT has facilitated the libraries to the greatest extent in this regard.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES

• Information technology (IT) enriched library services arrived initially for science and technology. Later to special libraries and academic libraries.

• In comparisons to other libraries, academic and research libraries have better infrastructure and skilled man power.

IMPACT OF ICT ON LIBRARY SERVICES• Advent of printing technology - Resulted in mass production of print documents and enabled democratization of information.(availability of information to one and all without any discrimination).• Micro forms - Helped the libraries to preserve the abundant less used information in compact storages.• Reprographic technology - revolutionized the concept information use as it facilitated to own a copy of relevant portion of library resources. It also freed the users from sitting for long duration for reading in the libraries.•Computers- the advent of computer is the biggest technology revolution so far. It has not remained as stand alone technologyBy adopting communication and technology developments it has not only revolutionized the production of book and microforms but also brought the arrival of online and CD-ROM databases, Electronic resources, Internet and Digital Revolution.

Contd.

•Web technologies – since 1990’s,the internet has changed the role libraries in dissemination of information.

• Most libraries in India now have a web site to present the basic strengths of the library and to host services such as the OPAC and web access to electronic information.

• The internet and web demonstrate that a large amount of electronic information can be hosted in a decentralized fashion in a cost effective manner.

CONSORTIA LICENSES

• The term “consortia licenses” designates a group of libraries to negotiate access rights to print and electronic resources with publishers and vendors.• It aims at enhanced access to more resources at better pricing.• Consortia licenses emphasizes to strike the “best deals.”• National level consortia's are “INDEST consortia. " (The Indian national digital library for engineering, sciences and technology. )under the aegis of the MHRD(Ministry of Human Resource Development). • INFONET, “Information Network”, consortia floated by the University Grants Commission for Universities. Providing access to 8 databases, and about 4500 electronic journals.

DIGITAL LIBRARIES • ICT gave rise to the many national and international digital library initiatives.• Digital library resources can be accessed by millions of peoples throughout the world at the same time.• Resources of digital library consists of digitized local content and providing access to external resources.• The typical academic or research Digital Library must include the following components:• Electronic journal, databases and e-books• Subject gateways and virtual libraries• Local archiving of free and paid e-books

Contd.

• In house digital publications such as research reports, annual reports, convocation reports, teaching materials, theses and dissertations, in-house journals, proceedings of conferences, seminars,workshops etc.

• Pre-prints and post prints of research papers sent for publication to journals, conferences and books,

CONCLUSION

Building collection and providing services, improving access to information should be the guiding criteria for libraries in electronic era.