ICT fir Lib

Application of ICT in LICs of NE Region

for Managing Library Resources

Dr Sanjay Kumar SinghReader, Dept of Lib & Inf Sc,

Gauhati UniversityE-mail: [email protected]

1NIT Silchar 22-3-2011

In North East India information is there but communication is missing.

There is a paradigm shift in LICs from organizing books to managing knowledge digitally.


ICT deals with two technologies viz Information Technology, which consists of hardware and software. It allows us to access, store, organize and manipulate information;

Communication Technology deals with the equipment, infrastructure and software through which information can be received, accessed and disseminated.


Contd…

• Thus ICT may be defined as a combination of computer and telecommunications technique.

• In the domain of LIS, the meaning of ICT is the use of application of different technologies viz computer, telecommunications, system software, application software, printers, and other electronic devices for storage, retrieval, reproduction and dissemination of information.


Application of ICT

• The application of ICT emerged after World War II and since then it is playing a pivotal role in LICs.

• Its application in Indian libraries started in mid 1950s.

• The concept of automation was centered on use of computer technology for house keeping operations and information services


Contd…

• The main problems of library automation in NER are funds, trained manpower and to some extent the negative attitude of authorities.

• Information revolution has compelled the professionals to redefine the concept and role of library and librarians.


Contd…

• The time has come to convert the LICs as information resources centre rather than a mere collection of books.

• This can be achieved by automating the LICs.• Networking has to be established amongst all

types of libraries at all levels. • At present automation of LICs is in progress

but not so fast, it is so urgent and cannot be delayed any more.


NET• Today, the Net is the world’s single biggest source of

information on every known and unknown subject.

• The Domain Name System (DNS) divides the Internet into a series of component networks called domains that enable e-mail and other files to be sent across the entire Internet.

• Each and every site in the Internet is linked with one of the domains.

• For example Universities belong to the edu domain. • Other domains are gov (government), com (commercial

organizations), mil (military), net (network service providers), and org (non profit organizations).


Contd…

• Today the English speaking world makes up nearly 40% of internet users.

• In 2000, Asia was level with Europe and North America for users; today it has more than those two continents combined.

• The Internet has revolutionized the way that we communicate.


Contd…

• From the beginning, the ability to publish web page and send e-mail communications changed our expectations.

• Librarians recognized the potential of internet as a way to connect with patrons, and e-mail reference quickly became of standard library service.

• In the coming decade, the Internet will continue to rule over the entire Globe.

• 10NIT Silchar 22-3-2011

Emerging Technologies

• The LICs cannot be said fully automated until and unless all the operations and services are automated.

• New techniques are developing day-by-day.• Many libraries are in process for adopting

emerging technology, which will significantly improve the customer service and enhance patron satisfaction.


Kindle (an e-reader): New technology for Library

• Kindle is a new electronic device, which is an attractive e-book reader, looks like a paperback book size of 8”x5.3”x0.36” with sleek slender make-up.

• Its weight is only 10.2 ounces with less than one inch thickness having 2 GB of memory.

• It can store more than 200 books of standard size in convenient way.


Contd…

• Its popularity is knocking the door for threatening library services.

• There is a fear psychosis that in future the LICs will be converted into museums.

• Amezon.com launched the Kindle Dx, which is improved version of e-reader.

• Amezon.com is the biggest online book dealer among the leading book market of the world.


Contd…

• Kindle was launched for the first time in USA on 19th November 2007.

• Amezon Kindle is a software and hardware platform for reading electronic books.

• Sony has emerged as a good competitor to Kindle.

• Sony e-reader challenges Kindle in capacity of books.




Contd…

• Today the present society prefers to procure Kindle, which may lead traditional library to a reader less library.

• Now there is a very big question that whether the kindle will make the LICs obsolete?


Advantage of Kindle

• Being portable, one can carry it anywhere.• It saves space.• With long battery life, it can be used for browsing,

down loading for longer period in comparison with other electronic gadgets.

• Along with books, some leading newspapers, magazines, CDs, DVDs are also available on kindle.

• One finds ease in reading on kindle in comparison with computers or laptops.

• If a reader wants to pause, it bookmark or earmark the page where the reader has left last.


Contd…

• Kindle gives free access to Wikipedia, and also variety of resources, especially helpful to the research scholars.

• Kindle can play MP3, where the user gets pleasure of reading on musical background also.

• Along with books, user can browse newspapers, magazines, periodicals, new publications, blogs, etc.

• Kindle may be called as mobile libraries or libraries in your hand.


Managing Library Resources in NER

• North East Region of India has attracted attention of the Govt. of India and others since two decades for overall development of the region which consists of seven sister states and in 2001 Sikkim has been included in NER as the eighth state.

• The region has also experienced the changes in the library automation and networking activities, which are mainly due to inclusion of university and college libraries for financial assistance under INFLIBNET Programme.


Contd…

• It made possible the initiations of information infrastructure development of university and college libraries and data base creation work for library automation and networking.

• For e-resources like e-journals are provided by INFLIBNET Centre, Ahmedabad through UGC Infonet Digital Library Consortium to the university libraries of the region free of cost under the Prime Minister’s special package for NE states.

• N-list is provided to the college libraries of the region free of cost under the same scheme.

• INFLIBNET is also providing SOUL package free of cost to the college libraries of this region covered under section 12 B & 2 F of UGC Act, 1956.


UGC Infonet Digital Library Consortium

UGC-Infonet is an ambitious programme of UGC to interlink all the Universities in the country with state-of-art technology.

The Network is being switched to BSNL backbone w.e.f 1st April 2010 and renamed as UGC Infonet 2.0.

• The UGC-INFONET mainly provides Internet bandwidth, a pre-requisite for delivery of scholarly content subscribed through the UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium.

• The scheme has now been extended to 200 Universities and 6 Inter-University Centres of the UGC.

• Till now 182 universities are covered under this programme as on 31st December 2010.


N-List

• N-List extending e-resources to college in India stands for National Library and Information Services Infrastructure for Scholarly Content is a project funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under its National Mission of Education through ICT.

• It is joint vednture of UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium, INFLIBNET Centre Ahmedabad and the INDEST-AICTE Consortium, IIT Delhi.


Contd…

• N-List provides access to e-resources to students, researchers and faculty from colleges which are covered under the 12 B and 2 F Section of UGC Act and other beneficiary institutions through servers installed at the INFLIBNET Centre.

• The authorized users from colleges can now access e-resources and download articles required by them directly from the publisher’s website once they are authorized users.


Contd…

• Colleges of NER can also access 2154 e-journals published by 11 publishers of Electronic Journals from USA, UK and India; 51,746 e-books published by 297 publishers of Electronic Books from USA and UK.

• Details of e-resources accessible through N-List are available at http://nlist.inflibnet.ac.in/.


SOUL 2.0

• Software for University Libraries 2.0 (SOUL 2.0) is state-of-the art integrated library management software designed and developed by the INFLIBNET Centre based on requirements of college, university and other academic libraries.

• It is user friendly software developed to work under client-server environment.

• It is designed to automate all house-keeping operations of library and suitable not only for the academic libraries but also for all types and sizes of libraries.


Contd…

• The first version i.e. SOUL 1.0 was released in 2000 and SOUL 2.0 in January 2009.

• The database for SOUL 2.0 is designed for latest versions of MS-SQL and MySQL (or any other popular RDBMS).

• It is compliant to international standards such as MARC 21 bibliographic format, Unicode based Universal Character Sets for multilingual bibliographic records and NCIP 2.0 and SIP 2 bases protocols for RFID, electronic surveliance and control.


Contd…

• It consists of six modules viz Acquisition, Catalogue, Circulation, OPAC, Serial Control and Administration.

• This is also given free of cost to the colleges of NE Region who are covered under the 12 B and 2 F Section of UGC Act.


Conclusion

• Technology has revolutionized the way we communicate.

• More and more information is being exchanged faster than ever before.

• NEI, slowly this e-resource culture is evolving.• The library professionals of this region should

make use of Internet, Google and Web 2.0 Technologies as a ladder in order to satisfy the high expectations of the users.


Contd…

• The arrival of Kindle needs to be welcomed and likely to make strides in literate world in India in general and NEI in particular due to its multifaceted qualities, libraries will still have users for traditional reference books, and purchase of new books to satisfy the thirsts for knowledge.

• Thus we can say that a library collection is a prediction of future need.


Contd…

• For managing library resources in ICT era in North Eastern Region of India, the existing ICT facilities are not up to the desired level due to inadequate budget, unskilled staffs and lack of suitable policy in all the libraries, excluding some of the LICs funded by Central Govt.

• Effective use of ICT improves the status of LICs and its services most efficiently.


THANK U ALL



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