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 traditional library 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 technology and 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 turn requires 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 “knowledge workers”, generating, managing, and communicating information to produce and provide goods and services for an increasingly global economy.  In addition to the often-noted trend toward more people managing more information 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 acquired only to prepare for a career but, rather, is now an essential part of “knowledge work.” Not only are we required to continually seek and acquire information, but increasingly more sources 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 and complexity.  The growth of directories and indexes is reflected in the competition among different companies that offer phone directories and bibliographic databases.  The development 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 resources necessary 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 and information 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 digital forms 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 anywhere in 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 and recursively, unlike analog or physical forms that degrade over generations of copies.  Electronic digital information is simple because it is fully expressed by only two elements (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 Musical Scores - 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 on electronic 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 is the 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 be needed, placing demands on our time and financial resources.  The computer industry accounts for an increasingly large share of the gross national product of the industrialized countries, 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 making computers easier to use, the evolution of hardware and software and the rapid pace of information creation and manipulation mean that for the foreseeable future, significant material 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 and communication 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 and networking 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 “information and communication technology” (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, which improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an information system or service, fall under the purview of information technologies. Some of these information and communication technologies 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 in libraries. Most functions in modern libraries are being performed using software packages that are now available off-the-shelf. Several libraries have their catalogues available 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 the Campus network with CD ROM networks put-in place to serve the information requirement of their academic community. Several libraries have taken-up small-scale digitisation projects for part of their collection. The librarians and information professionals are required to develop skills that are required to use, develop and maintain IT-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. It describes 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 manual systems in the Libraries. It has also been defined

as a ‘integrated systems’ that computerize an array of traditional library functions using a common database, rapid technological change is forcing a re-examination of what it means to ‘automate the library’.  In the broadest sense, automation in the words of Markuson means ‘employment of machines for library process’. In the context of computerization, a library information system may be defined as a set of library transaction, processing systems designed to provide information to library members and to support the operational, managerial and decision making information needs of library staff.  It includes computer as one of its components.  Although computers have a major role in library automation, telecommunication, networking and multimedia technologies have equally 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 the library'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 and communications.

Computer Software - provides the step-by-step instructions that tell the computer what to 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, generally categorized 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 word library 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 then Director 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 in Serials Control.  Another milestone in the history of library use of punched cards was in the year 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 to view stored information from several access points and look at several items simultaneously. The development of the computer progressed substantially from 1946 to 1961, 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. There were 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 library automation, replacement of manual operations by computerized methods in libraries, is linked to the history of modern day data processing and computer technology. In the early days of library automation, efforts to automate libraries were directed at the management of circulation records, using punch card technology. However, Due to the slow 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, with emphasis on the management of circulation records, production of card catalogues. Librarians then moved beyond a vision or idea for the use of computers, given the technology, 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 this contributed 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 the development of library software systems that could run on mainframe, mini, and microcomputers.  In addition, reductions in library budgets and the need for resource sharing and cooperation resulted in libraries implementing electronic networks for providing access to Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) and other cooperative electronic 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 be referred 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 is accessible 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 to external 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 knowledge systems have become available in the 1990s as both software and hardware capabilities have improved.  The technology used for the processing of information has also grown considerably.  With the development of more advanced silicon computer chips, enlarged storage space, faster access and, increased-capacity telecommunication lines, the ability to 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 provide efficient 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 that the 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 local systems 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 data on 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 and of 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 is however 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:

• High cost of Publications
• Shrinking budgets
• Increasing cost of maintenance of Publications
• Shortage of space
• Shortage of trained manpower
• Growth in size of storage
• Increase in processing speed
• Decreasing cost of hardware
• User-friendly software
• New services
• New Products
• Multimedia applications
• Telecommunication revolution

• Library users expect more than they currently receive.
• ICT savvy users
• 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 made manual 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 manifold advantages:

Relieving professional staff from routine work: Routine and repetitive jobs are handled easily saving and eliminating drudgery. The time saved from labourious and routine 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 partly clerical and partly professional involving decision making and are tedious. As a result, backlogs in the acquisition section/cataloguing section are fairly common. Computers can 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 spending additional energy or resource. For example a database of bibliographic records can be used 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 library services 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 selective dissemination 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 and sharing 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 document delivery, 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 and global 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 redefined the public domain, among other obvious benefits. Use of ICT in libraries is critical to enabling:

• ready access to services, 24/7/365, regardless of geographic location;
• effective resource discovery, online access to digital and digitized content and seamless navigation around content;
• unmediated service delivery, adaptive to the purposes and capacities of individual clients;
• proactive engagement of clients with information and ideas through innovative virtual exhibitions and packaging of content;
• interaction and communication between clients – community website publishing services, web based interactive public programs, chat services, discussion lists, and online forums and debates;
• access to a Library system by other libraries and institutions;
• 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 minimize the necessity of human intervention in their operations. The library automation is defined as “integrated systems” that computerize an array of traditional library functions such as acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and serials control, etc. using an integrated library software. A computerized library and information system is a set of functional system encompassing: 

• Automation of library management functions (e.g. Acquisition, Cataloguing, Circulation, Serials Control, Reference, etc.)
• Office automation (e.g. word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.)
• CD / DVD ROM and their Networking
• 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, circulation and 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. Such application 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 in simultaneous multi-user environment on Windows NT / Unix / Linux / Sun Solaris Operating Systems. LibSys, Alice for Windows, Slim +, VTLS, etc. are some of the important software packages available in India.

7.1 Automation of Library Management Functions:

The advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has compelled libraries to increasingly attempt to automate some of their activities involving clerical routines and thereby make library staff more productive. Automation of library housekeeping 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 pertinent to 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 its housekeeping operations.  Most of the activities related to library housekeeping follow some definite routines and obviously are amenable to computerization.  It means a computer 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 within its budgetary limitations.  An acquisition subsystem performs four basic operations.  They are selection, ordering, receiving and accessioning of documents.  Let us try and understand 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 on definite 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 the approval 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.  In the 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 the order 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 a consecutive serial number.  The register is called Accession Register and the serial number 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 library collection 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 the foundation 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 Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in the development of software.  In India, some research work has already been carried out at DRTC, Bangalore for building class numbers (based on Colon Classification) automatically through a software (called Vasya), written in PROLOG (PROgramming in LOGic) – a non-procedural programming language.  The electronic version of Dewey (Electronic Dewey) is available on CD-ROM.

B. Cataloguing

All the cataloguing procedures start with technical reading of the document to be catalogued 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 as AACR-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-designed worksheet.  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 cataloguing supports importing of bibliographical records for the library resources acquired by it either from centralized cataloguing service agency or from other libraries and exporting of bibliographical data of its own collection to other libraries and exporting of bibliographical data of its own collection to other library systems.  This facility reduces unit 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 by users.  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 some sort 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 to answer 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 documents and 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 “transaction file” and it takes required data from other two files – “document file” and “borrower 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 (Radio Frequency Identification) based circulation system is emerging rapidly in developed countries.  It comprises three components: a tag, a reader and an antenna.  The tag contains 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 to communicate 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:

• Indexing/Abstracting periodicals
• Periodicals containing news items
• Periodicals containing full-text research articles and technical papers

Acquisition of serials/periodicals in a library is different from book ordering system.  In contrast to books, the libraries regularly subscribe periodicals against advance payment.  The modes of subscription of periodicals in a library are as follows:

• Through local vendors/subscription agents
• Through foreign vendors/subscription agents
• Direct from the publishers
• As gift or complimentary
• In exchange

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

• Selection of serials
• Selection of subscription mode
• Formulation of terms of procurement
• Selection of vendors
• Order
• Advance payment
• Receiving and registration of serials issues in Kardex
• Sending reminders in case of issues not received
• Adjustment of advance payment for missing issues
• Preparation of list of journals procured, new arrivals and serials holdings for the users.
• Binding and accessioning of back volumes of serials.

In an automated system all these tasks are performed by library management software efficiently.  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 the library 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 Electronic Message System (CBEMS)

Libraries, besides using integrated library packages, also use office automation software like 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 a unit 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. A computer-based system used for sending a message or document may have facilities to create, edit, file, receive, transmit and print it electronically.    

Computer-Based Electronic Message System (CBEMS)

 

Image               Voice                           Text                             Text and Graphics

 

Telefax             Telephone                    Telex                                  Telefax

Videodisc                     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 its conventional 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 a computer-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-ROMs comes 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 rate for 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 and loaded, 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, being similar 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. The similarity 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 the data. 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, which is 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 reach the 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-ROMs include 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 ROM servers; 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 library management 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 library systems 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 avail certain 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 and interactive 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-Librarian allows 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 resources or 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 needs to 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 also available 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 a Web-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 will anyhow 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:

• Definition of the subject
• Scope of the subject in terms of the coverage to be achieved by the bibliography
• Items of information to be included for each document
• Kinds of entries to be prepared
• Arrangement of entries to be followed
• Physical form on which the entries are to be prepared
• Form of bibliography in which it is to be finally to be finally presented to the users.

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 and supplied 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.  Browsing through 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 multiple criteria (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 also available 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 availability of 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 before absorption 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 the receipt 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 from the current issues of journals and other material, and usually organized by subjects.  Libraries now compile current awareness bulletins using predefined search strategy and running 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, and disseminated 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 search services, 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 been introduced, and more recently a number of very useful services have become available through 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 new entities 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 and distribution of current awareness products.  Tools such as Listserv, Weblog, Webzines and e-newsletters are common.  Listserv gives the latest information hot topics, ideas and opinions, 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 subject area.  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 available 24 hours a day (depending on the reliability of your service provider), these services are also 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 in order to react timely.	Digital libraries projects, JSTOR (Journal STORage), 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-related developments	Noticing mergers, vendor and publisher acquisitions, etc.
Can take note of important opinion papers	Debate on access v/s ownership, free access to information, etc.
Can keep track of new titles for different document types	New books, CDs, videos, journal and serial titles, etc.
Can keep track with acquisitions tools available via WWW	Review resources, publishers’ websites, out of print dealers, etc.
Can support productivity in terms of research and publications	Acquisitions librarians need to be actively involved 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 developments of interest	Currency rates, serious currency fluctuations, 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 and web-based union catalogues.  Librarians can now access catalogues of thousands of libraries across the world using Internet.  Developments in digital library and Internet technologies have made it possible to automatically update the catalogue records from member library systems, distributed searches using a single user interface, and valued added 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 public libraries 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 video tape.  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 and video 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 and disseminate 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.  You will learn more about various hardware, software and document formats that are used for creation, storage, distribution and use of digital multimedia documents later in this course.

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 must to 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 and transparent 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 the users in book selection etc.  LIS customer relations can be tremendously improved by innovative use of technology like virtual library tours, making interactive library maps and 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 include use of Internet tools and resources.  Conventional user education programmes can be supplemented with web-based instructions and guide for use of resources.  In the conventional 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 used extensively in consumer industry, material handling, industries and libraries. A bar code is a machine 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 are combined to form characters and ultimately, forms a message. Because there are many ways to arrange 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 accurate reading of data for sophisticated management systems. Use of barcode increasing accuracy in data collection, saves time and brings about the efficiency in library activities.

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 single microchip processor and an antenna.  The origin of the term lies in the invention of “tags” 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, an antenna 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 labels wirelessly 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 be referred 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 “read”. 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 radio frequency 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 material with 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 labels and 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) class number 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 sorting documents 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 devices in 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 separate device. 

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 source such 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 and readers 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 places to support different functions that RFID tags can perform. Some of the typical installations could be:

• Workstation designed specifically for library staff to facilitate the smooth handling of books and other material having RFID labels/ tags.
• 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 detected as it goes past these pedestals.
• 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 the security gate. 
• “Drop Box” where returned books are placed through suitable slits by patrons themselves.  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. A great 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 train existing 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 in library, 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 associated technologies, has opened up an entirely new medium for providing improved information services and resources for the users. As information professionals, we have the opportunity 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 services and 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 a user. 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 about them. 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 role of 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 growth of 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 adopt new 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 and organizing 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 community as facilitators and collaborators, guide the students through the complex maze of print and digital resources, teaching them how to search effectively and helping them judge the quality and usefulness of the information that they encounter. The opportunities are limitless especially in the chaotic scenario of Internet.