IMPACT OF IT ON LIBRARY & INFORMATION

SERVICES & CHANGING ROLE OF LIBRARIAN

IN THE PRESENT SCENARIO
By:
Miss.Shantashree S. Sengupta
Librarian & Head, Dept. of Lib. & Inf. Sci,
Chandmal Tarachand Bora College, Shirur, Dist.Pune, Maharashtra.

&

Miss.Gauri R. Kulkarni
Librarian,
S.P.Mandali’s Prin.N.G.Naralkar Institute of Career Development & Research, Pune,
Maharashtra.

NATIONAL SEMINAR ON CHANGING ERA IN LIBRARY & INFORMATION

SERVICES

Organised by Jayakar Library, Department of Library & Information Science,

University of Pune. 22nd -23rd January 2009
INTRODUCTION:

The industrial revolution led the society towards mechanisation

and automation. Today the networking of computer plays an
important role in communication and dissemination of
information. The Internet began in 1969 as ARPANET, a project
of the U.S. Department of Defense. It enables users to
communicate via e-mail, transfer data and program files via
FTP, find information on the WWW and access remote
computer systems such as online catalogs and electronic
databases easily and effortlessly, using an innovative technique
called packet switching.
Technological developments have affected not only the format
and sources of information sources, but also the way in which
the services where provided. Libraries introduce various new
services in order to satisfy their users.
INTRODUCTION: (contd…)
For this purpose either they modify the existing service or
introduce complete new service e.g. portals, online reference
service, OPAC, electronic publishing etc. Introducing such
service need huge funding. For reporting to funding agencies,
libraries need to measure the impact of new services on users,
staff and on other aspects of library.
In 21st century, with change in the mode of providing library
services to the users, librarians too need a makeover in their
role from a mere caretaker of books to a professional who
organises, guides and retrieves the information for the right
user at the right time.
Internet User Statistics:

World
Total World Internet users - 6,676,120,288
Usage percentage of world - 100%
Usage growth (from 2000 to 2008) - 305.5%
India
Total Internet Users (in 2000) - 5,000,000
Total Internet Users (in 2008) - 1,147,995,898
India’s position in Internet usage in - 10.4%
Asia Continent
Usage growth (from 2000 to 2008) - 1,100%
IMPACT ON LIBRARY & INFORMATION SERVICES:
According to Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science, “Impact
can be defined as the eventual result of using library services, the
influence the use had, and its significance to the user.”
Need of measuring impact:
Various measures have been developed to assess the quality of library
services and the cost efficiency of library’s performance. But the
quantity of use and quality of performance do not yet prove that users
are really benefited from the provided library service. Measuring the
impact of any new technology on services means going a step further
and trying to assess the effect of the services on users.
Libraries are changing day by day in their ways of providing services.
To incorporate new developments, libraries need to justify the
investment and the positive impact of the new services on library users.
Also, measuring impact is important to gain a basis for resource
allocation. If any new service introduced by the library is widely
accepted by its users then, the library needs to shift more staff and
financial resources into that area of library. If there is no positive
outcome then services could be cut down.
LIST OF LIBRARY SERVICES WHEREIN INTERNET & WEB
TECHNOLOGIES CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY:
1) ACQUISITION:
 Correspondence with booksellers and publishers
 Calling quotations, sending reminders regarding delay in supplying
books
 Ordering books
 Purchasing books from online bookstores e.g. www.amazon.com,
www.barnesandnoble.com

2) CLASSIFICATION:
 Classifying documents using DDC Online
 Library of Congress Online Classification System

3) COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT:
 Subscription of periodicals in print as well as in e-form
 Joining Library Consortia Projects
4) CATALOGUING:
 Cataloging of library resources using available WebOPACs
 Browsing the Online Catalogs

2) CIRCULATION:
 Remote Login, Checking availability of books, OPAC access,
sending reminders
 Receiving user requests, Direct borrowing, Inter Library Loan

3) RESOURCE SHARING:
 Union catalog, Accessing databases over networks

4) SERVICES:
 ILL, Document Delivery Service, Reference Service, Providing
CAS, Recent Additions List
 Providing SDI, Accessing databases (Bibliographical, Full-Text)
8) SUBJECT GATEWAYS:
 SOSIG (for social sciences) http://
www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/lost.html
 EEVL (for engineering) www.eevl.ac.uk
 OMNI (for medical) www.omnimd.com
 ADAM (for arts, design) adam.ac.uk
 LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE http://www.lisgateway.com

9) USER EDUCATION:
 Through E-mail, setting Intranet

RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET:

E-journals, E-books, Standards, Library Catalog, Bibliographical tools,
Newspapers, Dictionaries, Databases, Encyclopedias, Films, Directories,
Technical Reports, Maps, Proceedings, Patents etc.
EVALUATION OF INFORMATION SOURCES:
Evaluation helps in decision making. For successful management
of any library, evaluation is important. Need of evaluation of
Internet resources is required because-
4. Information published on Internet may not be authentic.
5. The author may not be qualified for writing the article.
6. Information may be not current, reliable and filtered.
7. Information may not be meant for a specific group of audience.

Some general criteria should be used for evaluating

information:
 Scope, Subject Coverage 2. Currency
11. User 4. Accuracy
12. Purpose 6. Accessibility
13. Authority & Reputation
14. Arrangement of Information
CHANGING ROLE OF LIBRARIAN IN THE PRESENT
SCENARIO:
The tremendous increase of online information sources has made the
searching difficult. The present scenario of information explosion demands
the organizing skill of the library and information professionals. Learning and
education are important topics in the information society and the educational
situation is changing for several reasons, which develop from the social,
cultural, political and economic changes in the society.

New roles & skills:

As Hastings says “ it is more important that digital librarians possess
particular personal qualities rather than specific technical expertise.”
Information professionals within libraries are playing an increasing role in
dealing with information in electronic formats by creating web pages to
promote their services to external customers and choosing library
management systems.
The new era librarian is a technology application leader who works with
other members of the information management team to design and evaluate
systems for information access that meet user needs. He/she is capable of
working in the hybrid world of print and electronic media and providing the
best mix of information resources in the most appropriate formats for the
environment.
New roles & skills: (contd…)
The new era librarian plays a key role in developing information policy for
the organization, ensuring that access to all information resources, from
internal records to external databases, is provided in the most strategically
effective and cost-effective manner.
They are the knowledge based practitioners who use research as a
foundation for their own professional practice and who support the conduct
of research through their professional associations.
New era librarians require two main qualities in them:
 Professional competencies relate to the special librarian’s knowledge in
the areas of information resources, information access, technology,
management and research and the ability to use these areas of knowledge as
a basis for providing library and information services.

2. Personal competencies represent a set of skills, attitudes and values that

enable librarians to work efficiently, be good communicators, focus on
continuing learning throughout their careers, demonstrate the value added
nature of their contributions and survive in the new world of work.
Apart form the survival skills, the new era librarian should
focus more on effective skills and characteristics such as:
 enthusiasm for life-long learning and new roles.

 will power

 assertiveness

 creative thinking

 self-confidence

 innovativeness
CONCLUSION:

Developments in information and communication technologies have

a profound impact on library and information services. Now, instead
of Library Catalog, a Library portal can show the actual picture of
the Library (e.g. Jayakar Library Portal, University of Pune). A
Library Portal can even be termed as ‘Mirror of Library
Holdings’. They are also the tool through which libraries are trying
to reach out to the user. Libraries should make consistent efforts to
provide web based services to their users. Also, library professionals
should embrace the changes confronting them. Internet access
should be seen as a mean to boost up information access for users.
Library professionals who embrace this new environment will be
better able to provide customized service to their patrons.
REFERENCES:
1. Kanamadi, Satish & Kumbar, B.D. “Web based services expected from
libraries: a case study of management institutes in Mumbai.” Webology,
3(2), June 2006. (www.webology.ir)
2. Lalitha, P. “Impact of information and communication technology on
library and information centres.” (www.alibnet.org)
3. www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers
4. www.internetworldstats.com
5. http://drtc.isibang.ac.in
6. Kaur, Sarbinder & Satija, M.P.” Colletcion development in digital
environment: trends and problems.” SRELS Journal of Information
Management, 44(2), June 2007.
7. www.ifla.org/IV/ifla66/papers
Thank you