Page 69 - DLIS101_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SOCIETY

Library and Information Society

Notes In India, the need for resource sharing has been well recognized but the technology options available
until now were limited. NISSAT has taken up networking of libraries in Calcutta (CALIBNET),
Delhi (DELNET), Madras (MALIBNET), Mysore (MYLIBNET), Hyderabad (HYLIBNET),
Ahmedabad (ADNET), Pune (PUNENET), Bombay (BONET). The present study highlights only
some of the major library networks in India.

6.1.2 Need of Resource Sharing

The increased growth, use and value of information generated the concept of information society or
information oriented society. If we analyse the situation from invention of printing press to Internet,
we find that the complete civilization is moving from generalisation to specialisation, whether it is
growth and nature of subject, commodities or services.

In this era of specialization, the efficiency and efficacy of libraries will be measured
by the services provided by them not by the physical collection they have.

In this situation the sharing of the resources only may provide the variety of new information services,
because in this era it is not possible for any library to accommodate the universe of knowledge
physically within the library boundaries. So the resource sharing became the need of the time to
fulfill the ever- specialized user’s information needs in cost effective manner as the main objectives
of resource sharing are:
• Reduction in all round cast.
• Avoidance of unnecessary duplication of information materials and efforts.
• Possibility of developing specialised activities specifically concentrating on some particular
area. Maximum accessibility to information without losing the individual identity of libraries.
At present, specifically in case of Indian academic libraries, which are planning and going to adopt
the Information Technology, the resource sharing is needed for:
Retrospective conversion of their bibliographical data to electronic form.
• To help less equipped libraries.
• To reudce the cataloguing cost.
• To share the valuable resources
• Documents and information.
• Technical expertise. @ To decentralise information.
• To boost the distance learning and more.

6.1.3 Characteristics of a Networked Library Resource Sharing System

Where there is a system there must be its users. The satisfaction of users should be the criteria to
measure the effectiveness of the system. A sound library resource sharing system, whether it is
automatic or manual should have following characteristics. These characteristics should be kept in
mind to establish or remodel the networked system. These checkpoints are also useful to measure
the effectiveness of the existing resource sharing system.
• Speed: The resource sharing system should be speedy. It should be based on the latest means
of data communication systems and programs. It should be able to judge tile timeliness and
urgency of user’s information need, because the use of information depends on whether it is
provided at right time or not.

64 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY