Page 17 - DLIS105_REFERENCE_SOURCES_AND_SERVICES

Reference Sources and Services

Notes Slides

‘A slide is a small piece of photographic film in a frame which, when light is passed through it,
shows a large image on a screen or plain surface’ [Cambridge: p1352]. For using slides a projector is
needed. Slides are used while presenting a paper in a conference; delivering a lecture in a class or
any other gathering; demonstrating the function of a machine, side effects of a drug, usefulness of a
specific fertilizer, and so on. Slide shows are organised even in villages to educate illiterate farmers,
craftsmen, and others about better method of cultivation, healthy living, low cost housing, usefulness
of family planning, etc. Many scientists, scholars, teachers, demonstrators, etc., maintain slide
collections of their own. Some libraries also possess slide collections.

Transparencies
A transparency is a transparent plastic sheet on which the matter to be projected is handwritten,
photocopied, or printed. For using a transparency, a slide projector is needed. Its use is more or less
the same as a slide. However, it is much more handy than a slide in as much as even in remote areas
where preparation of a slide is difficult, a transparency can be easily prepared.

Audio-Visual

Audio-Visual media (A-V media) combine both audio medium and the visual medium. With the
help of this media people not only see but also hear. Motion pictures, video recordings, television,
are a few examples of A-V media.
Numerous documentary films almost on any subject have been produced in the world. These films
show in most cases colourful pictures of objects with narration in lucid language. The colourful
object such as a tiger hunting a deer is often animated. Seeing and hearing have deeper impact on
our memory whereby we remember the scene quicker and retain in our memory for long. These
films serve both for education and entertainment. As a result they are becoming important sources
of information in libraries. These films are nowadays available in video cassettes that can be run on
a Video Cassette Player (VCP) or Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). Many libraries have now a section
on documentary films. There are film libraries as well.
The Television (TV) has gradually become not only the source on entertainment but also a great
source of current information. Apart from providing news at intervals, it also provides interesting
discussions where politicians, journalist, experts, etc., take part; broadcasts live various sports like
cricket and football matches, events of Olympic, Asiad, and so on; immediately flashes important
declaration by the head of a state, information on accidents, disasters, and so on.

1.4.2 Electronic Media

In this Section we shall deal with multimedia, hypermedia, hypertext, and cybermedia.

Multimedia
As the term suggests, multimedia encompasses several media, which are integrated into a single
entity within a digital environment that accesses stored information with a computer system. Hence,
the term multimedia is considered as ‘singular’ like media. It incorporates moving and still pictures,
sound, music, text, and facilities for surfing.
Now let us try to understand the concept of multimedia. We have read textbooks in schools and
colleges. These textbooks are printed and sometimes include black and white and/or coloured
illustrations. Thus in textbooks we find at times the happy combination of two media, i.e., print and
graphic media.

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