Page 18 - DLIS105_REFERENCE_SOURCES_AND_SERVICES

Unit 1: Reference and Information Sources

Suppose, in an encyclopaedia, you are reading about the bird called the cuckoo. In the text you are Notes
getting a good description of the bird’s look, size, habitat, behaviour, nest, egg, and so on. The
encyclopaedia may include a coloured illustration of the bird as well. From the article you get a
very good idea about the bird. However, if you are interested to know about the call or the flying
pattern of the bird, the encyclopaedia might give you the description of the call or flying pattern.
But, it will not be able to reproduce the actual call or the flying pattern. Here comes the multimedia.
A multimedia encyclopaedia can reproduce the actual call and the flying pattern of the bird. Once
you remember the call, you will be able to identify the bird whenever you hear the call. Summing
up, we can say that in a printed encyclopaedia we find the combination of text (description) and
graphics (illustrations).
In a multimedia encyclopaedia, we find the combination of text, graphics, audio (call of the bird),
and animation (flying of the bird), and at times interaction. Many a time, a multimedia encyclopaedia
is in hypertext, which helps the reader to move from one text to the other with ease. Suppose, while
studying the article on birds in a multimedia encyclopaedia, you come across the term ‘migratory
birds’ in different colour (an indication of hypertext). You click on ‘migratory birds’. Immediately,
the article on migratory birds appears on the computer screen. In this article, you find the name of
the ‘Siberian crane’ in hypertext. Now, you can click on ‘Siberian crane’ to get the article on Siberian
crane. This is how, in a multimedia encyclopaedia, we can move from one concept to the other
practically without any loss of time or difficulty.

Multimedia Products
These products are available in CD-ROM. For using these products a well-configured computer
system is needed. The computer should have CD drive, speakers, adequate memory, and so on.
Use—The use of multimedia is picking up at a rapid rate. It is finding ample use in education and
training. In classroom lectures when something is demonstrated with multimedia, say, an open-
heart surgery, it creates a deep impression in the minds of the pupil, because they are actually
seeing the operation as if in reality and hearing what is happening at every moment. It is affecting
simultaneously two sense organs, i.e., eyes and ears. The combined effect of both on the memory is
definitely better than one.
Even handicapped students can reap the benefit of multimedia. Blind students can hear not only
the narration of the text, but also the sound of other associated happenings related to the text. For
example, while listening to the narration on rainy season, the blind student can hear the beautiful
sound of rain, terrifying sound of thunder and devastating sound of storms.
For deaf and dumb students also, the multimedia has proved to be a boon. They can see the objects
in colour as well as in motion and thereby can comprehend the matter much better.
Nowadays, even in seminars, conferences, workshops, etc., multimedia presentation is becoming
pretty common. It helps the speaker greatly in presentation and the audience in comprehension.
In business and trade also, multimedia is entering in a big way Many companies are giving
multimedia demonstration of their products to the customers, and the questions raised by them are
being answered then and there many a time with the help of multimedia. The development of
multimedia has obviated to a great extent the need for carrying the machinery, product, etc., for
demonstration. Seeing the multimedia demonstration, the customer can tentatively select the items,
and finally see the items themselves before purchasing or placing order. In publishing and book
trade industry also, multimedia has entered in a big way. Encyclopaedias, dictionaries, atlases,
collected works of various authors are now available in multimedia. Some publishers along with
the printed book provide a CD-ROM also that harbours the electronic version of the book.
Libraries and information centres have also started procuring multimedia products for their uses.
Multimedia publications are becoming formidable competitors to conventional printed books.

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