Page 59 - DLIS001_FOUNDATION_OF_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SCIENCE

Foundation of Library and Information Science

Notes

Task List out some of the recreational needs which the library should cater to its readers
by stocking books suited for the purpose.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
13. The library should cater to the recreational needs of its users by ………………… books
suited for the purpose.
14. Youth are able to develop a greater sense of responsibility by acting as library ……………..
15. ………….. libraries play the most important role worldwide in helping to bridge the
information gap by providing free access to information and communication technologies.
Public.

Case Study Issues in Library Consortia in India

he exact date of the introduction of the term “Library Consortia” is not clear, but
the concept of consortia as being an association or partnership has long being a
Tprinciple of librarianship. The published literature indicates that the concept is not
new and it refers to co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration between libraries for
the purpose of sharing information resources. However, libraries had not used it widely
until 1980s.
A consortium is said to be a co-operative arrangement among groups or institutions or an
association or society. Consortia are commonly formed to increase the purchasing capacity
of the collaborating institutions, to expand the resource availability and to offer automated
services. In other words, it is described as a group of organizations whose purpose is to
collectively facilitate and support the work of a service program in ways that add material
and human resources beyond those available to each organization/individual.
Consortia may be formed at a local, regional, national or international level, on a functional
or format basis, or on subject basis. Majority of the libraries particularly in developing
countries are thinking today about the co-operative purchasing for any group of libraries.
Thus, Consortia are constituted for often being useful for establishing a formal structure
regarding resource sharing with formal agreement by each participant library.
Several factors call for the adoption of consortium among libraries. Some of the major
factors are given below:
1. Literature Explosion: The voluminous growth of literature has made it impossible
for a library to attain self-sufficiency. Library materials, which have grown
exponentially in many forms and formats like books, periodicals, research papers
and non-book materials have made it beyond the control of a library to acquire all
the materials which are being produced. It is estimated that new information grows
about 30% per annum. The world’s total yearly production of print, film, optical,
and magnetic content would thus require roughly 1.5 billion gigabytes of storage.
This is the equivalent of 250 gigabytes for each man, woman, and child on earth.

Contd....

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