Page 133 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Information Sources and Services

Notes In addition to searching and browsing the library catalogue end-users can transmit orders or
requests directly from the Web OPAC as well as view their own borrower accounts. While they
need not do anything but click on a hyperlink to access the OPAC of their local library they have
to enter their personal user ID and password to access these services. Hyperlinks through OPAC
need not be static but may start a new database search.

Example: Our end users can identify other publications by the same author or corporate
source by simply clicking on their name. Similar link reports are offered for classification codes,
or controlled and supplementary terms.
Such hyperlinks are only generated if there is further reference within the database in addition
to the one just being displayed. They may provide for horizontal browsing that means “show
me more like this”.

Web OPAC can give different types of link: on the one hand there are links, which identify
related records within the catalogues (link reports or cross searches as well as bibliographic
hierarchies). On the other hand there are those which refer to external resources, i.e. full text
links, links to companies or scientific societies, and links to publishers. This led to database
design problem—how exactly should which type of link be displayed.

6.6.14 Reference Services

The reference service in a library is often defined as direct personal assistance given to its reader
for finding information. It is the branch of library services, which includes personal assistance
given to in their search for information on various subject areas, irrespective of size and collection
of the library.
Whereas much of traditional library networking has focused on information access within and
between the physical boundaries of libraries and research institutions, web based reference
services owe their increasing popularity amongst librarians to the increasing need to extend the
reference desk beyond the library’s walls. The goal is to meet the demand for easy 24 hours
access to electronic reference sources from the dorm room, the office, and even the kitchen table.
Much work has been done recently on the demographics of the current day library regarding
access to electronic services. Virtually every academic library and almost all-public ones offer
access to CDROM products. Almost all-academic libraries offer mediated access to the traditional
online services such as DIALOG, Dow Jones and LEXIS-NEXIS. Much of this searching is done on
databases made available either through loading the data on the library’s own server or through
access to remote reference servers, such as Information Access Company’s InfoTrac SearchBank
or OCLC’s FirstSearch. A search of the web will yield literally hundreds of libraries that have
home pages which offer a startling array of services, ranging from book catalogue to commercial
databases to community information such as events schedules, political minutes, and information
of interest to a user public. Many of these services attempt to provide similar levels of service to
those found in the library. In fact most end users and librarians expect that remote access to
electronic resources mean these resources must be self-service, from the perspective of offering
easy access to the complete content from a wide variety of sources material in electronic form
and all of this available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Example: Reference online— Britannica online—http://www.members.eb.com Online
Dictionary—http://www.dictionary.com

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