Page 85 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Information Sources and Services

Notes
express the value of information services: a physical product like a CD-ROM or a fee of a
service or membership. Price is used to balance supply and demand, to be a stimulus, and
to distribute income (Rowley 2001). GUL charges an annual library membership fee to
different user groups: Post-graduate student: ` 400, M.Phil. Scholar, Research assistant,
Project assistant, and ex-students: ` 500, Ph.D. scholar: ` 750, General public:
` 400; Corporate and Affiliated college members: ` 5,000. An annual total of approximately
` 6,00,000 is collected. A very small amount of income comes from photocopying services.
GUL is considering charges for various library services. Discussions among the senior
staff and consultation with the university authorities are under way to decide on pricing.
Conclusion

Libraries are being forced to explore the possibilities of cost recovery and profit potentials
for their survival. Libraries must change according to changing market conditions.
Libraries need to achieve an imaginative design of service and products, and develop
communication methods and a feedback mechanism to improve service. Though the concept
of charging for information, particularly in developing countries like India, is a difficult
task, libraries must consider what funds that can be generated this way. It must be carefully
considered which services can have only a token price, which one cover a reasonable
proportion of cost, and which can generate revenues. The impact of the information
technology and the adoption of the marketing approach will help improve services for
users and enhance the reputation of library and information services and professionals.
Within 21 years of its establishment, GUL has found a place among the better known
university libraries in India. After having been given a special appreciation and reward
by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of India, the library is
poised to work with more zeal and dynamism to earn more on its services and achieve a
special status in academic librarianship. GUL will grow and advance by watching user
response. University authorities and faculty should also undertake marketing. That would
strengthen the marketing plan of the library. As demands become increasingly complex,
a strong commitment to marketing provides a means for the library to remain viable.
Questions:

1. Analyse the case and interpret it.
2. Write down the case facts.
3. Write down an effective executive summary of given case.

Source: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/madhusudhan.htm

4.9 Summary

A very simple definition is an Information Service is a service, which provides (serves)
data/knowledge/information somehow.
Reference service is one of the most important and sought after services of any library/
information centre.

The reference queries differ from library to library.
Information officers are concerned with managing information in order to make it easily
accessible.

As libraries become increasingly based on digital storage and access technologies,
knowledge management approaches seem particularly useful.

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