Page 12 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Unit 1: Library Automation: An Overview

1.2 Need and Purpose of Library Automation Notes

Even though this question seems to be very fundamental, it is essential to emphasize this aspect
as library automation is yet to take off in majority of the Indian libraries. Secondly, while
justifying need for library automation more than cost-effectiveness, the benefits derived by the
library users become the major consideration. Since library does not happen to be an economic
entity such benefits need to be located at in a different perspective. The multifold increase in
information output and usage has posed a problem for librarians and information scientists to
handle information in an effective manner. The advances in technology, lowering cost and
changes in users’ expectations have brought changes in the attitude of librarians to cope with the
associated challenges. They are using computers and networks to identify process and retrieve
information more speedily and efficiently. This switch over has helped library professionals to
serve the risers better and at a lower cost.
Library automation usually covers the following activities and services:

Library Cataloguing System
House-keeping operations and networking
Information Services and products, and
Access to external information through internet

These could also be called the levels of automation because it is in this order the process of
library automation is usually carried out.
The library catalogue or index to the collection forms the base for most of the library activities
such as acquisition, reference, bibliographic service, inter-library lean, etc. The users of library
card catalogue will appreciate how fast is the retrieval search and printing in automated
environment. If the same system is available in network environment, users can have
simultaneous access to the same database. From the library staff point of view the cumbersome
job of printing the cards and their subsequent filing gets eliminated. Also, it conserves space and
save stationary. The second area of automation covers use of a software which can handle all the
house-keeping operations of the library such as acquisition, circulation and serial control which
can also use the existing network of the institution. Networking of computers within an
organization helps the users to browse the cataloguing system from any of the workstations
terminals. The third area of automation covers the information services and products. There are
many sell-tutorial CD-ROMs available with multi-media effect. Libraries facing high incidence
of mutilation of materials will benefit from such electronic products. Also, people doing empirical
research can download data and directly taking it to other software platform for analysis and
making graphical presentation. Other technology which libraries can make use of is the e-mail
system. These not only reduce the recurring expenditure but also are effective and fast. Sending
reminders for non-receipt of journals by e-mail has proved to be very cost-effective. In addition
to this, sharing of resources among libraries becomes easy. Fee public domain e-mail software
is available and there will be no additional expenditure incurred. Subscribers of internet, in
addition to getting access to various public domain databases and services will also get free
e-mail and fax facility.

Notes Some publishers offer content pages of their journals on internet and libraries
subscribing to such journals can also have online access to the full text of the articles. Many
academic and research institutes give free online access to their working papers.

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