Page 232 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Unit 12: Library Automation Services

as library professionals). Databases that are available in libraries for remote access via online Notes
search or for local access via CD-ROM/DVD-ROM can be categorised as:

Reference Databases: They refer users to another source such as a document, an organisation,
an individual or full text of a document.
Source Databases: Contain original source data and act as one type of electronic document.

Formulation: It involves several decisions regarding sources, fields, what to search for,
and the search variants. Users need to select first the database(s) to be searched. A search
may be conducted against one or more selected fields in a database but a search on specific
fields produces precise search result than one on a complete record. The next task is to
write actual search statement.

Action: In this step, a search button needs to be pressed to conduct a search and the user is
expected to wait till the search process ends.

Review of Result: In this step, user views the retrieved results by selecting various display
options such as size of display, display format, order of items (by author, title, date, etc.)
and so on.

Online Database Service

During the past 10 to 15 years, several related data processing and telecommunication technologies
have evolved and merged to make fast, reliable and low cost online information services a
reality.

CD-ROM Database Service

Optical discs, particularly in the form of CD-ROMs have become important medium for storage
and retrieval of information. CD-ROM databases act as alternative information access system to
online database services via telecommunication network and www. CD-ROM databases can be
accessed in a standalone PC (single user – single CD-ROM) or over CD-ROM network (multiple
user – multiple databases). Multiple accesses to CD-ROM databases are provided through network
file server or dedicated CD-ROM server or jukebox system.

Notes CD-ROM databases contain bibliographic datasets, catalogues, source databases,
reference databases or multimedia databases.

12.3.2 Web-based Information Services

The Internet is a global collection of interlinked computer networks, or a network of networks.
It offers a gateway to myriad online databases, library catalogues and collections, software and
document archives, in addition to frequently used store-and-forward services such as use net
news and e-mail. The resources available in the Internet can be accessed by a number of services
such as Telnet, FTP, Gopher and World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW or simply web is the
most innovative, the most visible, and the fastest growing part of the Internet. Web supports
multimedia, hyperlinking and HTML formatted web pages can invoke programmes (i.e. CGI)
to process user supplied data (i.e. Form). Web can be utilised in library services as global
publishing platform in two ways. We can link local library resources to the web for global users
and we can organise global information resources available in the web for the local users.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 227