Page 155 - DLIS406_ACADEMIC_LIBRARY_SYSTEM

Academic Library System

Notes so that their clients could have easier and wider access to resources. The proliferation of
resources such as other library catalogues, online databases, full text publications, electronic
serials, learning resources, discussion forum postings, etc., on the web has posed a considerable
challenge to librarians. How to cope with these new resources and newer forms of older
resources is a question that requires to be addressed by all libraries.
Library automation and networking, which until the 1990’s was considered to be adequate,
today do not provide all the answers. Library automation and networking is all about connecting
to other libraries and information centres, search engines, peer groups, databases and experts.
Thus the sceanrio today is one of many dispersed digital collections. The need is to move to
inter-operable digital libraries. This requires that we focus on standards of many kinds. Of
these, metadata standards have assumed the highest importance. To put it in simple words,
libraries and networks of all kinds use different hardware and software platforms. To enable
interconnectivity to such a diversity of systems and to enable mutual sharing of resources and
exchange of data between them requires that all of them follow internationally agreed upon
standards.

Task Explain the term change management and types of changes.

Networks operate at different levels in respect of:
• The variety of resources they handle,
• The computer hardware they use,

• Operating system platforms,
• The language used to describe subject content,
• The support to protocols and standards they provide, and

• The back-end software in use.
The one element in all library automation and networking today that has assumed highest
priority is the use of (wherever possible) international standards for the following.
• Metadata standards which includes standards for data elements as well as identification,
description and representation standards
• Information exchange standards
• Communication standards

• Content representation standards
• Interoperability standards.

The above categorization is only used for convenience and it must be emphasized that there
is considerable overlap in the purpose and function of these standards. It is important that
these should be understood and used in library systems if there is to be effective automation
and networking.

This tutorial attempts to:
• Describe briefly the various metadata and interoperability standards, and

• Emphasize the importance of these standards when planning library automation and
more importantly networking of libraries.

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