Page 117 - DLIS408_INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY-APPLICATIONSL SCIENCES

Information Technology and Application

Notes The Virtual Library was incorporated as an association sans but lucratif (not for profit association) in
the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. Major decisions, including a set of bylaws are
decided by the membership at large.
The main Virtual Library website was redesigned in 2005 and many old or dead individual Virtual
Libraries were removed from the index.
Some illustrative examples of virtual libraries with brief descriptions are given below:
Virtual Libraries Ask ERIC: Ask ERIC is an example of a virtual library devoted to pro-
for Professional fessional learning for educators. It supports professional learning as well as
Learning formal and informal learning.
Virtual Libraries-- Awesome Library: Awesome Library organizes the Web with 18,000 carefully
General Interest reviewed resources, including the top five percent in the field of education.
(Collections of Libraryspot: Libraryspot, published by StartSpot Mediaworks, Inc. in North-
Web Sites) western University/Evanston Research Park, Evanston, Ill. , has received
many awards. It was intended to bring the best of the Web in one site and cut
through the information overload involved in Web searching. The Web sites
are reviewed by an editorial team for quality, content, and usefulness.
Virtual LRC: Some virtual libraries are the work of a dedicated individual
with a passion for enabling learners. The virtual LRC is the creation of
Dr. Michael Bell, former state chair of the Texas Association of School Libr-
arians. It is a useful library with access to e-texts, news, sounds, magazines
searches, information portals and more.
Virtual Libraries -- Research It : This list of reference sites makes a good reference center for just-
Reference in-time learning.
(Collections of
Web Sites)
University Virtual NovaNet: Novanet is a consortium of academic libraries in Nova Scotia who
Libraries cooperate to provide access to information and knowledge for the benefit of
their user communities.

10.5 Hybrid Library
Hybrid library is a term used by librarians to describe libraries containing a mix of traditional
print library resources and the growing number of electronic resources.
Hybrid libraries are mixes of traditional print material such as books and magazines, as well as
electronic based material such as downloadable audio books, electronic journals, e-books, etc.

Notes Hybrid libraries are the new norm in most public and academic libraries.

Did u know? It seems that the term “hybrid library” was first coined in 1998 by Chris
Rusbridge in an article for D-Lib Magazine.
Hybrid libraries evolved in the 1990s when electronic resources became more easily available for
libraries to acquire for public use. Initially these electronic resources were typically access to
material distributed on media such as CD-ROM or searches of specialized databases. OCLC helped
to push libraries towards acquiring digital resources by providing a centralized technology
resource. Now, with the widespread availability of digital content, it includes Internet resources
and documents which are online, such as eprints.

Hybrid libraries are the new norm for many archivists as well. Digitization has changed the way
archivists have gone about preserving historical items. Archivists are now using digital technology
to preserve items that were once only preserved by things like microfiche. Archivists now use
things like digital imaging which make it possible for researchers to see historical items online.

112 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY