Open Access to Textual and Multimedia Content: Bridging the Digital Divide [2009]

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https://ir7.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/1944/1455

Jointly Organised by INFLIBNET Centre and CEC

29th - 30th January, 2009

Jacaranda Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110 003

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Browsing Open Access to Textual and Multimedia Content: Bridging the Digital Divide [2009] by Subject "Digital Reference Service"

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    Information and Communication Technology in Academic Libraries
    (INFLIBNET Centre, 2009-01-29) Arora, Jagdish
    Information technology refers to mosaic of technologies, products and techniques combined to provide new electronic dimensions to information and retrieval activities. The term information technology represents convergence of three strands of technologies, namely computer, microelectronics and communications. It is used to describe products and services that came-up with rapid changes in computer and communication technologies and their fusion. The libraries and information centres have always been quick to find applications of new information technologies in their libraries. Today’s modern libraries perform most of their functions using software packages that are now available off-the-shelf. It has their catalogues available on the Internet with a web-based search interface along with links to resources either acquired through external agencies or created in-house. Most such libraries are on the Campus network with CD ROM networks put-in place to serve the information requirement of their academic community. Several libraries have taken-up small-scale digitisation projects for part of their collection. The librarians and information professionals are required to develop skills that are required to use, develop and maintain IT-based services and products used by today’s libraries. Rapid changes in information technologies and their adoption in libraries during past three decades have drastically changed the functions and activities of information professionals in libraries. The article deals with new information technologies, their applications in libraries and their products and services. It describes webbased library services that are modified versions of existing services and technology-driven new web-based library services.

Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) and the Information Library Network (INFLIBNET) the two Inter-University Centres (IUC's) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) were set up with common facilities as IUC's equipped with infrastructure for research and academic activity in the universities of higher education in the country considering the fact that heavy investment on infrastructure and other cost-intensive central facilities may be beyond the reach of individual institutions. CEC and the INFLIBNET Centre of UGC provide information support for education and research in colleges and universities through their services and facilities. While CEC concentrates on creation and dissemination of multimedia-based learning resources, the INFLIBNET specialises in textual-based information retrieval services through its union databases and by facilitating access to full-text and bibliographic e-resources through consortium arrangements. Both the organizations make intensive use of Internet, Web and other communication technology to develop and disseminate their services. While both the institutions work primarily for the same goal, albeit separately, there is a lot of scope for the them to cooperate, coordinate and collaborate in the process of creation, development and dissemination their resources and services. The Internet and Web technology offer virtual environment that facilitate collaboration, hitherto, not possible in the traditional communication system. There is, therefore, an opportunity to examine and evaluate the activities, services and functionalities of the two institutions, identify gaps in resources, services and infrastructure and flag potential areas of coordination and collaboration. The two organizations may also redefine their roles in changing scenario and identify modalities to work in tandem with inputs from their users and experts in Media, Communication and Library Information Science.