Information Technology And Library Evolution

Explore ways to bring and keep your library’s electronic services up to date!From editor Di Su: “Some years ago, if you were told that a library’s catalog would be available on a 24/7/365 basis, you’d think it was just another fiction. Perhaps as influential as Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of movable type printing, the Internet is one of the most significant happenings in the information world in modern times.”In addition to showing you how library services have been influenced and enhanced by the advent of the Internet, Evolution in Reference and Information Services: The Impact of the Internet will enable you to make the most of the new opportunities that current technologies offer. This valuable book will also help you and your library avoid the pitfalls and new challenges to professional competency that come along with electronic research.Evolution in Reference and Information Services: gives you a review of the history of electronic reference looks at the increasing role of librarians as teachers and providers of technical help for users provides case studies and ways to evaluate electronic research methods suggests strategies for providing effective electronic services examines government Web sites explores Internet sources of health information shows you how to establish electronic services through your library’s portal site looks at how to manage a library computer lab and much more!

Public and university libraries are at a crossroads, hard-pressed by competition from Internet search engines, declining budgets and changes in popular culture. Libraries must respond aggressively. Otherwise they will be marginalized by the impact of digital technology on their traditional customer base. Author Ralph Blanchard, drawing on twenty years of experience as an information services entrepreneur, argues that it is irresponsible for librarians to simply turn academic tasks over to search engines, as many do. Instead, libraries should expand digital services and, using the tactics and strategies of successful for-profit information service businesses, reconnect with their customers by promoting themselves as 21st Century information experts. Topics in this wide-ranging study include: The library as a service business Change, risk and unintended consequences The Internet search engine business model Problems with students using search engines The evolution of "ambient information" Music and information technology "Millennials" as library customers Hiring and training library information workers Push and viral marketing strategies for libraries The Digital Challenge for Libraries calls for new initiatives by librarians and for a rekindling of interest in the vital role libraries play in an informed, prosperous and democratic society.

This work skeptically explores the notion that the internet will soon obviate any need for traditional print-based academic libraries. It makes a case for the library's staying power in the face of technological advancements (television, microfilm, and CD-ROM's were all once predicted as the contemporary library's heir-apparent), and devotes individual chapters to the pitfalls and prevarications of popular search engines, e-books, and the mass digitization of traditional print material.

This special volume celebrates the development of sci-tech libraries in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the first library school in the United States. The expert contributors provide a survey of the development of sci-tech libraries as well as some thoughts about their future. This comprehensive volume covers several types of sci-tech libraries, information retrieval, and library education. Library professionals will be fascinated bt the journey of progress detailed in these well-written chapters.

The speedy development of information communication technology, electronic libraries, digital libraries, availability of e-resources and collective demand of library users has changed the scenario of libraries and library professionals. Today all the users find the instant and desktop based library and information services. But only few institute libraries provide that type of services to their end user. This study highlights that out of 56 central universities in India only few universities are concentrate on web-based library resources and services to their end users. This paper also discusses the information availability in the websites like library URL, OPAC, e-resources, open access resources etc.

Prepared for the Association of College and Research Libraries Ad Hoc Committee on Performance Measures.