This document discusses the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on libraries and librarians. It notes that ICT has changed libraries by making information digital, enabling online access and resource sharing, and shifting users from physical to digital access. This has impacted librarian roles and required new skills in ICT. The document outlines how libraries must integrate ICT and train librarians in its use to remain relevant information centers in a digital society.
Introduction to Informationand Communication Technologies Lesson 1. Why do librarians need to know about ICT and acquire skill in its use?
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Rationale In Asia,information is recognized as an important resource but the ICT tools to create, collect, consolidate and communicate information are not yet used in the majority of libraries. Libraries are seldom included in the technology vision of institutions because librarians have not been able to convince management that libraries need ICT.
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Scope What areICT? What is the impact of ICT on Society? What is the impact of ICT on the library and other information centers? What is the impact of ICT on the librarian and on library education? What are the major trends and issues in libraries that resulted from ICT?
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Learning outcomes Bythe end of this lesson, you should be able to: Identify the impact of ICT on the work environment in libraries Realize the impact of ICT on information formats, access and delivery Recognize ICT as tools that librarians can and must use to meet the information requirements of users
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What are ICT?I nformation C ommunication T echnologies ICT are the hardware and software that enable society to create, collect, consolidate and communicate information in multimedia formats and for various purposes.
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Impact of ICTon society Developments in ICT have brought about the merger of the computing, information, communications, entertainment, mass media industries thereby providing a means of exchanging information in the digital format used by computers.
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ICT - i.e.computer linked to all facets of society
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What is theresponse of industry and government to the information society? Increased production and availability of more powerful ICT hardware and software Provision of more efficient national and global information infrastructures for more efficient access and delivery of information Increased production and publication of multimedia digital information
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What is theimpact of ICT on the library and other information centers? ICT made information creation in digital format possible. ICT made online access and file transfer possible ICT made networking and sharing of information resources possible
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ICT has madethe transfer of digital information from remote sites possible Shift from Print to Digital Internet
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Impact of digitalinformation materials on libraries Digital information can be sent in multiple copies simultaneously over information networks in fractions of a minute or even of a second. There is no need for users with PCs attached to the network to physically go to the library. They can access information via their PCs. Digital information can be cut and pasted from one document into another Digital information may be free or cheaper than print equivalents Digital information often modifies librarians’ roles in various ways
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What are theeffects of these developments on the user community? Increases level of technology literacy Increases demand for better and faster access to information Aggravates discrepancies between the information rich and information poor.
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What is theimpact of ICT on librarians and library education? Need for ICT knowledge Need for ICT skill Need for ICT tools Need for continuous learning in the context of rapidly changing ICT Library schools must integrate ICT into their curricula and short courses to produce graduates who can cope with the changing work environment .
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What are theperceived roles of librarians in an information society? Creators: developers and producers of information products and services Collectors : librarians, archivists and records managers Communicators: information workers, extension workers, subject specialists Consolidators: reference librarians, information brokers, analysts ( A Curriculum for an Information Society, 1998 )
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What will bethe trends in the development of libraries? The library will : be networked be stocked with a core collection that is multimedia have access to global information become digital become virtual
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Challenges to librariesCollection development Resource sharing through networking Faster direct communication among scientists and researchers Virtual vs. onsite reference service: push and pull technologies Better document delivery systems Better abstracting and indexing systems Availability of full-text materials on the Internet Information management vs. collection management
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Conclusion Libraries andlibrarians must cope with the demands of an information society. Librarians must have the knowledge, skills and tools in handling digital information to be efficient creators, collectors, consolidators and communicators of information. Librarians with the knowledge, skills and tools required of information professionals in an information society will be the key success factors in enabling the library to perform its role as an information support system for society.
Editor's Notes
#12 To the trainer: Mention impact on service such as OPAC, downloading, and the need for librarians to keep abreast of new information sources, etc.
#17 To the trainer: Any kind of change is challenging. There are issues and threats to resolve. Among these challenges are: Those which affect health of the staff. Repetitive strain injuries are experienced by people who work at the keyboard. The area of study concerned with the design of furniture to alleviate these injuries is known as ergonomics. Those which affect the environment. Thus far no one is sure if electromagnetic field emissions have any effect on human health but these waves may have an effect on the environment. The noise emitted by printers and other hardware also affect the environment. Monitors use up a lot of power. Those which affect privacy and security Those which affect intellectual property Those which affect truthfulness of information . Sound and image manipulation is easier with technology. Through morphing, images could be altered dot by dot. Those which affect efficiency of use. Skills in choosing, using and maintaining hardware, operating systems, applications software and databases are essential for efficiency. Those which affect the library/information profession. Libraries must evolve into information centers with access to digital information resources to continue providing equal access to information for all. Librarians must become computer literate to be competitive in the information profession.