Best of Baze Panorama: Editor’s Gallery 71-79

EFFECTIVE USE OF THE LIBRARY IN THE CHANGING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE - James DANIEL*

What is a Library? The library is the cumulative repository of the human knowledge, which is as old as the society itself. It is a living organism which grows with the society. There is a natural symbiotic relationship between the Library and Education as they are inseparable in content and in practice. Incidentally, the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the way we live and work as human beings. Universally, Libraries are recognized as basic and important social institutions and a university is as good as its library. Ordinarily, no well-established community is considered complete without a library system. Today, libraries are facing changes and challenges as a result of the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT), thereby changing the needs of patrons, and the ways we respond to them.

The Library as an Institution

The fundamental concept and objectives of the library as an institution remains unchanged; existing for the benefit of a given constituency- citizens of a community, members of an educational institution, multinational corporations or some larger or more specialized groups. Those who chose to become Library professionals have an obligation to maintain ethical standards of behaviour in relation to the governing authority under which they work, to the library constituency, to the library as an institution, to fellow workers, to colleagues and to society in general. The core mission of library and information professionals is to facilitate access to information for all for personal development, education, cultural enrichment, economic activity and informed participation and the improvement of democratic governance.

The Internet in the changing Library Landscape

The Internet has taken over and moved lots of activities to the mobile devices, smart phones and other diverse media fora. Given these changing information environments, the web and Google are attempting to assume the role of the Reference Librarian. The use of these disruptive technologies has resulted in the transition from print to digital, and from forms to format. Consequently, many people appear to have abandoned the library as the key to quality education for everyone. As a result of ICT, there is a noticeable transformation of the library users’ needs versus the library services, resources, products and delivery system. In our quest for visibility, national and world ranking, the role of the Library has become key and there is a greater need for synergy among staff and students.

The Emerging Trends and Technologies

The emerging trends and technologies in library and information services includes Library Automation, Digitalization, Institutional Repository and Digital Library Services, Consortia based Services, QR Code, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) implementation, Open Access, Outreach programmes, Reference Management, Open Science, Virtual/Digital Reference Services, Ask the Librarian, Content Management, Current Awareness Services (CAS) Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services, Profiling System, Discovery Services, Web 2.0 and 3.0 based Services, Use of Social Media, Green Library Concept, to help in Ranking/Accreditation, Remote Login, Cloud computing, Mobile based Library Services, Use of Expert Systems and Robotics, Internet of Things, Augmented Reality Tools and Virtual Reality Tools, Semantics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning and How to be a Smart Librarian by Smart Involvements in all of the above. While some people think that the role and prospects of the library and its professionals are decreasing, ironically it is the opposite, as human support intervention remain important and relevant, with the emerging trends and technologies in Library and Information Sciences.

Using the Library Effectively

There are a lot of resources stored in the library for research, study, recreation, leisure and general information. Strange as it may sound, many people have forgotten how to use the Library, because collections are available online, and it is more convenient to use personal computers, iPad, mobile smart phones and other related media gadgets. While this may make some sense for those who can afford