Libraries in the Digital Age - Research Paper Example

Libraries in the Digital Age: How Information is Now Found Introduction The impact of new technology on the world has a profound effect on the efficiency with which basic functions can be performed. The current age is known both as the digital age and the information age, as computerization has made the exchange of information a practically instantaneous accomplishment. In some cases, it is accomplished instantaneously. The internet has revolutionaries everything from cultural identity through shopping. Libraries have been changed dramatically by the new available technologies, evolving from catalog systems that were simplified, to a more complex card system, and now to indexing that can be retrieved by input into a computer, providing a quick and easy answer. The use of computers has negated the frequent interaction between librarians and patrons through self-service systems that are quicker and easer to navigate. Cataloguing History Library cataloguing was once a system of memory, depending on the librarian to know his or her library and be able to retrieve a book for the patron. This method was highly inefficient, but libraries were smaller and more personal, thus not creating a need for long lists. Once the libraries began to grow, a system of book cataloguing was put into place dating back to ancient libraries where an index of books within a library were written and bound in order to have a record of the contents (Kao 11). This system was limited by not having the ability to be reorganized as additions were added. Books were placed on shelves without any true system of order, thus providing no way in which to efficiently research a topic. Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) was an assistant librarian for Amherst College in Massachusetts when he developed the idea of a system of cataloguing that was designed around a decimal system, creating categories with sub-categories in which to narrow the identification, and eventually the search, for information (Sherman 5). The Dewey Decimal system divides knowledge into ten main categories, with multiple subcategories from which book placement and retrieval is defined. The card catalogue system is used in conjunction with the Dewey Decimal system in order to create an easily managed system of retrieval. The categorization of materials is standardized so that a book in one library will have the same number as the same book in another library. This provides efficiency, although labor intense, systems for cataloguing. The card files are standardized on 3X5 cards and filed in long boxes that can be added or subtracted without disturbing the entire system (Kao 12). However, the filing is done by hand, which can be tedious and subject to human error. The COM catalogue, or the computer output microform system was developed through the rise of technology that allowed for the creation of reduced recreations of an item. Pieces of information were photographed and put onto microfilm, or microfiche, saving space and creating order. However, the system was no more efficient than the book catalogue system and required expensive equipment in order to photograph and read the reduced images (Kao13). However, this marked the beginning of using new technologies to assist in the organization of the library which lead to further use of computer technology. Computer data bases now provide the availability of OPAC, which is online public access catalogue that can be searched via the internet. Not only can materials be searched more easily within a library, but from the comfort of one’s home. As well, multiple libraries can be searched so that material that may not be available in one library can be accessed through the library that does carry that information. According to Kao, the use of OPAC systems have changed the library cataloguing systems in the following ways 1. The dependence on shared bibliographic databases has increased copy cataloguing and decreased original cataloguing activities. 2. The trend is toward linking the holdings of one library to other local libraires, to other libraries in the country, or to the international database. 3. The original catalogue search methods based on the simple author, title, subject arrangement have become a multitude of approaches such as subject key word search, title key word search, Boolean search, and search by call number. 4. The library catalogue has expanded to include commercially produced reference data, such as index and abstract services, and full text articles. 5. Electronic, or digital data, including Internet resources are included in the catalogue. 6. The online catalogue does not stand alone, and in most libraries, it is an integrated system used for acquisition, circulation, reserve, and record keeping functions. 7. Users can have remote access to the data base through their own personal computers, from homes, offices, dormitories, schools - from anywhere in the world where portable computers have remote access capability. The use of OPAC systems has revolutionized the way in which availability of information has developed and cataloguing systems are now used. Automation As technologies emerged that provided for less physicality of information, the library system has continually developed ways in which to utilize those technologies. The use of database technologies have freed the librarians from the time consuming work of hand cataloguing the card file. As well, many questions that would have been the responsibility of the librarian, can now be found through searches on the web, without the need of a person taking time from their day in order to find a resource. The first attempts at finding an automated system to alleviate the burdens on librarians was in automating the way in which the card systems were created. Cards were initially written by hand, but soon were typed out. Eventually they were standardized to the point that they could be ordered form vendors or the Library of Congress. Eventually, they could be accessed using OCLC from MARC records (Drake 2268). This provided an easy resource for the cards that were initially so very labor intensive. The change from the card catalogue to the online system was a problematic change. The card catalogue provided a long history of standardized formatting that had been successful in organizing the library system. Using an online system created a series of problems that are still in the process of being resolved. The first is that the system is predicated on the idea that an extension of the card system is the best way to handle the catalogue. This may not necessarily be the case. If it is not, then the experimental systems will create havoc and upset the balance of standardization that has already been established. However, allowing the system to advance was advantageous as libraries were gaining a better overall access to information through inter-library cooperation that was made easier via the link that the internet provides. In order for OPAC’s to be feasible, four factors had to be present and working. The nature of the library system had to continue and the new innovations should never interrupt the flow of information. Therefore, in order for them to be affective: 1. The technology had to be available 2. It had to be available at a cost that was perceived as cost efficient by potential purchasers. 3. The systems had to be acceptable to users with their specific needs. 4. Online catalogues had to mesh with the goals of the libraries that developed or purchased the system (Drake 2269). The systems that developed were not created within the library system, but in science and engineering labs. Access to journals online was far earlier than the use of the systems for libraries, creating a proven precedent for libraries to follow. The development of ILS, or integrated library systems, was a proven successful method of handling information before the library system adopted its use. Potential Problems One of the problems with ILS is that it can create a redundancy of access. This would mean that resources are not only available in a physical copy, but in an electronic format. This can create dual costs that can be prohibitive. However, this allows for a choice in format as well, but replacing all physical copies with a more convenient electronic format can be an issue for many libraries. As well, the existence of electronic formats means that the patron will not have to necessarily come into the library to access the resource. This puts into question the future of library buildings and the feasibility of keeping them open when all resources are eventually available online. Some of the deeper dangers that exist in turning to electronic resources for managing information can be found when the activities required in the supply chain are examined. In order for information to come into the public access, the activities of creation, publication, aggregation, access, and use must be administered (Fenner 9). These activities are all being affected by the institution of electronic resources. The most threatened activity in the chain is publication. Copyright laws and profiting from electronic publication can be tricky. The part of the publishing process that would be most affected would be in the physical printing and distribution of the material. This aspect of the chain would be very diminished should an all electronic system ever be put into place. Another potential issue will come with access. While most people have access to personal home computers, that does not guarantee that all can have access. The concept of the public library is suggestive of an importance that is placed on all citizens having access to published works and information. However, this type of conversion can lead to an elitism of information while also breaking the monopoly that the library holds on dissemination of access (Fenner 12). If the library doesn’t exist, the citizen must form other methods of access that may be privately prohibitive, such as the cost of a computer. If the public system of library access is diminished or eliminated, and the publication of information is made more cost effective, while the access is made less cost effective, the quality of the information becomes subject to question. There would be no control, and there is no control on the information that is available on the web. When the publisher is bypassed and some formalization of value is not required, information can be wrong, but still find its way into the public forum. While censorship is not desired, it is also of value to have some sort of intermediary that can assess whether or not information is of value academically. It is not to suggest that opinions cannot be vast and varied, but the presentation of facts should have some basis in reliable valuation. The Librarian The position of the librarian in a community is taken very seriously. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2009, developed by the U. S. Department of Labor, a librarian must have a master’s degree in order to attain that position in most communities. There were 158,000 librarian positions in the U.S. in 2006. More than two out of every three librarians are over the age of 45 (Occupational 268). The projection is that this position will have a favorable potential because although there are not many openings for the position, the next decade will see the retirement of a great number of librarians. Part of the reason for this is that the new technologies will require additional education that some might not wish to pursue or incorporate into their duties. Because of the nature of the changes in the way in which information is stored, not only are libraries responsible for storing print copies of works, but they are now housing the most advanced forms of electronic resources. Therefore, the librarian must be educated in the way in which the latest advances can be utilized in a technological world that is changing rapidly. There are three areas of responsibility that can be jointly or individual focused upon: user services, technical services, and administrative services. As well, the librarian must be able to provide instructional services to users so that they may gain successful access to all forms of information that might pertain to the research that is required (Occupational 266). With the latest technologies having specific methodologies required in order to successfully navigate research, the information that the librarian is still monumentally important. With the fast past of development, the ways and places that information is now disseminated requires education in order to successfully fully access all that is needed in order explore a topic. Without the education of the librarian, these resources may be available, but not accessible, thus diminishing the potential for dissemination. Question Negotiation The relationship that the patron develops with the librarian is one of need and fulfillment. The patron expresses a need for information, and it is the job of the librarian to fulfill that need. During the course of this interaction a reference interview is a defining moment. According to Lankes, Nicholson, and Goodrum, the reference interview consists of one or more questions from the librarian that clarifies the need of the patron. Furthermore, only 45 to 48 percent of all question negotiation had a reference interview between the librarian and the patron (50). There are a great many ways in which information can be researched, but the most personal way in which reference material can be accessed is through the discussion with the librarian. An effective librarian must have all the information available to provide effective research so that any gaps in the education of the seeker can be filled. Therefore, the librarian is becoming, at least at this juncture of the information age, a more valuable component to research and reference. Without the education of the librarian, much of what is available cannot be accessed because of gaps within the knowledge of the patron. A fully educated librarian is essential in providing closure of those gaps. As well, a librarian must be effective in communication and in understanding how to draw the need of the patron to the surface in order to effectively close the communication with success. While the existence of digital libraries allows for a more efficient means of storing material while utilizing less space, the libraries require skill sets that must be either shown or provided to the patron. Conclusion There is no doubt that digital libraries provide a certain amount of needed efficiency. Catalogues that can be accessed which then lead to a resource provide a streamlined system in which information can then be retrieved. The card catalogue was a good system that serviced the library system for many decades. The standardization was vital in providing a vast capacity for the organization of the many publications and materials available within the library. As well, the system is well understood by all the current librarians holding their positions. However, as the capacity for digital records and resources increases, the need for an education in the many ways in which those resources are available will be essential. As well, a standardization must become predominant in order for it to be successful. The digital age is here, so therefore there is no turning back. Digital catalogues and electronic resources must be both secured and accessed through the education of librarians that is passed on to the patrons. Works Cited Drake, Miriam A. Lib-Pub. New York: CRC Press, 2003, Print. Fenner, Audrey. Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Information Press, 2006, Print. Kao, Mary Liu. Cataloguing and Classification for Library Technicians. New York: Routledge, 2001, Print. Lankes, R D, Scott Nicholson, and Abby Goodrum. The Digital Reference Research Agenda. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2003. Print. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2009. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2008. Print. Sherman, Jill. Melvil Dewey: Library Genius. Edina, Minn: ABDO Pub, 2010. Print. Read More