Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Indian Higher Education- Emerging Trends in E-Learning
Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global
E-Learning Trends
Paper to be presented at International Conference on Management Technology in Education Practices to be held on 29-30th July, 2009
Dr. S.K.Prasad MBA, Ph.D
Director, New Horizon Leadership Institute, Bangalore- 560087 India.
Abstract
This paper deals with the issues and concerns pertaining to higher education in India in the contemporary times. An attempt has been made in the paper to draw comparisons with global scenario with an emphasis on the emerging opportunities because of the demographic dividend that India would be enjoying as a country with a vast majority of young population for the longest period up-to 2050. The paper emphasizes the need for a strategic alignment between higher education and Information Technology so as to make the best use of technologies in education systems particularly teaching learning processes. In the second half the paper highlights several emerging trends in global e-learning and suggests for earlier adaption of the trends to enable a swift and smooth transition from conventional learning systems to modern IT driven education systems which will lead to providing better access, quality education with consistent standards and the same time with enormous cost, time and flexibility related advantages.
Introduction
Higher education consists of two well-defined aspects knowledge and know-how. The knowledge component enables one to understand what one learns in relation to what one already knows and provides the continuity in education while know-how is the ability to translate knowledge into action.
Education thus seen as a combined responsibility of academia, industries, professional associations and society. Higher Education Institutes should focus on teaching the fundamentals of empirical knowledge and tools, industry should focus on educating their employees on specific aspects of working knowledge, tools and application. In the higher education system, engineering education and management education occupies a very significant position. Engineering institutions in India currently account for intake of more than 5,00,000 students in Bachelor’s program, around 30,000 in Master’s program and less than 1000 in PhD program.
The number of institutions has also grown by an order of magnitude in the last two decades, mostly in the private sector. This rapid expansion has raised serious concerns about the quality of engineering education in these institutions. Over the next decade, India will have two significant opportunities in the form of manufacturing and engineering services outsourcing in addition to growing opportunities in business process outsourcing and information technology outsourcing. Currently, most graduates do not possess the skills needed to compete in the global economy, and industries have been facing a consistent skills deficit. The challenge for Higher Education Institutes is to work out a healthy balance between wholeness of knowledge and specialization that caters to current technological demand. The challenge is to create organizations, private with active industry partnership mode with well articulated vision and goals which can respond meaningfully to such challenges.
E- learning is one of the strategic alternatives to provide access to knowledge access to the students in higher education segment. In fact, many developed countries are using E-learning technologies more aggressively to expand their education markets and India will be at a very advantageous position in translating the opportunity to her advantage. This is because of the very fact that abundance of availability of expertise both in IT sector and academics. However, the challenge is to establish a right connect between academics and industry and transform industry as a strategic partner in all IT enabled and embedded higher education initiatives.
External Factors Influencing E-learning:
External factors influencing the inner life of higher education institutions, including the use of ICT, can generally be distinguished into economic, social, cultural and technological factors as well as the changing role of government policies. The Emergence of the knowledge economy, in which economic productivity and growth is increasingly dependent on the development and application of new knowledge, creates a growing demand of a highly educated and flexible work force, leading to a further expansion of higher education and to an increasing need for life-long learning opportunities. The process of globalization which is characterized by increasing global economic interdependence and international competition, leads to the emergence of an international higher education market in which a growing number of traditional and new types of higher education providers compete. The process influences at the same time the role and responsibilities of the state in facilitating such growth in a healthy manner in a liberalized environment which is free from licenses and permits. ICT is both driving and enabling the processes toward a realistic knowledge driven global economy. It allows higher education providers to accommodate the specific needs of students in terms of mode, place and time of study and to cater to different and new target groups and niche markets both within the country and outside the country.
Growing and diversifying demand for higher education:
From a global perspective, the growing demand for higher education can be seen from two major trends: On the one hand the rapidly growing need for the widening of initial access to higher education. Globally the numbers of degree students are estimated to rise from 97 million in 2010 to 159 million by 2025. There is the increasing need for more diversified and flexible types of higher education, including executive education, more women entering into the portals of higher education in India and other countries that are changing from post industrial into knowledge driven economies. In Western countries this trend is often combined with an ageing population, which makes the need for life-long learning more pertinent.
India enjoys a tremendous advantage on this count by emerging as a young country in the world. In the words of Mr. Nandan Nilekeni in his recent book titled Imagining India” India is coming into its dividend as an unusually young country in an unusually ageing market- a young fresh faced nation in a graying world. Contrary to the ageing, shrinking population across the world India’s experience of demographic dividend that will last until 2050. This opens up new opportunities for the country as the challenge of maintaining wealth in ageing societies means developed markets will have to increasingly outsource their manpower requirements. In 2020, which is not very far away, India is projected to have an additional 47 million workforce, almost equal to the total world shortfall. The average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared with average age of 37 years in China and the United States, 45 years in Western Europe and 48 years in Japan. An early sign of the immense potential of our human capital has been the growth of India’s IT/BPO sector and the rise of “transformational outsourcing” by multinationals across the industries. The country has seen its global profile rise rapidly on the strength of its human capital- its entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and management graduates. India has the second largest reservoir of skilled labor in the world. IT produces two million English speaking graduates, 15000 law graduates and about 9000 Ph.Ds every year and existing pool of 2.1 million engineering graduates increases by nearly 300000 every year” .
On the darker side of this picture is the quality of manpower available and educational standards in the higher education. With the mushrooming of technical educational institutions in the country without concern for quality and which are grossly mismanaged it looks as if we are likely to lose the rich dividends arising out of our unique demographic advantage as the youngest nation in the world.
The international scenario of demand for higher education is significant by the fact that the growing and diversifying demand for higher education is not always being sufficiently met by the local players which include the government and private institutions and this is creating market opportunities for foreign players. As the debate on reforms in Indian higher education rags, the Global Education Digest 2009 compiled by UNESCO has thrown up a noteworthy finding: after China, India is the No2 country in the world to send the highest number of students pursuing higher education away from home.
As per the UNESCO Report US is no longer the hot destination for Indian students. Earlier over 71 percent students were based in the US, 8 percent in the UK and 7.6 percent in Australia. But between 1999-2009( the 10 year UNESCO Study period) the absolute number of Indian students has trebled, while the proportion of students going to US is down to 56 percent. More Indian students are going to Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the UK. A question pertaining to why students are moving out of India revealed that some are leaving India for higher studies to broaden cultural and intellectual horizons while others go abroad to avoid the frustrations of under resourced universities and institutions in India. The second reason has to be addressed by the universities and HEIs more seriously.
It is not far from reality that Indian universities plagued with a number of problems in all functional areas like administration, academics, examinations etc. The universities are not in a position to provide right and professional administration, not able to conduct examinations, announce results, unable to control corrupt practices, political domination, contaminated student politics and working under a total non-academic environment. On the academic front ability, availability, accountability, research productivity of faculty members are the major issues which need be addressed failing which it will become difficult to retain the students from leaving country for higher studies and in research pursuits.
From the policy perspective, we in India are experiencing that the expansion of higher education has been accompanied with a decreasing per capita funding , resulting in a call for more cost effective solutions and mixed (public-private) funding arrangements. Deregulation of higher education, enhancement of institutional autonomy and the introduction of more market driven initiatives in aspects like programs to be offered by the HEIs, pricing, promotion and delivery of education products without excess interventions by government or government regulated bodies need a thorough reengineering. These initiatives will enable institutes to be more responsive to new demands, increasing competition and market opportunities. A stronger emphasis on individual benefits of higher education and user(industry) pay approaches encourages a greater role of private participation, particularly industry participation, in higher education. India is in a transition phase from conventional modes of higher education to modern and IT driven education models. IT holds the key of expanding educational markets globally with best quality and in an environment of easy transmission, transparent administration and more over cost effective higher education. The next part of this paper is devoted to dwell upon the emerging trends of higher education which will have a strong bearing on information technologies.
Emerging Global E- Learning Trends
The New Age Students
Adults ages 18–26 are typically the first to adopt new technologies. Many of these early adopters are new age students who bring these technologies onto college campuses. The T-Schools and B-Schools are required to upgrade their e-infrastructure to ensure that the changing student needs are addressed aptly.
Some of the biggest trends include the emergence of Web 2.0 and social net-working phenomena such as blogs and wikis, as well as new online video repository and delivery websites such as YouTube, iTunes. The influx of smart phones, such as the iPhone, and other intelligent devices also enhanced mobile learning (commonly referred to as m-learning), creating new channels for content delivery, video expansion online, and podcasting.
Globalization
The demand for higher education globally has increased and will continue to grow. There are more than 100 million college students worldwide, new campuses are being built, and existing campuses are expanding. Universities are competing internationally for resources, faculty, the best students, and education funding.
Overseas expansion creates opportunities for students and faculty in terms of exchange programs and expanded campus environments. India, China, and the Middle East have quickly become key areas for widespread campus growth. These global learning environments give students an opportunity to expand their portfolios to include experience that is valued in today’s workforce. Higher Education Institutes shall gear up to attract top research talent and build international relationships, establishing a global presence and helping develop local capacity.
Enhancing Technical and Information Literacy
Increasingly, college campuses are taking steps to enhance technical literacy and create a campus culture that encourages faculty to use computers, smart devices, and other innovative tools in their curricula.
Information literacy is another topical area. While many students may be device-savvy, they may not necessarily be information-savvy. Students today, having for the most part grown up with technology, possess more technical abilities with computers and software, yet many have not learned how to use technology for academic purposes. HEIs are required to address this through a variety of methods, such as value added training programs seminars, workshops and instructional services. In addition technical institutes are to create a technology culture through a variety of channels—common areas, support desks, and student employment programs.
Technical and information literacy continues to gain importance on campuses, ensuring that students are viable candidates in the global workplaces. Institutes shall explore methods for providing students with the capabilities required to use information technology (IT) both critically and wisely.
Two other trends occurring at the same time are a wave of faculty retirements and an influx of fresh graduate/ post graduate teachers.. While many of these retirees tend to be less technical and more resistant to using technology the newly recruited teachers and other staff tend to be technically proficient and open to innovation, thereby enabling institutes to enhance their technical and information technology oriented programs.
Branding, Enrollment, and Retention
Institutes realize that the Internet is a viable way to market academic programs to prospective students while enhancing the institute’s brand. Institutes are also establishing online student information and support networks on their websites for newly admitted students allowing them to interact virtually with campus services and the campus community before they start attending the institute.
The presence of institutes on virtual on line communities enhance their brand value. You Tube’s education channels and iTunes U are effective not only for teaching and learning, but also for marketing an institute’s other, less-academic strengths. Videos of sports rallies, seminars, concerts, and other events are posted to these sites, effectively giving prospective students a glimpse of the institute’s various facets.
Institutes can also use technology to help build an attractive brand- that assures prospective students and parents that upon graduation students will be prepared to participate in a technologically advanced global economy. To attract prospective students, some institutes have developed student blogger programs, where an assigned roster of current students blogs about their daily routines. Some institutes also have respective “fan pages” on Face book to enable communications with incoming freshers.
Voice-over-IP call centers and text messaging are two methods can be used not only to attract students, but also to retain them. For example, one institute advertises on Google and routes leads to its central call center as prospective students click on the advertisement. It is also possible to use call centers as a way to leave voicemails for students who have missed a number of classes and to assist those who may have health, work overload, or personal issues. This “personal approach” is effective in keeping students from dropping out of schools. In a fully blossomed stage technology may support in catering to educational needs of children rural areas who are not in a position to go to schools or schools in villages where teachers are not available as technology particularly Information Technology does not require roads to travel to remote villages in India.
Mobility- The walk and talk phenomenon
Students today depend heavily on their mobile phones and PDAs. Students who own a cell phone no longer use land lines to make voice calls. The freedom, convenience, and cost savings that mobile phones provide are invaluable to students, whether they are living away from home or commuting daily to and from school, home, and work.
With the proliferation of mobile phones on campus, colleges everywhere are compelled to capitalize on feature-rich phones that are capable of much more than just voice calls. Adoption of the Black Berry, iPhone, and other smart devices that have Internet access allows students and faculty to perform a wide range of tasks virtually anywhere they have cell phone service. These tasks range from administrative (registration), to academic (downloading class materials), to social (instant messaging), to functional (checking transportation schedules).
Mobile phones are also being used to access computer files from a remote locations. It becomes possible for students who have forgotten to bring an assignment to class can prove to their professor that they have finished the assignment by using their cell phone to access the completed work on their computer at hostel or home. Mobile learning will become popular on college campuses that are exploring using PDAs and smart-phones to deliver courseware, field data, short tutorials etc.
E-Learning Trends
Paper to be presented at International Conference on Management Technology in Education Practices to be held on 29-30th July, 2009
Dr. S.K.Prasad MBA, Ph.D
Director, New Horizon Leadership Institute, Bangalore- 560087 India.
Abstract
This paper deals with the issues and concerns pertaining to higher education in India in the contemporary times. An attempt has been made in the paper to draw comparisons with global scenario with an emphasis on the emerging opportunities because of the demographic dividend that India would be enjoying as a country with a vast majority of young population for the longest period up-to 2050. The paper emphasizes the need for a strategic alignment between higher education and Information Technology so as to make the best use of technologies in education systems particularly teaching learning processes. In the second half the paper highlights several emerging trends in global e-learning and suggests for earlier adaption of the trends to enable a swift and smooth transition from conventional learning systems to modern IT driven education systems which will lead to providing better access, quality education with consistent standards and the same time with enormous cost, time and flexibility related advantages.
Introduction
Higher education consists of two well-defined aspects knowledge and know-how. The knowledge component enables one to understand what one learns in relation to what one already knows and provides the continuity in education while know-how is the ability to translate knowledge into action.
Education thus seen as a combined responsibility of academia, industries, professional associations and society. Higher Education Institutes should focus on teaching the fundamentals of empirical knowledge and tools, industry should focus on educating their employees on specific aspects of working knowledge, tools and application. In the higher education system, engineering education and management education occupies a very significant position. Engineering institutions in India currently account for intake of more than 5,00,000 students in Bachelor’s program, around 30,000 in Master’s program and less than 1000 in PhD program.
The number of institutions has also grown by an order of magnitude in the last two decades, mostly in the private sector. This rapid expansion has raised serious concerns about the quality of engineering education in these institutions. Over the next decade, India will have two significant opportunities in the form of manufacturing and engineering services outsourcing in addition to growing opportunities in business process outsourcing and information technology outsourcing. Currently, most graduates do not possess the skills needed to compete in the global economy, and industries have been facing a consistent skills deficit. The challenge for Higher Education Institutes is to work out a healthy balance between wholeness of knowledge and specialization that caters to current technological demand. The challenge is to create organizations, private with active industry partnership mode with well articulated vision and goals which can respond meaningfully to such challenges.
E- learning is one of the strategic alternatives to provide access to knowledge access to the students in higher education segment. In fact, many developed countries are using E-learning technologies more aggressively to expand their education markets and India will be at a very advantageous position in translating the opportunity to her advantage. This is because of the very fact that abundance of availability of expertise both in IT sector and academics. However, the challenge is to establish a right connect between academics and industry and transform industry as a strategic partner in all IT enabled and embedded higher education initiatives.
External Factors Influencing E-learning:
External factors influencing the inner life of higher education institutions, including the use of ICT, can generally be distinguished into economic, social, cultural and technological factors as well as the changing role of government policies. The Emergence of the knowledge economy, in which economic productivity and growth is increasingly dependent on the development and application of new knowledge, creates a growing demand of a highly educated and flexible work force, leading to a further expansion of higher education and to an increasing need for life-long learning opportunities. The process of globalization which is characterized by increasing global economic interdependence and international competition, leads to the emergence of an international higher education market in which a growing number of traditional and new types of higher education providers compete. The process influences at the same time the role and responsibilities of the state in facilitating such growth in a healthy manner in a liberalized environment which is free from licenses and permits. ICT is both driving and enabling the processes toward a realistic knowledge driven global economy. It allows higher education providers to accommodate the specific needs of students in terms of mode, place and time of study and to cater to different and new target groups and niche markets both within the country and outside the country.
Growing and diversifying demand for higher education:
From a global perspective, the growing demand for higher education can be seen from two major trends: On the one hand the rapidly growing need for the widening of initial access to higher education. Globally the numbers of degree students are estimated to rise from 97 million in 2010 to 159 million by 2025. There is the increasing need for more diversified and flexible types of higher education, including executive education, more women entering into the portals of higher education in India and other countries that are changing from post industrial into knowledge driven economies. In Western countries this trend is often combined with an ageing population, which makes the need for life-long learning more pertinent.
India enjoys a tremendous advantage on this count by emerging as a young country in the world. In the words of Mr. Nandan Nilekeni in his recent book titled Imagining India” India is coming into its dividend as an unusually young country in an unusually ageing market- a young fresh faced nation in a graying world. Contrary to the ageing, shrinking population across the world India’s experience of demographic dividend that will last until 2050. This opens up new opportunities for the country as the challenge of maintaining wealth in ageing societies means developed markets will have to increasingly outsource their manpower requirements. In 2020, which is not very far away, India is projected to have an additional 47 million workforce, almost equal to the total world shortfall. The average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared with average age of 37 years in China and the United States, 45 years in Western Europe and 48 years in Japan. An early sign of the immense potential of our human capital has been the growth of India’s IT/BPO sector and the rise of “transformational outsourcing” by multinationals across the industries. The country has seen its global profile rise rapidly on the strength of its human capital- its entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and management graduates. India has the second largest reservoir of skilled labor in the world. IT produces two million English speaking graduates, 15000 law graduates and about 9000 Ph.Ds every year and existing pool of 2.1 million engineering graduates increases by nearly 300000 every year” .
On the darker side of this picture is the quality of manpower available and educational standards in the higher education. With the mushrooming of technical educational institutions in the country without concern for quality and which are grossly mismanaged it looks as if we are likely to lose the rich dividends arising out of our unique demographic advantage as the youngest nation in the world.
The international scenario of demand for higher education is significant by the fact that the growing and diversifying demand for higher education is not always being sufficiently met by the local players which include the government and private institutions and this is creating market opportunities for foreign players. As the debate on reforms in Indian higher education rags, the Global Education Digest 2009 compiled by UNESCO has thrown up a noteworthy finding: after China, India is the No2 country in the world to send the highest number of students pursuing higher education away from home.
As per the UNESCO Report US is no longer the hot destination for Indian students. Earlier over 71 percent students were based in the US, 8 percent in the UK and 7.6 percent in Australia. But between 1999-2009( the 10 year UNESCO Study period) the absolute number of Indian students has trebled, while the proportion of students going to US is down to 56 percent. More Indian students are going to Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the UK. A question pertaining to why students are moving out of India revealed that some are leaving India for higher studies to broaden cultural and intellectual horizons while others go abroad to avoid the frustrations of under resourced universities and institutions in India. The second reason has to be addressed by the universities and HEIs more seriously.
It is not far from reality that Indian universities plagued with a number of problems in all functional areas like administration, academics, examinations etc. The universities are not in a position to provide right and professional administration, not able to conduct examinations, announce results, unable to control corrupt practices, political domination, contaminated student politics and working under a total non-academic environment. On the academic front ability, availability, accountability, research productivity of faculty members are the major issues which need be addressed failing which it will become difficult to retain the students from leaving country for higher studies and in research pursuits.
From the policy perspective, we in India are experiencing that the expansion of higher education has been accompanied with a decreasing per capita funding , resulting in a call for more cost effective solutions and mixed (public-private) funding arrangements. Deregulation of higher education, enhancement of institutional autonomy and the introduction of more market driven initiatives in aspects like programs to be offered by the HEIs, pricing, promotion and delivery of education products without excess interventions by government or government regulated bodies need a thorough reengineering. These initiatives will enable institutes to be more responsive to new demands, increasing competition and market opportunities. A stronger emphasis on individual benefits of higher education and user(industry) pay approaches encourages a greater role of private participation, particularly industry participation, in higher education. India is in a transition phase from conventional modes of higher education to modern and IT driven education models. IT holds the key of expanding educational markets globally with best quality and in an environment of easy transmission, transparent administration and more over cost effective higher education. The next part of this paper is devoted to dwell upon the emerging trends of higher education which will have a strong bearing on information technologies.
Emerging Global E- Learning Trends
The New Age Students
Adults ages 18–26 are typically the first to adopt new technologies. Many of these early adopters are new age students who bring these technologies onto college campuses. The T-Schools and B-Schools are required to upgrade their e-infrastructure to ensure that the changing student needs are addressed aptly.
Some of the biggest trends include the emergence of Web 2.0 and social net-working phenomena such as blogs and wikis, as well as new online video repository and delivery websites such as YouTube, iTunes. The influx of smart phones, such as the iPhone, and other intelligent devices also enhanced mobile learning (commonly referred to as m-learning), creating new channels for content delivery, video expansion online, and podcasting.
Globalization
The demand for higher education globally has increased and will continue to grow. There are more than 100 million college students worldwide, new campuses are being built, and existing campuses are expanding. Universities are competing internationally for resources, faculty, the best students, and education funding.
Overseas expansion creates opportunities for students and faculty in terms of exchange programs and expanded campus environments. India, China, and the Middle East have quickly become key areas for widespread campus growth. These global learning environments give students an opportunity to expand their portfolios to include experience that is valued in today’s workforce. Higher Education Institutes shall gear up to attract top research talent and build international relationships, establishing a global presence and helping develop local capacity.
Enhancing Technical and Information Literacy
Increasingly, college campuses are taking steps to enhance technical literacy and create a campus culture that encourages faculty to use computers, smart devices, and other innovative tools in their curricula.
Information literacy is another topical area. While many students may be device-savvy, they may not necessarily be information-savvy. Students today, having for the most part grown up with technology, possess more technical abilities with computers and software, yet many have not learned how to use technology for academic purposes. HEIs are required to address this through a variety of methods, such as value added training programs seminars, workshops and instructional services. In addition technical institutes are to create a technology culture through a variety of channels—common areas, support desks, and student employment programs.
Technical and information literacy continues to gain importance on campuses, ensuring that students are viable candidates in the global workplaces. Institutes shall explore methods for providing students with the capabilities required to use information technology (IT) both critically and wisely.
Two other trends occurring at the same time are a wave of faculty retirements and an influx of fresh graduate/ post graduate teachers.. While many of these retirees tend to be less technical and more resistant to using technology the newly recruited teachers and other staff tend to be technically proficient and open to innovation, thereby enabling institutes to enhance their technical and information technology oriented programs.
Branding, Enrollment, and Retention
Institutes realize that the Internet is a viable way to market academic programs to prospective students while enhancing the institute’s brand. Institutes are also establishing online student information and support networks on their websites for newly admitted students allowing them to interact virtually with campus services and the campus community before they start attending the institute.
The presence of institutes on virtual on line communities enhance their brand value. You Tube’s education channels and iTunes U are effective not only for teaching and learning, but also for marketing an institute’s other, less-academic strengths. Videos of sports rallies, seminars, concerts, and other events are posted to these sites, effectively giving prospective students a glimpse of the institute’s various facets.
Institutes can also use technology to help build an attractive brand- that assures prospective students and parents that upon graduation students will be prepared to participate in a technologically advanced global economy. To attract prospective students, some institutes have developed student blogger programs, where an assigned roster of current students blogs about their daily routines. Some institutes also have respective “fan pages” on Face book to enable communications with incoming freshers.
Voice-over-IP call centers and text messaging are two methods can be used not only to attract students, but also to retain them. For example, one institute advertises on Google and routes leads to its central call center as prospective students click on the advertisement. It is also possible to use call centers as a way to leave voicemails for students who have missed a number of classes and to assist those who may have health, work overload, or personal issues. This “personal approach” is effective in keeping students from dropping out of schools. In a fully blossomed stage technology may support in catering to educational needs of children rural areas who are not in a position to go to schools or schools in villages where teachers are not available as technology particularly Information Technology does not require roads to travel to remote villages in India.
Mobility- The walk and talk phenomenon
Students today depend heavily on their mobile phones and PDAs. Students who own a cell phone no longer use land lines to make voice calls. The freedom, convenience, and cost savings that mobile phones provide are invaluable to students, whether they are living away from home or commuting daily to and from school, home, and work.
With the proliferation of mobile phones on campus, colleges everywhere are compelled to capitalize on feature-rich phones that are capable of much more than just voice calls. Adoption of the Black Berry, iPhone, and other smart devices that have Internet access allows students and faculty to perform a wide range of tasks virtually anywhere they have cell phone service. These tasks range from administrative (registration), to academic (downloading class materials), to social (instant messaging), to functional (checking transportation schedules).
Mobile phones are also being used to access computer files from a remote locations. It becomes possible for students who have forgotten to bring an assignment to class can prove to their professor that they have finished the assignment by using their cell phone to access the completed work on their computer at hostel or home. Mobile learning will become popular on college campuses that are exploring using PDAs and smart-phones to deliver courseware, field data, short tutorials etc.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Resourse Sharing among Libraries
RESOURCE SHARING AMONG LIBRARIES: ROLE OF CONSORTIA
J.V.J.S.RAMA DEVI
LIBRARIAN
Y.D. INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BANGALORE-560062
ABTRACT
The paper deals with the need and importance of Resource Sharing Network. The objective of this paper is to explore the possibilities of developing resource sharing strategies highlighting the merits and demerits of library consortia.
1. INFORMATION RESOURCE
The concept of information resource is often not defined properly. The documents held by a library provide information sought by users and hence called information sources and more precisely documentary information sources. But such documents are also referred to as information resources. That is, the terms ‘information sources’ and ‘information resources’ are used interchangeably. But it is to be noted that an information source only provides information, but a resource is one, which like capital or labor, gives rise to something new. As a library generates all its services on the basis of the information sources available with it, such sources are called information resources. Libraries have so long been procuring information resources in traditional printed format. But today these resources are available in various other formats, such as audio-visual, digital, etc. However, resources in electronic format i.e. e-resources have become more popular these days, because of their distinct advantages.
2. RESOURCE SHARING
Keeping the above in view, if we now try to define resource sharing, it will not merely mean mutual sharing of information sources available in different libraries, it will mean utilizing the information sources of one library for generating services by another library.
3. CONCEPT & SIGNIFICANCE OF RESOURCE SHARING
Generally, the concept of Library Co-operation emerged for rendering better services to user’s community through borrowing & lending of documents in formal manner. Library Resources is the term that applies to personnel, material, functions or activities available in a library for satisfying the human needs & demands to acquire their desired knowledge. Library co-operation is a very old concept and a form of resource sharing. The new object of resource sharing has changed the old concept due to multi-dimensional growth of published documents through R&D activities in recent past, cost of the information, advancement of newly invented technologies for information processing and dissemination, etc. Resource sharing entails apportioning, allocating, distributing or contributing something on a voluntary basis for mutual benefits among a group of libraries with a view to achieving best utilization of resources by the ultimate users at a wider level. For better utilization of resources, participating libraries should come together and co-operate in two broad areas: (a) developing the collection on shared basis; and (b) improving services for exploiting such collection. The conventional library is seriously affected by some barriers of information communication, such as indifference of the lending library, conservative attitude, distance, language, cost, time, etc. for inter-library loan. And there are also several constraints to resource sharing in the print environment as it existed till recently: (a) open access to shared resource is not possible; (b) service depends upon library performance; (c) access to shared resource at a cost; (d) access to shared resource by price hike and devaluation in rupee value; (e) availability of library financial resources not possible; and (f) authenticity of collected information resources on Internet. The development in information science and technology (i.e. computer technology and telecommunication technology) is the only panacea to overcome all the barriers of resource sharing program.
4. INTRODUCTION
Due to the exponential growth and the increasing cost of information resources, it is difficult for a library to acquire all the documents, which are required by the user of a Library. A library Collection could be classified into two groups – one satisfy the core interests of the institution to which the library belongs, and other serving peripheral interest.
Faced with financial crunch, while a library could restrict acquisition of materials in the peripheral areas, it tries its best not shed anything from its core acquisition list. Therefore in a collective development situation, it is logical for a library to look up the other institutions for meeting its peripheral interest. Even in this situation a library can drop an item from the core item to the same ensured by another library in the neighborhood. To achieve aforesaid objectives various library and information center networks were emerged. A number of resource sharing networks has been observed at local, regional, national and international levels. Normally three levels of Library networks are seen in India include Metropolitan Library network (MAN), Country wide Network like INFLIBNET (For University libraries) and sectoral networks like BTISNET, ENVIS, and FOSTIS etc. These Networks are working according to their objectives of providing information resources to its member libraries rationalizing acquisition and utilization of information resources providing current awareness services helping to automate their member libraries.
Information is considered as a vital resource for communication/ dissemination of knowledge of one individual to another from the very early stage of human civilization to till today and thereby has become an inevitable element of all human activities and developments. The rapid progress of information technology through R & D activities all over the world now tries to satisfy the information need of the human being in diverse manner. The explosion of information, in multidimensional form and voluminous development has urged the libraries to adopt new philosophies and technologies for collection development and reduce the costs of information. Today, most of the librarians are faced with economic problems, especially in developing countries to collect all the new generated information and to satisfy the high degree of aspiration for knowledge of the users. The main task of a librarian is to adjust the input resources with the desired output by adopting various alternatives for taking effective decisions and extending the services smoothly. As the information demand of the user to a greater extent is beyond the control of the capacity of librarians much of the exercise rests on the input resources.
5. LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
It is equally true, as well as applicable, for all types of libraries / information centers not to hold the full stock of information resources or to procure all information which may be in demand by its clientele. Even not a single library/information centre can meet the thrust of knowledge of all the readers from its stock of information up to the fullest extent. To solve this problem library co-operation started long ago, such as, library networks, ILL, document delivery, library consortium etc. which are internationally accepted, but at present the more accepted system of resource sharing is library consortia that has come into existence with a wide coverage. This concept is considered to be a metamorphosis brought by the fast changing information environment for supporting better library services through joint actions.
According to Oxford English Dictionary ‘Consortium’ means temporary cooperation of a number of powers, companies etc. for a common purpose. It is an association of similar type of organization / institution who are engaged for producing and servicing the common things / for providing services for a specific purpose of its users. Library consortium is a ‘community’ (a cooperative) of two or more information agencies which have formally agreed to co-ordinate cooperate or consolidate certain function to achieve mutual objectives. It is an association of a group of library to achieve mutually the joint benefits. Consortia may be formed on a local, regional, national, or international basis; on a functional or format basis or on a subject basis.
6. TYPES OF CONSORTIA
Library consortia function in different ways. During the last three decades, libraries have developed a variety of organizational models. At one end of the spectrum are the loosely affiliated buying clubs where libraries come together primarily to share a discounted rate on electronic journals and databases, while on the other end are consortia that are tightly integrated organizations sharing a variety of resources which require a long term commitment and collaborative decision making at all levels. Theoretically, consortia may be of following types depending on their characteristics.
From the point of view of type of libraries forming the consortium there can be two types of consortia:
Consortia of multi-type libraries: In this type of consortium participating libraries are of different types, such as public, academic and special.
Consortia of same type of libraries: The members of such a consortium are of same type, such as consortium of public libraries, consortium of academic libraries, etc. CSIR E-Journals Consortium is such a consortium.
From the point of view of geographical region of coverage, the consortia may be of following types:
Local level consortia: This consists of libraries situated in a particular city, town of district, e.g. BOSLA (Bombay Science Librarians’ Association), which was possibly the first library consortium of the country.
State level consortia: In such a consortium libraries of one particular state participate. There is perhaps no such consortium in the country at present.
National level consortia: Libraries belonging to a country are its members. INDEST is a national level consortium, but covering only libraries of scientific and technical institutions.
Regional level consortia: In such a consortium libraries of a particular region participate.
International level consortia: In this consortium libraries belonging to different countries participate. This may be formed either by individual libraries, such as OCLC, or by bringing different national consortia under one umbrella. Such federation of consortia is known as Meta Consortia, such as International Coalition of Library Consortia, which comprises of nearly 150 library consortia from around the world.
From the point of view of subject or area of coverage there can be two types of consortia:
Single discipline oriented consortia: In such a consortium organizations dealing with same or similar disciplines join hand, such as FORSA (Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy and Astrophysics).
Multi-discipline oriented consortia: Such a consortium deals with resources in multiple disciplines. UGC sponsored INFONET is such a consortium, which deals with multiple subjects.
Again from the organizational point of view, there can be two types of consortia:
Loosely knit federation: In such a consortium there is no central body of dedicated staff to look after the consortium activities. Some libraries join hand for some immediate gain for a particular purpose. It is often not of permanent nature.
Tightly knit organization: Such a consortium is of permanent type, having a central body with membership of participating libraries for guiding the activities of the consortium and also some dedicated staff for performing the consortium activities.
Further, from the point of view of basis of formation there are two types of consortia:
Non-sponsored consortia: Such a consortium is formed voluntarily by participating libraries by sharing the expenses. FORSA again is such a consortium.
Sponsored consortia: This type of consortium is sponsored by a central organization and the major expenses are borne by it. Here sometimes the sponsoring body itself carries out the major activities of the consortium. UGC-INFONET is such a consortium.
Obviously, the above categories are not mutually exclusive. Most of the existing consortia naturally fall in more than one category.
7. THE SALIENT FEATURES FOR LIBRARY CONSORTIUM ARE:
(a) To eliminate the different problems faced by the libraries to provide various services to the users,
(b) To meet the thrust of information of the vast people due to rapid growth of population all over the world,
(c) To cope up with the newly generated knowledge published in different forms, such as, printed and non-printed documents, electronic media on various disciplines, multi-disciplinary and new generated subject areas,
(d) To collect all the documents published at the national and international
level, because of the library financial crunch; and
(d) To overcome to language barriers i.e. primary documents are being
published by the developed countries like USA, UK, France, Japan etc.
and among them the non-English speaking countries produce majority of
scientific literatures in their mother languages.
8. FUNCTIONS OF A LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
Every library differs from one another according to its collection, information needs of users, working method, sources of finance, processing of information, etc. The various steps of jobs/functions can be adopted by a consortium for functioning standing on a common platform, which are:
(a) Agreement for establishment of a consortium:
A concrete agreement needed to be established for the participating libraries in consortia to achieve a common goal. The member library follows the common mission of a consortium as a whole. However, every library will be able to work in such a manner that they are mutually exclusive
(b) Administration of library consortium:
A statutory body is very much essential to run the total functions of a consortium smoothly. This has to be formed taking Chief Librarian / Chief Information Manager from every library / Information Centre and one of them will act as a Chief Coordinator on rotation basis. Each library will inform about their collection, databases, user service, training of human resource for handling new equipment, etc. to the Chief Coordinator through hierarchical management level.
(c) Financial Control:
Libraries form a consortium for providing better service to the users due to financial crisis. The crucial activities of the members of management committee are to take action on the following financial points like:
· Whether a consortium fund be created to subscribe the core journals in different subjects in multiple copies at a discount rate;
· How to manage the fund of a consortium and how much money is to be collected from each library as a contribution
· Whether the participating libraries to whom the responsibility to negotiate with some publishes are vested by the managing committee, will send remittance to the publishers for multiple copies from its own fund and adjust fund subsequently among the participating libraries;
· What method of accounting standard is to be maintained to avoid any pilferage?
(d) Joint work
As per guideline of a consortium, every individual library will prepare a list of titles for resource sharing among participating libraries looking into the user demand. They may also initiate to contact with different publishers for negotiation. All the participating libraries under library consortia have to work jointly just like a joint venture in a business to make the consortia a total success. Each library will subscribe the core journals and prepare the union list of titles to be covered under resource sharing program and the member libraries may also send full content page service of all issues of the title to another library.
9. MERITS OF LIBRARY CONSORTIA
Every activity poses some merits and demerits. Here are a few merits related to library consortium:
* It enables a comprehensive collection.
· It helps in avoidance of duplication of core collection
· It will reduce the cost of collection development among the member libraries of
the consortium.
· Users' demand is considered for collection development.
· It ensures easy access to resource sharing on Internet by creating databases among
the libraries
10. DEMERITS OF LIBRARY CONSORTIA
· The coordinating unit of consortia may charge excessive contribution fees
· There are chances of manipulation of funds
· Lack of competition may lead to bureaucracy in a consortium.
11. CONCLUSION
The major responsibilities of libraries include collection development, preservation, and retrieval of information for providing better user services. With the introduction of computer and communication technologies in libraries, these responsibilities have become more complex. In a developing country like India, different steps are being taken to disseminate information more or less in all subject areas, especially in science and technology. The objectives of any library consortium will be achieved if there is a willingness to join together and to believe that more could be achieved through the efforts of the whole rather than at the individual level. "The success and survival of libraries will much depend on how much and to what extent the libraries cooperate with each other in future"- Allen Kent. Thus, cooperation is an essential facet of modern library management in most developed countries of the world, but in India it is still in a formative stage. The resource sharing networking has emerged as important alternatives due to tremendous explosion of information, financial constraints, information in different forms etc.,. In conclusion of the above discussion, for better consortium, integrating intellectual access are all the distinct steps moving towards the 21st century libraries. Indian librarians should seriously rethink and reinitiate consortium movement like western countries for maximum utilization of resources at a reduced cost, time and space.
REFERENCES
1. JAYPRAKASH (A) and KOTESHWAR RAO (M). Consortia based resource sharing among libraries and information centers in digital era. National Conference on Information Management in Digital Libraries, Kharagpur, 2006. Proceedings.
2. MURTHY (T A V). Resource sharing and consortia for India. Information management in e-libraries. National Conference on Information Management in E-libraries, Kharagpur, 2002. Proceedings. p. 14-15.
3. NARASIMHAN (G N). Resource sharing focus on history ILL and document delivery, cooperative collection development – assumptions, problems, solutions. National Conference on Information Management in E-libraries, Kharagpur, 2002. Proceedings. p. 556-564.
4. The Concise Oxford dictionary of current English. 1966. Oxford, Clarendon Press. p.260
J.V.J.S.RAMA DEVI
LIBRARIAN
Y.D. INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BANGALORE-560062
ABTRACT
The paper deals with the need and importance of Resource Sharing Network. The objective of this paper is to explore the possibilities of developing resource sharing strategies highlighting the merits and demerits of library consortia.
1. INFORMATION RESOURCE
The concept of information resource is often not defined properly. The documents held by a library provide information sought by users and hence called information sources and more precisely documentary information sources. But such documents are also referred to as information resources. That is, the terms ‘information sources’ and ‘information resources’ are used interchangeably. But it is to be noted that an information source only provides information, but a resource is one, which like capital or labor, gives rise to something new. As a library generates all its services on the basis of the information sources available with it, such sources are called information resources. Libraries have so long been procuring information resources in traditional printed format. But today these resources are available in various other formats, such as audio-visual, digital, etc. However, resources in electronic format i.e. e-resources have become more popular these days, because of their distinct advantages.
2. RESOURCE SHARING
Keeping the above in view, if we now try to define resource sharing, it will not merely mean mutual sharing of information sources available in different libraries, it will mean utilizing the information sources of one library for generating services by another library.
3. CONCEPT & SIGNIFICANCE OF RESOURCE SHARING
Generally, the concept of Library Co-operation emerged for rendering better services to user’s community through borrowing & lending of documents in formal manner. Library Resources is the term that applies to personnel, material, functions or activities available in a library for satisfying the human needs & demands to acquire their desired knowledge. Library co-operation is a very old concept and a form of resource sharing. The new object of resource sharing has changed the old concept due to multi-dimensional growth of published documents through R&D activities in recent past, cost of the information, advancement of newly invented technologies for information processing and dissemination, etc. Resource sharing entails apportioning, allocating, distributing or contributing something on a voluntary basis for mutual benefits among a group of libraries with a view to achieving best utilization of resources by the ultimate users at a wider level. For better utilization of resources, participating libraries should come together and co-operate in two broad areas: (a) developing the collection on shared basis; and (b) improving services for exploiting such collection. The conventional library is seriously affected by some barriers of information communication, such as indifference of the lending library, conservative attitude, distance, language, cost, time, etc. for inter-library loan. And there are also several constraints to resource sharing in the print environment as it existed till recently: (a) open access to shared resource is not possible; (b) service depends upon library performance; (c) access to shared resource at a cost; (d) access to shared resource by price hike and devaluation in rupee value; (e) availability of library financial resources not possible; and (f) authenticity of collected information resources on Internet. The development in information science and technology (i.e. computer technology and telecommunication technology) is the only panacea to overcome all the barriers of resource sharing program.
4. INTRODUCTION
Due to the exponential growth and the increasing cost of information resources, it is difficult for a library to acquire all the documents, which are required by the user of a Library. A library Collection could be classified into two groups – one satisfy the core interests of the institution to which the library belongs, and other serving peripheral interest.
Faced with financial crunch, while a library could restrict acquisition of materials in the peripheral areas, it tries its best not shed anything from its core acquisition list. Therefore in a collective development situation, it is logical for a library to look up the other institutions for meeting its peripheral interest. Even in this situation a library can drop an item from the core item to the same ensured by another library in the neighborhood. To achieve aforesaid objectives various library and information center networks were emerged. A number of resource sharing networks has been observed at local, regional, national and international levels. Normally three levels of Library networks are seen in India include Metropolitan Library network (MAN), Country wide Network like INFLIBNET (For University libraries) and sectoral networks like BTISNET, ENVIS, and FOSTIS etc. These Networks are working according to their objectives of providing information resources to its member libraries rationalizing acquisition and utilization of information resources providing current awareness services helping to automate their member libraries.
Information is considered as a vital resource for communication/ dissemination of knowledge of one individual to another from the very early stage of human civilization to till today and thereby has become an inevitable element of all human activities and developments. The rapid progress of information technology through R & D activities all over the world now tries to satisfy the information need of the human being in diverse manner. The explosion of information, in multidimensional form and voluminous development has urged the libraries to adopt new philosophies and technologies for collection development and reduce the costs of information. Today, most of the librarians are faced with economic problems, especially in developing countries to collect all the new generated information and to satisfy the high degree of aspiration for knowledge of the users. The main task of a librarian is to adjust the input resources with the desired output by adopting various alternatives for taking effective decisions and extending the services smoothly. As the information demand of the user to a greater extent is beyond the control of the capacity of librarians much of the exercise rests on the input resources.
5. LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
It is equally true, as well as applicable, for all types of libraries / information centers not to hold the full stock of information resources or to procure all information which may be in demand by its clientele. Even not a single library/information centre can meet the thrust of knowledge of all the readers from its stock of information up to the fullest extent. To solve this problem library co-operation started long ago, such as, library networks, ILL, document delivery, library consortium etc. which are internationally accepted, but at present the more accepted system of resource sharing is library consortia that has come into existence with a wide coverage. This concept is considered to be a metamorphosis brought by the fast changing information environment for supporting better library services through joint actions.
According to Oxford English Dictionary ‘Consortium’ means temporary cooperation of a number of powers, companies etc. for a common purpose. It is an association of similar type of organization / institution who are engaged for producing and servicing the common things / for providing services for a specific purpose of its users. Library consortium is a ‘community’ (a cooperative) of two or more information agencies which have formally agreed to co-ordinate cooperate or consolidate certain function to achieve mutual objectives. It is an association of a group of library to achieve mutually the joint benefits. Consortia may be formed on a local, regional, national, or international basis; on a functional or format basis or on a subject basis.
6. TYPES OF CONSORTIA
Library consortia function in different ways. During the last three decades, libraries have developed a variety of organizational models. At one end of the spectrum are the loosely affiliated buying clubs where libraries come together primarily to share a discounted rate on electronic journals and databases, while on the other end are consortia that are tightly integrated organizations sharing a variety of resources which require a long term commitment and collaborative decision making at all levels. Theoretically, consortia may be of following types depending on their characteristics.
From the point of view of type of libraries forming the consortium there can be two types of consortia:
Consortia of multi-type libraries: In this type of consortium participating libraries are of different types, such as public, academic and special.
Consortia of same type of libraries: The members of such a consortium are of same type, such as consortium of public libraries, consortium of academic libraries, etc. CSIR E-Journals Consortium is such a consortium.
From the point of view of geographical region of coverage, the consortia may be of following types:
Local level consortia: This consists of libraries situated in a particular city, town of district, e.g. BOSLA (Bombay Science Librarians’ Association), which was possibly the first library consortium of the country.
State level consortia: In such a consortium libraries of one particular state participate. There is perhaps no such consortium in the country at present.
National level consortia: Libraries belonging to a country are its members. INDEST is a national level consortium, but covering only libraries of scientific and technical institutions.
Regional level consortia: In such a consortium libraries of a particular region participate.
International level consortia: In this consortium libraries belonging to different countries participate. This may be formed either by individual libraries, such as OCLC, or by bringing different national consortia under one umbrella. Such federation of consortia is known as Meta Consortia, such as International Coalition of Library Consortia, which comprises of nearly 150 library consortia from around the world.
From the point of view of subject or area of coverage there can be two types of consortia:
Single discipline oriented consortia: In such a consortium organizations dealing with same or similar disciplines join hand, such as FORSA (Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy and Astrophysics).
Multi-discipline oriented consortia: Such a consortium deals with resources in multiple disciplines. UGC sponsored INFONET is such a consortium, which deals with multiple subjects.
Again from the organizational point of view, there can be two types of consortia:
Loosely knit federation: In such a consortium there is no central body of dedicated staff to look after the consortium activities. Some libraries join hand for some immediate gain for a particular purpose. It is often not of permanent nature.
Tightly knit organization: Such a consortium is of permanent type, having a central body with membership of participating libraries for guiding the activities of the consortium and also some dedicated staff for performing the consortium activities.
Further, from the point of view of basis of formation there are two types of consortia:
Non-sponsored consortia: Such a consortium is formed voluntarily by participating libraries by sharing the expenses. FORSA again is such a consortium.
Sponsored consortia: This type of consortium is sponsored by a central organization and the major expenses are borne by it. Here sometimes the sponsoring body itself carries out the major activities of the consortium. UGC-INFONET is such a consortium.
Obviously, the above categories are not mutually exclusive. Most of the existing consortia naturally fall in more than one category.
7. THE SALIENT FEATURES FOR LIBRARY CONSORTIUM ARE:
(a) To eliminate the different problems faced by the libraries to provide various services to the users,
(b) To meet the thrust of information of the vast people due to rapid growth of population all over the world,
(c) To cope up with the newly generated knowledge published in different forms, such as, printed and non-printed documents, electronic media on various disciplines, multi-disciplinary and new generated subject areas,
(d) To collect all the documents published at the national and international
level, because of the library financial crunch; and
(d) To overcome to language barriers i.e. primary documents are being
published by the developed countries like USA, UK, France, Japan etc.
and among them the non-English speaking countries produce majority of
scientific literatures in their mother languages.
8. FUNCTIONS OF A LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
Every library differs from one another according to its collection, information needs of users, working method, sources of finance, processing of information, etc. The various steps of jobs/functions can be adopted by a consortium for functioning standing on a common platform, which are:
(a) Agreement for establishment of a consortium:
A concrete agreement needed to be established for the participating libraries in consortia to achieve a common goal. The member library follows the common mission of a consortium as a whole. However, every library will be able to work in such a manner that they are mutually exclusive
(b) Administration of library consortium:
A statutory body is very much essential to run the total functions of a consortium smoothly. This has to be formed taking Chief Librarian / Chief Information Manager from every library / Information Centre and one of them will act as a Chief Coordinator on rotation basis. Each library will inform about their collection, databases, user service, training of human resource for handling new equipment, etc. to the Chief Coordinator through hierarchical management level.
(c) Financial Control:
Libraries form a consortium for providing better service to the users due to financial crisis. The crucial activities of the members of management committee are to take action on the following financial points like:
· Whether a consortium fund be created to subscribe the core journals in different subjects in multiple copies at a discount rate;
· How to manage the fund of a consortium and how much money is to be collected from each library as a contribution
· Whether the participating libraries to whom the responsibility to negotiate with some publishes are vested by the managing committee, will send remittance to the publishers for multiple copies from its own fund and adjust fund subsequently among the participating libraries;
· What method of accounting standard is to be maintained to avoid any pilferage?
(d) Joint work
As per guideline of a consortium, every individual library will prepare a list of titles for resource sharing among participating libraries looking into the user demand. They may also initiate to contact with different publishers for negotiation. All the participating libraries under library consortia have to work jointly just like a joint venture in a business to make the consortia a total success. Each library will subscribe the core journals and prepare the union list of titles to be covered under resource sharing program and the member libraries may also send full content page service of all issues of the title to another library.
9. MERITS OF LIBRARY CONSORTIA
Every activity poses some merits and demerits. Here are a few merits related to library consortium:
* It enables a comprehensive collection.
· It helps in avoidance of duplication of core collection
· It will reduce the cost of collection development among the member libraries of
the consortium.
· Users' demand is considered for collection development.
· It ensures easy access to resource sharing on Internet by creating databases among
the libraries
10. DEMERITS OF LIBRARY CONSORTIA
· The coordinating unit of consortia may charge excessive contribution fees
· There are chances of manipulation of funds
· Lack of competition may lead to bureaucracy in a consortium.
11. CONCLUSION
The major responsibilities of libraries include collection development, preservation, and retrieval of information for providing better user services. With the introduction of computer and communication technologies in libraries, these responsibilities have become more complex. In a developing country like India, different steps are being taken to disseminate information more or less in all subject areas, especially in science and technology. The objectives of any library consortium will be achieved if there is a willingness to join together and to believe that more could be achieved through the efforts of the whole rather than at the individual level. "The success and survival of libraries will much depend on how much and to what extent the libraries cooperate with each other in future"- Allen Kent. Thus, cooperation is an essential facet of modern library management in most developed countries of the world, but in India it is still in a formative stage. The resource sharing networking has emerged as important alternatives due to tremendous explosion of information, financial constraints, information in different forms etc.,. In conclusion of the above discussion, for better consortium, integrating intellectual access are all the distinct steps moving towards the 21st century libraries. Indian librarians should seriously rethink and reinitiate consortium movement like western countries for maximum utilization of resources at a reduced cost, time and space.
REFERENCES
1. JAYPRAKASH (A) and KOTESHWAR RAO (M). Consortia based resource sharing among libraries and information centers in digital era. National Conference on Information Management in Digital Libraries, Kharagpur, 2006. Proceedings.
2. MURTHY (T A V). Resource sharing and consortia for India. Information management in e-libraries. National Conference on Information Management in E-libraries, Kharagpur, 2002. Proceedings. p. 14-15.
3. NARASIMHAN (G N). Resource sharing focus on history ILL and document delivery, cooperative collection development – assumptions, problems, solutions. National Conference on Information Management in E-libraries, Kharagpur, 2002. Proceedings. p. 556-564.
4. The Concise Oxford dictionary of current English. 1966. Oxford, Clarendon Press. p.260
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