Changing Role of Librarians in Digital Era and Need of Professional skills, Efficiency & Competency By Goutam Biswas Email: goutambiswas8@gmail.com Dibyendu Paul [email_address]

Introduction Information on the Internet poses a different kind of conundrum librarians Location and provision of information services has dramatically changed over the last ten years Information is accessible electronically in a wide variety of formats Information is electronically accessible from a wide variety of globally distributed repositories

Information on the Internet poses a different kind of conundrum librarians

Location and provision of information services has dramatically changed over the last ten years

Information is accessible electronically in a wide variety of formats

Information is electronically accessible from a wide variety of globally distributed repositories

Genesis and metamorphosis… Traditional Library Automated Library Electronic Library Digital Library

Traditional Library

Automated Library

Electronic Library

Digital Library

New electronic services Online ordering and delivery from local and remote Portals Regional or national catalogue databases Personalized services Online reference Collections digitized by the library Electronic publishing services Online self-paced training facilities Internet access via library’s workstations or network

Online ordering and delivery from local and remote

Portals

Regional or national catalogue databases

Personalized services

Online reference

Collections digitized by the library

Electronic publishing services

Online self-paced training facilities

Internet access via library’s workstations or network

Impact of new services on the library Quickness of delivery Accuracy Higher market penetration by attracting more users and new user groups Relevance for users

Quickness of delivery

Accuracy

Higher market penetration by attracting more users and new user groups

Relevance for users

Library Professional in Digital Age Librarian Information Manager Information adviser/instructor System & Networking

Librarian

Information Manager

Information adviser/instructor

System & Networking

… required for LIS Professionals: Knowledge & Skills about resources (books, journals, i.e. resources, Internet) Teleological facilities and resources (computer, online catalogues, websites, LANs file servers etc.) Financial (budget) and Human resources (skills for manpower training) Competencies to Acceptance of change Knowledge of user interaction with knowledge resources Provide quality service Be adoptive, flexible and resistant Be resourceful Excellent communication, constantly update personal knowledge base Create awareness among the users Be an information management strategist etc.

Knowledge & Skills about

resources (books, journals, i.e. resources, Internet)

Teleological facilities and resources (computer, online catalogues, websites, LANs file servers etc.)

Financial (budget) and Human resources (skills for manpower training)

Competencies to

Acceptance of change

Knowledge of user interaction with knowledge resources

Provide quality service

Be adoptive, flexible and resistant

Be resourceful

Excellent communication, constantly update personal knowledge base

Create awareness among the users

Be an information management strategist etc.

… required for LIS Professionals: Technical Knowledge required Operating systems - Windows, UNIX, LINUX. Word processing, Graphics, Spread sheet & Presentations DBMS including the skills in Bibliographic DBMS General purpose programming, Networking Web page Development and Content Management Information Retrieval software for online, CD-ROM and Internet. Library software packages Acquaintances with Digital Library Tools Capacity to use free/open source resources

Technical Knowledge required

Operating systems - Windows, UNIX, LINUX.

Word processing, Graphics, Spread sheet & Presentations

DBMS including the skills in Bibliographic DBMS

General purpose programming, Networking

Web page Development and Content Management

Information Retrieval software for online, CD-ROM and Internet.

Library software packages

Acquaintances with Digital Library Tools

Capacity to use free/open source resources

Conclusion World of information undergoing rapid change IT playing crucial role in restructuring the libraries Shifting from human dependent operations to machine dependency, mechanization (data processing) to knowledge processing, stand alone system to network computing, local LAN to wireless access protocol systems Many new terms viz. Digital Librarian, Libraries without walls, virtual libraries, are emerging to describe the libraries of digital age librarians need to be aware of the implications of these changes and develop technological and managerial skills

World of information undergoing rapid change

IT playing crucial role in restructuring the libraries

Shifting from human dependent operations to machine dependency, mechanization (data processing) to knowledge processing, stand alone system to network computing, local LAN to wireless access protocol systems

Many new terms viz. Digital Librarian, Libraries without walls, virtual libraries, are emerging to describe the libraries of digital age

librarians need to be aware of the implications of these changes and develop technological and managerial skills

Thank You

Thank You