A s we all know that the digital libraries are purely depend on the Information Communication Technology

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Information communication technology (ICT) the spine of Research Institutes
libraries: an analytical study
Thippeswamy * Ramesh B** Satheesha B***
Abstract: As we all know that the digital libraries are purely depend on the Information
Communication Technology (ICT), which are going to use to establish, maintain and provide
service to the user community based on the modern technology, which are always act as back
bone or spine to the entire library system. In fact ICT is a valuable tool for research and
knowledge, so the concept of this paper is to know the actual conditions of what are the
technologies using in the library like hardware, software and other issues related to technology,
has been considered along with this impact of ICT on libraries also overviewed based on the
responses and for the purpose of study the selected twenty research institutes libraries of
Bangalore city has been taken and discussed.
Keywords: Digital Libraries, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Research
Institutes, Information services, Sources of Information, Research libraries.
1. Introduction
Libraries are survived from more than a thousand years (Witten and Bainbridge, 2003). At the
beginning the professional librarians are just acted as curator for the collection of few
information resources like manuscripts, text and some literature which was present on leafs and
stones, then the same functions has been changed in to the traditional roles and functions in the
forms of acquisition, cataloging/indexing, information dissemination and preservation has
provided new route to the stipulation of access to resources that they do not own. The succession
and revolution of activities of library and it basic services that were brought by Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT), which has been incredible and has extremely provoked the
basic purpose of the appearance of a new library type is predictable.
Contemporary developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have
brought significant changes in creation, access, use and management of digital information. The
transmission of information has provided wider opportunities in archiving and accessing
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Asst. Librarian ***
PESIT
Bangalore
Asst. Librarian **
PESIT
Bangalore
Chief Librarian *
Swmay Narayana
Gurukula
Bidadi
bangalore

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knowledge in the digitized form besides conservation and preservation of the traditional
knowledge. As it goes on there is a significant change in the design, access, use and organization
of information.
Digital libraries and digital library initiatives are originally started with projects which extend to
group of collections which are later called as digital libraries, when it comes to research institutes
the majority of Research Institutions in India are funded by the central and state governments.
Those institutions have made a significant contribution to the transmission of knowledge and to
research in all fields and disciplines. Research Institutes have played a leading role in
transforming the country into a modern intellectual and technologically-advanced country.
Research institutes supports the needs and aspirations of research students and scholars. The
libraries of these institutions also play a vital role in acquiring and disseminating information for
academic and research activities. Digital libraries are a way of making research data and
information available to faculty, researchers, students, and others at the research institutions and
worldwide.
Here in this study the position of state and art of information communication technology (ICT)
of twenty research institutes libraries in Bangalore has been taken for the study.
2. Back ground of the Study
Traditional libraries or Information centers are lived from many generations where librarians are
agreed their duty as supervisor of the collection of materials. The basic traditional responsibility
of professionals and their functions are just sketch the draft of acquisition, cataloging/indexing,
information dissemination and preservation has specified the way of beginning to the
requirement of access to resources that they cannot possess. The development and renovation of
library occupation and services that were convey by Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) had been incredible and had extremely subjective those basic occupation that
the materialization of a new library type is expected.
The position of conventional libraries as the mediator among information center and patrons has
been exceptionally confronted by the development of digital libraries that can be executing the
global library user group at an exponential rate. Information centers had been digitizing their
sections from their collected works for last twenty years (Kaufman and Ubois, 2007) and the
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function of conventional library as the principal supplier of information to its user groups and
they becoming less and less unique (Saeed, 2006). This growth might create as a hazard to the
occupation if not take action consequently by the conventional libraries. The increase of virtual
libraries as marked by the initiation of World Digital Library in April 2009 is an indication of
growth and the degree of digitization works universally.
3. Need for the study
Recent proliferation of research in digital libraries has given rise to a number of working digital
libraries around the World. These digital libraries have been defined, designed and developed
differently. Therefore the experiences that one might have gained from one particular digital
library might not be the same with other digital libraries. Number of studies on these areas can be
seen in the literature. In India awareness and importance of digital library and electronic
information services is spawning, marked by a number of conferences and seminars hosted on
the topics.
In this context a study proposed to undertake survey of research libraries in Bangalore, examine
them on their status of sources and services, ICT and professional challenges facing are
considered as study area hence the study is presented here as important and need of the day.
4. Objectives of the Study
The present study is aimed to find out some objectives which are as follows
 To know the Research Institutes and R & D organizations source of information i.e., print
and non-print collection.
 To know the actual services offered to the users of RI and R & D organizations.
 To know impact of ICT on Libraries.
5. Method and Techniques Used for Study
In a broad sense methodology refers to the processes, principles and the procedures by which one
approaches a problem to seek solutions. Researcher adopts certain techniques and procedures for
studying problems, which are enumerated in the methodology. For this study data will be
collected through various methods on different aspects of the subject including (a) historical
analysis (b) literature survey, and (c) questionnaire survey. The first two methods used to collect
textual data from published and unpublished documents, the questionnaire method used to solicit
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information from librarians, project investigators of research institutions. Thus the data collected
includes both primary raw data and secondary data and the same is analyzed and presented.
Tab-1, Table shows the Institutional information of the respondents.
Sl.
No.
Institutional
Information
Groups F % Cum. %
1. Organization Type
Research Institute 17 85.00 85.00
R & D Organizations 3 0.15 0.15
2. Library users
Scientists 223 1.90 1.90
Administrators 2158 18.30 20.20
Students 9403 79.80 00.00
3. Library Access type
Open Access 13 65.00 65.00
Closed Access - - -
Mixed 7 35.00 35.00
4. Air conditioned
Yes 1 5.00 5.00
No 19 95.00 9500
5.
Security and Disaster
Mitigation measures
taken
Yes 19 95.00 95.00
No - - -
Planned 1 5.00 5.00
6. Library housed in
Separate building 11 55.00 55.00
Part of Main
Organization building
9 45.00 45.00
7 Source of Finance
State Government. 3 15.00 15.00
Central Government 16 80.00 80.00
Consultancy and Project 1 5.00 5.00
From the above table it can be observe that 17 (85%) of the institutes are research institutes and 3 (15%)
are research and development organizations libraries out of selected twenty research libraries, Library
users 79.80% are scientists, 18.30% are administrators and 1.90% are scientists. Library access type there
are 65% are open access and 35% are closed access, almost all the libraries are non Air condition only 5%
are air condition, Almost all libraries are planned for security disaster management i.e., 95%, around 55%
are separate building for libraries, 45% are in house building, 80.00% of selected research libraries are
funded by the central government and only 15.00% are funded by state government and5 % of libraries
are funded by the other consultancies, the same is represented in graphical presentation in Fig.1.
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0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Fig.1, Graph shows the Institutional Information of the respondents.
Tab-2, Table shows the Print Library collections
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From the above table it can be
noted that all research libraries are having the collections of print book materials, reference
collections 20.00% of libraries are having, 80.00% not mentioned, 85.00% of libraries are having
journal subscription, 90.00% of libraries are having back volumes of periodicals, 90.00% of
libraries are having these and dissertation in their collection, only 40.00% of libraries are having
government publications, 60.00% of libraries shows reports and manuals in collections, 50.00%
of libraries having standards, 40.00% of libraries having patents and 60.00% of libraries having
conference proceedings in their collection of sources, and the same is mentioned in the pictorial
representation in Fig-2.
Fig.2, Bar graph shows print library collections of the respondents.
Tab-3, Table shows the Non-Books Materials Collection
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Sl.
No.
Print Collection Collections No Collections
Total in
Nos.
1. Books 20 100.00 - - 63336
2. Reference Collection 4 20.00 16 80.00 9200
3. Journals : Indian and Foreign 17 85.00 3 15.00 9711
4. Back volumes of Periodicals 18 90.00 2 10.00 23955
5. Theses and Dissertations 18 90.00 2 10.00 9225
6. Government Publications 8 40.00 12 60.00 51171
7. Reports and Manuals 12 60.00 8 40.00 14931
8. Standards 10 50.00 10 50.00 31581
9. Patents 8 40.00 12 60.00 84250
10. Conference Proceedings 12 60.00 8 40.00 26206
TOTAL - - - - 1783566

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Sl.
No.
Non-Book Materials Collection Collections No Collections
Total in
Nos.
1. Microfiche 4 20.00 16 80.00 20000
2. Microfilm 5 25.00 15 75.00 3962
3. Maps, Charts, Atlas and Globe 4 20.00 16 80.00 810
4. Newspaper clippings 1 0.05 19 90.5 759
5. Photographs 10 50.00 10 5.00 12620
6. Cassettes 8 40.00 12 60.00 4146
7. Floppy disk 5 25.00 15 75.00 90
8. CD ROMs 15 75.00 5 25.00 21887
9. DVD ROMs 14 70.00 6 30.00 863336
TOTAL 927610
From the above table it is proved the condition of collections of non-book materials, only
20.00% of libraries are having the collections of microfiche, 25.00% are having microfilm
collections, 20.00% of responded libraries are having maps, charts, atlas and globe, only 0.5% of
libraries are having the newspaper clippings, 50.00% of research libraries are having photograph
collections, 40.00% libraries showing cassettes, 25.00% of libraries are showing the collection of
floppy disk, 75.00% libraries are showing the CD ROM’s collection, 70.00% of libraries are
showing the DVD ROM’s collections and the same is presented in graphical representation in
fig-3.
Fig.3, Bar graph shows Non-books Materials collections of the respondents.
Tab-4, Table shows the Electronic/Online Resource collections
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Sl.
No.
Electronic/Online Resources Collections
Non-
Collections
Total
in Nos.
1. E-Journals (Through subscription) 11 55.00 9 45.00 48187
2. E-Journal (Through consortium) 11 50.00 9 45.00 13806
3. E-Books 17 85.00 3 15.00 208318
4. E-Databases 12 60.00 8 40.00 609
5. Digitized Collection 8 40.00 12 60.00 10240
6. E-Newsletters 11 55.00 9 45.00 8
7. E-Reports 8 40.00 12 60.00 3432
8. E-Standards 6 30.00 14 70.00 9000
9. E-patents 2 10.00 18 90.00 530
10. E-Thesis and Dissertations 14 70.00 6 30.00 300
11. E-Conference Proceedings 11 55.00 8 40.00 1951
296381
From the table it can be noted that electronic collections of research libraries, 55.00% of libraries
are showing E-journals through subscription, 50.00% of libraries are accessing from consortium,
85% of libraries are having e-books collection, 60% of libraries are shown e-databases in their
collections, 40% of libraries mentioned that they have digitized collections, 55% are
e-newsletters, 40% are e-reports, 30% showing e-standards, 10% of libraries showing the e-
patents, 70% of libraries are having the collections of e-theses and dissertations and 55% of
libraries are mentioned that e-conference proceedings and it is represented in graph at fig-4.
Fig.4 Bar graph shows Electronic/Online Resource collections of the respondents
Tab-5, Table shows Library Services provided by the respondents
Sl. Library Services Yes No
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No. No. % No. %
1. Circulation Service 20 100.0 - -
2. ILL Service 20 100.00 - -
3. Newspaper Clipping Service 18 90.00 2 10.00
4. User Education 5 25.00 15 75.00
5. Display of New Arrivals 11 55.00 9 45.00
6. Typing, scanning and printing Services 16 80.00 4 20.00
7. Digital photography and photo editing 3 15.00 17 85.00
8.
Photocopying and other reprographic
services
19 95.00 1 5.00
9. Telephone/Fax Service 18 90.00 2 10.00
10. Audio Visuals Presentation Shows 16 80.00 4 20.00
From the table-5 it can be noted that all the research institutes and R & D organizations libraries
are providing the circulation service and Inter library loan service, 90% of libraries are providing
the news paper clipping service, 25% of libraries are providing user education, and 550% of
libraries are offering display of new arrivals service, 80% of the libraries are providing scanning,
printing and typing services, only15% of libraries are giving digital photocopying and photo
editing, 95% of libraries are providing photo copying and other reprographic services, 90% are
providing telephone and fax services, 80% of libraries are offering audio visuals presentation
shows to their users to catch the attention
Fig.5, Bar graph shows Library services provided by the respondents
6. Findings
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The details of the parent institutions is mentioned at the beginning of the article to bring out the
clarity of the narration and all the research institutes and R & D organizations are randomly
selected form the in and around Bangalore, after the detailed innovation few findings are
identified as important issues in support of objectives of the study and they are as follows.
The sources which are available at Research Institutes and R& D organizations are defendable,
but still need to improve the collections especially electronic data bases, scholarly publications
accessing, research oriented journals and other use full web resources are really essential for the
institutes to justify the needs of the users
The services which are offered at Research Institutes and R & D organizations are quite good
though response form the users is awesome, there is need to implement the modern IT oriented
services is most essential due to technology impact users expectations become beyond.
The impact of ICT on libraries are always a big challenge for profession as well as information
world, every professional needs to update themselves along with the technological modulations,
its been a great barrier to profession, if cannot handle properly.
7. Conclusion
Research institutes and R & D organizations libraries are always a foot forward in all the
professional aspects, especially in their type collections they have, the type of services they are
going to offer to their users, are awesome, it was proved by the many studies done by the
professional experts, it is really proud that these institutions libraries are back bone of the
researchers for their great endeavor and always stand first when its come to the matter of
information dissemination at right time at right user, so some where S R Ranganathan’s dream
of providing 3R’s becoming true, it ever happiest thing for all.
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ARCL, Task force on Information Literacy Competency Standards. (2002). “Information
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