Multimedia technologies integrate text, sound, images, animation and video using computer capabilities merged with TV, CD/DVD players, and music/gaming technologies. By using various media types, multimedia presentations provide information that is more engaging, dynamic and able to attract many users. Current trends in multimedia include stand-alone, distributed, and hybrid systems. Libraries apply multimedia technologies for instruction, communications, public information kiosks, reference tools, archives, and electronic publishing/bookselling to satisfy different user needs.

1. Written Report of Jan Vincent M. Sabroso
in LIS-08 Information Technology in Libraries I
Multimedia Technologies
The word “ Multimedia” can be split into “multi” and "media” . “Multi” means many
whereas “media” means, the tools used as the medium of communication such as newspaper,
radio, television. In brief “multimedia” can be defined as many media . In other words,
multimedia is the simultaneous use of data from multiple sources of elements of media.
Multimedia means the use of various types of media to create a presentation or an application
which can be used for the purpose of broadcasting, entertainment, education and many others.
Multimedia usually represents a collection of various input and output technologies, a system
unto itself.
Multimedia Technologies is the computer-based integration of text, sound, images,
animation and digitized motion video its merges the capabilities of computer with TV, CD
players, DVD players, video and audio recording equipment, and music and gaming
technologies.
By using these various type of media , a presentation of information that uses
multimedia technology will be leveller, more dynamic and able to attract the attention of many
users. Multimedia is also said to be a positive and effective medium of communication because
text , audio, video and animation of various colours and pattern can be displayed
simultaneously on the screen
A. 1 Current Developments
Current trends in multimedia run along three tracks: stand-alone, distributed, and hybrid.
Stand-alone multimedia in the form of storage-driven multimedia systems (i.e., the CDROM based application) are popular and continue to hold market share.
Distributed multimedia are best seen in the World-Wide Web and the online-information
services such as America Online, in the sense that the multimedia is accessed directly and is
interactive across great distances.
Hybrid systems are those applications that merge or attempt to merge both previous tracks.
We are currently seeing many software applications, particularly the latest office-suite
productivity software, that offers Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) functions that include
not only traditional stand-alone objects such as pictures, or even audio, but even the ability to
link to WWW and Internet sites. Also these applications, and others such as Microsoft
FrontPage, allow end-users to collect commercial multimedia applications via networks with little
or no formal expertise; indeed

2. A.2 Application in Libraries and Information Work
The primary functions of a library are to collect, organise, preserve and deliver
information to the users. With the passage of time, several techniques and technologies have
emerged for handling the information more speedily and effectively. Invention of printing in the
second half of the 15th century started a revolution in spreading thought and scholarship.
Later, still pictures (microfilm, 1839; negative film, 1841), moving pictures (cine film, 1870;
video tape and W, 1908)' sound recordings discs, (1877); sound tapes, (1899),
microcomputers and view data (1045) and optical storage systems (1 985) were introduced in
the commercial market which had an everlasting impact on publishing. Slowly all these
recording media, used for storing In '940s, efforts were made by Dr Vannevar Bush to
integrate all these forms and he designed a mechanical device, called em ex', for storing,
organising and retrieving information received in various forms. Those days librarians used
to collect non-book material and call them as multimedia collection. However, there was
no single platform on which all the forms of information could be stored and retrieved. During
the late 1980s, computer specialists succeeded in integrating the text, graphics, animation,
audio, and video information on a computer after converting them into digital media
(homogeneous media) called multimedia for publicity purposes. This is a major achievement
in the field of publishing, which directly influenced both librarians and users.
APPLICATIONS OF MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY IN LIBRARIES
Multimedia systems are being used for many purposes by different people in different
organisations/offices/environment. The main functions include media integration, storing,
organisation and dissemination at different places in different ways.
- Instruction/training and technical presentations
- Multimedia communications such as multimedia e-mail, personal conferencing, video phones,
video conferencing, etc.
- Public information points/kiosks for libraries
Reference tools, e.g. Encyclopaedias, Directories, etc.
- Archival systems
- Electronic publishing & bookselling
- Product information catalogues
Hypermedia, not only helps the users in providing information from different media
(print, microforms, audio and video) on one platform (integrated) but also saves on space,

3. money, maintenance, operational inconveniences, etc. The other advantages of multimedia in
libraries are:
(a) It can help satisfying different information needs such as reference, enrichment,
entertainment, leisure, etc.
(b) It can help meeting various types of information preferences of the users, such as
scholarly, scientific, vocational, ' artistic, recreational, etc.
(c) Being in digital format, information can also be accessed by remote users on a network. It
also helps in overcoming the barriers of boundaries, proximity and physical rapacity of a library
to accommodate users.
(d) It is interesting and easy to use over the existing form such as print, microforms, online,
etc.
(e) Its control and interactivity helps the users and provides the benefits of books (information)
and human beings (interactivity).
Electronic information, and multirnedia in general, is about to become a vital part of our
cultural heritage. Libraries have throughout the history ensured a democratic, independent and
free access to the knowledge and intellectual value represented by conventional books. It is
evident that this principle is also valid for electronic information and multimedia. The
availability of multimedia information through, data networks may also open completely new
ways for the libraries to obtain information for the common users
References :
Efrain Turbar, (2005) Introduction to Information Technology. John Wiley and Sons Inc
Williams Sayer, (2011) Using Information Technology. McGraw Hill International
http://www.slideshare.net/fareedurrahman/multimedia-technologies-introduction
http://www.arnnet.com.au/distributor_directory/distributor/71251680/multimedia_technology
http://pdf.aminer.org/000/311/266/information_retrieval_or_instruction_combining_the_differin
g_multimedia_information_needs.pdf