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Application of ICT in Library and Information Science (Theory)
Chapter 1
1
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Application of ICT in Library and Information Science (Theory)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BASICS
After reading this chapter you will be able to understand:

The basics of Information Technology (IT)

Information and its characteristics and needs

Technology and reasons for its popularity

The meaning of IT and its components

How IT fits into present scenario with reference to library

The relationship between IT and Internet
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Information technology has great influence on all aspects of life. Almost all work places and
living environment are being computerized. The influence has come due to development of
technology. Technology is the knowledge of tools, techniques, systems to solve a problem or
serve some purpose. The word technology comes from Greek word technología; from téchnē,
meaning "art, skill, craft", and logia meaning "study of-". Technology has affected society and its
surroundings in a number of ways. In library, technology has helped to develop the concept of
library without wall and access to library documents from anywhere and twenty-four hours.
Today the strength of library is measured not on the basis of its collection but on the basis of its
capability to access and retrieve materials timely from any part of the world..
Information helps in the process of knowledge and knowledge is regarded as power, which is
very much essential for the well-being of human. But information has time value Technology
helps to access and retrieve information timely. At the same time, technology makes information
gathering fast and easy. Information along with technology has created a new branch called
Information Technology (IT).
IT involves the processing of information by a computer. Usually this means the use of hardware,
software, services, and the supporting infrastructure to manage and deliver information. This is
possible through the use of hardware, software, support service and the supporting infrastructure
to manage and deliver information.
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1.2 INFORMATION
Information can be defined as data that has been processed into a form that is meaningful to the
recipient and is of real value in current of future actions.
The relation of data to information is that of raw material to a finished product ( Fig. 1A)
Data Storage
Data
Processing
Information
Figure 1.1: Processing of data
Information resources [in the sense of stored data] are reusable. When information is retrieved
and used, it does not loose its value; in fact, it may gain value through its use.
The value of information is described most meaningfully in the context of a decision. For
example, the digits 2008.65 cannot be judged to be any value unless the decision affected by
them is known. If there are no current or future decisions, information is unnecessary.
Theoretically, then, information has value only if it affects the action to be taken.
1.2.1 Characteristics of information
The value of information can be determined by certain characteristics which affect its value, they
are:
Meaning
Information must be meaningful to the receiver. If the format or the words used are unfamiliar, it
becomes difficult for the receiver to evaluate or make use of the information.
Relevance
Information must be relevant to the activity. Volumes of data becomes meaningless unless they
are directly related to the task in hand.
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Conciseness
Information to be any value must be clear and concise. Reports must be presented in such a way
that the main point is immediately evident. Good reports are designed so that there is no
unnecessary information.
Accuracy
To be useful, information must be accurate at all levels because all further developments are
based on the available information. Accurate information provides a reliable and valid
representation of raw facts. The cost of inaccurate or distorted information can be extremely
high.
One of the characteristics of information is that it can get outdated. The speed with which this can
happen varies with the type of information. For example, a reservation clerk must have the latest
status, about seat availability at all times.
Complete
Complete information tends to be comprehensive in covering the issue or topic of interest.
Without complete information, a decision-maker may get a distorted view of reality. For example,
incomplete market information can lead producers to introduce products and services not
desired by the customers. As a result, the organization may incur huge losses.
1.2.2 Need for information
Decision making under certainty assumes perfect information as to outcomes; risk assumes
information as to the probability of each outcome but not which outcome will occur in any given
case; and uncertainty assumes a knowledge of outcomes but no information as to probabilities. It
is due to this reason, information is required for carrying out all the decision making activities.
Some of the common needs for information are given below:
Information and Decision-making
The need for a decision arises in business because a manager is faced with a problem and
alternative courses of action are available. In deciding which option to choose he will need all the
information which is relevant to his decision; and he must have some criterion on the basis of
which he can choose the best alternative. Some of the factors affecting the decision may not be
expressed in monetary value. Hence, the manager will have to make 'qualitative' judgements, e.g.
in deciding which of two personnel should be promoted to a managerial position. A 'quantitative'
decision, on the other hand, is possible when the various factors, and relationships between them,
are measurable.
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Information and Communication
Information is vital for communication. Most of the business managers spend their time in
communicating with other managers, subordinates, customers, vendors and so on. For
communicating with others, content of information is needed that makes it relevant and useful.
For this, a manager must keep track of the information flow from the sources inside and outside
the organization. He/she has to process the information and disseminate it. Decisions are based on
this information.
Information and Knowledge
Information plays a vital role in the accumulation of knowledge Within and organization, the
importance of efficient use of information (or knowledge), for normal functioning of the
organization, has gained to the extent that it has become a major element for the growth and
survival of organization in a competitive environment. The future is shaped by our actions today,
and our actions today are based upon our knowledge.
Information and Productivity
Much of the work being done in today's society is based on services, communications, and
information and, therefore, no longer fits the traditional production processes and techniques used
for measuring productivity in competitive environment. New measures and definitions are needed
to measure productivity more accurately. Improvement of knowledge enhances the ability to
communicate more effectively. This is based on use of information more efficiently. The ultimate
output will be realization of the significant improvements in productivity.
1.3 TECHNOLOGY
Technology may be referred as a science used for practical purposes. Technology comprised
specific information and knowledge that can be in physical form such as models, drawings,
sketches, diagrams, manuals or in non-physical form such as training or technical service.
Civilization has been enhanced through the advantages of technology. It began as soon as humans
arrived on earth, and will unquestionably continue until such day that humans are no longer part
of the world. Every generation has seen further advancement in this area; each taking steps that
appear magnanimous at the time but small in retrospect as each led to yet a larger one. It is
difficult to pinpoint the most important technological advances, since there are so many arenas in
which they have been made. Some of the advantages of technology are discussed below:
Makes work easy
One can save time and money and life will be made easier as a result of not having to do all the
hard labor. For example, washing machine is easier to use compared to manually washing clothes.
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Speed
The result obtained by use of technology is faster compared to doing the same thing manually.
For example, photographs are ready in just a minute and cell phones help in making
communication in seconds from anywhere.
Innovative
Technology is useful in doing constructive work in various areas of life. For example, it is easy to
edit an original picture by graphic program.
1.4 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
Information technology (IT) is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal,
pictorial, textual and numerical information by combination of computing and
telecommunications.[1].
In short, anything that renders data, information or perceived knowledge in any visual format
whatsoever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered part of the IT domain.
1.4.1 Components of Information Technology
The components of information technology include People, Procedures, Software, Hardware and
Data. A brief description of each one is given below:
1. People. People play an important role as they make end users more productive. They perform
various functions with the help of hardware and software to produce the desired output using IT.
2. Procedures. Refers to rules or guidelines people follow when using software, hardware and
data. It is documented in the form of manuals.
3. Software. Computer software is the set of computer instructions. It consists of step by step
instructions which the computer can use to convert data into information.
4. Hardware. Hardware consists of physical components that form a computer system. It consists
of system unit, input/output, secondary storage and communication devices.
5. . Data is unprocessed facts stored in a predefined format which may include text, number,
images or voice.
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People
Procedures
Components of
Information Technology
Data
Software
Hardware
Fig. 1.2: Components of Information Technology
1.4.2 Present Scenario of IT
Our society is being reshaped by rapid advances in information technologies, computers,
telecommunication networks and other digital system that have vastly increased our capacity to
know, achieve, and collaborate. The scenario of IT is described in the following four headings by
Gartner research chief and distinguished analyst Steve Prentice [2]. These are combining to
produce an unstoppable whirlwind of change throughout enterprise IT, the industry and society as
a whole. :
a. Commoditisation and Consumerisation
b. Tera-Architectures and Virtualisation
c. New Development and Acquisition and Delivery Models
d. Community and Collaboration
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A brief description of each one is given below:
a. Commoditisation and Consumerisation
The increasing integration of technology into every day life, made possible by the proliferation of
the PC and the Internet, lies at the heart of this trend. The three facets of Pipes – affordable
broadband access and ubiquitous wireless connectivity, Platforms - low cost, simple to operate
PCs and fixed or portable media devices with a wide range of universally available (and often
free) tools and applications, and Content - search results, location-based services, downloadable
multimedia, news and personalised micro-publishing, have already combined to destabilise the
balance of power between technology producers, business users, consumers and the state. At the
same time, open source software business models are challenging traditional license-oriented
software
business
models
in
the
consumer
space.
The impact of commoditisation and consumerisation of IT on enterprise technology and business
as a whole will be far greater than anyone could have ever predicted due, in the main, to two
factors:
 The commoditisation of the PC is enabling new enterprise architectures
 Technology-enabled consumer power is forcing businesses to become more agile and update
their legacy systems
b. Tera-Architectures and Virtualisation
Demand for infrastructure capacity will increase a hundredfold over the next ten years according
to Gartner. The trend is increasingly towards tera-architectures which combine with virtualisation
technology to establish highly distributed systems from many low cost components. Google, for
example, uses a tera-architecture approach comprising of more than 170,000 servers providing
the company with a resilient, flexible, agile and scalable system that Gartner believes to be
around 10 times less expensive than one built using a more traditional approach.
Virtualisation is breaking the direct link, which has existed for many years, between the physical
devices and their usage. Virtualisation allows greater utilisation levels, delivering improved
efficiency and greater flexibility.
Virtualisation and tera-architectures support the model of the real-time enterprise (RTE) - a
business that uses a real-time IT infrastructure to sense opportunities and problems faster and
responds to them more quickly. In a real-time infrastructure (RTI) standard components and
architectures enable faster changes and reduce support costs. People-intensive functions are
increasingly automated, extending across entire domains over time. This automation leads to
improved efficiency, quality, cost structure and agility, ultimately transitioning purchase models
to a utility or service model.
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c. New Development and Acquisition and Delivery Models
The move in software development is towards open source which allows to meet the local
demand. This services spells the demise of the monolithic application, and with it the dominant
positions held by leading software vendors in the market. The issues that software and IT services
providers must wrestle which include lower gross margins, the move to business-based rather
than technology-based service level agreements, new go-to-market models that rely less on their
current direct sales force, and difficulties in educating the financial community about the new
business models and their impact on profit and loss statements for the first several years.
d. Community and Collaboration
With commoditisation and consumerisation come not only revolutionary changes in enterprise IT
but also life-altering changes to the way we interact with the wider world. In the developed and
developing world people are interacting with people in the electronic world just like the physical
one.
Whereas we once lived in geographically defined communities, this is becoming less true every
day. The home is becoming a "docking station" for an extended electronically supported
existence. New communities operating on the free-sharing of information are emerging at the
expense of conventional advertising and broadcast media. Such network marketing, feeding
information on products and services back to prospective purchasers, has been the basis of the
move from transactions towards participation and interaction – enabled by a raft of technologies
generally referred to as “web 2.0”
1.4.3 Role of Information Technology
IT plays a vital role in today's society. It has made a significant impact in research and
development. The research is being carried out in networking, computing, data representation and
many other areas for exploring the existing methodologies. Education is changing with the advent
of new interactive online learning technologies and multimedia electronic libraries, which help in
improving the sharing of knowledge and education practices. The major areas impacted by the
advent of IT include library, business, media, education and so forth. A brief description is given
below:
IT in Library
Libraries which were considered only as the storehouses of knowledge, have got a new outlook in
the modern Information Communication Technology era. The activities which were carried out
manually in libraries with so much of pain and strain are being carried out smoothly with the help
of ICT with greater effectiveness.
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Library organization, administration and other technical processing have become easier and more
quantum of work can be done in relaxed mood. ICT, which is the basis for the MBO
(Management by Objective), generates more results at a given time. A brief description of impact
of ICTs on library and information services are listed below:

The implementation of ICT in the libraries has demanded new forms of library services to
get more user satisfaction. Digital library service has evolved after the implementation of ICT in
the library and information centers

Encourages participation and interaction by the user with the library in an Internet
environment called web 2.0. An example of this could be a library setting up an RSS. Offering
podcasts of library instruction (or audio-guided tours of the library) could be another example.

Libraries have to acquire, organize, distribute and preserve information in digital formats

Library service have become web-based and information services electronic.

Strength of library is measured not on the basis of its collection but on the basis of its
capacity in accessing and retrieving documents globally
IT in Management
The Technology-Revolution, like the industrial revolution, has changed the economy, creating
new industries and ways of doing business. The computer has been called “the machine that
changed the world”. It is believed that IT has and will continue to revolutionize management. A
few contributions of IT in management is given below [3]:

Creates new relationships between customers and suppliers who electronically link
themselves together.

Presents the opportunity for electronic commerce, which reduces purchasing cycle times,
increases the exposure of suppliers to customers, and creates greater convenience for buyers.

Enables tremendous efficiencies in production and service indutries through electronic
data interchange to facilitate just-in-time production.

Provides mechanisms through groupware for coordinating work and creating a knowledge
base of organizational intelligence.

Makes it possible for the organization to capture the knowledge of its employees and
provide access to it through the organization

Provides the manager with electronic alternatives to face-to-face communications and
supervision.

Provide developing countries with opportunities to compete with the industrialized
nations.
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IT in Media
With the advent of information technology, two powerful forces have emerged to change the
media. The first is the use of computers used as a means of processing and analyzing information.
The second is the constantly accelerating capacity of the technology to enhance communication
in areas such as entertainment and social awakening. The media can be broadly classified into
two categories-print media and electronic media
IT in Print Media
The print media is the most widespread of the media technology. It remains the widely adopted,
portable, flexible and economical media. The most common example of print media is newspaper
and book. The reason of the popularity of the paper mode is that it can be read by anyone, without
special knowledge or technology except the language in which it is printed. Due to this reason,
paper mode is still important. The presence of IT has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of print
media. For example, an event occurring in the remotest area of the world can be easily covered
with the help of satellite links. The information provided by these links can be converted into a
readable form enabling people around the world to know about the happenings.
IT in Electronic Media
Despite the growing popularity of the Internet, radio and television still represent the mode
through which people around the world receive information about national and international
events. In other words, when it comes to the delivery of information, electronic media such as
television and radio are much ahead as compared to the other types of media. This is mainly
because of the speed with which information passes from one end to another. The improvement in
technology and coming together of information and technology has greatly enhanced the prospect
in this area. One can instantly view on television any news that has occurred anywhere around the
world.
Multimedia applications are increasingly been used as part of global revolution in electronic
media. Internet also forms part of this media.
IT in Education
In the educational context, ICTs can be defined as a “diverse set of technological tools and
resources used to communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information.”[4].
These technologies include computers, the Internet, broad-casting technologies (radio and
television), and telephony.
Various technical terminologies used in education through ICTs are given below:
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Electronic Learning (e-learning)
Although most commonly associated with higher education and corporate training, e-learning
encompasses learning at all levels, both formal and non-formal, that uses an information
network—theInternet, an intranet (LAN) or extranet (WAN)—whether wholly or in part, for
course delivery, interac-tion and/or facilitation. Others prefer the term online learning. Web-based
learning is a subset of e-learning and refers to learning using an Internet browser (such as Firefox
or Internet Explorer).
Blended Learning
Another term that is gaining currency is blended learning. This refers to learning models that
combine traditional classroom practice with e-learning solutions. For example, students in a
traditional class can be assigned both print-based and online materials, have online mentoring
sessions with their teacher through chat, and are subscribed to a class email list. Or a Web-based
training course can be enhanced by periodic face-to-face instruction. “Blending” was prompted
by the recognition that not all learning is best achieved in an electronically-mediated
environment, particularly one that dispenses with a live instructor altogether. Instead,
consideration must be given to the subject matter, the learning objectives and outcomes, the
characteristics of the learners, and the learning context in order to arrive at the optimum mix of
instructional and delivery methods.
Open and distance learning is defined by the Commonwealth of Learning as “a way of providing
learning opportunities that is characterized by the separation of teacher and learner in time or
place, or both time and place; learning that is certified in some way by an institution or agency;
the use of a variety of media, including print and electronic; two-way communications that allow
learners and tutors to interact; the possibility of occasional face-to-face meetings; and a
specialized division of labor in the production and delivery of courses.” [5]
The Promise of ICTs in Education
For developing countries ICTs have the potential for increasing access to and improving the
relevance and quality of education. It thus represents a potentially equalizing strategy for
developing countries.
[ICTs] greatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge, offering developing
countries unprecedented opportunities to enhance educational systems, improve policy formulation and execution, and widen the range of opportunities for business and the poor. Oneof
the greatest hardships endured by the poor, and by many others who live in the poorest countries,
is their sense of isolation. The new communications technologies promise to reducethat sense of
isolation, and to open access to knowledge in ways unimaginable not long ago.[6]
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How can ICTs help expand access to education?
ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for extending educational opportunities, both formal and
non-for-mal, to previously underserved constituencies—scattered and rural populations, groups
traditionally excluded from education due to cultural or social reasons such as ethnic minorities,
girls and women,
persons with disabilities, and the elderly, as well as all others who for reasons of cost or because
of time constraints are unable to enroll on campus.
• Anytime, anywhere. One defining feature of ICTs is their ability to transcend time and
space.ICTs make possible asynchronous learning, or learning characterized by a time lag between
the delivery of instruction and its reception by learners. Online course materials, for example,
may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ICT-based educational delivery (e.g., educational
pro-gramming broadcast over radio or television) also dispenses with the need for all learners and
the instructor to be in one physical location. Additionally, certain types of ICTs, such as teleconferencing technologies tools like WebCT, Enspire, WebEx, HP Virtual Classroom enable
instruction to be received simultaneously by multiple, geographically dispersed learners (i.e.
synchronous learning).
• Access to remote learning resources. Teachers and learners no longer have to rely solely on
printed books and other materials in physical media housed in libraries (and available in limited
quantities) for their educational needs. With the Internet and the World Wide Web, a wealth of
learning materials in almost every subject and in a variety of media can now be accessed from
anywhere at anytime of the day and by an unlimited number of people. This is particularly significant for many schools in developing countries, and even some in developed countries, that
have limited and outdated library resources. ICTs also facilitate access to resource persons—
mentors, experts, researchers, professionals, business leaders, and peers—all over the world.
IT in Publication
In this ever-changing world, publishing houses, universities, and e-book stores have started to use
information written in printed version of books, on their computer screen through the use of
technology. E-texts play an increasing role in education and research, as they offer unique
benefits for both students and teachers. Websites like Project Gutenberg, NetLibrary, and
Bibliomania offer full text of many classics. The files can be downloaded from these websites and
can be read on the screen, printed and photocopied with minimal cost. Portions of them can be
copied and pasted into papers, examination, or home assignments or collected into packets for
students.
The digital revolution is gaining pace when it comes to e-books. Digital library is evolved for
locally generated information in full text. These can be viewed with special software such as
GSDL, D-Space and E-Prints. Microsoft Reader, Adobe E-book Reader and MobiPocket
(designed for PDAs) are some of the software available, which allows users to build their own
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library, read books comfortably on the screen, add side notes and bookmarks.
Many stores. Like Amazon, E-books, and E-reader provide readers with affordable electronic
books in one of the popular formats. They offer a wide selection of books for download and less
in price as compared to the printed edition. E-books can be installed on a library computer, and
allow fast access and search to every student. For example, they can be installed on a teacher's
laptop, and allow then to carry dozens of books everywhere, including their own notes and
bookmarks. Special E-book devices allow users to carry an entire library with the comfort and
size of a single book.
Let Us Summarise
1. Information is a collection of facts gathered by various means or communication to draw a
conclusion. It is representation of knowledge such as facts, data or opinions, in any medium or
form, including textual, numerical, graphic, or audio-visual forms.
2. Technology is the study of science. It is specific information and knowledge required for the
practical purpose like development in various fields.
3. Information Technology (IT) refers to the scientific, technological, and engineering disciplines
as well as management technologies used in information handling, communication, processing,
their applications and associated software, equipment and their interaction.
4. For information to be useful, it must be accurate, timely, complete, precise and relevant.
Information is essential in our everyday lives for making decisions, communication, knowledge
and productivity.
Descriptive Questions
1. What is information? What are its characteristics?
2. Explain the need of information in our lives.
3. What is technology? Give some examples of areas where technology is being used.
4. Describe the essential components of Information Technology.
5. Explain in your own words the advantage and impact of IT in our lives.
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References
1. Longley, Dennis; Shain, Michael (1985), Dictionary of Information Technology (2nd ed.),
Macmillan Press, p.164, ISBN 0-333-37260-3
2. Steve Prentice (2006). Fundamental shift in balance of power between big business and the
consumer
and
between
supplier
and
customer..
Retrieved
from
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=492252 . Accessed. October 2, 2011
3. Lucas, Henry C (2000). Information Technology for Management (7th ed.). Tata McGraw-Hill
Pub, p. 7. ISBN0-07-047242-4
4. Blurton, C.,“New Directions of ICT-Use in Education”. Retrieved
http://www.unesco.org/edu-cation/educprog/lwf/dl/edict.pdf; accessed 7 August 2011.
from
5. Cuban, L. (1986), Teachers and Machines: The Classroom Use of Technology Since
1920. New York: Teachers College Press.
6. World Bank (1998), The World Development Report 1998/99. Quoted in Blurton, C., New
Directions of ICT-Use in Education.