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Resource Sharing in Libraries - 3

Written by Administrator

iii) CO-OPERATIVE ACQUISITION OF SERIALS
Each member should be allotted to subscribe to specific high cost foreign journals. Duplication must be avoided except under special circumstances. Not more than one institution should subscribe to any journal. With prior permission of the publisher we may supply copies of articles to the member libraries if they want. Since Indian journals are less expensive and since we have to encourage Indian Publication, individual libraries may subscribe to them. However for foreign periodicals subscription may be restricted to core and low cost foreign journals Xeroxed copies of contents pages of subscribed periodicals could be exchanged among members and interested renders may get Xeroxed copies of the articles as per their need form the source library.
EXCHANGE OF DUPLICATION
Each library has generally has many periodicals and their duplicates and also certain gaps in its periodical holdings. Each library should circulate will its list of duplicated and gaps as well. This procedure wail facilitates demand and supply of duplicate respectively for making up gaps.
INFORMATION SERVICE
All member libraries in the resources sharing programmed should establish documentation and information services unit in their libraries and they may provide intensive information services like online databases. CD-Rom databases. SDI and current reprographic services. Computer technology has had a noteworthy effect on the coming together of libraries and information centers in developing their system and sharing resources.
HURDLES IN RESOURCES SHARING
1. Buck-passing - The human tendency to ask some once else do ones work and evade responsibility can be a serious problem. There is a need for honesty and reliability among the member Libraries.
2. Users tendency to get from only what is a available on the shelf will brings down the utility of the programmed.
3. Procedural delay for document supply and interlibrary loan system will be detrimental to smooth functioning of the programmed.
4. Non-availability of up to date bibliographical information about holding of the member library will seriously limit the utility.
5. Participants belief that will have some benefit of such sharing system without sacrificing anything will bring the end of the system soon.
6. The heavy rise in postal registration charges and insured parcel charges may take the service more expensive.
7. Lack of the programmes of manpower training in new trends of technology may lead to unsatisfactory service.
CONCLUSION:
Sooner or later all technical libraries will have to think about resources sharing. Sincere attempts with due regards to aforementioned factors are required to establish resources sharing system. Use of new devices like computers, fax machines, online networks, like INTERNET, ERNET, M INFLIBNET, can open new ways for sharing resources. However such new trend will need proper manpower training programmed because the obstacles of resources sharing are not limited to money and matter but also lack of properly trained manpower. Mutual understanding, sincere efforts, proper attitudes of member librarians and common policy programmed may provide better opportunities in future. Let us hope foe the best.
REFERENCE:
1. Iyenger (T.K.S.) Frontier areas in information science. Sherbrook INC, New York, 1989.
2. McGarry (K.J.) Changing context of information, Clive Bingley Ltd. London, 1991.
3. Nagaraj (M.N.) and etc. Networking in Librarians, Indian Associatation of special Libraries, Calcutta, 1994. 

Resource Sharing in Libraries - 2

Written by Administrator
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Resource Constraint:
Basically our educational institutions depend upon Government grants for their expenditure. Some institutions have no specific policy to earmark the budget allocation to library. Allocation to library depends upon the fund position of the particular institutions or as per the decision of the Head of the Institution. It is found that in such cases the library get last priority. Our libraries also do not have any another source to collects funds. The idea of Information for sale is not accepted our society. Paying for information is already part of culture in Western Countries but we are far away from it. Owing to resource constraint our stack and collection development suffers greatly.
(c) Users ever expanding need for information:
As narrated before there is information explosion. Need of readers/users have also expanded on a large scale. For a single piece of information the user have a wade through a flood of literature to fulfill his needs. The modern and interdisciplinary type of studies needs different types of information from a variety of subject and topics.
(d) Inflation, budgetary cuts resulting in reduction of buying power:
Inflation and budgetary cuts have adversely affected the buying power. High rise in the price of foreign books and subscription of the foreign journals has become a critical problem for our libraries.
Therefore we should think of resource sharing in libraries in a region/university and we can say that in future no library can exist without co-operation of other institution. As people co-operate so do libraries and information centers. This may be because they are in same geographic region, or that they share common subject interest or because they serve an overlapping complex of user population. Several advantages accrue from this activity.
1. Co-operation can reduce cost.
2. Duplication of efforts and material can avoid.
3. The stronger can help the weaker.
4. Participants can allocate specialized activities to each other and so concentrate their efforts for the good of the whole.
PLAN OF THE ACTION
Basically we have to identify interested institutions and their needs. We should a survey of the available basic resources of the interested and identified institutions. This group of Libraries must frame policies regarding acquisition, access to document, circulation to the document, protocols limitation, renewal procedure, procedure to recall the material, priorities, standardization etc. and in initial stage they may start a following steps.
(i) INTER LIBRARY LOAN 
This inter library loan service fir the documents except reference tools should be accepted as an official and compulsory activity by all members.
(ii) UNION CATALOGUE
Union catalogue of all member Libraries should be prepared. In the initial stage documents costing more than RS.500 may be included in this catalogue, and textbooks and general books may be deleted since they are bound to be purchased in all libraries. We may keep such catalog

 

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