Introduction
Mankind's set of experiences has gone through various stages and seen various insurgencies, like farming, industry, and data. Libraries and library experts have likewise gone through different changes that have come about due to these various upsets in our general public. Library experts clarified their excursion from mud tablets and palm passes on to the present advanced substance for understanding material. (As indicated by Urs, Shalini (2004). Training is the main factor for human turn of events. Data and correspondence innovation has become an essential and acknowledged piece of regular daily existence for individuals. In this time everyday worth of ICT is expanding in training.1 Quickly creating data and correspondence innovation are setting out new open doors and difficulties for conventional educating and learning frameworks. Electronic distributing has become an establishment for the new data society to get the right data to the perfect individual at the perfect time. The present time of data and correspondence new innovations and this innovation the majority of library proficient/clients/educators utilized web based training educational plan.2
The role of librarians and information professionals in this new environment has been strongly influenced by these changes. Now the traditional library and librarianship is undergoing significant changes due to the digital revolution through ICT application and it affected all aspect of role of librarians in providing information provision in a library.
What is ICT?
The term of ‘ICT’ describes the use of computer based technology and the internet to make information and communication services available to a wide range of users. ICT means,
I — Information: The word information means a message received and understood. Information is something that can be recorded, Communicated, and computed with. Information units can be put together to form larger systems and can be processed with basic operations acting on a small number of units at a time.Data Process Information
C — Communication: In ICT communication is defined as a ‘diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate and to create, disseminate, store and manage information.
T — Technology: Technology is defined as ‘a science and technique of methods of doing or getting things done, related to an arts, science or a particular profession.’ Technology is a scientific way of evolving and applying these techniques.3
Changes in the role of library
ICTs have achieved changes in various parts of human existence in the 21st century. New freedoms offered by ICTs in the fields of business, learning, correspondence, and so forth have tossed the world into another general public called Knowledge Society or Information Society. Subsequently, the world has become a worldwide town. The web where you can relocate starting with one PC chain then onto the next is known as the super data roadway. Data and correspondence advancements, ICTs have achieved socio-social, political, instructive and monetary changes. The library is one of the fundamental regions profoundly affected by ICTs, a mainstay of the data age. This is on the grounds that the library is the fundamental spot of data and information; it has become virtual, so library and data administrations reach out past dividers and actual structures.4
Table 1
Library resources in ICT era
ICT in libraries
The above all else ICT part which can be received in the libraries is the PC for library robotization and to have an in — house data set of library possessions in electronic structure. As numerous essential diaries and being distributed in CD structure, it becomes important to prepare the libraries to streamline the utilization of data. Email, Online recovery systems administration, interactive media and web are the other significant advancements, which can be utilized for quicker admittance to data. ICT empowers to catch, store, control and appropriate data. To present and offer new types of assistance quicker, to give need based administrations to client and use the client for giving better data administrations, to help all sort of library capacities.5
Advantages of ICT
Information access speedy and accurate, use one and more users at the same time
No any restrictions of geographical boundaries for users
Library users are live connected to another from long distance
Use of technology by getting the information is accurate, authentic and reliable
Anytime, anywhere (24 x 7) and save the time.
Greater flexibility in when and where tasks are carried out
Gains in ICT literacy skills, confidence and enthusiasm.
Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing materials6
Best practices of library
According to online dictionary of library and information science the best practices; “In the application of theory to real -life situations, procedures that, when properly applied, consistently yield superior results and are therefore used as reference points in evaluating the effectiveness of alternative methods of accomplishing the same task. Best practices are identified by examining empirical evidence of success.” Best practices are available on the NAAC website and ensure that regular updates will be made through consultations on contributing institutions. For college and university libraries NAAC has developed below a list of best practices that can improve the academic information environment and its usability.7
Automation of library with standard software.
Inclusion of sufficient information about the library in the college/ university prospectus.
Compiling student/teacher attendance statistics and locating the same on the notice board.
Displaying newspaper clippings on the notice board periodically.
Career/Employment Information/ Services.
Internet Facilities to different user groups.
Information literacy programs.
Suggestion box and timely response.
Displaying new arrivals and circulating a list of those to academic departments.
Conducting book exhibitions on different occasions.
Organizing book talks.
Instituting Annual Best User award for students.
Organizing competitions annually.
Conducting user surveys periodically
The best practice are mainly classified are the following,
General best practices
Regular meeting of the Library Advisory Committee.
Binding of books and periodical Volumes.
Library Information included in prospects and College Websites.
Intercom facility for easy communication among various departments.
Pasting of barcode, spine label and stamping in a definite place on the books.
Question Paper sets of previous examinations.
Library calendar of activity and events.
Use of pesticides to keep the book worm away and damage of books.
Display of various library charts.
Keeping the library premises silent, neat and clean.
ICT based best practices
Library automation with library software: Libraries utilize software’s designed to manage different library routines and processes. Most of the software are integrated and have modules for the different activities or tasks carried out in the library like cataloging, statistics, acquisition processes and serial control etc. Many software packages for various applications in the field of library and information management services i.e. SOUL, LIBSYS, KOHA, LIBRARIAN, CDS/ISIS, Dspace, Greenstone and Library manager used for automation purposes.
Library websites/web page: A medium of communication for libraries to their users. In most of the library website is included all library details like catalogue, list of subscribe journal with access link, back volumes, curriculum, scanned exam papers, photographs-video of function and daily updated news related to users. A library Web page or a Universal Resource Locator (URL) makes it easy to access a single window for various Web-enabled library services. (http://npdch.edu.in/?page_id=27)
Online public access catalog (OPAC): This is the computerized form of the library catalog or a database of library holding. It is an online database of documents held by a library or group of libraries. It provides access to the catalogues of a library on the local intranet, extranet or even the internet.
Electronic document delivery services: Libraries may not rely any more on postal services to send documents to users or carry out inter library lending. Libraries send documents through electronic networks that can deliver documents in various format e.g. PDF straight to user’s desktops.
CAS and SDI services: A selection of current awareness services in the form of table of contents alerts, lists of newcomers to journals and books, press clippings, research compendiums, including the abstract and indexing (dissertation) service have library. Selective dissemination of information refers to the tools and resources used to inform a user of new resources on specific topics.
E-mail: E-mail means communication between the library and the users. Email is very useful for sending messages to and from remote areas with an enhanced network. In addition, it is also useful in various aspects of the library environment. Thus, it can be argued that e-mail can play an important role in information dissemination services.
Electronic resources: Electronic resources on magnetic and optical media have a significant impact on library collections. The currently available electronic resources are electronically accessible through traditional media such as CDROMs or via the Internet in the form of electronic journals, online databases, e- books or OPACs, blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. Today many journals and databases are available in electronic form — some are full text and others contain only bibliographic references information with summary. Some international societies and associations have developed their own digital libraries through which users can access all their publications. The services are available to members of society or associations by subscription. The some electronic journal and online database 7 as,
Institutional repository (IR): An institutional repository is an online archive for collecting, preserving and distributing digital copies of intellectual product created by faculty, staff and research scholar of an institution. Such as these, dissertation, reports, conference and seminars papers, notes, career guidance question papers, syllabus etc. can be made available to the user community.
Full-text online service: A full-text database is a compilation of documents or other information in the form of a database in which the full text of each referenced document is available for viewing, printing or downloads online.
E-Library/Virtual library: Digital libraries depends on information recorded on digital formats like CD- ROM. Virtual libraries are do not exists physical space or structure but can be accessed via networks. 8
Social media networks: Social media networks like twitter, face book, LinkedIn can be deployed for educational user discussion groups, list serves and communities also assist library services.
Online reader consulting services: Libraries implement web versions of reader consulting and reference services. It helps to find the right information/reading material for the right person at the right time and to provide the best information that matches their needs, interests and reading level.
Competitive exam tutorial: The entrance and competitive exam like, NEET, GPSC, UPSC, NET, SET, CAT, GATE etc kept in a special section for the students concerned and the teachers preparing for the exams tutorial is provide in digital form.
Portal: In the library community, portals can be defined as a fusion of services to users where the merger is achieved through the seamless integration of existing services with the help of association officers such as customization and authentication services. The result is a personalized service that allows the person to access the rich content of printed and electronic systems. Portals are either commercial or free. There are three types of portals; Consumer (YAHOO, MSN, AOL), vertical (specified audience) and business (links to subjects or interest-oriented resources located on the WWW.9
Table 2
Table 3
Subject portals web address
Advantages and disadvantages of ICT application
The ICT plays a significant role of providing a valuable online library services. Advantage of ICT used in library areas under.
Elimination of duplicate work
Effective and efficiency cost in library operation
Easy and accuracy in data handling
Quality library services provided to users
Saving the labor work in library
The main disadvantage of ICT is unnecessary download of documents and increases probability of cyber crime9, 10, 11
Conclusion
Best practices help to work on the nature of library administrations. Best practices embraced in scholastic establishments should overcome any issues between the library assortment and the client local area for greatest asset usage. Library has embraced different accepted procedures in organization, the executives, assortment and administrations, degree of administration use and innovation based administrations are fundamental to give forward-thinking data to the client local area. In its successful execution that get huge changes the improvement of the utilization of data sources/administrations and level of client fulfillment. The above accepted procedures of every college/school library make their own picture in the personalities of understudies, personnel and society. The idea of understudies watching library proficient is an information super.
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