On managing and accessing electronic resources
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Md. Rafiqur Rahman
Electronic resources management (ERM) refers to managing all of the information products that a library acquires and provides services through a computer network/Internet. This includes electronic books, electronic/online journals, magazine, bibliographic databases, and library web pages etc.
In this decade with the enormous development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), hundreds of databases, electronic books and thousands of electronic journals are published around the globe every moment. These electronic resources have enabled libraries to improve their services in a variety of ways. Most of the electronic resources come with powerful search-and-retrieval tools that allow users to perform literature searches more efficiently and effectively than was previously possible. In addition, most of the relevant electronic resources are now available through the web; users can have online access to them 24x7 without facing any geographical barrier. In many cases, users also can now navigate directly from indexing databases to the full text of an article and can even follow further links from there.
To manage and access these resources, publishers/vendors around the world offer many kinds of services like Internet Protocol (IP) based accessing, remote accessing, downloading of needed materials, CD ROM databases, usage evaluations etc. Libraries can now purchase different services to meet the information needs for its users.
But all these efforts could be meaningless without the proper management including evaluation, selection, acquisition, organisation, web presentation and disseminations. To manage this type of digital/electronic resources, an information professional needs to have some theoretical concept of commercial and free electronic resources and also have expertise on the different tools and techniques of computer technologies.
The concept of electronic resource management emerged in early 2000. But the facilities to conduct training, practical education, initiative to educate our information professionals are not sufficient. For this reason, it is quite hard for information professionals to learn the issues, methods, theories, the life-cycle of commercially acquired electronic resources from selection and ordering to cataloging, web presentation, user support, usage evaluation etc. provided by the publishers/vendors. It is also hard for him/her to face the challenges concerned with the provision of electronic resources in libraries, with the special emphasis on strategic planning, operational guidelines, and practices of managing and disseminating for the same.
North South University is now offering a Certificate Course on Digital and Online Librarianship, which partially meets the basic needs regarding ERM. From this course a participant can become familiar with the fundamentals of computer technology, computer peripherals, computer networks, networking devices, network methodology, using of browser, different types of searching, customisation of search engine, digital form making using PDF/HTML. They can also learn about the diversity of e-resources, locating and evaluating technique of desired e-resources, subscribing of free e-resources organising and presenting using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The training also focuses on building library collection's databases with MS Access and free and open source software Mysql. It also touches a little bit on data handling, using the world's most popular server side scripting language Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP).
Dhaka University (DU) and Rajshahi University (RU) and the professional association for librarians of our country like Library Association of Bangladesh (LAB) and Bangladesh Association of Librarians, Information Scientists and Documentalists (BALID) should take similar initiatives to enhance ERM education for the knowledge professionals of our country.
(The writer is an assistant library officer (Audio Visual & e-Resources Section) North South University. He can be reached at E-mail: rafiqur83@gmail.com)
Electronic resources management (ERM) refers to managing all of the information products that a library acquires and provides services through a computer network/Internet. This includes electronic books, electronic/online journals, magazine, bibliographic databases, and library web pages etc.
In this decade with the enormous development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), hundreds of databases, electronic books and thousands of electronic journals are published around the globe every moment. These electronic resources have enabled libraries to improve their services in a variety of ways. Most of the electronic resources come with powerful search-and-retrieval tools that allow users to perform literature searches more efficiently and effectively than was previously possible. In addition, most of the relevant electronic resources are now available through the web; users can have online access to them 24x7 without facing any geographical barrier. In many cases, users also can now navigate directly from indexing databases to the full text of an article and can even follow further links from there.
To manage and access these resources, publishers/vendors around the world offer many kinds of services like Internet Protocol (IP) based accessing, remote accessing, downloading of needed materials, CD ROM databases, usage evaluations etc. Libraries can now purchase different services to meet the information needs for its users.
But all these efforts could be meaningless without the proper management including evaluation, selection, acquisition, organisation, web presentation and disseminations. To manage this type of digital/electronic resources, an information professional needs to have some theoretical concept of commercial and free electronic resources and also have expertise on the different tools and techniques of computer technologies.
The concept of electronic resource management emerged in early 2000. But the facilities to conduct training, practical education, initiative to educate our information professionals are not sufficient. For this reason, it is quite hard for information professionals to learn the issues, methods, theories, the life-cycle of commercially acquired electronic resources from selection and ordering to cataloging, web presentation, user support, usage evaluation etc. provided by the publishers/vendors. It is also hard for him/her to face the challenges concerned with the provision of electronic resources in libraries, with the special emphasis on strategic planning, operational guidelines, and practices of managing and disseminating for the same.
North South University is now offering a Certificate Course on Digital and Online Librarianship, which partially meets the basic needs regarding ERM. From this course a participant can become familiar with the fundamentals of computer technology, computer peripherals, computer networks, networking devices, network methodology, using of browser, different types of searching, customisation of search engine, digital form making using PDF/HTML. They can also learn about the diversity of e-resources, locating and evaluating technique of desired e-resources, subscribing of free e-resources organising and presenting using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The training also focuses on building library collection's databases with MS Access and free and open source software Mysql. It also touches a little bit on data handling, using the world's most popular server side scripting language Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP).
Dhaka University (DU) and Rajshahi University (RU) and the professional association for librarians of our country like Library Association of Bangladesh (LAB) and Bangladesh Association of Librarians, Information Scientists and Documentalists (BALID) should take similar initiatives to enhance ERM education for the knowledge professionals of our country.
(The writer is an assistant library officer (Audio Visual & e-Resources Section) North South University. He can be reached at E-mail: rafiqur83@gmail.com)