Annotated Bibliography

Rajeet Guha
Annotated Bibliography
References:
1. Bakken, Frode (1998). The possible role of libraries in the digital future. www.ifla.org/V/ifaj/news
This article further expounds on the larger social role played by libraries which goes beyond the role of simple access o information which the internet might provide, this underscoring the critical importance and continuing relevance of libraries. It looks at six types of libraries: national, academic and research, public libraries, school libraries, special libraries and corporate libraries and what would be the impact of digitization. For public libraries, including national libraries, the article speaks of several societal functions: wealth distribution, educational and cultural roles, and providing increased access to information as part of deepening democracy. It is this social role of libraries and their independence from the market that sets libraries apart even in a digital role. However, corporate libraries will perhaps lose their value more and more in the digitized on-line environment.
2. Bertot, John Carlo, Jaeger, Paul T., Langa, Lesley A., Mcclure, Charles R. (2006). Public access computing and internet access in public libraries: The role of public libraries in e-government and emergency situations. www. Firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_9/bertot/
This article shows the unique role libraries, particularly public libraries are playing in terms of providing computing and internet access to the information/internet poor citizens and thereby promoting a democratic process on the one hand and linking people up with a whole range of e-government services in normal times as well as in emergencies. It basically presents and reviews the findings of a 2006 Public Libraries and Internet Study that shows how the advent of internet access in public libraries has profoundly impacted the latter and catapulted public libraries into the forefront of public service and made them one of the most valuable “community resource centres”. The survey showed for instance how during hurricane Katrina, people found public library internet access extremely useful for reaching out to a host of relief services, insurance and a host of other critical needs during the days following the natural disaster. The article also makes the point that public libraries have taken on this role without any significant additional government funding. There is also no organized effort to train librarians in the skills necessary to help link people with e–governance services, insurance and other internet and computing related areas. The article advocates important policy changes in two areas in recognition of this new role of libraries: adequate funding for libraries for playing this new role and adequate training of library science professionals in the universities in these computing and internet related areas.

3. Boris, LuAnn Walker (2005). The digital divide and its impact on the rural community, rural libraries, vol.xxv, no.2, (7-30)
In this essay Boris examines the influences of the Internet on the rural community in USA. He believes the Internet has the potential to transform rural life, which has been secluded economically, socially and politically in history. The rural folk can get an uplift in their lives through access to the Internet. It can bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The rural folk need to make the most of the opportunity.
Rural areas have had plenty of access to Internet Service Providers by local phone calls but there is scarcity of access to the Internet through broadband. People who live in the rural areas are less likely to go online. This is because they are less educated, have less income, find little local data and lack cultural diversity. Minorities in rural areas have less access to the Internet than Caucasians. Women and elderly people are even less likely to use the Internet. Single-parent households face the same problem. Rural areas are also located far away from the public library, schools and other community centers where they may get access to the Internet. Geography also makes it difficult to use wireless technologies. Few people in the area exacerbates the problem. The rural telephone company does not make investments in broadband as it cannot recover investment costs in a thinly populated area. People in rural areas are less educated and thus lack the skills to use the Internet.
However, there is a panacea for this inherent disadvantage of rural communities with less access to technology. Rural public libraries offer education for poor people and minorities in rural areas. However, rural libraries suffer from transportation and communication bottlenecks. Rural libraries have less workstations than their urban counterparts and lack broadband connections. Sometimes, the lower-income rural residents do not feel comfortable accessing through a public library as many citizens come to view them as impersonal.

4. Flatley, Robert (2000). Characterizing the role of the rural librarian: A survey, rural libraries, vol.xx, no.2, (8-28)
The objective of this essay is to know how rural librarians view the future of rural libraries and librarianship. Rural libraries were chosen as their voices are rarely heard in library literature. It was found that rural librarians had a high self esteem and felt good about the future. They were satisfied with their jobs and hoped that they would continue to work in libraries in future as well. They liked interacting with the community and felt good about making a difference in people’s lives. Rural librarians passionately felt that that they should be leaders of the community by getting membership in community organizations and should be looked upon as role models. The librarians thought that the library contributed to the upliftment of life in the community and was an essential part of the community. It was also found that rural librarians are adapting to technological changes in the 21st century by becoming technologically savvy. Most of the librarians felt that the Internet would not replace the library as librarians would be needed to guide and train users. They did not think that the significance of the library would be diminished. However, in the information age rural librarians will need the skills to cope with the demands of a fast changing society. One way to do this is through continuing education education and workshops. In this competitive age the libraries will have to advertise and market their services. Librarians need to induct more people in the library. Libraries could charge businesses and organizations a fee for allowing them to hold concerts, art exhibits, selling tea, selling books, offering classes and web surfing. Rural libraries could also offer child care services for working mothers. Just like in Netherlands, rural libraries in the United States could house a bank, a bookstore, a post office, local government offices and also tourist offices.

5. Gordon, Andrew C., Gordon, Margaret T., Heuertz, Linda, Moore, Elizabeth J. (2003). The impact of public access computing on rural and small town libraries, rural libraries, vol.xxiii, no.1, (51-77)
This article discusses the impact of public access computing on rural and small town libraries. Public access computing is having a huge and beneficial influence on rural and small town libraries and communities. The distinguishing character of small and distant communities shape many of the chief advantages the library and the community derive from this relatively new service. Public access computing helps lessen some of the difficulties caused by these small town factors. Public access computing increases and quickens access to news and information, especially medical information that is in short supply in distant areas. It also expands access to communication, education and recreation resources. This helps residents of rural America gain more equal access to the advantages these resources can offer. The residents of rural communities are answering positively to this new service, holding their libraries in higher regard since the computers and the Internet were installed.
6. Haggstrom, Britt Marie (2004). Libraries in lifelong learning. www.ifla.org/VII/s8/proj/ Lifelong –LearningReport.pdf

In this essay Haggstrom concentrates on the role of public libraries in lifelong learning. The role of public libraries in lifelong learning was endorsed by UNESCO. In the context of lifelong learning public libraries will connect the formal or informal local learning centre with the worldwide digital information resources. Public libraries thus play a vital role in the development of future systems of lifelong learning. The development of networked digital information gives users of small local public libraries access to worldwide sources of information. Public libraries guide users in searching the information efficiently. Thus, public libraries promote the democratic process of informed learning. Librarians will primarily help all users to detect information. Public libraries develop a more educated workforce. They help in promoting general education. Public libraries provide free access to information. Public libraries also play an important role in the preservation of culture. Public libraries keep a mixture of books, serials, newspapers and electronic media.
7. Johnson, Linda (2000). The rural library: Programs and Services, Community coalitions and networks, rural libraries, vol.xx, no.2, (38-60)
This essay examines the role that libraries play in rural life. The public library is still the foundation of library service in rural areas. Delivery services are extremely important. The technological revolution has enhanced the rural library’s capacities to increase its range of services and programs as well as to broaden the global view of rural library users. A recent NBC broadcast made it clear that libraries are of massive importance to the extremely poor and the mentally challenged. These people are the dispossessed, the destitute, those without a roof above their head, the down-and-out, the beggars who are citizens of the United States of America and are thus entitled to respect for that reason. It is true that the destitute have special needs, which cannot be met, by any library. However, there is a silver lining. At least one library is providing internet access to those living on the streets.
8. Kurp, Patrick (2007). Libraries struggle to adapt to the digital age. librariansplace.wordpress.com/2007/03/16/libraries-struggle-to-adapt-to-the-digital age/
This article emphasises the need for archiving and preserving material, in particular digital material which only libraries can do. However digital preservation is still relatively underdeveloped and this role will squarely fall on libraries. For instance, “preservation has been among the traditional roles of the Library of Congress” but the institution has had difficulty adapting this mission to the digital age”. There is as yet considerable underinvestment in this area and this needs to be addressed urgently. Libraries suffer from inadequate staff experience in digital experience. This needs to be corrected with proper training and exposure. The article also advocates an “ alternative copy right system to make scholarship and other scholarship and information available to the public”.
9. Lee, Hwa-Wei (2005). Knowledge management and the role of libraries. www.white-clouds.com/iclc/cliej/cl19lee.htm
This article examines the threats and opportunities that the fast developing area of knowledge management presents for libraries. The article first examines the concept of knowledge management and its evolution particularly in the corporate world and shows how effective knowledge management is today the key to innovation and therefore the key to leadership whether in the market, in socio-economic development, in technology or in research. It also highlights the difference between information and knowledge and therefore between information management and knowledge management and argues that libraries and librarians must move from information resource management to knowledge management and facilitate the process of knowledge creation. Whereas information is organized data, knowledge is defined as “ a set of organized facts or ideas”. Knowledge management includes within its sweep creation of knowledge repositories, improving knowledge access, enhancing knowledge environment and managing knowledge as an assets. Libraries should become learning and knowledge centres for the community, what the author calls “intellectual commons”. They are well positioned to take on this role and this will ensure their relevance in an increasingly competitive world. He gives the following examples in support of his argument: The website of libraries must become portals for different and relevant sources of knowledge carefully selected. New ways of cataloguing on line knowledge resources need to be evolved. There should be more sharing of resources and networking between libraries, better development of IT in libraries and provision of a wide range of user services that can cater to different kinds of needs and careful human resource management. All this will help libraries take on a leadership role in facilitating knowledge management.
10. Nunberg, Geoffrey (1998). Will libraries survive? www.prospect.org/print/v9/41/nunberg-g.html
This article discusses how in America the period from 1850 to after the First World War represented the golden age of libraries after which libraries have stagnated till very recently. In 1850 there were 50 libraries, in 1875 there were 300 and by 1900s there were thousands. During the twentieth century with the advent of radio, TV and movies, the library lost some of its importance. As prosperity increased more people could buy books and less and less depended on libraries. Libraries however contrary to expectations have not lost their position as one of the most familiar, trusted and friendly social and community institutions. More recently actually the advent of internet and digitization has begun to increase attention to libraries for their role in providing access to internet resources. The article also argues that the digitization of all books on the internet will not happen soon and so books will also continue to be very important for a very long time. Therefore “it's clear that local, brick-and-mortar libraries will have a continuing role to play, not just for the immediate present but for any period we can reasonably foresee.” The article argues that it is this “persistence of the print culture” and the role of libraries as the principal repositories of this culture through access to print media that have made libraries the obvious choice for playing the principal role of providing public access to digital information as well rather than say post offices, cafes etc. Libraries are best suited to bridge the digital divides and deficits if any in society. The role of librarians in (a) providing technical access support to the public and (b) filtering and evaluating services helping the public to access accurate, objective and authentic information from the maze
of information available on the web (often almost exclusively serving commercial and not intellectual or cultural interests) is the other reason why libraries are a natural choice for being the mist common gateway to internet resources. Libraries use their material selection and access policies and practices which are based on publicly ratified ethical standards to perform this role. Finally the article argues that the on-line environment has helped public libraries overcome a chronic deficit of yesteryears, viz. inadequate content. Internet and its “open access” policy has suddenly brought the best (as well as worst) of knowledge resources within the reach of the library portal: all that is needed is updated hard and software and the continuing flow of resources for this purpose from public and private sources combined with a reformed copyright regime that allows libraries to access, store and preserve the best of knowledge resources.





11. Owen, J.S.Mackenzie (1997) The future role of libraries in the information age. http://cf.hum.uva.nl/bai/jmackenzie/pubs/Future-Role-Of-Libraries.htm
In this essay Owen begins by looking at the traditional functions of libraries. He says that libraries have always acted as a clearinghouse for information producers. Libraries make publications available for the end-user. The services the library provides are selecting and acquiring available information in the marketplace, storing publications, serving users by making information resources available and supporting users in their research.
In the future, however, libraries will have a changed role. They will supply digital information resources to users. As in the long-term information will be digitized, the services of the library will be based on digital, networked information. Distance access will be more important than on-site access. Since most information will be stored on the network, access will be more important than collection. The traditional online catalogue will develop into a networked resource discovery mechanism. The spatial institutional model will become obsolete due to the emergence of the virtual library. Libraries will play an important role in knowledge mediation. In future publishers will offer their products to libraries in digital form. In the networked world everything can be stored at one place. Publishers will not keep resources for a long time. However, libraries are there for long-term storage. In the future many libraries will also take on publishing tasks.

12. Pace, Andrew K. (2003). The ultimate digital library – Where the new information players meet.
In this essay Pace says that Google and other search engines has issued a challenge to libraries. This is borne out by the fact that Google can search innumerable web pages faster than an online catalog or a database. Web indexing that is one to five years old is much superior to indexing methods created by the integrated library system vendors ten to twenty years ago. Thus, to survive and compete successfully with the Internet, libraries must look for expertise in the right places and recruit more IT professionals. Libraries should hire these professionals quickly. Libraries should embrace new technologies. They should continue to mimic Internet business models that compete with already existing library services. Libraries must adapt to business models that foster the creation, maintenance and product relevance of digital services. Effective evaluation of services will help libraries develop strategic plans to compete Internet business alternatives.
13. Pessach, Guy (2006). The role of libraries in A2K: Taking stock and looking ahead. research.yale.edu/isp/a2k/a2kresources/gpessach.pdf
This article is somewhat negative in its assessment of the role of libraries in fostering global access to information and knowledge resources. In particular the article explores what the author calls the “political economy of interface between libraries and digitization”. According to the author in its transition from being agents of social change and institutions which promote social change through equal access to all to knowledge and information resources through hard copy knowledge resources it owns to one providing access to on line knowledge resources which it has access rights on certain conditions (fees, copy rights etc.) through the mediation of such entities as Google etc. which are purely commercial enterprises, the library becomes hostage to the market based access practices and polices of the latter. According to the article, in adapting to the digital age, libraries while continuing to be relevant have lost much of their independence in selecting the information and knowledge resources which it can make available to meet the intellectual, educational, recreational ad leisure needs of the communities it serves. To preserve this role, there is need for major changes in copyright laws and laws and regulations regarding rights to storage and preservation of knowledge resources in order not to undermine the role and character of libraries in the digital world in the evolving changes from the provision of “on-shelf information to on-line information.”
14. Sherman, Will (2007). Are libraries totally obsolete? www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/librarians-needed
This article lays out an impressive argument on why libraries and librarians continue to be relevant and important in society despite the internet boom combined with digitization of information resources. The article lists 33 reasons in support of his arguments which range from the emotional love of books which he thinks will continue to outlive digitization and internet to arguing about certain unique roles of libraries such as that of confronting what he calls the market based “crowd wisdom” of the web by filtering material and providing quality control. The article’s 33 reasons also include arguments showing that not everything is available on the net, particularly free as in a library and instances that show how libraries have adapted to the rapidly changing situation and carved out a niche role for themselves. The article also points out that even with Google Book search and other search engines the task of digitizing books is a vast enterprise and will take many more years. By 2007, they had indexed a million books only. With over 100 million books available in print, even at the rate of half a million books being digitized and indexed per year the task is gigantic and books will continue to be the major knowledge resource for a very long time. The article is well argued, logically organized and presented and by and large very convincing.
15.Taylor, Chris (2003) Report on Senate Hearing Inquiry into the role of libraries in the online environment. www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ecita_ctte/completed_inquiries/2002-04/online_libraries/report/index.htm
In his submission to the Senate, Chris Taylor makes the point quite emphatically that the essential role of libraries has not changed much from that of the Mechanics Institute (precursors of the library) during the time of the industrial revolution in UK, viz., that of meeting the needs of continuing education and recreational pursuit. As population and its education levels go on, the education needs of what is called lifelong learning continue to grow. According to him what has changed in the volume of information available today and the technical methods of accessing them. The on-line environment and the intermediary role of libraries between internet sources and the library public, demands much higher level of resources for libraries and more diversified skills of its personnel. The library will more and more take the role of a portal for entering into a vast information arena. Given the vast availability of information and the specialization that accompanies this expansion, sharing of resources between libraries is a third important recommendation that the article makes. In the internet today individuals looking for very specialized knowledge are more and more required to pay a fee to access such information. For the disadvantaged groups therefore the library is the best option to access information, whether specialized or general at none or very little costs. The article makes the point that given the critical social role that the library pays, government support and funding would need to be substantially increased.