Mr. A.R Wathore,Librarian DSM‟s Arts College Abhone, Tal.Kalwan Dist.Nashik
Abstract
Information and communication Technologies (ICT) played an effective role in functioning of academic libraries and imparting education through various ways to its users. The developments in ICT have changed the user‟s expectations from the academic libraries in different ways. In modern era with the help of ICT libraries are trying to satisfy their user‟s expectations. To meet the end users demands effectively, the academic libraries need to identify and adopt good practices and benchmarks. Librarians are using their innovative ideas to attract the library user and to convert non user to user and users to active users.
Introduction: Information and communication technology has become an integral part of education system in India. The transformation of education sector is not possible without the use of ICT. Today‟s educational concept is appearing various types of resources are made available, relationship between learners and educators are emerging. Every college must have a good library and it occupies a prominent position in the college campus. The advanced technology has greatly revolutionized the field of library and information services. In the present electronic information era, the role of the library professional has to meet the demands of both the technology and information revolution. The library has a considerable share in acquisition, processing, organization and dissemination of knowledge. The technological advancement has great potential in increasing the efficiency of internet has changed the role of libraries. It reduces the routine work of the library in retrieving and dissemination the information. Today‟s libraries have to offer multiple services and change their roles keeping in view the fast growing information user expectation and demands. Academic libraries are also using modern ICTs to automate their core functions, implement, effective library cooperation, resource sharing network and developed institutional repository.
What is Best Practice: Best practice is a form of program evaluation in public policy. While some research and evidence must go into determining a practice the “best” it is more helpful to simply determine if a practice has worked exceptionally well and why. Instead of it being “the best”, a practice might simply be a smart practice, a good practice, or a promising practice. This allows for a mix and match approach for making recommendations that might encompass pieces of many good practices. Best practices are used to maintain quality as an alternative to mandatory legislated standards and can be based on self assessment or benchmarking.
Definition: Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary describes best practices as.-The quality of high standard, excellence highly improved outstanding par excellence series. It means way of doing something that is usual or expected way in particular organization or situation guidelines for good practices. The ODLIS (online dictionary of library and information science) describes best practice as follows.- Best practices depend on many factors such as institutional goals, pedagogic requirements, global concerns, local contexts, nature of learners, competencies of staff and infrastructural facilities.
Role of College Libraries: The college libraries as an effective instrument for the improvement of educational standards will able to make its presence feel and to an extent its influence on the academic community academic libraries play indispensable role in the dissemination of information of knowledge. The college library is open to the members of faculty, students and researcher‟s .
Impact of ICT in library services: Library is a store house of knowledge and with advent of ICT information explosion the concept of library has been changed. ICT is the collective term for the carious technologies involved in the processing and dissemination of information. Internet and web technology plays a vital role in library related activities for acquisition ,cataloguing ,classification, circulation ,serial control and resource sharing .A document or message sent through electronic system may contain text images, graphics and other type of information resources.
Goals and Objectives of the Best practices: Technological developments have important implications for libraries .The main objectives are as follows.Provide a suitable atmosphere for reading and searching.Feasibility of information technology implementation in libraries.Creating awareness about library resources and facilities. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and Best Practice: National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous institution established by the university Grants Commission of India, to assess and accredit institutions of higher of higher education in the country. The NAAC was established in 1994 with its headquarters at Bangalore.The NAAC has circulated the guidelines for expanding the scope of ICT in university and college libraries. To some of the best practices that can be enhance the academic information environment and usability for college libraries are as follows.Using self developed integrated library software with all modules.Complete computerization of in house services.Internet access facilities.Information literacy program.Organizing book talks.Displaying news paper clippings on the library notice board.
Career /employment information services.
Library and information on college prospectus: Every academic year, the college gives all information about library in the prospects. It includes the information about library membership, working hours, rules, staff,
SCHOLARLY RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES ISSN: 2278-8808
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collections, e- resources, facilities and detailed information about various sections and types of library services. New enrolled students are benefited by getting information of library.
User orientation Program: In the beginning of every academic year, the library organizes user orientation program for the students. The aim of this program is to make students familiar with various sections of the library, rules, the procedure of issuing, returning books, books in racks, reading room facility, periodicals, internet facility, use of online, journal database and other non print resources. Orientation program enables the user to make effective use of library resources.
Book display program: Book display program is the best activity of library which helps and provide and opportunity of users to know the various types of information resources available on a particular aspect in a library.
Book Bank Scheme: The library provides book bank facility to the needy students. The rules and more information about the scheme are displayed on notice board.
Reprography Facility: Reprography facility is available for all types of users i.e. UG and PG student‟s faculty member‟s research scholars as well as to the visitors.
Organizing book exhibition: Library organizes book exhibition from time to time. The main aim of the exhibition is to cultivate reading habits. Reputed publishers and book sellers are invited to display recently published books on these occasions.
Counseling centre regarding competitive examination:- Library is a soul of every educational institute; users are also main part of library users come to library for searching information regarding their career or educational development. Today competition is going on top level, students must be aware of this situation. In this context library and librarian play an important role to solve problems.
Best user award: Best user award is given to the students whose library maximum time. Best user is identified from the data collected through the attendance register and continuous observation of the librarian. OPAC: The online public access catalogue (OPAC) is made available to the readers, details of books such as title, author, publisher, accession no. , subject, series, etc.
Information Literacy Program: Information Literacy Program to promote information literacy among the all community. Training in locating documents using OPAC. Users made to familiarized with software and downloading printing records from the internet.
Conclusion: The best practices will help for improving quality of library services. This will create best images of the library and library profession in the society. The best practices should bridge the gap between library and user for maximum utilization of the resources. In this electronic age , users expect quality services form the library is a potential independent force for achieving academic excellence. References
1. Seetharana , S and Reddy , E.R. (2006) Best practice series -2 in Library and information services case presentation .Bangalore : National Assessment and Accrediation Councial, pp 70-74
2. Kaul , H.K. (1992) Library network : An Indian experience ,New Delhi.
3. Shivanand Sadlapur,I (2004) Best practices at SVKM‟s NMIMS (Deemed University ) library : A case study. 4. Umesh ,K.Y. (2012) Best practices adopted in academic libraries and information centres.
SCHOLARLY RESEARCH JOURNAL FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES ISSN: 2278-8808
JAN-MAR, 2018, VOL-7/36 Page 23