The Impact Of Information Communication Technology On Nigerian Public Academic Libraries

The Impact Of Information Communication Technology On Nigerian Public Academic Libraries

Chapter One *

* Preface *

With the invention of Information and Communication Technology, libraries now use colorful types of technologies to prop the services they render. Everyday new technological advances affect the way information is handled in libraries and information centers. The impacts of new technologies are felt by libraries in every aspect. Computing technology, communication technology and mass storagetechnology are some of the areas of nonstop development that reshape the way that libraries pierce, recoup, store, manipulate and circulate information to druggies. The academic library has been from its commencement an integral part of institutions of advanced literacy, rather than an excursus or adjunct.

Oyedun( 2007) defines academic libraries as those libraries that are substantially set up in tertiary institutions, they’re established to support literacy, tutoring and exploration processes. Over the once twenty seven times, academic libraries have been affected by changes in information and communication technology. The rate of changes is still accelerating in this area. The preface of colorful information technology( ICT) trends has lead to reorganization, change in work patterns, and demand for new chops, job retraining and reclassification positions. Technological advancement of the once twenty five times, similar as the electronic database, online services, CD- ROMs and preface of internet has radically converted access to information. Rana( 2009) opines that ICT holds the key to the success of contemporizing information services. operations of ICT are multitudinous but substantially it’s used in converting the being paper- print records in the entire process of storehouse, reclamation and dispersion.

ICT has impacted on every sphere of academic library exertion especially in the form of the library collection development strategies, library structure and colleges. ICT presents an occasion to give value- added information services and access to a wide variety of digital grounded information coffers to their guests. likewise, academic libraries are also using ultramodern ICTs to automate their core functions, apply effective and effective library cooperation and resource sharing networks, apply operation information systems, develop institutional depositories of digital original contents, and digital libraries and initiate ICT grounded capacity structure programmes for library druggies.

Information and Communication Technology( ICT) has brought unknown changes and metamorphosis to academic library and information services, conventional LIS similar as OPAC, druggies services, reference services, bibliographic services, current mindfulness services, Document delivery, interlibrary loan, Audio visual services and client relations can be handed more efficiently and effectively using ICT, as they offer accessible time, place, cost effectiveness, briskly and most- over- to- date dispersion and end druggies involvement in the library and information services process. The impact of ICT characterized on information services by changes in format, contents and system of product and contents and system of product and delivery of information products. Emergence of internet as the largest depository of information and knowledge, changed part of library and information wisdom professionals from conciliator to facilitator, new tools for dispersion of information and shift from physical to virtual services terrain and extermination of some conventional information services and emergence of new and creative web grounded.