Modeling a Software for Library and Information Centers

Introduction

The computer is as good as the quality of the instruction given unto the computer. For the computer to work as expected, the need for appropriate software is very germane. Software tells the computer what to do and what not to do; it comprises of the entire programs, procedures and routines associated with using the computer system. Software is meant to enhance productivity and if such is not attainable, it becomes a problem rather than a problem solver. It becomes a problem when something that was adopted to be a problem solver becomes a problem to be solved. Software is a general term used for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. The adoption of the right software by libraries has the tendency of reducing the expenses of the library and it’s invariably reinforces the library’s primary mission of information handling. The best software to be adopted and used by libraries should be the one the library community is most familiar with and is most prepared to adopt, adapt and use.

Pressman (2004) opined that when software succeeds, it can and does change things for the better and when it fails bad things can and do happen. Obviously, software is an engine that drives the operations of modern activities and it serves as the basis for modern scientific investigation and research outlook. The adoption and use of software also serves as the main distinguishing factor between the modern-day’s libraries and the conventional libraries. The adoption and use of software is visible in virtually in all aspect of modern day library; collection development, collection processing, collection management, collection sharing and host of every bit of activities in libraries in this age has adopted the use of one software or the other to make the operation more effective, functional and attractive as the case may be. Pressman (2004) postulated that software is virtually inescapable in a modern world and he predicted that it will become the driver of new advances in everything from elementary education to generic engineering in the twenty-first century.

Much like other fields, the library and information centers has adopted the use of series of software in catching-up with time and to remain relevant in the technology driven world. The mode of operation in the information profession is changing and it is obviously changing for the good. Users of modern libraries now have quick and faster access to needed resources compared to previous age when library users have to be physically present within the walls of the library before any interaction between them and the library could be activated. The undisputable fact that the adoption and use of software has brought about a paradigm shift in the profession is really undisputable. Juxtaposing this, Muller (2011) posited that the advent of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has really upgraded the quality of services of libraries all over the world.

Library software serves much like a door that see both the inside and the outside uninterruptedly; software adopted for use in library operations service the interest of both the library administrator(s) and the users. It could be referred to as a product (input) that drives the wheels of delivering another product (output). As a product at the input level, the library adopts it use to simplify the various stages required to satisfy the needs of their esteemed users and at the output stage is the point at which the software is put to use by the users. At the input stage, software receives instructions to process and manage information from the library and disseminate processed information to users in form of end-product (output).

As a vehicle used in delivering information product, library software enables libraries to meet-up with the trend in time when users are technology savvy and are expecting nothing less from the library as such. With software use in libraries, the delivery of the most imperative product of all time – information – has been enhanced. Muller (2011) stated that the spirit of FOSS development is very similar to the principles of librarianship. He posited that libraries encourage intellectual freedom and free access to library resources while FOSS encourages respect for intellectual property and the free distribution of its source code and documents.