Managing Change in Reference and Information Services in Digital Environment

Introduction

Library is the richest information treasure of human knowledge and cultural wealth, and should be able to meet effectively the challenges of the new technology revolution. However, the developments in advanced technology have provided good opportunities for the survival and development of traditional libraries of different types. The library, as a traditional information institution, is undergoing radical changes in its information service in the new era. With more and more digital materials available to the reader, the library no longer simply collects printed materials only but provide access resources 24x7. As for library users, their reading habits and usage of reading materials have also changed. The increased use of computers and especially expansion of internet based resources has led to some modifications in the methods of academic work, such as undertaking research, writing articles, and producing teaching materials. Developing an efficient digital library cannot be “the” answer for the digital user community, but providing an effective digital library services can only suffice the requirements. For this reason, both before and after developing a digital library, user studies are helpful in both improving the library system's performance and user satisfaction.

Recent changes in computer and communication technologies, especially the introduction and development of the Internet and its associated Web technologies in the course of the past decade have significantly influenced both the way libraries provide information services to their patrons and the way patrons choose to access information. For example, a large number of Web-based reference services have appeared over the past few years. While dotcom companies provide most of these services, some libraries and library consortia have also introduced Web-based reference and information services. Such services are termed “virtual” or “digital” reference services. Digital reference services in India are slowly picking up the race to compete.