Last Updated on March 10, 2024 by Jawad Ali
A Survey of the Collections and Services of Medical College Libraries
Libraries are the core of every academic or research institution. They are the primary educational platform, particularly in technical training. Because of the rapid pace of advancements across the various areas of science and technology (S as well as T), libraries must remain current with the most recent advancements in technology so that the dissemination of information is efficient, rapid, practical, affordable, and accessible.
The value of a library is dependent mainly on the collection it has. So, extreme care must be taken in selecting and maintaining a high-quality and robust collection of documents like periodicals, books, handbooks, references, dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias, and other relevant information. Creating and developing libraries that satisfy the requirements of those who use them, like researchers, students, scientists, scholars, and others, is the primary goal of a well-organised library. The quality of the services offered and the satisfaction of patrons heavily depend on the types of collections available. A balanced, comprehensive, and up-to-date collection must contain documents of various types in various physical formats to meet users’ information needs.
The library’s primary goal is to provide adequate services to its patrons. So, customer satisfaction must be the top priority of a great librarian. This goal cannot be attained until library management accurately understands customer needs and wants. The library must be equipped in addition to having a robust library of papers. The library should have various services available to meet the requirements of its patrons. The most up-to-date and modern technology must be utilised to offer better services.
The demand for and expectations have increased dramatically in the current time of the explosion of information that results in the growth of multidisciplinary domains across the various areas that comprise S and T. To meet this demand, libraries must be equipped with the latest tools for storing and retrieving information to ensure that the correct information is available to the user who needs it at the appropriate place and at the appropriate time.
With the introduction of computers and the Internet, evolution is occurring in information technology, leading to the growth of electronic or digital libraries. The most recent advancements in information technology, telecommunications, multimedia, networking, software, and scanning technologies have brought about an era-changing change in information technology and libraries. Networking technologies have led to the development of online libraries or virtual libraries that are incredibly well-liked by people. They are used by those who use them and have proven to be beneficial for the entire society because of the immediate access to information they provide. So the boundaries of space and time have been broken, and the globe has become a “global village” where anyone can access the information they want using computer software, networking, and scanning technology.
A digital library can be described as an electronic copy of a traditional library because all information is stored in a digital format. In a digital library, the data accessible includes non-textual data such as drawings, photographs, illustrations, or works of art; streams of numerical information (satellite information or cosmological information), digitised sound, moving images, and 3D representations (holograms) in addition to traditional text-based information.
There are numerous medical colleges in which the digitization and network of libraries can provide an enormous boost, not just to the improvement of the standard and quality of the services offered in hospitals, but also greatly aid in the promotion of medical education and research. However, the success of the process of digitization and networking of libraries is contingent heavily on the attitude and role of librarians in the entire process to ensure success.
A literature review
Various sources of information, both unpublished and published, were consulted to formulate an idea for the study. It has been discovered that digitization and networking in the domain of information and library science have significantly assisted in the efficient and immediate diffusion of information that is accurate at affordable prices at the right time to the appropriate user.
OBJECTIVES
The goals of the study proposed are as follows: –
- To evaluate the contribution and attitudes of librarians in the achievement of the digitization and networking processes within Libraries at Medical Colleges
- To examine the extent and quality of collections within the library in the medical colleges’ libraries
- To examine the extent of digitization within the medical college libraries.
- To investigate the techniques used for networking and digitization within the library of Medical Colleges
- To examine the current library facilities and services offered by the medical colleges’ libraries
- To examine the digitisation and networking process within the library in the libraries of Medical Colleges.
- To investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the digitization networking processes within Libraries at Medical Colleges
- To determine the need and acceptance of the digitalization and networking process in the library of Medical Colleges
- To analyse the difficulties and difficulties that librarians face when it comes to network and digitization within the library of Medical Colleges
- To suggest suggestions to improve the process of network and digitization within the libraries.
- To determine the limitations that hinder network and digitization within libraries.
Scope
The study is based on examining libraries belonging to medical colleges. To accomplish this, the libraries of the medical colleges are considered, which have been endorsed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to offer an MBBS course of study. They are also qualified to confer an award of MBBS and other degrees related to medicine and surgery.
Read More: How Keele University is the Beneficial to Indian Students?
