This document discusses the role of online journals and library consortiums in research, with a focus on the N-LIST program run by INFLIBNET in India. It defines electronic publications and categories like e-journals, aggregators, and consortiums. It describes how INFLIBNET and its N-LIST program provide access to online resources for colleges through a library consortium. The document concludes that electronic publications are beneficial but still need adoption, and librarians play an important role in encouraging access and managing issues with new technologies.
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N-LIST program of INFLIBNET
1. Role of Online Journals and Library Consortium on
research : with special reference to N-LIST Programme of
INFLIBNET
by
Tapan Barui,
Librarian, B.B. College,
Asansol, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
Introduction
Electronic Publication
-Features
-Categories
Online Journals/E-journals
Aggregator
Consortium/Consortia
E-Reference Source
E-Zine
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation
INFLIBNET
-N-LIST
Conclusion
2. Introduction
• Library is a store house of books, journals
and other non-book learning materials-
backdated definition.
• In modern era, library is not confined into a
room or building – Virtual Library.
• It reaches to the users online and 24x7 hrs.
• Price-hike of printed materials and other cost.
• Development of Information and
Communication Technology.
contd…
3. Contd…
• Publication of E-documents – e-books, online
journals, databases etc.
• Resource sharing – library consortia are evolved.
• INFLIBNET – an Indian library and information
network.
• N-LIST – Library consortium for colleges.
• UGC-Infonet – another Library consortium for
universities and research institutions.
4. Electronic Publications
Main Feature of Electronic Publication
• They can be accessed anywhere in the world with some mechanical
assistance like computers, E- book reader device like Palm digital
reader, Microsoft’s Reader and Lonely Planet’s phone interface etc.
• They can be delivered instantly.
• They can be downloaded and saved on the local computer for further
reference.
• Users can view images, graphics and multimedia which makes reading
a more enjoyable experience.
• They are searchable and hyperlinks, copying and editing facilities give
it a more interesting aid.
5. Categories of E Publishing
Electronics books
An electronic book has electronic text and that text is represented to the
reader visually.
The electronic text can be saved to a memory device like the hard disk
of a computer, Pen drives, CD ROM etc.
It can be downloaded from the internet or built into a palm sized digital
reader.
Project Gutenberg is one of the famous publisher of book length
electronic texts, began in 1971. By the end of 2011, this publisher has
created and distributed more then 100000 electronic texts, which
include several main categories of books including classic and light
literatures and reference books.
Mostly the format for the E books is in PDF format, SGML, and HTML.
Contd…
6. Contd…
E-Journals
E- Journals have become major resources in scholarly research.
The history of E-Journals began with the full text databases offered by
DIALOG in1980.
With the emergence of Internet; revolution took place in the journal and
periodical publication sector.
Now major publishers are using Internet and the web as a global way for
making their publication available to all.
Access to E-journals means rights to access.
When the library subscribes to the E-Journals it gets permission to access the
remote location where the information is being stored.
For that the subscriber gets a user id and password which can be used from
any user terminal in the library or else where.
Sometimes Publishers deliver the E-Journals to subscribers through CD- ROM
or through their web sites. Mostly E journals are available as databases where
a number of E-Journals are available together. This may be from different
publishers, but collected and maintained by a particular vendor. Some of the
renounced publishers and vendors are: Contd…
7. Contd…
1. Elsevier science ( provide access to more then 2500 scientific, technical and
medical peer-reviewed journals)
2. Addition-Wesley ( covers subjects like computer science, Economics, Health
Science and others)
3. Benjamin Cummings (covers varied subjects like Chemistry, Finance,
Computer Science and lots others)
4. The academic press through IDEAL database( Full text of 180 journals on
the web)
5. Springer-Verlag ( more then 240 full text Journals)
6. Blackwell Publishers ( Offers access to E journals on humanities and Social
Sciences through ingenta.com)
8. Aggregator
• An aggregator is a database, collection of electronic publications, most
commonly a searchable collection of electronic journals.
• It provides access to a large number of e-journals from a range of different
publishers.
• Aggregator has come as a big solution to the librarians as there is no need
of contacting each and every publisher for making their publication
available for use.
• It has made it possible to present electronic content as a simplified access
to a range of publishers and purchasing of a large collection, allow libraries
to quickly address the information needs of their patrons.
9. Consortia
• A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies,
organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the
objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for
achieving a common goal.
• With the Information explosion, it is becoming difficult for the librarian to satisfy
the increasing information need of the users.
• Due to economic reason no library is in a position to acquire all such
information in print or other form.
• Due to cost effectiveness, librarians are coming together in the form of
consortia for resources sharing.
• In India, CSIR Consortia, FORSA, IIM Library Consortia , INDEST
Consortium and UGC-infonet e-journal consortium, N-LIST are some of the
consortia serving the varies kinds of institution in the country.
10. Electronic Reference Sources
• Now various vendors and publishers are providing various reference sources in
electronic form through their databases and web sites such as dictionaries,
yearbook, encyclopedia’s etc.
• Some of then are dictionaries online (www.dictionaries.com, www.dic.leo.org);
yearbooks online (www.uja.org); directories online ( www.people.yahoo.com )
etc.
• Wikipedia is a new form of popular reference source which does not have its
printed counterparts.
• Lots of information are available in the Wikipedia and the most interesting thing
is that new information can be added by the user and the information available
can also be altered.
11. E-zine
E zine is the abbreviation for Electronic magazine.
• The electronic accessibility of magazine is very useful for the user of the library,
as many users can access the issues simultaneously;
• It saves the cost of extra copies for the library.
• In print subscription the issues might get lost sometime due to postal delay, or
theft.
• This can be checked with the electronic publication.
• Some sources of e-zines are www.indiatoday.com , www.news.sify.com. etc.
12. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation
This is a very useful service as far as the libraries in the academic field are
concerned.
• It reduces the duplication of research works and gives assistance for the
selection of the research area to the users of the libraries.
• As these can be searched subject wise, it reduce the labour of the reference
staff as well as user a lot.
• Some of these are www.unesco.org/webworld.etd/contribution.html ;
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in etc.
13. Advantages of E-Documents
1. A single interface to find and retrieve information.
2. No need of negotiation for the price with a number of different journals
publishers
3. Can be accessed from any place according to the user’s convenience.
4. Most updated information can be provided.
5. Reduce the storage space.
6. With the availability of user friendly, simple, advanced and customized search
facility more specific information can be retrieved in minimum time.
7. It is very helpful for the interlibrary loan. As a request can be taken care of
immediately after getting the request, if the information is available in the
electronic form.
8. Back issues of the periodicals can be accessed irrespectively the purchasing
date which enable the user to use the journal in an enhanced way.
9. With the help of the Central Govt. of India negation can be done with other
countries, so that resource sharing can be done and the library user can be
provided the foreign publication with least cost
14. INFIBNET
Library and Information Networks in India
Some of the important and significant networks that exist in India are given below:
• General Networks:
NICNET (1977), INDONET (1986),I-NET (formerly VIKRAM (1991), RABMN (1991)
• Library Networks (Metropolitan):
CALIBNET (1986), DELNET (1988), PUNET (1992), ADINET (1993), MALIBNET
(1993), BONET (1994), MYLIBNET (1995),BALNET (1997).
• Library Networks (Wide Area):
INFLIBNET (1991)
• Information Networks (Sectoral):
ERNET (1986),VIDYANET, OPNET, SIRNET, BTISNET, DESINET(1986)
For details of the INFLIBNET we should go to the website www.inflibnet.ac.in
15. Conclusion
The INFLIBNET Centre is a great boon to Indian higher education system
in satisfying its information needs. Researchers are benefitted by the services of
INFLIBNET. Library and information professionals role has to be redefined in
view of the information technology developments and they need to weigh all the
alternatives and procure some of the documents in electronic formats keeping
in mind the users actual need and interest. As electronic publication is a very
recent phenomenon still lots of people are ignorant about the benefit they can
avail from it. So librarian’s role is to encourage the users to access it and get
benefited. So user education is very crucial. As number of issues is there to be
taken care of by the library professional like, technological issues, managerial
issues, archiving and accessing back files ,accessibility, awareness, and
coverage, pricing and compatibility of hardware and software and lots more, the
librarians role becomes very crucial.