The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Workshop on information access held

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Thursday, Oct 29, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Workshop on information access held

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Nine topics: Internet search strategy, web-tools for information access, open access resources, scholarly databases, research information systems, e-learning, web-based services, integrated search engines, and mobile casting, were covered during the two-day workshop on scholarly information access organised last week by the Bharathidasan University Library in collaboration with Springerlink and Yesdee Publishing.

In the backdrop of the digital revolution radically changing the way scientific content is delivered to scientists and students – practically all publications are now available online and access to vast e-resources is essential for innovative research – the workshop focussed on leveraging the benefits of e-content, thereby enabling about 300 students, teachers, research scholars, librarians and library professionals from all over the country to locate the right content at the right time to fulfil their academic and research needs.

According to Chief Librarian and Head, Department of Library and Information Science, S. Srinivasa Ragavan, the Workshop Coordinator, the objectives were to understand the wide array of scholarly resources, familiarise researchers with the relevant information products, knowing access techniques of scholarly information, understanding the product profile available for every library, and understanding the emerging trends in the information industry.

Presiding over the valedictory session, Registrar T. Ramaswamy dwelt on the relevance of library and information services in ensuring the quality of higher education. He saw a corollary between quality library services and quality higher education. Tracing the historical importance of renowned libraries, the Registrar explained how libraries have come to enjoy the status of centres of learning.

The enormous time that researchers spend in libraries must be made fruitful through transformation of libraries into perennial intermediaries by way of identifying and directing the researchers to the right source of knowledge. Such a scenario calls for enhanced role of librarians in information management propelled by technological progress, Dr. Ramaswamy said. He also distributed participation certificates.

Delivering the valedictory address, B. Ramesh Babu, Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Madras, urged librarians to design literacy programmes to orient researchers and faculties to web technologies. The initiative will lead to identification of right information at the right time for optimal benefit, said Prof. Ramesh Babu.

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