Resource Sharing and Library and Information Networks

The present book on ‘Resource Sharing and Library and Information Networks’ provides an opportunity to its readers to be well acquainted with the concept of resource sharing, its functioning, advancement and the technology used in this field. This book is divided into ten chapters. Introduction is the first chapter that explains the concept of resource sharing and its history. Second chapter deals with the conceptual framework of resource sharing, in this chapter, resource sharing categories, process of resource sharing, its forms and web based resource sharing are explained. Next chapter forms the tools of resource sharing, where with the traditional tools, modern tools like e-books an e-journals and also discussed. Today, the advancement in information and communication technology has led the formation of library networks, which are providing the facility to its users of online access to information. Fourth chapter tells us about the library networks, including wireless networks and their uses in resource sharing. It also explains the concept of consortia formation as well as national basis and some of the important library consortia are also discussed in this chapter. In spite of various developments and advancements, there are some barriers which hamper the process of resource sharing. These are discussed under fifth chapter that is on barriers of resource sharing. User expectations and needs play important role in developing fruitfulness of resource sharing because it’s the users who lead us to improve our present resources and services. It is because of users’ suggestions that a particular library be able in the race of existence in modern environment of information and communication technology. Today, libraries are bound to educate or train its users in handling modern tools of information gathering. All these, users’ expectations, needs and user education are discussed in its sixth chapter. The seventh chapter ‘Management of resource sharing’ tells us how effectively we can manage the resource sharing among libraries. The future prospects of resource sharing are discussed in its next chapter. In the last chapter, ‘Important library and information networks’, some important Indian library and information networks are discussed. This book will be useful not only as a supplement to enhance the knowledge of the persons already engaged in the field of resource sharing, but also the students of library science.