APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CATALOGUE AND INDEX: ITS RETRIEVAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The thesis entitled "RESOURCE SHARING AMONG LIBRARIES OF KATHMANDU VALLEY: ITS SITUATION WITH REFERENCE TO ISIS DATABASE" in general based upon the current situation of resource sharing among the libraries of Kathmandu valley. Today, it is virtually not possible for any library, however big and rich; to acquire all the publications due to rapid rising flow of new publications. As well as libraries are collecting, storing and processing the same documents making huge investment of money, manpower, materials and time. Resource sharing is the best and effective measure to solve many of these problems and which allows productive use of the available information and knowledge sources between and among the entire libraries' network for the reading community. It is not known that how many libraries are participating in resource sharing activities in Kathmandu valley by using computer networks. CDS/ISIS library software is used by most of the libraries in Nepal. However these libraries have not maintained CCF, due to lack of consortia. The objectives of this study are firstly to find out the existing condition of resource sharing among the libraries of Kathmandu valley through the use of IT, secondly to find out the view of libraries and library professionals about resource sharing, thirdly to find out the views of library users regarding existing condition of resource sharing and lastly to find out the importance of CCF among the libraries for resource sharing through computer network. The study is limited to ten different types of libraries of Kathmandu valley. Tribhuvan University Central Library (TUCL), Central Department of Population Studies Library (CDPSL) and Public Administration Campus Library (PACL) are the academic library; Nepal National Library (NNL) is the National Library; Kaiser Library and Kathmandu Valley Public Library (KVPL) is Public Library; Social Science Baha Library (SSBL) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Library (ICIMODL) are Special Library; Center for Economic Development and Administration Library (CEDAL) and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology Library (NASTL) are vii Research Library. The study is limited to those numbers of libraries which is using CDS/ISIS library software for creating databases and the data is collected within 7th April 2009 to 21th April 2009 through the questionnaire. In the context of Nepal, no studies have been carried out on resource sharing through computer network. So, the fourteen related international literature have been studied and most of the reviewed literatures are focused in topic. The study focused on the digital resource sharing especially bibliographic database and eresources which is easy to share among the libraries. Most of the libraries of Kathmandu valley are using ISIS library software. The population of the study is a number of those libraries which is using ISIS library software for creating database. Ten different types of libraries have been selected as a sample for the data collection. The selection of libraries is depending upon the nature, types and easy availability. The researcher has used a set of questionnaire including 18 questions, informal interview, and observation as his basic instruments of data collection. Different types of responses are found on the way of data collection. All of the responses are analyzed and presented diagrammatically in the form of table and then tabulated data are presented diagrammatically in the form of bar-diagram and pie-chart. Every question are analyzed and presented of this thesis and drawn out the findings. According to the objectives, the major findings of this study shows that all libraries are interested to provide resource sharing service but among the libraries have no any cooperation or agreement for resource sharing. 50 % of libraries are providing resource sharing facility through their website. But this is not formal way of resource sharing on the principle of co-operation among the libraries. Because there is no any library network in Kathmandu valley to coordinate between and among the libraries, only one library is using Delhi Library Network for resource sharing. 100% libraries have maintained bibliographic databases of their collections in computer and all of the libraries have known about CCF but only 70% libraries have used CCF for creating databases. 60% libraries have faced users request for resource sharing and also 90% libraries have faced users request for collection development. It indicated that users are known about resource sharing and they are not satisfied with the collections and services of the library. This is viii the age of IT so online resources are going to popular day by day in library professionals as well as users. All types of libraries are interested to provide online resources but they haven't produced their own e-resources. They are providing some of the international eresources like JSTOR, EBSCO Host, Emerald Insight, Wiley Black-well, AGORA, HINARI etc. which is free to use along with TUCL is also providing electronic Nepali Journals to the users. To provide effective resource sharing service to the users, firstly there is urgent need of library network to connect the libraries on the basis of co-operation or agreement. This is the age of IT so libraries should be focus online resources like e-books, e-journals etc. and also focus on e-databases of all the library collections. Every library should go ahead on the principle of co-operation to fulfill their users' demand in this information explosion age. SHUBODH NEUPANE CDLIS, T.U., Kirtipur