Use of UGC-Infonet Digital Library Consortium among Distance Education Faculty Members of Annamalai University

This chapter presents a questionnaire-based survey finding that 85.96% of the science faculty members are aware of the UGC-Infonet Digital Library Consortium, but only 71.42% of arts faculty. The study reveals that most of the respondents (84.03%) use the UGC-Infonet resources for the purpose of research work followed by 55.86% for writing papers.

Social Networking in Academic Libraries

The chapter provides a snapshot on the use of social networking in academic libraries through a systematic review of the available literature and an examination of the libraries’ presence on the most popular social networking sites. The chapter initially reviews 819 articles of empirical research, viewpoints, and case studies, based on keyword(s) search “Web 2.0 + Academic Libraries” since 2006 found in the Library Literature and Information Full Text Database. Out of full text research papers, articles with empirical studies, 328 (40% of 819), are shortlisted; all articles are from journals having impact factors (as per ISI Thomson Reuters rating 2011-12), 0.8 and above. The articles are collected from four major management and library science publishers: Ebscohost, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Emerald Insight (including EarlyCite articles, Backfiles content). The potential limitation of the study is that it does not attempt to trace out trends using any regression techniques. The extension of this study could be statistically testing the figures observed in this chapter and laying down a grounded theory approach for future research in Web 2.0 applications in libraries. The important finding is that the popularity of the various social networking sites can change quickly on the basis of e-World of Month (e-WoM).

Web Credibility of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Websites in India

The official Website of an academic library has a different role to play in the Internet scheme of disseminating information. In this respect, considerable thought should be given on the kind of information provided and the way of its presentation on the Web. This chapter aims to study NIT and its library Websites in India. The analysis of the data represents the extent and the level of credibility possessed by the NIT Websites in India, which is the key to any successful Website of any organization, especially of any academic library.

Research Publications in Anthropometric Measurements of Sports

This chapter deals with the bibliometric study on the publication of “anthropometric measurements.” The records are collected from Pubmed resource MEDLINE for the period of 2006 to 2010. The total number of records is 1869. Result of such studies may be very useful for the research administrators, policy makers, and funding agencies. Anthropometry plays an important role in determining athletes’ performances and may also help the coaches select athletes for team events. Anthropometric measurements have been a part of physical education since its commencement in this country.

Self-Sustainability in Academic Libraries in the Digital Era

Libraries are storehouses of knowledge and act as disseminating agents for the knowledge producer because knowledge accrued from library is invariably implemented in creating new knowledge. The libraries are agents for knowledge collection, utilization, and dissemination. In all these processes, finance plays a major role. Shrinking budgets (Anna, 1994) and increases in available resources pressure collection development and the disseminating process. The strategies discussed in this chapter can to some extent help in sorting out this financial crisis depending on suitability and implementing standards. Library and information service is a noble service sector. It is not enough to concentrate on issues inside the library, but one needs to widen the service and address issues outside as well, factors like global warming, chronic health disorders, power shortage, diminishing funds, pollution, up to date literature collection, obsolete technologies, and so on.

University’s Role in Exploring New Knowledge in the Global Knowledge Society

This chapter discusses ways to explore knowledge in higher education, especially in universities, from a knowledge ecology perspective. Managing knowledge is a challenge, and it is a drastically changing concept. The author contends that knowledge ecology is a good concept to explore knowledge in higher education while working in the knowledge society towards building a secure and stable knowledge environment. Knowledge ecology focuses on identifying valuable knowledge but not managing knowledge. This is very important in the present setting. Hence, the chapter presents how universities meet the knowledge society’s demands without any obstacles of knowledge exploration focusing on the elite knowledge of its knowledge ecology.

Use of E-Journals by the Faculty Members, Researchers, and Students in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Annamalai University

This chapter reports the result of a survey conducted at Annamalai University to determine the extent to which users are aware and make use of e-journals. The study also examines the search pattern of e-journals. A questionnaire was distributed among the faculty members, research scholars, and post-graduate students to collect desired data. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed to the selected sample of Faculty of Engineering and Technology; 180 valid samples were collected. The result reveals that 46.67% of respondents want to access only electronic version of journals, whereas only 23.88% of users want to read the printed journals, but 29.45% of respondents want to use both electronic and printed journals. The study found that most of the respondents 73.33% use e-journals for writing papers. 68.33% of respondents use e-journals for studying their course work, and 51.11% of respondents use them for research work. The analysis reveals that most of the respondents, 73.33%, use e-journals for writing papers.

Access to and Usage of E-Resources in Selected Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania

This chapter assesses the usage of e-resources in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. It identifies how electronic resources are acquired, determines the factors influencing the usage of e-resources, and assesses how e-resources are managed and disseminated. The chapter also investigates the efficiency of the Consortium of Tanzania University and Research Libraries in enhancing accessibility and usage of e-resources. The study employed a survey in data collection where face-to-face interviews and online surveys were used. Collected data was analysed through content analysis. The study found that all higher learning institutions in Tanzania had Internet connectivity, thus providing an opportunity for usage of online and offline resources. It was found that the usage of e-resources was influenced by users’ attitudes, preference and searching skills, funds for e-resources subscription, Internet connectivity, and electric power. It is recommended for higher learning institutions to invest in ICTs infrastructure and support the current trends of subscription and usage of e-resources.

Social Networking in Libraries

Social networking seems to be the way 21st century libraries provide services. Library services are changing with the change in the nature of library users; social networking plays a major role in serving the users. Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups of people with shared interests, communities. The prominence of social networking Websites has reached a peak in the last few years. This chapter examines libraries and their importance in embracing the Web 2.0 phenomenon of social networking. This chapter examines the importance of using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube to enable libraries to engage with students in the virtual environment for the promotion of the library, library events and services, teaching and learning, and humanizing the concept of the library and librarians. This chapter also examines the importance that social networking sites have with improving professional relationships within the library profession and across the university, resulting in an increase of information sharing that ensures libraries are on the forefront of changes in demands and needs of their students. If libraries fail to adopt this technology, they are in danger of finding themselves extinct.

Students’ Attitudes towards Library Facilities and Information Resources of University Libraries in Tamil Nadu

The present century ushered in the knowledge economy whereby information, access to it, and the ability to use it to create new knowledge becomes the single most important skill that individuals need to acquire in order to succeed. The workplace is asking for university graduates who have acquired a stronger intellectual framework for using information for discovery. This calls for a change in the university educational landscape and a pedagogic shift from the closure learning system where students and the teacher communicated and interacted face-to-face to include a new learning system that is virtual, distributed, problem-based, more student-centered, and facilitated by global information networking systems. This is a knowledge-based pedagogy and requires that both students and teaching faculty acquire information seeking and management skills. E-learning, open access to resources, distance education, interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration enhanced by information communication technologies are major developments that are reshaping library services. Consequently, new roles and services have emerged for university librarians. Taking up the characteristics of an electronic information resource, librarians are more “distributed” and play a central role in the teaching/learning programmes of the university: they serve as consultants in information resources management and coordinate information technology applications; they provide instructions on research methods and other areas that deal with incorporating information communication technologies into learning, and are more actively involved in providing information instructional programmes to both faculty and students. The present study evaluates the use of library facilities and information resources in university libraries in Tamil Nadu. A survey of 518 students from 5 universities in Tamil Nadu was conducted through a set of questionnaires. The collected data covers the use of library resources, services, (e.g. reference services, photocopying services), etc. The chapter concludes that the main intention for the use of libraries has been the academic interest of the students.