1. 1 NAVIGATING INFORMATION RESOURCES IN AGRICULTURE IN ICT ENVIRONMENT Dr. K. VEERANJANEYULU UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN & CCPI, e-Granth Project Head, University Computer Centre ANGR AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD – 500 030 veeru_1963@rediffmail.com

2. NAVIGATING INFORMATION RESOURCES IN AGRICULTURE The advanced applications of ICT has revolutionized the whole process of information production, storage, dissemination and retrieval. These technologies facilitate simple search techniques, faster communication and easy retrieval of information through network/nternet irrespective of place and time. Now most of the informational sources in every field are available in e-form and the same has been made accessible through networks. To navigate with these resources is very simple. Agricultural resources are also not deprived of the impact of ICT. In the field of agriculture a number of advancements regarding the information/knowledge sharing have been made by the ICT such as :  Web OPAC  Union Catalogue  Institutional Repositories  Web portals  Access to e-resources (e-books, e-journals, abstracting & statistical databases)  Information Portals

3. 3 EVOLUTION OF LIBRARIES Paper Library Collections=Paper Bib Control=Paper Automated Library Collections=Paper Bib Control=Electronic Electronic Library Collections=Digital Bib Control=Digital 1965-1995 1995-date

4. 4 Traditional Library Vs Virtual Library Traditional Libraries Documents User goes to Library OPAC Documents (Books, Journals etc.) Cataloguing & Indexing, Classification Circulation (Issues & Returns) Resource Sharing Virtual Libraries Internet Library goes to the Users Web based OPAC E-Resources (E-Books, E- Journals etc.) Search Engines & Metadata Access direct with Internet facility Consortium

5. ICT induced paradigm shift in LICs….. 5 1.Traditional libraries to digital libraries, 2.Print on paper to digital information, 3.Card catalogs to Web OPACs, 4.Chains to RFID tags, 5.Print journals to online or electronic journals, 6.Ownership to access, 7.Library access to remote and desktop access. 8.Information availability from libraries - 9 – 5 or 7 to 24X7, 9.Photocopies to digital copies, 10.DDS being provided through E-mail instead of post or fax. 11.Standalone libraries to Information networks 12.Real to virtual libraries.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF e-RESOURCES 6 Borderless : With the help of internet e-resources are not limited to one place or country but accessible throughout the world. Round the clock availability : A major advantages of e-resources is that people can gain access 24/7 to the information. Multiple Access : Any number of users can get access to the same resource simultaneously. User friendly interface : The process of searching e-resources is user friendly. Storage : The drawback of physical storage space inherent in traditional libraries is not a hurdle in digital libraries.

7. ADVANTAGES OF e-RESOURCES 7 It allows remote access. It can be used by many users simultaneously. It is interactive and allows interaction between author/publisher and users. It provides timely access to documents. It eliminates printing and postage cost. It does not require physical processing. It can easily merge with altering service. It provides improved access through full text searching. It can solve the problems of missing issues of journals. It can be updated more easily Reduces storage space It can easily be managed by adding bookmarks and personal notes to the sites or by downloading into private files or databases for copying and editing.

8. BENEFITS TO USERS 8  Independent of space and time  Interact with other electronic resources  Save user’s time (Ranganathans’ Fourth Law)  Provides value addition such as search ability, supplements, formats unavailable in print formats  Accelerated publication  Can be read by multiple users simultaneously  Can’t be mutilated, stolen, lost etc.