Application of Information Technology in catalogue And Index: Its retrieval Aspects

Abstract

The thesisentitled"Application of Information Technology in Catalogue and Index:its retrieval aspects" or research study is based upon the Application of IT incataloguing and indexing for information retrieval aspects. In the field of librarycomputers, telecommunication technologies are playing an important role. Theyfacilitate collection development, storage, organization, processing, analysis, presentationand dissemination of exact information or data provided for the information users.Libraries are in the business of information with their various functions such as storage,retrieval and dissemination of information. So information retrieval is considered as animportant issue.The problem towards, which this study is focused to find out the ITapplications in cataloguing and indexing in information centers.The objective of thisstudy is to findout the existing conditions of IT application in cataloguing and indexingin informationcentersor libraries. It aims tofind out the user-friendliness in cataloguingwhile retrievingthe informationafter the use of IT in catalogue and index on the basis ofusing Thesaurus, Subject heading list and Authority list; to examine the informationretrieval facility on the basis of applicationof ITin cataloguing and indexing.Application of IT in information centers has great importance for fast, easy and accurateinformation retrievals for scholars, students, researchers and academics. There arevarious software which can be used in information centers or libraries. Most of thelibraries or informationcenters are usingsoftwaresuch as SOUL, CDS/ISIS,WINISIS,MINISI, KOHA, ALICE, MIDAS, LIB-INFO, etc. In Nepal, information centers orlibraries are using CDS/ISIS, LIB-INFO, SOUL, and MIDAS as main software.SOUL isbeing usedinKUSOMLwhereas CDS/ISIS is beingused inTUCL, ICIMODand SSBLfor its bibliographic database for information retrieval. The information centers areproviding online services as online database: EBSCO Host, JSTOR, DELNET, AGORA,etc for information retrieval in the libraries. Online journal database is mostly used inlibraries or information centers. TheApplication of IT in Nepalese libraries: TUCL,KUSOML, ICIMODL andSSBL have also been described.Application of IT in Cataloguing and indexing are the gateway for information retrieval.Computerized catalogue and index in information centers makefast and easy access forinformation retrieval.Most of the information centers or libraries in Nepal havebeenusingITapplicationas automated cataloguing and indexingsince 15 years ago.Both theAACR-IandAACR-II cataloguing codesare beingused in the libraries and informationcenters. In computerized cataloguing and indexing most informationusersprefer tousesubject heading than author and the titleheadings for information retrieval. They feelusing more than two key words in better way for information retrieval.Information usersare more satisfied with the automated indexing than automatedcataloguing though theyare friendlywith the both applications.Chi-sqaure test have beenapplied to prove thehypothesis that the librariesare providingeffective services with the new technology thatcanhelp improvein thelibrarian'simage;that large number of users and library professional are satisfied by using advance IT toolsfor information retrieval.The research study focusesboth the information users and library professionalswho useIT in cataloguing & indexingfor information retrieval.Ithasalso tryto find userfriendlytools of information retrieval.Data and information presented in this studywas collectedthrough personal interview with the users and library professional of the libraries inKathmandu and responses to questionnaires given to the users and library professional ofthe TUCL, KUSOML, ICIMODL and SSBL Libraries.Two set of questionnaire wasprepared,one for the libraryprofessional and other for the information users. About 110questionnaires were distributed, however only 100 questionnaires were returned.Combining the two set of questionnaire it compresses of 35 questions. Among therespondents 84% respondents have beenfound satisfiedwithusing advance IT tools forinformation retrieval. That information found from the sample taken from the abovepopulation areahas tried to know the knowledgefriendlinessabout the applicationof ITin catalogue & index on the library collection for information retrieval. Onlinebibliographic database or computerized database is more demanding and useful form ofcatalogue & index. Finally the research study recommends to qualified or well trainedlibrary staff and professional for the better image of library. One should be careful andconscious inapplying thenewadvance IT, so that all the related information retrieveseasily with accuracy. Mr. Ram Prasad Sharma CDLIS, T.U., Kirtipur