Adoption of Internet for resource sharing by the Gulf academic libraries
| Published date | 01 February 2003 |
| Pages | 56-62 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470310462425 |
| Date | 01 February 2003 |
| Author | Moid A. Siddiqui |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Adoption of Internet
for resource sharing by
the Gulf academic
libraries
Moid A. Siddiqui
Introduction
The Internet has become a buzz word for
library work. In a relatively short period of
time, it has become an indispensable tool for
library and information professionals.
Libraries are using the Internet to provide
various library and information services to
their users by providing access to electronic
journals and books, electronic online public
access catalog, electronic reference services,
electronic document delivery, and
communication with library users.
Traditional document delivery is costly and
time consuming. Long delays in delivery often
resulted in users' not receiving requested
documents in time to be useful for research.
Additionally, the dwindling budgets of
academic libraries and the rising cost of
journals have led to a reappraisal of the
principles on which the acquisitions of
journals have been based for a long time. The
result is that access to information rather than
ownership has come to be accepted as a more
viable strategy for stretching limited journal
budgets. The situation demands that access to
information strategies that are fast, cost-
effective, and which will at the same time
provide satisfactory service to library users, be
explored.
Internet applications
The Internet is providing access to a growing
array of information resources and has the
potential of providing unprecedented
connectivity among users, libraries, and other
information agencies. Academic libraries
worldwide have been utilizing Internet
resources to enhance collections, expand
services and improve operations. In addition
to the basic Internet tools of electronic mail
(e-mail), electronic mailing lists, Telnet, file
transfer protocol (FTP), and electronic
bulletin boards (EBB), associated services
and facilities, such as the World Wide Web
(WWW), Gopher, WWW Browsers, Wide
Area Information Server (WAIS), and various
related tools such as Archie, Veronica,
Mosaic, Homepages, etc. have been very
helpful in carrying out library activities (Hura,
1999; Hunt, 1998).
Electronic mail is the oldest and heavily
used Internet application. Librarians use
e-mail to communicate with colleagues and
The author
Moid A. Siddiqui is Manager of the Acquisitions
Department at King Fahd University of Petroleum &
Minerals (KFUPM) Library, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Keywords
Internet, Document supply, Resource management,
Arabian Gulf, Academic libraries
Abstract
Library services have been tremendously influenced by
rapid technological innovations over the years. The
Internet has virtually provided a new dimension to every
area of library services and operations. Document delivery
remained no exception to these changes. Besides looking
at various Internet applications, the paper also examines
available electronic document delivery (EDD) transmission
systems using the Internet, such as the ARIEL system of
Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), the North
Carolina State University Digitized Document
Transmission Project (DDTP), and the Ohio State
University Network Fax Project. The paper also presents
the results of a survey conducted to determine the
availability of required hardware and software in the Gulf
academic libraries to use the Internet for EDD. The survey
confirmed the availability of required equipment in the
Gulf academic libraries and their willingness to participate
in the EDD. Their adoption of the Internet for EDD for
resource sharing is essential if user self-sufficiency is to be
achieved.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
56
The Electronic Library
Volume 21 .Number 1 .2003 .pp. 56-62
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640470310462425
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