PROGRESSIVE AND EFFECTIVE GROWTH OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN DIGITAL ERA A PARADIGM APPROACH

Transcription

1 235 PROGRESSIVE AND EFFECTIVE GROWTH OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN DIGITAL ERA A PARADIGM APPROACH ABSTRACT MKG RAJEV* *Manager, Learning Resources Centre, Sur University College, Sultanate of Oman. The paper deals with the vital concepts of digital resources management. It also emphasizes on various types of digital resources and its effects on research, development and other academic activities. The paper focuses on benefits and prospects of management of digital resources and also explores the need for comprehensive digital resource management. It also discusses the major issues dealt with the digital resources management and also converses the challenges confronting towards the management of digital resources. It also explains the realization liability of the digital resources management in the academic environment. KEYWORDS: Digital resources, Information technology, Digital publishing, Digital information. INTRODUCTION Digital resources Management (DRM) refers to the practice of managing data and metadata for digital resources obtained by the digital information resources centre. It has been generating and developing upon a synchronized resolution which is intended at improving the universal specifications found in this significant publication for the management of related administrative information, license agreements, and the internal procedures related with licensed digital resources. Since digital resources such as e-journals and databases consist of some of the information resource centre s most imperative resources, the effective management of data for digital resources is predominantly essential in order to progress access to it. Also, DRM seek to craft enhanced and supplementary resourceful use of information, as well as improved acquiescence with licensing agreements. DEFINITION OF DIGITAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Digital resources management (DRM) is the practices and systems used by information resources centre to maintain track of significant data about digital information resources, particularly internet-based resources such as databases, electronic books and electronic

2 236 journals.. The growth of DRM became essential in the early 2000s as it became obvious that integrated library systems and traditional library catalogues were not designed to handle metadata for resources as variable as many online products are. Digital resources is an obsession for which a library pays for access or to which it has recognized access via the web OPAC and/or via the web pages planned and restricted in a given library. Principally, it is any content served digitally that is considered important by a given library and to which access can be provided. Ellen Finnie Duranceau facilitates to describe DRM as a support of digital resources from collection through procurement, access, license administration, end-user support, assessment, replenishment and annulment. NEED OF DIGITAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: In the modern world of technologies, the global organizations are changed into virtual one and the key concept behind this change is because of the relationship between the consumers and the final products, simply we can say it as win-win situation at all times. Such changes would obviously require enormous sharing of information and responsibilities, traditional boundaries between the organizations. Same like that, in order to meet the day by day growth of electronic version of resources the need for DRM is rises and also to maintain the workflows of new information in digital format are require to be evaluation, selection, acquisition, cataloguing, classifying and maintaining electronic products throughout the life-cycle. It is needed to provide a powerful structure for the monitoring and communication of new realities, to evolve electronic information architecture of the academic information resources centre and to redesign the core information processes to align with new managerial vision. Determination Acquisition Assessment Digital resources Management Access Selection Preservation TYPES OF DIGITAL RESOURCES In the recent years, we can find that due to the development of information technology, the Digital Publishing is boosting like anything. Digital Publishing is nothing but all those publications are in electronic or digital format and it has been called as electronic information resources. In the early 70 s most of the digital resources are compact disks and

3 237 something on net. Currently, the information sources are available mostly on NET and even the two other media also got developed, they are hypertext media and context text media. These type of electronic media offers various advantages like flexibility, low cost, large storage capacity, quicker access, access from anywhere from the world through internet, immediate transfer of information and interactivity. In addition to the non book materials such as CD ROM, we can find large number of online databases, electronic periodicals and even online public access catalogues Even in future, if the cloud computing got developed then we can find the massive development in the digital resources management. BENEFITS OF DIGITAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT By implementing of digital resources management, the benefit of centralization of resources is possible and the storage of more relevant resources at one point of place can be done. Another one important benefit is by implementing of digital resource management the staff who involved in that process will learn lot of knowledge on new technologies. This may help in better functionality and in the growth of the DRM. By centralizing the resources, the libraries can provide the required resources to the appropriate user at a appropriate time, the user no need to travel or search long for the required resources, user can easily get access to it at a very cost effective itself. Another benefit of DRM is it can steam line the evaluation, selection, procurement and maintenance process of various digital resources. Even the distribution of resources can be done in an effective manner. DIGITAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ISSUES Digital resources management inherits the difficulties that are common to all applications of electronic media. To those are added a range of further concerns that crop up from the central role of information not just in the economy, but also in the processes of society. Beyond meager digital information resources, the existing and near future phases of crossmedia resources and interactive resources elevate yet more issues. Budget and Financial Plan. Risk of exploitation of works. Finding out the contents. Issues on Cost and Funds availability. Subscription and disbursement issues. Access related issues. Copyright and licensing issues. Issues on Archival Systems.

4 238 Lack of well defined e-reference policy Convention and usability issues. Availability of professional staff. Enforcing Limitations on Usage. Need of adequate professional training in ICT for the staffs. Formation and preservation of IT infrastructure Lack of persistent concern among the users Recognition of relevant e- reference sources Lack of ample training facilities DIGITAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT MERITS Digital resources management is the best way of accommodating large amount of resources with the possibility of low cost. The user can get the information on his own computer screen by using the Internet. Actually it is a network of multimedia system, which provides fingertip access to the unlimited number of resources at a stipulated point of time. Some of the merits of DRM are listed as follows: Accelerate Resources Inter publishers reference linking Easy Access to wide number resources Easy to Manage large number of resources Numerous Access to various resources Multi retrieval approach is possible Delivery in a dynamic way Speed and Accuracy is feasible Information retrieval in time On demand publication Preservation of updated resources

5 239 Audio/Video files can be easily included Universal circulation of resources Accelerates Online catalogue system Production and Cost of delivery will be low Dissemination and Conservation not limited by time or geography Use of complicated searching strategies Enhanced speed in document delivery in possible CONCLUSION Successful managing of digital resources such as e-reference, e-books, e-journals, databases takes on superior value as we see more of our collections evolution from print to electronic. Hence, if the information resources centre wants to satisfy the user completely, it has succeed by presenting a wonderful atmosphere through all the possible resources and should be managed in a way keeping in view of the requirements needed by the user as well as the rapidly changing of the needs of the users. Now, we come to know the value of the ERM and the importance of its implementation in information resources centre. The resources centre should identify the skilled and professional people for this purpose and to expand successful association with other resources centre s for bringing out the effectual and well-organized digital reference services. REFERENCES 1. Bhattacharya Partha and Jha Pawan Kumar (2003), E-Resource Management : An Overview, Singh Yogendar et.al. In Proceedings of 21 st Annual convention and conference society for information science, IIT, Rourkee, 9-11 April, pp Sutradhar B, Sarkhel J.K (2002), Policy of Electronic Resource Management: A Model. In Proceedings of the National Conference on Information Management in e- libraries (IMel). Kharagpur, 26-27, February, 2002, New Delhi: Allied Publishers. Pp Wikipedia, Electronic Resource Management Available at : wiki/ Electronic_ resource_management (Accessed on 15 April, 2011). 4. Singh S.P., Sharma A. K. (2002), Electronic information resources in academic libraries : some key issues, Library Progress, 22 (1), pp Woodward, H and McKnight, C,(1995). E-Journals issues of access and bibliographical Control, Serial Review, summer; pp

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