Information Technology in Research (TIC)
CHAPTER 2. Libraries –
Specialized Structures
in the Information Process
Librarian Violeta-Elena COROIU
Prof. Ph.D. Eng. Elena HELEREA
CONTENTS
I.
Barriers in searching for information
and their elimination
II. Types of documents
III. Types of libraries and organizational
structures
IV. Case study – Transilvania University
Library of Braşov
I. Barriers in searching for information and their elimination
There is a difference between the information need and the
expression of this need.
How should the request for information be?
- clear, without ambiguities, concise, with sufficient data
Whom do we address the request for information?
The request for information is addressed to a specialized structure
for the production and dissemination of the information
Barriers in searching for information and their elimination
Types of barriers in searching for information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Institutional barriers - related to the persons’ status,
to the status of the organizations; or to the confidentiality
of the information;
Financial barriers – related to the cost of information;
Technical barriers – related to the equipment
necessary for the access to information, to the limited
pressrun of the documents, to the design of the
interfaces;
Linguistic barriers when the information are
expressed in languages that the users do not know;
Psychological barriers – the resistance put up to
changes,
the
exaggerated
concern for
prestige
manifested through the refusal to ask questions, through
the non-acquaintance with state-of-art information
technologies, through inadequate perception upon the
importance of the information or upon the information
services etc.
Barriers in searching for information and their elimination
Library is a means for eliminating the barriers :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
It allows the unlimited overall access to the collection of documents
(there are eliminated the institutional barriers);
It ensures the user’s free access to information, the acquisition costs
being completely assumed by the library (there are reduced the
financial barriers)
It possesses state-of-art equipment, adequate to the new
informational technologies, equipment that sometimes, out of
objective reasons, the users cannot afford (there are reduced the
technical barriers);
The documents catalogued and indexed within a library have an area
on the bibliographical description card (area 7 ISBD or area of the
notes) in which there are made specifications with respect to the
document formulated in the catalogue drawing up language – the
titles may be translated; within the document indexing process,
there are used thesauruses with terms in the catalogue language,
therefore the content of a document is expressed by means of words
(descriptors) in the language familiar to most part of the users
(there are overcome the linguistic barriers)
Through genuine collaboration between the information solicitor and
the information mediator there are eliminated the psychological
barriers.
II. Types of documents
The concept of document
Document – system consisting in a support bearing
a piece of information, generally recorded to
permanent term, which may be read by the human
being or by a machine.
Depending on the support, there are several ways
for setting up information:
Mechanical (for printed materials)
Chemical (for photographs)
Electronic (for databases)
II. Types of documents
Classification
1.
Primary documents (publications by an author)
• Books (current monographs or old book)
• Serial publications (magazines, newspapers,
bulletins, annals, almanacs etc.)
• Articles from periodicals
• Grey literature (doctoral theses, papers
presented at
congresses/conferences/symposia,
• research reports, translations)
• Standards
• Laws
II. Types of documents
Classification
2. Secondary documents – constitute publications that are
resorted to so as to retrieve information upon primary
documents, senses of words, titles of books which are to be
issued by a publishing house, titles of books held by a library
etc.; they are not completely read;
- they analyze primary documents and they are produced
by information specialists: documentalists, bibliographers,
booksellers etc.):
Library catalogues
Publishing house catalogues
Bibliographies
Yearbooks, guidebooks
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries etc.
II. Types of documents
Classification
3. Non-book documents – the information is contained
by other supports.
Engravings
Maps, plans
Photographic documents
Audio
- visual documents
Lantern slides
Micro
- formats (microfilms, micro
- cards)
Electronic documents (CD
- ROM, DVD
- O
R M,
electronic books, electronic magazines)
II. Types of documents
Document classification and indexing
Document classification
The systematic distribution on classes (marked through
classification indices) of the documents, according to
their thematic content;
Transilvania University Library of Braşov has resorted to
the Universal Decimal Classification in order to classify or
to represent the subject of the publications.
Document indexing
Type of analysis upon a document whose content is
expressed through descriptors or key-words, using
national or international thesauri of terms.
II. Types of documents
Document cataloguing
Elaborating complete bibliographical descriptions for
all types of publications, whatsoever the support they
were recorded or set up, in compliance with ISBD
regulations (International Standard Bibliographic
Description) and with the standards in force.
The ultimate purpose of cataloguing is to provide the
users with different instruments (catalogues) and paths
for retrieving the publications (according to the
author’s name, to the title, to the subject etc.).
II. Types of documents
Types of catalogues
Traditional catalogues (alphabetical, classified, on
subjects, geographic, topographic, chronological): the
widest spread are those on cards (the standard format
is of 12,5 x 7,5 cm).
Online catalogues (OPAC – Online Public Access
Catalogue)
Catalogue on informatics support, within a
database, in which the users’ access is done
directly, through the intermediary of a terminal.
The information comprised within the online
catalogue are those which are to be found within
the traditional library catalogues (heading words,
bibliographical descriptions, localization of the
documents).
II. Types of documents
Bibliographic record
It is the setting up on whatsoever support (paper, cartoon cards,
electronic support) of the formal and content characteristics of
a publication, in a pre-set order.
It consists in :
1. bibliographic description of the publication, rendering the
individualization elements of the publication : title, information
about the title, mentions of responsibility, edition, editorial data,
collation, collection, notes, ISBN/ISSN.
2. access points, which indicate the place where the record in the
catalogue should be found :
- in the alphabetical catalogues the access elements are the
headings
- in the classified catalogues – the classification indices
3. topographical mark – address of the publication in the library
stores
Bibliographical card from a traditional catalogue
II. Types of documents
Online Catalogue of the University Central Library (BCU) of Bucharest
Bibliographical description of a book - OPAC BCU Bucharest
Descrierea
bibliografică
Descriptori (cuvinte-cheie)
Indici CZU
Cota documentului
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
“Library – specialized institution, compartment or structure
whose main purpose is to constitute, to organize, to process, to
develop and to conserve collections of books, publications, other
specific documents and databases in order to facilitate their
utilization to the purpose of information, research, education or
recreation.”
- Law of the libraries no. 334/2002, art.1 -
“The Library of our days is a combination between the real
library offering free access to documents and the virtual
library consisting in online databases or in CD-ROM-s and digital
optical disks.”
-
REGNEALĂ, Mircea, Dicţionar explicativ de biblioteconomie şi ştiinţa
informării [Explicative Dictionary of Library Science and Information
Science]. Vol.1 : A-L. Rev.2nd Ed. Bucharest : FABR, 2001. p.70. -
Types of Libraries
National library – acquires and conserves a number of copies
from all important documents edited throughout the country; it
functions as legal deposit.
University library – priority for the benefit of the students, of
the university teaching staff and of the researchers within
universities and other institutions of higher education and
research which, within the limits stipulated by the
organizational set of rules, may also function as public library.
Specialized library – mainly destined to a category of users
or to the purpose of priority collecting certain types of
documents or to the purpose of answering the needs specific to
the tutorship organism.
Public library – library of encyclopedic type for the benefit of
a local or county community.
School library – library organized in the framework of an
institution of pre-university education, which is pre-eminently
for the benefit of the pupils and of the professorial staff within
the respective institution.
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
“Hybrid” Library
Modern libraries, especially the university ones,
from the standpoint of the collection and service
structure, are “hybrid” libraries. They comprise
within their collections:
printed documents
electronic documents (e
- books or e
- journals),
access points to digital information.
The services aiming at disseminating the
information are in their turn of a hybrid nature,
adapted to the users’ supports and needs.
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
Digital Library
Digital library
- the documents are stored in digital format, and they
may be accessed through the network, from a distance.
The term digitization refers to the creation of the
digital object, starting from a physical object.
The digital content may be obtained through :
Conversion of the paper documents in computer usable
data, compatible with almost all systems and databases
(in formats type TIF, PDF, DJVU, GIT, JPG);
Scanning of the microfilms, of the radiographies, of the
photo negatives;
Scanning of the micro-cards COM and of those of
dimension 16x35 mm;
Digitization of the drawings in structured CAD files etc.
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
European Digital Library
In 2006, the European Commission advanced the creation of an EUROPEAN
DIGITAL LIBRARY, which should be a multilingual point of access to the
cultural resources of Europe.
Strategy:
Up to 2008, 2 million of books, films, photographs, manuscripts and other
cultural oeuvres should be accessible
Up to 2010, 6 million of accessible documents.
The advantages of the online access to the cultural patrimony of Europe:
It allows the use of the information by all citizens of Europe for study,
work, leisure activities;
It offers the raw material indispensable for the artists’ and
entrepreneurs’ efforts of research and creation.
The address of the site of the European Digital Library:
http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/portal/index.htm
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
Digital Libraries in Romania
A.
University libraries
B.
:
BCU Bucharest: http://www.unibuc.ro/ro/biblioteca_virtuala
BCU Cluj: http://www.bcucluj.ro/re/digitizare/
“Transilvania” University Library of Braşov:
http://www.unitbv.ro/biblio/
ASE Library of Bucharest: http://www.bibliotecadigitala.ase.ro/biblioteca/model/index2.asp
Public libraries :
National Library: http://www.bibnat.ro/Biblioteca-Digitala-s89ro.htm
Library of the Academy: http://www.biblacad.ro/
Metropolitan Library of Bucharest: http://www.bmb-online.ro/scripts/master.htm
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
BCU Cluj-Napoca – Digital Library
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
National Library – Digital Library
Library of the Academy – Digital access to the manuscripts from the Eminescu collection
(letter by Iacob Negruzzi addressed to the poet)
Metropolitan Library of Bucharest – Virtual Library
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
Structure of a library
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Development of the collections – acquisition,
evidence of the publications, document processing:
cataloguing, classification, indexing
Bibliophily. Manuscripts (old book)
Serial Publications
Informatics Department
Communication of the collections (reading
rooms, stores)
References (bibliographic researches; reference
through e-mail)
Research-methodology
Restoration and preservation of the publications
BCU Bucharest – Organization chart
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
Services offered by university libraries
General information
Consultation of their computerized catalogues within the
integrated library system, in order to identify and locate the
documents of interest
Elaboration of bibliographical lists at request
Consultation of the Internet resources :
catalogues of the great libraries (throughout the country and
abroad)
National catalogue RoLiNeST
specialized commercial databases, bibliographical and full-text
periodical publications under electronic format
reference works (encyclopedia, dictionaries etc.)
References through e-mail (through the portal REM-RO –
Reference through e-mail Romania)
Supply with bibliographical references and full-text
information at a distance
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
References through e
-
mail
REM-RO – service of references through e-mail Romania: it stands
for a library service destined to the users at a distance, who have
access to the Internet.
Through the intermediary of this service, the users may transmit at
any time their request of information towards a library, the answer
being expected within a delay varying according to the policy of
every library supplying references through e-mail.
Types of requests which may be addressed this way to the
library:
Bibliographical references from its electronic and traditional
catalogues or from other sources of information of the library;
Answers at requests for punctual references in compliance with the
specific of the collections and of the services offered by every
library;
General information with respect to the library (structure, addresses
conditions of access, timetable, services etc.);
Information re-orienting the users towards another institution
(library, documentation centre etc.) which might offer the answer to
one’s request for references.
Fill-in form for requesting information through e-mail - Transilvania University
Library of Braşov
III. Types of libraries and organizational structures
Addresses of the sites of several national libraries:
National Library CzechRepublic:
http://www.nkp.cz/_en/index.php3
National Library of Australia: http://www.nla.gov.au/
National Library of Hungary :
http://www.oszk.hu/index_en.htm
British Library : http://www.bl.uk/
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/index.html
Bibliotheque Nationnale de France: http://www.bnf.fr/
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
Structure of “Transilvania” University Library of
Braşov :
Publishing House of “Transilvania” University of Braşov
Development and Enhancement of the Collections.
Exchange of Publications
Service Acquisition, Evidence and Processing of the
Publications
Service Consultation of the Publications
Service Centre of Loan
Service Deposits and Branch Libraries
Service of Informatics
Reprography
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
1.
Publishing House of the University
Contracting the works for the Publishing House;
Computerized writing of the works to be multiplied within
Reprography;
Collaboration with the National Library of Romania, in
order to obtain the CIP description of the publications;
Sharing out and handing over the publications destined to
the library, to the national and international exchange of
publications, to the display collection of the publishing
house;
settling partnerships with mass-media, with the book
producers and distributors.
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
2. Development and Enhancement of the Collections.
Exchange of Publications
Development of the collections :
Marketing, planning, organization in view of completing the
collections;
Relations – communication with the faculties and chairs and with
the external scientific environment.
Coverage with textbooks and with specialized books :
Elaboration of the situation with respect to the coverage of the
disciplines within the university degree curricula, master
curricula, doctoral school curricula, with university courses;
Centralization and implementation of the plan for multiplying the
didactic materials;
Updating the database with significant works of the university
teaching staff.
Enhancement of the collections through the offered services :
Updating the bibliography of the doctoral theses;
Exhibitions on scientific and cultural themes;
Translations
National and international exchange of publications (101 exchange
partners abroad and 50 across Romania)
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
3. Acquisition, Evidence and Processing of the
Publications
Service of acquisition, evidence and processing of the publications
1. Acquisition
- permanent completion of the collection of documents through selecting the
scientific works on the profile of the specializations in the University and of
the issues of general and cultural scientific interest;
- modalities of acquisition: purchase, donations, interlibrary exchange, subscription
(periodical publications, databases)
- acquisition on the basis of the recommendations from the professorial staff or
from the doctoral students within the university and on the basis of the offers
from the prestigious publishing houses
2. Evidence
- important from the point of view of the internal organization of the library
- it consists in recording the acquired publications in RMF (global evidence) and RI
(individual evidence – allotting the call number)
- marking the documents (allotting the topographical shelf mark - deposit)
3. Processing of the publications
- cataloguing, classification and indexing of the documents;
- allotting the Cutter mark/cutterization of the publications destined for
consultation in the free access room;
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
4. Service Consultation of Publication Aula (reading
room)
Taking in administration the publications received
from the service of Acquisition-Evidence-Processing
of the Publications;
Activities with the users :
Subscribing the users and issuing the library card;
Prolonging the visa on the library card
Guiding users in using the MS Office package (page set-up,
text formatting etc), Internet, Intranet
Services for the users : printing, scanning, writing on
CD, copying on diskette, stick, multiplication xerox etc.
Metodological guidance;
Offering for consultation the doctoral theses, the
standards (STAS) and the Official Monitors
Evidence of the users’ frequence and of the consulted
publication circulation.
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
5.
Service of Loan Aula (Center of Loan)
Taking the publications in administration;
Relation with the users :
Methodological guidance;
Loan at the users’ residence (computerized
loan);
Statistic evidence of the users and of the
loaned / returned publications;
Handing in the clearing out card and taking
cleared out users into evidence;
Processing and distributing the courses
for Distance Learning (ID).
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
6. Service Deposits and Branch Libraries
Coordination of the branch libraries
(Library of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Library of
the Faculty of Music);
Solving the transfer of publications requested by the
users from the deposits to the Center of Loan - Aula;
Solving the requests of national and international interlibrary loan;
Evidence and inventory of the document collection from
the chair libraries / research centres / departments
(books, magazines, special collections, standards STAS)
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
6.
Informatics Department
Administration and development of the integrated library
software Liberty3;
Web page administration and communication follow-up;
Digitization and electronic archiving of the collections;
Acquisitions and maintenance of the databases;
Providing help-desk for the library staff and for the
users;
Administration of the data network for the library –
Intranet;
Administration of the multimedia network – Aula.
IV. Case Study
Transilvania University Library of Braşov
7.
Reprography
Multiplication of university courses;
Multiplication of books/monographs;
Multiplication of conference proceedings;
Multiplication of didactic materials (laboratory guidebooks,
design guidebooks etc.);
Multiplication of different papers for the University: fill-in
forms, etc.
Multiplication of research reports;
Multiplication of doctoral theses abstracts.
Note: The abstract of the doctoral thesis has the standard
structure stipulated in the set of rules of the Doctoral
School and will be multiplied after the thesis has been
defended in the framework of the coordinating chair.