The Impact of Information and Communication Technology
(ICT)
Computing technology, communication technology, and mass
storage technology are some of the areas of continuous development that reshape
the way libraries access, retrieve, store, manipulate, and disseminate information
to users. ICT has impacted on every sphere of academic library activity
especially in the form of the library collection development strategies,
library building and consortia. ICT presents an opportunity to provide
value-added information services and access to a wide variety of digital based
information resources to their clients. Furthermore, academic libraries are
also using modern ICTs to automate their core functions, implement efficient
and effective library cooperation and resource sharing networks, implement
management information systems, develop institutional repositories of digital
local contents, and digital libraries: and initiate ICT based capacity building
programmes for library users. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
has brought unprecedented changes and transformation to academic library and
information services, conventional LIS such as OPAC, user services, reference
service, bibliographic services, current awareness services, document delivery,
interlibrary loan, audio visual services, and customer relations can be
provided more efficiently and effectively using ICT, as they offer convenient
time, place, cost effectiveness, faster and most-up-to-date dissemination and
end users involvement in the library and information services process. The
impact of ICT characterized on information services by changes in format,
content and method of production, and delivery of information products.
Emergence of the Internet as the largest repository of information and
knowledge, changed role of library and information science professionals from
intermediary to facilitator, new tools for dissemination of information and
shift from physical to virtual services environment and extinction of some
conventional information services and emergence of new and innovational web
based. Considering the enormous benefits that are experienced in the impact of
ICT in Nigerian university libraries, the Nigerian academic libraries still
experience some obstacles or hindrances in the effective and efficient use of
the ICT resources in the library.
ICT has fulfilled its promise in academic libraries, there is remarkable
rise in the use of ICT, many of the libraries activities are now ICT driven.
This has led to the speed on acquisition, processing, storage, retrieval and
dissemination operations. ICT has also help to curb the problem of information
explosion in this information era
