Impact of Information Technology and Role of Libraries in the.pdfVIP

2 8 International CALIBER-2008 Impact of Information Technology and Role of Libraries in the Age of Information and Knowledge Societies D K Singh Mohammad Nazim Abstract Information technology is currently taking center stage and transformed the whole world into a global village with a global economy, which is increasingly dependant on the creative management and distribution of information. The enormous advantages it has in easing the delivery of information around the world. The paper discusses the impact of information technology and role of libraries in the age of knowledge and information societies. It also highlights the problems faced by the Library Information Service (LIS) sector in India and achievements over the years using modern information technologies. Keywords : ICT, Information Technology, Library Services, Knowledge Management 1. Introduction Information technology has transformed the whole world into a global village with a global economy, which is increasingly dependant on the creative management and distribution of information. Over the past decades the world has been experiencing significant changes in which the need to acquire, utilize and share knowledge has become increasingly essential. Now, in the 21st century, the age of knowledge and information is in its higher gear. This is an age when invisible knowledge and information take the role of prime movers leading all sector (1). The World Bank has used metaphor “knowledge is development”. Lack of knowledge is largely responsible for underdevelopment (2). In a knowledge and information-oriented society, creative brains become leaders of economy and knowledge workers are in great demand. If knowledge can be equated with development, then the wider the knowledge gap, the broader the d