Use of UGC-Infonet Digital Library Consortium Resources: Its Impact on University Libraries of Karnataka.

Abstract

The recent developments in Information Technology changed the world scenario. Libraries and Information Centres have embraced the new information technology more profoundly than many other fields and most of them are currently using electronic products and services. IT offers tremendous opportunities to provide solutions to some of the major challenges now libraries are facing. Electronic Publishing or e-publishing is an important media of the new Information Technology. Nowadays the majority of publishers are interested in publishing their documents in electronic format. Electronic journals are attracting readers’ attention in todays networked environment. In this environment these e-journals open up many exciting opportunities and have already brought a revolutionary transition in library philosophy. These are one of the main vehicles used by researchers for scholarly communication. UGC InfoNet, e-journals consortium programme is an innovative scheme implemented in India in the year 2004 to access scholarly journals in general university environment. A survey has been conducted among the librarians of universities of Karnataka and opinions were sought regarding the impact of using e-journals offered through the UGC-InfoNet e-journals consortium project. The paper highlights the results of the survey.