Use of Electronic information resources by faculty members and post graduate students of Pharmacy colleges in Karnataka A study

Abstract

Today s world is technology driven. Computer along with communication and newlinenetworking technology are playing a major role in the day to day activities of the newlinemankind since two to three decades. In the academic and scholarly world, the newlinerevolutionary change in the advancement of Information and Communication newlineTechnology (ICT) scenario has therefore, given rise to a number of options to handle newlinevaried learning resources by the academic community. So also computers, newlinecommunication technology and networking have impacted library and information newlineactivities and services to a great extent. The library is an integral part of the academic newlineenvironment, be it a school, college and a university. Libraries are the hub of all the newlineacademic activities like study and learning outside classroom. Self-learning, guided newlinelearning, and curriculum based learning-all can happen in a library. The versatile newlinenature of a library makes it as important element in the education system particularly newlinehigher education. In the last three decades, dynamics of libraries are changing, with newlinethe advent of internet followed by digitization of information resources. Libraries are newlineperceived differently by the user community. This is true of all libraries and in all newlineparts of the world. The present research study therefore is a humble attempt to newlineunderstand through users opinion about the status of electronic information newlineresources and services provided by the libraries in pharmacy colleges and to suggest newlinemeans to overcome the limitations if any and thereby help libraries to provide, newlineimproved services to user community to fulfil their information requirements. The newlinestudy attempts to assess the adequacy of electronic information resources and services newlinesuch as e-books, e-journals, e-project reports, e-theses and dissertations, e-question newlinepapers, video series, subject gateways, full text and bibliographic databases including newlineScience Direct, Clinical Key, Pro Quest, Ovid SP, Cochrane Library Online,Pub Med, newlineMedlineetc.,and Open Access resources in pharmacy subjects. It