CHAPTER 1

PROJECT CONTEXT

This section discusses the overview of the project. This provides the rationale, the background of the project, the importance of the study, the statement of the problem, the objective of the project, and the definition of terms.

Introduction

A library consortium is the union of two or more libraries in order to satisfy their needs and share their resources. Since there are similarities among the needs, resources, objectives, and target populations of the research libraries, a library consortium creates some sort of economies of scale. Such a union of forces is becoming increasingly important today, because all over the world libraries suffer from budget cuts while paper and electronic material prices are continually on the rise.

The nature of the activity of the libraries is an important factor for the tendency to cooperate and establishing consortia. Unlike many other service activities, libraries do not have a strong competition among themselves, because their target populations are usually divided along organizational or geographical boundaries. An academic conducts his/her research mainly through his/her own institutions library and a local community usually uses the local library for information needs.

The main activities of a library consortium are the share of equipment, services, and personnel; interlibrary loans; developing common collections; and agreements for bulk acquirements of paper and electronic material. The consortia are usually economically motivated, and in todays world most of them are formed with the objective of increasing the bargaining power for accessing expensive electronic databases [1].

Rationale

In the advent of the collaborative technology, new standard and infrastructure are provided in sharing knowledge and resources for networked information and communication [2]. Library will continue to evolve in the direction of more variations and commonalities. A library Consortium is essential in providing access to other library collections that will support the instructional, research and other bibliographical needs of both students and faculty through its inter-library services, which involve short term loans and document delivery [3].

Analytical Framework

This section discusses the analytical framework of the proposed system which is beneficial in understanding the idea of the entire system.

A figure to symbolize the framework was presented.A small chunk of data when processed becomes useful information.These small chunks define the day to day transactions of establishments.

Miller (1956) presented the idea that short-term memory could only hold 5-9 chunks of information (seven plus or minus two) where a chunk is any meaningful unit. [4]

Organizations decision also relies on the availability of data. If the data is available all the time, business progress is faster. In todays progressive business climate, the emphasis is being placed on the advance techniques and tools to process data and solve business problem. Technological advancement has been introduced in the business world where it welcomes features to effectively operationalize its service. Organizations require preciseness of action so as to minimize waste, organizations need to innovate and discover way of reducing; this includes a search for possible means of avoiding unforeseen problems along with the achievement of the desired result. This includes the computerization or the automation scheme. According to Long, an analysis of needs has been utilized to further evaluate the necessary requirement to achieve quality of service through automation as a means to achieve quality output. [5]

Purpose and Description

The purpose of the system is designed to achieve its purpose of disseminating information which provides a faster and easy way of transmitting relevant issues such as an online journal/e-book, articles to the students, faculty and readers of the site. The borrowers or the users will be more updated on the new information regarding any topics present in the library consortium. The proposed system revolves under the principle of online publication wherein information must be updated, reliable and easily accessed through the internet. It is user-friendly and it provides a dynamic environment. The system will provide user registration to reserve, borrow, and print electronic information which is available in the list of e-media present. The system provides a Login Form whereby users will have the privilege to access the site. There are basically two types of Users in the proposed Library consortium, they are the Web Administrator and the User. The User, or the common user, can be categorized into three subtype: the Visitor (the general public that does not have an account in the Library consortium, the Registered User (a user who was approved by the Web Administrator and has minor access to the Portal), and the Privileged User (a Registered User who was granted and allowed by the Web Administrator to do specialized tasks on the Portal like approving/ disapproving borrow/print of e-media). The Web Administrator will approve everything including account requests. The system will provide all available pertinent information of the establishment where the library consortium is housed, and its personnel. The Web Administrator will be the one to register all users information (first name, middle name, and last name), the email address and a password will be given to the user upon enrollment. Or, a user could simply sign up on the portal and wait until the Web Administrator approves his/her request. After entering the users information, the Web Administrator will click the submit button to register. This serves as the basis in logging in through email verification.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to develop an Internet Portal for the Library Consortium. It seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the needed contents to effectively develop the Internet Portal for the Library Consortium?2. What are the problems encountered by a Library Consortium regarding the existing information system along the areas: In providing information? In providing short terms loans?

3. What are the advantageous and disadvantageous aspects of the proposed Internet Portal: Library Consortium?

Objectives of the Project

The general objective of this project study is to develop an Internet Portal for Library Consortium of Ligao City. Its primary goal is to extend the schools support to its students and faculty in providing the instructional, research and other bibliographical needs through its inter-library services, while increasing its local, national, and global competitiveness.

This project studys specific objective are as follows:1. To identify the needed contents to effectively develop the Internet Portal for the Library Consortium?2. To identify the problems encountered by a Library Consortium regarding the existing information system along the areas: In providing information? In providing short terms loans?3. To identify the problems encountered by a Library Consortium regarding the existing information system along the areas: In providing information? In providing short terms loans?

Scope and Limitation

This project study entitled A Proposed Library Consortium focuses only on the Ligao City, Albay. Its primary goal is to extend the schools support to its students and faculty in providing the instructional, research and other bibliographical needs through its inter-library services, while increasing its local, national, and global competitiveness.This project study is limited only to information, such as e-media and the same.

Significance of the Research Project

The significance of the research project is enumerated as the people or group of people who will benefit from the project.

IDSC Faculty and Staff The output of the study will offer insight to the library consortium of Ligao City.

ACI Faculty and Staff - It will also serve as a reference to ACI faculty and staff if they prefer and decide to adopt a library consortium for the institution.

Proponent - This study will moreover give the proponent background and experience regarding the use of the system in the library community.

Future Researchers - The study will benefit future researchers to gain ideas and information that will pave way to the solution of research problems.

Project Dictionary

Research Careful study of a given subject, field,or problem, undertaken to discover facts or principles. [8]

Borrowers/users - To obtain or receive (something) on loan with the promise or understanding of returning it or its equivalent. [9]

Email - a system for sending messages from one computer to another computer [10]e-media / electronic materials - Broadcast orstoragemediathat takeadvantageofelectronictechnology. They may include television, radio,Internet, fax, CD-ROMs,DVD, and any other medium that requireselectricityordigitalencoding ofinformation. The term 'electronic media' is often used in contrast withprint media.[11]

Library consortium is an Association of a group oflibrariesto achieve mutually the common objective. It is i felt that the concept of E-Journals consortiacan work well thelibrarieswithout requiring additional fees to access the e-journal. [12]

Library - a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow [6]

Web Administrator One who manages and maintains computer systems and software, as for a business or institution [7]

Web serveris a program that, using the client/servermodel and the World WideWeb'sHypertext Transfer Protocol ( HTTP ), serves the files that formWebpages toWebusers (whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests). [13]

Website - A Web site is a related collection of World Wide Web (WWW) files that includes a beginning file called ahome page [14]

Notes[1] THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE IN THE CONSORTIUM OF TURKISH UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Melih KIRLIDOG, Didar BAYIR

[2] Library consortia and cooperation in this digitalage: an Overview of the Philippine Experience by Fe Angela M. Verzosa[3]http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/[4]Miller, Goerge, Information Processing Theory, http://www.educationau.edu.au], March 1, 2007

[5] Long, Larry, Prentice-Hall Inc., 1991, Introduction to Computers and Information Processing 3rd Edition

[6] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/library

[7] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Web+administration

[8] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Academic+research[9] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/borrower[10] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/e-mail[11] http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/electronic-media.html

[12] Http://www.isical.ac.in/~serial/consortia/CBSOR-11[13] whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Web-server[14] http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/Web-site