WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM LIBRARY

THE TERM LIBRARY

The word "library" seems to be used in so many different aspects now, from the brick-and-mortar public library to the digital library. Public libraries and indeed, all libraries--are changing and dynamic places where librarians help people find the best source of information whether it's a book, a web site, or database entry.

According to George E-berhart: "A library is a collection of resources in a variety of formats that is (1) organized by information professionals or other experts who (2) provide convenient physical, digital, bibliographic, or intellectual access and (3) offer targeted services and programs (4) with the mission of educating, informing, or entertaining a variety of audiences (5) and the goal of stimulating individual learning and advancing society as a whole."

Another general definition of library is from the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (ODLIS):

“Library -- from the Latin liber, meaning "book." In Greek and the Romance languages, the corresponding term is bibliotheca. A collection or group of collections of books and/or other print or nonprint materials organized and maintained for use (reading, consultation, study, research, etc.). Institutional libraries, organized to facilitate access by a specific clientele, are staffed by librarians and other personnel trained to provide services to meet user needs. By extension, the room, building, or facility that houses such a collection, usually but not necessarily built for that purpose. Directory information on libraries is available alphabetically by country in World Guide to Libraries, a serial published by K.G. Saur. Two comprehensive worldwide online directories of library homepages are Libdex and Libweb. See also the UNESCO Libraries Portal. Abbreviated lib. See also: academic library, government library, monastic library, new library, proto-library, public library, special library, and subscription library.

THE IMPORTANT AS A STUDENT

§  As a students in schools with good libraries and the services of a school librarian students perform significantly better on tests for basic research skills;

§  students perform significantly better in reading comprehension and in their ability to express effectively ideas in relation to their reading;

§  more reading occurs when there is a school library;

§  the guidance of a librarian appears to exert significant influence on student achievement in information-gathering;

§  in schools with good libraries and full-time librarians, students perform better at higher levels in reading comprehension, and in knowledge and use of reference materials than students in schools with minimal or no library service;

§  Student achievement in reading, study skills and use of newspapers was significantly greater at seventh grade level in schools with professional librarians than in schools without them.

THE IMPORTANT AS AN INDIVIDUAL

Libraries are synonymous with education and offer countless learning opportunities that can fuel economic, social and cultural development.

Recognizing the cultural importance of sharing, Mahatma Gandhi said that, “no culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive”.

The Internet has created tremendous opportunities in terms of accessing knowledge. Making the collections of the world’s great libraries available to the public through large-scale digitization, however, has yet to be realized.

REFERENCE

Heartsill Young, ed., The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science (ALA, 1983)

Robert S. Martin, "Libraries and Learners in the Twenty-First Century," Cora Paul Bomar Lecture, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, April 5, 2003.

Deanna B. Marcum, "Research Questions for the Digital Era Library," Library Trends 51 (Spring 2003): 636-651.

In The Librarian’s Book of Lists (Chicago: ALA, 2010), George Eberhart offers this definition: 

Abell, J. (1999). ‘The Impact of the Use of School Libraries on Student Achievement’, School

Library Bulletin, vol. 5, no. 1.

Baughman, J.C. (2000). ‘School Libraries and MCAS Scores’, A paper presented at a symposium

Sponsored by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Massachusetts.

Book, B. (2002). ‘Teacher Librarian Workload Survey 2001’, The ACT Teacher, vol. 2, no. 1,

February, pp. 19–20.