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I Tech use in agri research must
ISLAMABAD: Application of computers and Information Technology for resource sharing has immense potential to serve the mankind in a variety of areas including agricultural research.
This was stated by Director General, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Dr N.I. Hashmi here Monday while inaugurating a week-long workshop on Web-based Union Database of Journals in Agricultural Libraries of Pakistan developed by Information Professionals of PARC with the active participation of 30 agricultural Libraries of Pakistan.
He said, the information technology for resource sharing particularly in the developing countries has lot of potential which should result in joint efforts to provide research information to resource-stared research systems.
This activity to be participated by almost all important agricultural libraries of Pakistan can help bring a revolutionary change to connect libraries located in the provinces and even in remote areas to the libraries and information set-ups working in centers of excellence, he added.
The DG NARC said, resource sharing would result in computerisation of all the agricultural and related libraries and promote rapid exchange of information to accelerate the pace of research and development activities in the country.
Dr Hashmi said, research periodicals are the primary source of information which provide first published record of original research and development, current and updated information to researchers particularly in the ever-changing field of science and technology, adding, therefore their availability in libraries is inevitable for supporting a viable research system.
Meager resource allocations for libraries has forced trade off within libraries’s collection, he said, adding, the journal subscription rates has risen due to publishers prices, inflation, higher postal rates and unfavorable changes in foreign exchange rates.
Resultantly, Pakistani libraries’ budgets are not keeping pace with the continuous price increase. On the other hand rapid developments in science and technology has promoted the trend to publish journals and magazines by national and international organisations which is making it almost impossible even for specialised libraries to acquire all the periodical related to their fields, he added.
Dr Hashmi said, all these factors have contributed significantly to support the idea of resource sharing and networking of libraries, adding, the first and most important pre-requisite for such sharing is the compilation of information of all the agricultural periodical holdings available in different libraries of Pakistan.
That is only possible through computerized system using latest information technologies that have more potential for supporting such type of ideas and activities, he added.
DG NARC said, working on the resource sharing idea in the year 1990, the Directorate of Scientific Information, NARC developed a system for the computerization of journal and magazine holdings of agricultural libraries of Pakistan by creating a relational data base under FOXBASE package.
Initially, only a few libraries were participating in this collaborative activity. As a result of sustained efforts of PARC now it has become a comprehensive product containing information of about 3000 journals/magazine titles with available volumes and issues in 30 libraries of Pakistan on agriculture and allied subjects.
Dr Hashmi expressed his confidence that this Training Workshop would provide facilities to the participants in getting competence in the use of software especially for input, editing, verification and updation of data and searching facilities.
After the workshop they would be able to update the journal holdings in their libraries from their own sites using Internet along with efficient use of the database for reprints supply from national sources.
That would improve the access and exchange of information of periodical holdings in Pakistani libraries in agriculture and allied subjects. Dr Hashmi, on behalf of PARC/NARC assured all the cooperation and support to strengthen the information base of the national research system for the common good of the scientific community which would ultimately result in prosperity of our farmers.
Earlier, Director Scientific Information, Ashraf Tanvir in his welcome address said, PARC, being the federal body constituted to promote agricultural research in the country has always attached great significance to strengthen the national research information system.
It is due to this reason that five out of its seven mandated functions relate to promotion of scientific information, he said, adding, this activity to train the Librarians and Information Professionals from across the country has a special significance.
It would herald the era of on-line or web-based participation and management of the Union Database of Journals which was initiated as a modest activity 13 years back in the year 1990 and its updation was dependent on routine postal communication. He said, now, we are entering into the online regime and PARC is again pioneering this work of high profile in the information sector.
The Nation
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Pakissan.com;
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