Impact of Internet on Library Operations and Services: a Critical Study of Some Public and Private University Libraries in Dhaka City

Chapter 1
Introduction and methodology

This is an age of information and communication technology (ICT), where information is power and an essential basis of human progress. A library as the heart of an academic institution store, compile and provide information to users as when necessary. “Internet”, the epoch making creation of modern science, has extended this effort a lot which has crossed the boundaries of a library, a state, a country and even a continent. It has opened up a new horizon in library functioning and mark up a new dimension in resource sharing. The application of internet in library services dates back a decade in Bangladesh. To what extent the internet applications support the library services. What are its impact on the attitude and information seeking behavior of the user groups? To what extent does it influence the information professionals’ in house keeping and information communication activities in Bangladesh? This study will try to find out the answers these questions as a whole.

At present, information seems to have supremacy over everything. But information has no value unless is used. The creation, procurement, organization, dissemination and fullest use of information have become a vital path of development of a country and society. The existing gap between developed and developing nations is the difference of their reliance uses of information resources, technology and passive attitude towards information resources. It is generalized fact that a country, which is rich in information, is rich in economic sphere too because, information is a vital commodity for trade, which has to have access in all markets and not to terrified but should be “free to flow” in international markets. By this time, one of the hallmark developments of information society is “Information Economy”, which implies the information related income sector and employment. In this regard, the national, sociological and economic development of a developing

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