The Internet and the Library
The Internet and the library
Nick Moore
Science owes more to the steam engine than the steam engine owes to science (L.J. Henderson, 1917).
The virtual library
Virtual libraries are frequently referred to as ``libraries without walls ' ' and it is the Internet that provides the ``windows ' ' and the ``transparency ' ' which makes this possible. It allows users who are physically isolated from the library to see in and it allows those inside the library to see out. Although the great dreams of Universal Availability of Publications (UAP) and Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC) (Law, 1998), that have enthralled generations of librarians, are still unfulfilled, the permeation of the Internet throughout every facet of daily life brings the dream closer to reality. The major, but by no means exclusive applications of the Internet have been in the form of the World Wide Web and the establishment of intranets (locally based Internet functionality). Library Web sites In recent years a great deal of activity in libraries has been devoted to the design, implementation and refinement of library Web sites. These have formed the basic structure and infrastructure of the virtual library and the services have included online public access catalogues (OPACs), distance learning, library publicity, library holdings and other facilities. OPACs Most libraries have devoted large expenditures on the development of online public access catalogues (OPACs). The online aspect of these catalogues, originally aimed at internal use, has now been extended to include external access. In addition to the library 's stock of materials, such as books and audio-visual materials, the OPACs can also provide access to the library 's journals holdings and enable outside users to determine which journals are held by the library and in which part of the library. The Internet enables libraries at different locations to form networks involving their OPACs to give rise to powerful union catalogues,
Nick Moore
Science owes more to the steam engine than the steam engine owes to science (L.J. Henderson, 1917).
The virtual library
Virtual libraries are frequently referred to as ``libraries without walls ' ' and it is the Internet that provides the ``windows ' ' and the ``transparency ' ' which makes this possible. It allows users who are physically isolated from the library to see in and it allows those inside the library to see out. Although the great dreams of Universal Availability of Publications (UAP) and Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC) (Law, 1998), that have enthralled generations of librarians, are still unfulfilled, the permeation of the Internet throughout every facet of daily life brings the dream closer to reality. The major, but by no means exclusive applications of the Internet have been in the form of the World Wide Web and the establishment of intranets (locally based Internet functionality). Library Web sites In recent years a great deal of activity in libraries has been devoted to the design, implementation and refinement of library Web sites. These have formed the basic structure and infrastructure of the virtual library and the services have included online public access catalogues (OPACs), distance learning, library publicity, library holdings and other facilities. OPACs Most libraries have devoted large expenditures on the development of online public access catalogues (OPACs). The online aspect of these catalogues, originally aimed at internal use, has now been extended to include external access. In addition to the library 's stock of materials, such as books and audio-visual materials, the OPACs can also provide access to the library 's journals holdings and enable outside users to determine which journals are held by the library and in which part of the library. The Internet enables libraries at different locations to form networks involving their OPACs to give rise to powerful union catalogues,
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