CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0              INTRODUCTION

A modern society is characterized by an increasing need for specialized institutions in various fields of activity for the performance of their day-to-day functions as well as research and consultancy work. These institutions require speedy access to qualitative published information.

Library and information services are a key element in libraries since the ancient times. Their vital role is increasingly becoming a measure of the library’s contribution to the transformation and development of a society and the nation at large. The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has caused a transformation in the users’ perception from what is being hosted in the library to how and when services are rendered to fulfill their requests.

Consequently, libraries are becoming less important for the materials they collect, house or stores. Instead, their importance is being measured in respect to the fulfillment of the users’ requests or needs. The movement of materials from publishers and hosting them for "just in case" some users will need them is being replaced by delivering materials from publishers “just in time” to answer the user’s needs.

However, this transformation has brought a challenge in the field of library and information services of dealing with the ever-increasing complexity of information, differentiating useful information from mis-information, and upholding the rising needs and expectations of the users.

One of the major functions of a library is to scrutinize publications immediately after receipt, make a selection of publications pertinent to the programme of the organization and bring individual item to the attention of the users to whom it concerns. This is generally known as ‘current awareness’ service. Encyclopedia Americana (1976) defines current awareness services as the purpose of informing the users about information in their libraries. Current awareness service is referred to as dissemination of information that will keep clarities, well informed and up to date in their field of interest as well as their related subjects or disciplines. Current awareness service includes the selective dissemination of information, publication of current contents, and publication of list of new arrivals, information retrieval and online services.

The objective of current awareness service is to make available current information to those who need it, usually for current researcher and to sustain the interest of the library user in the services rendered by the library to make them lively and active readers for their benefits. Provision of information on recently required materials benefits all the users in several ways such as providing maximum exposure and utilization of the library information resources. Research tends to be associated more with the advanced form of investigation. For instance, it is common to hear of research at the post graduate and even post doctorate level mainly, than that of the under graduate. Research is been carried out in addition to new information to personal store-house of knowledge of others, it is to enable man relate with his environment more effectively.

This study will discuss the available technological opportunities that can be used by the library information services in addressing such challenges particularly at the Federal College of Forestry Technology, Ibadan.