Keywords
Citation
Satija, M.P. (1999), "Information Technology in Public Libraries. 6th edition", Asian Libraries, Vol. 8 No. 5, pp. 186-187. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1999.8.5.186.11
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
In a rapidly growing and eclectic discipline such as library science and information the need for regularly updated glossaries is obvious. Indeed, there are already many standard glossaries available for this field, and the present work, now in its second edition, has a strong bias towards Australia and New Zealand. With a total of some 1,500 entries, this new edition provides rather more terms than the previous one.
This glossary explains concepts, terms, phrases, acronyms and abbreviations used in library science, information management, both in manual and automated environment including the Internet. The intended audiences are students and newly‐recruited staff. Despite its self‐stated bias it has a fairly good number of scientific and international terms for users anywhere. Definitions are brief, unambivalent and self‐contained.
The arrangement is letter‐by‐letter, and terms with a full name and a standard abbreviation/acronym are entered under both (e.g. “OPAC” and “Online Public Access Catalogue”). If a term is used in two different disciplines, then it is explained in the context of both (e.g. “facet” as used in both classification and records management). Each entry provides a list of complete synonyms in the beginning, and these synonyms have also been used as independent entries but repeating the same definition. Entries on organisations have Web site addresses, if any, for the latest and more detailed information.
Although the work has been prepared carefully, there are some interesting omissions and a few errors. For example, UDC is not the major activity as described under FID (pp. 60‐61); the Colon Classification is not a scheme designed specifically for Indian libraries; both BSO and ISKO are missing, etc. Such errors and omissions, however, are trivial in face of generally broad and clear coverage. This is a simple, clear and handy volume which will help library professionals to speak with clarity and read with understanding.