A STUDY ON PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTERIZATION OF LIBRARY WORK FOR UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN KOREA

우리나라 대학도서관 업무의 전산화 및 그 실현에 관한 연구

We have come to the time when we no longer ask why we computerize, but we need to concentrate on how to effectively accomplish the task. Application of computers has been very active in many fields in Korea during the last few years. And yet libraries are rather slow in taking adventage of computers most likely due to the lack of adequate funds and proper understanding of administrators, but also it seems that the majority of librarians are not quite prepared to adopt it. The purpose of this paper is to study the various aspects of computerization of library work, mainly for library administrators and librarians; although they need not understand the electronical and technical aspects of computers, but they should prepare themselves enough at least to be able to make proper requests to computer specialists in relation to what they want to accomplish with computers in order to improve the work of the library. In preparing this paper, not only successful cases of computer application which had been carried out in many libraries of advanced countries have been studied, but also various reasons for failure have been reviewed in order not to make the same mistakes. The paper covers those areas of library work where computers can be applied, such as feasibility, cost effectiveness, planning, implementation and some other aspects of computerization. As a conclusion, two viewpoints need to be discussed. First, each library should work cooperatively with other libraies instead of trying to develop its own computer programs, since we cannot affort to waste financial and technical resources as well as time. Computer applicable library work can be divided and assumed by certain libraries with responsibility to develop turn-key systems applicable to Korean university libraries. In order to carry out this task, there should be complete financial assistance from government, and in turn those libraries shouldf be required to offer assistance to any other interested libaries in Korea. Secondly, library school curriculum should offer such courses where future librarians can learn decision making, business administration and independent thinking in addition to traditional courses. Future librarians as well as those who are already in the profession should prepare themselves to meet the challenge of the professional requirements in order to meet the ever increasing and diverse needs for good quality service generated from the library users.