Khalid Bashir Mirza

 B.Sc (PU)  B.Ed (AIOU), BLIS (AIOU)

 MA (PU), M.Ed (AJKU) MLIS (AIOU ; 1st Position / toper *)

Cataloguer/Classifier

Quaid-i-Azam University

Islamabad

Contact Nos.

+92-51-90642078 (Off)

E-mail:

 [email protected]

 PERSONAL INFORMATION

• N.I.C :         

• Place of Birth : Rawalpindi 

• b>

• Muslim

• Pakistani

• Present & Permanent Address: Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE:

1.    CATALOGUER,  Pakistan Academy of Letter, M/O Education, Sector : H-8, Islamabad

        from 21-10-1993 to 30-10-1995

2.    CATALOGUER, Rawalpindi

        from 30-10-1995 to 01-08-2000

 

 

RESOURCE SHARING AND NETWORKING AMONG ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: OPPORTUNITIES ENVISEGED IN CURRENT SCENARIO By Khalid Bashir Mirza* & Mehboob Hussain Khan** Abstract: The major premise of this paper is to present a good deal of information for reorganizing the appreciation for Information Mangers to establish formal spiritual deeds in establishing interlibrary cooperation and resources sharing amongst the academic and research libraries, starting from regions to nationwide through convergence of day to day needs.The concepts of Resource Sharing and Networking have become an imperative feature of modern information era librarianship across the world. It is considered as an indispensable and pre-requisite for effective librarianship. The countless publishing of information literature and shrinking of budgetary provisions forced library authorities towards sharing of available resources. In the present information and telecommunication era, the opportunities and prospects for resource sharing has been multifariously enhanced as compared to traditional technical processes. This makes the libraries easier to share their resources widely. In the current Pakistani scenario, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) has played a significant role in grooming real essence of resource sharing among the academic libraries by proving access to thousands of full text online e-journals through the National Digital Library Programme. Key words: Interlibrary Loan; Resource Sharing; Library cooperation; Library information networks; Academic libraries *Cataloguer/Classifier, Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial Library, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. e-mail: [email protected] **Chief Librarian, Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial Library, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad This paper was read at National Workshop on Resource Sharing and Networking of Libraries and Documentation Centres organized by National Agriculture Research Centre, PARC, Islamabad from 11-15 April, 2005. RESOURCE SHARING AND NETWORKING AMONG ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: OPPORTUNITIES ENVISEGED IN CURRENT SCENARIO By Khalid Bashir Mirza* & Mehboob Hussain Khan** Abstract: The major premise of this paper is to present a good deal of information for reorganizing the appreciation for Information Mangers to establish formal spiritual deeds in establishing interlibrary cooperation and resources sharing amongst the academic and research libraries, starting from regions to nationwide through convergence of day to day needs.The concepts of Resource Sharing and Networking have become an imperative feature of modern information era librarianship across the world. It is considered as an indispensable and pre-requisite for effective librarianship. The countless publishing of information literature and shrinking of budgetary provisions forced library authorities towards sharing of available resources. In the present information and telecommunication era, the opportunities and prospects for resource sharing has been multifariously enhanced as compared to traditional technical processes. This makes the libraries easier to share their resources widely. In the current Pakistani scenario, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) has played a significant role in grooming real essence of resource sharing among the academic libraries by proving access to thousands of full text online e-journals through the National Digital Library Programme. Key words: Interlibrary Loan; Resource Sharing; Library cooperation; Library information networks; Academic libraries RESOURCE SHARING AND NETWORKING AMONG ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: OPPORTUNITIES ENVISEGED IN CURRENT SCENARIO By Khalid Bashir Mirza & Mehboob Hussain Khan It is indeed a matter of grate pleasure for me to share my views on the Resource Sharing and Networking among academic libraries. It is yet another initiative taken by NARC and once again NARC obtained lead in organizing a 5th days nationwide workshop for open dialogue amongst information intellectuals. Being representative of QAU, I heartily congratulate Directorate of Scientific Information, NARC on initiating this healthy activity and wish them all the best in future. It is in fact a noble cause aiming not only to discuss the today’s vital need but also to opens new vistas to address it. INTRODUCTION : The term “Resource Sharing” comprises of two words i.e. resource and sharing. The word ‘Resource” applies to any thing, person, or action to which one turns for aid in time of need. The word “Sharing” denotes participating, cooperative, partaking, apportioning, allotting or contributing something that is owned, to benefit others. Library cooperation allows libraries to make coordinated acquisitions and share their bibliographies and catalogues. Library cooperation also establishes a standardized system for borrowing books and using copying facilities. It also allows users to access better reference services for obtaining the needed knowledge and information without any geographic limitation what so ever. Thus, “resource sharing is nothing but sharing of library resources by certain participating libraries among themselves on the basis of the principle of co-operation. This is applicable in the matter of use of documents, manpower, facilities, services, building space or equipment. In such a cooperative venture, it becomes possible for a user in any of the participating libraries to make use of the resources of not only his own library but also those of all other participating libraries. Moreover, the resource sharing provides the means to strengthen library services, aid in cost effectiveness and provide the user with expanded access to the collections held by others. The escalating costs of providing access to the scientific and technological research material are critically eroding the aptitude of the libraries to provide the students and faculty with the resources they need. A network of participating libraries is thus a pre-requisite for resource sharing.” Library network may be defined as “A distributive system composed of two or more libraries and / or other organizations engaged in a common pattern of information exchange, through communications, for some functional purpose”. It is clear from the above that libraries network is a cooperative systems of sharing resources among two or more libraries through a formal institutional agreement, common pattern of exchange of information among libraries in a network is through communications system. The concept of resource sharing and networking has become an imperative feature of contemporary practical librarianship throughout the academic world. The computer and information communication technologies coupled together to play an unimaginable role in support of resource sharing and networking. Resource sharing and interlibrary cooperation may be referred to a process of formal or informal scholarly communication / supported in the form of access. In the recent years, the concept of scholarly communication has also begin to imply faculty collaborating with publishers, librarians and others in solving the grievous problems of the inability of libraries to keep up with the ever-increasing volume and costs of scholarly resources. Libraries were primarily considered to be institutions charged with the acquiring of information resources. History has witnessed the phenomenon of maximizing the availability of resources in the terms of self-dependency, self-sufficiency and self – reliance. The drift or craze of everyone was to monopolize the resources rather then to extend access to their resources. Likewise access to the resources of privileged personalities was totally restricted. That vision has begun to be realized, in part because of the establishment and strong role of resource sharing or consortia of libraries. Library resource sharing in the modern information communication era is witnessing an inimitable trend of distributive access and open paradigms for scholarly exchange, which has relaxed the boundaries between the stakeholders, allowing more permeable and overlapping roles. Resources once restrained by physical constraints have been loosened and stretched to wider audience. The roles of libraries have also changed to embrace new opportunities for facilitating and shaping content, communication and collaboration. We have tried to explore here the changes underway and in particular the new ways in which the academic and research library’s role as self-dependent to self-reliance is being transformed as a collaborator and potentially a catalyst within interest-based communities. GOAL: The ultimate goal of resource sharing is to maximize the availability of material and services and to minimize the expense. The emphasis is on access rather than on possession although one does not exclude the other. A single library how big may in no case claim to possess the entire generated information. It may not be possible for any library to meet all demands by buying all the material. However, the resource sharing is the ultimate end through which the primary and foremost objectives of any information system can be achieved. RESOURCE SHARING – THROUGH - RATIONALIZATION It is physically impossible even for a rich library to procure all the publications produced globally. “As the economy continues to slump, the nation’s colleges and universities have found themselves facing fiscal uncertainty, and library directors are bracing for the worst. The present condition of resource sharing among libraries situated countrywide is not too healthy and satisfactory.” Rational for resource sharing comprises of following key factors: 1. Rising Publishing Costs 2. Financial Constraints 3. Squeezing of Libraries Budgets 4. Information Explosion 5. Uniformity / Standardization of Bibliographic Formats 6. Interdisciplinary Research Demands 7. Increased Users Demands 8. To Avoid the Duplication 9. Solution of Space Problem 10. Users time saving 11.Wide range of services e.g. exchange of tools, technological equipments, professional skills and services exchange Libraries currently are experiencing technological changes e.g. in how services are provided and in what these services are. These changes can be attributed to three major areas: the information explosion, escalating library costs and the technological revolution. The information explosion describes the consequences of an exponential growth in information. RESOURCE SHARING EFFECTIVENESS The effectiveness of resource sharing depends on the availability of appropriate communication technologies and delivery systems. The communication technologies have been an extremely effective mean for processing the users demands. COMMUNICATION : A PREREQUISIT OF RESOURCE SHARING The growth of communication and information technologies has led to their wide diffusions and application in libraries and information resources centers. The impact of communication technologies has broadened the opportunities for cooperation amongst the libraries and documentation centers. In the modern age, telecommunication really became indispensable part of the present days resource sharing. Communication is one of the key ingredients for the progress and advancement of any society. In recent times, the communication technology has shown a flashing growth of higher order. The advances in communication technology are even more astonishing. The result is an impact on the libraries being part of society. The invention of Internet and creation of verity of databases available on Websites that threaten to break the language barriers. These all contributed to the fact that information will be available to anyone, anywhere and any time. In short, it has been predicted as downfall of time, distance, irrespective of cast and creed. This is the key ingredient of borderless society or a Global village. RESOURCE SHARING : A LITERARY APPRAISAL In 1991, LABELNET prepared “Interlibrary Loan : Practice Code” in order to provide the policies and procedures for members of the Lahore Business and Economics Libraries Network. In 1993, Mrs. S. Zuberi, from SDPI took the opportunity to call meetings of senior library information Professionals in order to develop a formal interlibrary loan systems for Islamabad. The agenda of these meetings was to discuss the issues of interlibrary cooperation code, problems and procedures. Khurshid Alam, Naqvi and Azra Qureshi discussed the importance of resource sharing as “no library can stand alone at its own despite its liberal spending on the information and knowledge resources; even if it has unlimited fund allocations. They will need to share their resources with other organizations. Even the Yale University Library collects no more than 7 to 8 percent of the world’s literature. The librarian alone will not solve the problems. If these libraries and their staff are to function effectively they will have to join hands and work enclose unison with the computer and information scientists. Microcomputers of increasing power and capacity will process and manipulate tremendous amount of information contained in computer discs and similar other devices will have profound affect on the accessibility of knowledge stored thereon. This way the information technology will open up the vistas and avenues for resource sharing at nation and international levels. Dr. M. Ramzan has opined, in his Ph.D. dissertation, the attitude of librarians towards IT as “while the application of information technology was low in the libraries, the study found that the librarian’s positive attitude could be leveraged to increase the libraries potential to acquire and use new technology, given the adequate training, financial resources, effective role in decision-making, and support from computer and other departments. Dr. M. Ramzan (2002) has drawn the conclusions from the data analysis, and the review of related literature, in his Ph.D dissertation that “the present study confirms a low level of IT usage as 23% of the respondents did not have any computers, 44% did not have e-mail facility, and 47% did not have Internet access, while 30% of the respondent did not have any library software”. Further more, Mr. Ramzan presented the recommendations to improve the I.T. attitude, based on the findings and conclusion. The 5th recommendation affirms that “We should introduce the interlibrary loan, inter library cooperation, resource sharing and establish consortiums and networks to pool academic and research libraries”. THE CURRENT INTERLIBRARY COOPERATION ENVIRONMENT : AN OVERVIEW In the present era of information technology, the options for interlibrary cooperation and joint adventures have been drastically enhanced. The libraries catalogues are being switching over to automated systems. The catalogues are being automated so as to provide the quick access to the holdings of libraries. Libraries enjoying with potential financial and technical supports are also switching on online catalogues by allowing patrons to locate desired information from their desktops “Comparing interlibrary loan (ILL) of the 1980s with today’s system is simply not fair. It’s like comparing shag carpeting with a polished wood floor. ILL in the 21st century is neither staff dependent nor expensive, and, most importantly, it provides all customers with access to the materials they need or want.” Furthermore, the world of ILL has seen more changes and innovations in the last few years than possibly in the previous decades. RESOURCE SHARING AND NETWORKING : REVIEW OF PAKISTANI LIBRARIES The history of resource sharing and networking in Pakistan is not too old and one can easily trace the hypothetical significance of resources sharing, library cooperation and interlibrary loan among all library professionals, library science schools and curriculums in Pakistan. However, the practical impressions of library cooperation among our libraries have rather been found informal and tenuous. More truly, it is a concession on account of mutual professional acquaintance rather than ILL. The libraries engaged in ILL transactions have no formal written legal agreements, procedures, and framed bylaws. Mostly the transactions are being rooted and warranted on inter-professional requests and terms other than resources sharing rational. Being a developing country, Pakistani libraries are neither well equipped with modern information technologies nor even have complete catalogues, bibliographical tools and holdings lists of their resources which are pre-requisites for resources sharing. The shortage of information resources, budgetary constraints, shrinkage of funds, lack of professional resources and dearth of communication facilities are some common limitations being faced by our libraries. Moreover, the attitude of big libraries towards patronizing the small libraries and developing mutual adventures of cooperation and coordination is more or less reluctant. There is more feasibility of cooperation and coordination among libraries of same region or city or same type such as among academic libraries, between special libraries rather among libraries of different categories with different objectives. It is more viable to implement the resource sharing and libraries cooperation from local toward national level. In Pakistan, the importance of interlibrary cooperation has not only been described and discussed by library professionals through different articles but also has been incorporated in curricula of Library and Information Science in order to realize its significance among library professionals. One of our seniors professional, Mr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, Library Director of HEC, has been inspired by the topic of “ A proposal for Interlibrary loan among university libraries of Pakistan” for his doctoral studies. However, it is apparent that the entire endeavors are either of theoretical description or it is narrative of individual efforts. It would be rather difficult to mark the nationwide undertakings of National Library in this regard. There has been dire need to set up practical implementation of interlibrary cooperation among Pakistani libraries by devising formal agreements and starting from city, region, nationwide to International level. RESOURCE SHARING AND NETWORKING AMONG UNIVESITY LIBRARIES OF ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI : A CRITICAL EVALUATION While this discussion here will not focus the nationwide prevailing trends of resource sharing amongst libraries. Thus, It is a reality that legitimate understanding of interlibrary cooperation among libraries is almost non-existent not only nationwide but also within regions/cities. In some occasions, it is found that two or more academic or research libraries situated within a same sector/zone are paying reasonable amount of their budgets on duplicating expensive resources such as encyclopedias, subscription of same journals, costly foreign books and databases. Whereas, some unofficial and traditional pattern based on individual / personal contacts among the library professional are present. It is matter of deep concern that there is no realistic cooperation that exits within the libraries of a big organization for sharing of available resources as within a university library and libraries of its affiliated institutes / departments despite sharing resources between other libraries. Quaid-i-Azam University, Allam Iqbal Open University, International Islamic University and National University of Modern languages are some of the leading universities dealing with research and developmental activates in Islamabad other than varsities of private sector. Arid Agricultural University, National University of Science and Technology are also situated in the twin city Rawalpindi. Unfortunately, no formal system of interlibrary cooperation exists among these academic universities situated in the federal capital. Moreover, no furnished formal agreements, interlibrary loan policies, procedures, delivery schedules, terms of reference and statement of responsibilities etc. exits for reciprocal exchange of information resources among these libraries. There are a few well-resourced libraries where sharing of resources with other libraries can greatly help to solve the disparity of resources among libraries. However, it is appealing to quote that these universities have been found to involve in processing interlibrary transaction in some forms. International Islamic University (IIU) has informal ILL arrangements within university with its all libraries e.g. Shaira Academy Library, Dawa Academy Library, Faculty of Management Sciences/Applied Sciences Library, International Institute of Islamic Economics Library and Women Campus library. IIU has no formal agreement with other library. Fortunately, IIU entrains ILL requests for transactions from different institutions such as Fatima Jinnah Women University, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Islamic Ideological Council, Federal Shariat Court, Federal Public Services Commission and Attorney General of Pakistan. ILL transactions from IIU in the year 2004 are 50 (approx) (source Zia-ur-Rehman, Librarian, IRI). Interlibrary transactions from Central Library, Allama Iqbal Open University are quite amazing for the year 2004 showing zero requests for transaction while in 2003 about 23 transactions were furnished. (Source Mr. Hamid Khan, Jr. C.C. AIOU) PROPOSED ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI ACADEMIC LIBRARIES NETWORK (ISRAALIBNET) Last decade has witnessed tremendous growth and development in higher education sector resulting establishment of numerous public and private sectors universities not only all over the country but also at the Islamabad/Rawalpindi. However, there is legitimate need to develop Local Information Network OR Consortium of Islamabad/Rawalpindi Academic Libraries Network (ISRAALIBNET) to link all the university libraries in the twin cities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi. This network/consortium can play a vital role in laying foundation for future resource sharing activities in this region. This Network could be restrained among public sector libraries alone or may assume joint venture of public and private sector libraries meeting the mutually agreed legal requirements. Following table presents a glimpse of public and private universities/institutes situated at Islamabad/Rawalpindi. This network / consortium of academic libraries would be a recognition of fact that a group of libraries having combined set of resources that could be greater than the resources of any single member. Moreover, this initiative would be a milestone for nationwide libraries. INFORMAL ILL TRANSACTIONS FROM CENTRAL LIBRARY, QUAID-I-AZAM UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD As said earlier, situation of library cooperation amongst libraries of the same organizations is also quite alarming rather than libraries of a region, city, and nation. The example of our own university, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad will affirm this statement that even the students of its affiliated institutes e.g. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, National Institute of Psychology, Area Study Centre and other affiliated institutes, situated in the same campus could not enjoy access to the resources of same university due to various administrative reasons like have no formal legal agreement for inter library cooperation, etc. Besides having a central library, e.g. Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial (DRSM) Library of QAU, all institutes which are administratively part and parcel of same university and exits within the main university campus. Other institutes interestingly posses their own independent libraries. They are not aware of resources available within the libraries of same university rather to share them. There was no formal approval, agreement or Interlibrary loan practice code, etc. In October, 2001, QAU’s Library Committee granted approval for Interlibrary loan facility to those libraries who wanted to maintain cooperation on reciprocal basis. It is interesting to quote that no table of reference has been devised till now for interlibrary cooperation. A list of 10 institutions of Islamabad/Rawalpindi was approved in this meeting. These institutions are: 1. Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad 2. Dr. A.Q. Khan Research Laboratory, Kahuta, Islamabad 3. Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi 4. International Islamic University, Islamabad 5. National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad 6. National Documentation and Library Information Network, Islamabad 7. National Library of Pakistan, Islamabad 8. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad 9. Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad. 10. Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Center, Islamabad Comparative statement of Inter library transactions extended from Central library (Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial Library), Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad to different Islamabad /Rawalpindi based institutions for last five years is as under: ILL TRANSACTIONS FROM CENTRAL LIBRARY, QUAID-I-AZAM UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD 2000-2004 YEAR AIOU IIU DR. AQ LABS FPSC PINSTECH PIDE PASTIC MISC. 2000 0 0 0 0 3 5 4 3 2001 4 1 0 0 0 3 8 1 2002 4 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 2003 1 0 6 0 0 8 0 5 2004 1 0 5 3 0 0 1 0 Total 10 1 14 4 5 16 13 9 ROLE OF THE NATIOAN LIBRARY: EXPECTATIONS AND GROUD REALITIES The role of National Library is not at all satisfactory as for as the issue of interlibrary cooperation is concerned. National library, as a central organization, was duly expected to lead nationwide libraries and documentation centers from side to side planning, documentation and initiative on inter-library cooperation and resource sharing among the libraries. But it could not realize its role as the main library of the nation and could not provide basic plans for operating cooperative projects. POOLING OF E-JOURNALS THROUHG NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY PROGRAMME OF HEC (2004) Higher Education Commission took an initiative to launch National Digital Library Programme aimed to provide exclusive access to thousands of full text, online, peer –reviewed, pooled e-journals equally distributed to all participating universities and institutions. This programme is almost based on real aspiration of nationwide libraries and information resources centers. This programmes aims to support the capacity building in the research sector in developing and transitional countries by strengthening the production, access and dissemination of information and knowledge. Through the Digital library Programme, universities, colleges, non-profitable research institutes and organization have gained seamless access to over 18,000 full text online international academic journals from some of the world’s top publishing houses. Through this programme, 88 public and private sector universities, 14 affiliated institutions, and 18 non-profit R&D institutions have gained exclusive access to these electronic online journals. The HEC has also entered into a collaborative programme with National Academy of Sciences (USA) to enhance the content of the Digital Library resources. The project involves the acquisition of Scientific literature and academic journals from American Scientific Societies such as American Chemical Society, American Physical Society and American Institutes of Physics to meet the specific information requirements of the research sector in universities in Pakistan. In order to maximize the use of this vast range of resources, ad to ease cross-source searching the HEC has been working with INASP and Lund University Libraries (Sweden) for the installation of revolutionary, the Electronic Library Information Navigation (ELIN) system. This system will allow the high speed searching across the full range of resources available through Digital Library Programme, through one unified user-friendly web interface. To provide the necessary electronic information resources to higher educational libraries of our country, the initiative of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad is highly commendable. HEC recognized the importance of most sophisticated electronic resources for the socioeconomic development of Pakistan. PAKISTAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK (PERN) PROJECT : A SHIFT TOWARDS LINKAGE OF UNIVERSITIES In the present age of information explosion, there has been a growing problem with the collection development, processing, storage and dissemination of information. So for as, the computerization and networking of higher education institutions is concerned, the condition of Public Sector Universities is rather improving. However, these universities have been supported through Pakistan Educational Research Network (PERN) project and Universities Computerization Initiatives of Higher Education Commission. These institutions have not only been provided adequate computing facilities but also connectivity to the INTERNET. HEC has exploited considerable efforts in strengthening higher education institutions with basic infrastructures such as departmental Internet labs connected with fiber optic to coping up the electronic information resources secured through National Digital Library Programme. Fortunately, the establishment of networking systems in some of the higher educational institutions is presently underway. “The PERN Network is now a reality, connecting 58 universities, and when fully deployed will connect all the public and private sector universities of Pakistan to each other. This Network provides the ideal platform to build and “Internet Compatible” truly real-time transfer of audio and vide, multimedia-enabled lectures, remote research partnership and many other applications hitherto unknown.” It is evidence that HEC has taken a commendable step by initiating the PERN project to address the information needs of researchers in institutions across the country with the provision of high quality international academic databases via electronic delivery. This praiseworthy step will not only provide support for bridging academic and research libraries through electronic communication but will also become a promise of immense progress towards opening new windows and vistas for interlibrary cooperation and coordination. The HEC undertook a wide range of activities aimed at improving the academic and research libraries with understanding of information and communication technologies. This would contributes to the sustainable information growth and well-being and HEC will play a vital role in the shift towards knowledge based pooling and distributing the information access to support the research and development sectors. CONCLUSION: - Due to various administrative bottle necks e.g. losses, mutilation, untimely return, ownership right debate etc. are the major impediment towards a practical ILL activity. In the presence of these bottlenecks the ILL concepts is not expected to takeoff as librarians lack sufficient administrative authority in policy making. In case of losses they alone are held responsible. Even then they are cooperating maximally to fulfill the ILL and R&D needs. Realizing the very same, DRSM Library, Qauid-i-Azam University has been extending library resources to other organization on interlibrary loan since early 1989s. The conditions of public sector universities are being improved as these universities have been supported through PERN project and universities computerization initiatives of Higher Education Commission. About 55 pubic sector universities have already been provided connectivity to the Internet and Digital Library Programmes. This connectivity offers the ideal platform to establish interlibrary cooperation and collaboration amongst libraries of like nature starting from same city, region/province to nationwide. This network would not only address the information needs of researchers of academic and research institutions across the country via electronic delivery but will also provide support for bridging academic and research libraries through electronic communication and will open new windows and vistas for interlibrary cooperation and coordination. The need of the time is to address the traditional self-sufficiency role of libraries and to set a platform for an analysis of new, more cooperative and collaborative roles for libraries as information houses. Further more, the librarians and information managers have significant challenge to ascertain agreements for reciprocal transactions of materials and required information, skills and technologies as per mutually devised statement of responsibilities, code of practice, and terms of reference etc. so as to negate the common notion of resource sharing as often talked and a seldom practiced concept. Bibliography : 1. 1st Meeting on Interlibrary Loan System for Islamabad. Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad: 1993. 2. Atta-ur-Rehman. “An outline of our efforts in the expansion of higher education” Dawn. Vol. LIX. No.94, Islamabad. http://DAWN.com. April, 7, 2005 3. Balakrishnan, N. Emerging communication technologies and the society. New Delhi : Narosa Publishing House, 2000. 4. Feather, John and Sturges, Paul. International Encyclopaedia of Information and library Science. London: Rutledge, 1997. 5. Inter Library Loan : Practice Code. Lahore Business and Economics Libraries Netowk. Lahore : 1991. 6. Inter Library Loan File (Circulation Section), DRSM Library, QAU, Islamabad: 7. Inter library Loan. File No.6-4 (L). DRSM Library, QAU. (1988-2005) 8. Kamran Naeem. “The digital library programme” Dawn. Vol. LIX. No.94, Islamabad. http://DAWN.com. April, 7, 2005 9. Kawatra, P. S. 2000 Plus : Library and information systems in the twenty first century. New Delhi : Crest Publishing Houses, 2000. 10. Library Committee Meeting. File No.31 (L) DRSM Library, QAU, Islamabad: 31-10-2001 11. M. Khurshid Alam, S. A. Naqvi, and Azra Qureshi. “Role of Libraries and librarians in the new millennium” Pakistan Library Bulletin. XXXI (3-4) 12. Muhammad Ramzan “Utilization levels and librarians’ attitude toward information technology (IT): Application in Academic and Research libraries in Pakistan” Pakistan Library Bulletin XXXiii, Sept-Dec. 2002. 13. National Library of Korea: Annual Report 2003. The National Library of Korea, Seoul : 2004. *Cataloguer/Classifier, Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial Library, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. e-mail: [email protected] **Chief Librarian, Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Memorial Library, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad This paper was read at National Workshop on Resource Sharing and Networking of Libraries and Documentation Centres organized by National Agriculture Research Centre, PARC, Islamabad from 11-15 April, 2005.

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