Analysis on Information Literacy among the Faculty and Students of Arts and Science College Libraries: Madurai District

Abstract

Many predict that the digital age will wipe public bookshelves clean, and permanently end the centuries-old era of libraries. As libraries' relevance comes into question, librarians face an existential crisis at a time when students need them the most. Despite their perceived obsolescence in the digital age, both libraries and librarians are irreplaceable for many reasons. The amazing amount of useful information on the web has, for some, engendered the false assumption everything can be found online. It's simply not true. A fundamental understanding of what the internet is and isn't can help clearly define the role of a library, and why libraries are still extremely important. Online library collections, however, are different. They typically include materials that have been published via rigorous editorial processes and are riddled with quantitative analysis, instead of opinion. Types of materials include books, journals, documents, newspapers, magazines and reports which are digitized, stored and indexed through a limited-access database. A library is a treasure-house of knowledge. A well-stocked library is an asset to the school, college, university or the neighborhood. A library has a librarian to guide and attend to the readers. Books are kept and arranged properly which makes the reader look for a particular book easily. A member of a library can borrow a few books for a particular period and take them home. It is the responsibility of the reader that no pages are torn. If he loses a book, he has to pay for the loss. Each academy has a library of its own. There are also neighborhood libraries and district libraries. It is a boon for poor students. Information technology has helped in improving the library facilities. However, the popularity of internet will not adversely affect the importance of a library. Books are man's best friends. They give him company equally in times of happiness as well as in times of distress. They are one of the main sources of knowledge. The best place for easy access to books is a library.