The Internet as an Enabler for Information and Resource Sharing in Libraries

Abstract

Access to information is a fundamental right to all citizens and information seeks in particular. We live in a time where the level of  utilization of information has become the yardstick to determine a country's economic strength and advancement. No library can  effectively satisfy the information needs of its patrons from available resources in its collections. Hence, libraries have to resort to resource sharing. Resource sharing in this digital era comprise of the interaction by which a library makes its resources available to the  patrons of other libraries upon request. The advent of the Internet has enabled libraries to practice resource sharing effectively especially  with functional digital library. The major advantage with the Internet stems from willingness to share information with others  so that everyone can benefit. In the modern world of information explosion, the Internet has become a gateway for libraries and  information centres to enter into the electronic information era and provide information generated by different organizations,  institutions, research centres and individuals globally. No one can think of providing effective modern library service without Internet facilities. This treatise is an opinion paper, which tries to explore the concepts of resource sharing, Internet and how the Internet has  affected, influenced and impacted on operations of library and information services as the topmost among sharable utilities to libraries  and librarians, scholars, researchers and all those who may require any information.