FACTORS FUELING HEAVY DEMAND FOR INFORMATION

Information is an assemblage of data that has been processed, has meaning, can be used to communicate and is usually recorded in a kind of media for purposes of dissemination. According to Wikipedia.org information is defined as a collection of related data that has been processed into a format that is understandable by its intended users.
Information has become a critical aspect of our lives and the society at large; therefore, each and every person must acquire information to make any substantial developments in their lives. This has provoked an urge to seek information in almost each and every person in the society today. This urge is driven by certain factors of our lives and some of them include:

• Population increase.
  
• Education
  
• Emerging issues
  
• Technological advancements
  
• Natural disasters and pandemics
  
• Religion
  
• Administration
  
• Employment
  
• Intellectual curiosity
  
• General needs
  

1. Population increase:

It refers to the growth in number of people living in a given geographical area.
An increase in the number of people living in a given region directly translates to an increase in the number of people seeking for information.
This comes about due to several factors that emerge as a result of population increase; administrators of the population will develop information seeking behavior for the reasons of satisfying their people in their administrative roles. This may be in terms of food security, housing problems and congestion on social amenities. Ordinary people in society will also seek information to help them solve their personal problems that may include food scarcity, higher unemployment rates, increased insecurity, poor housing facilities among a host of many other problems. In the end, population increase drives people to start seeking information whereas the experienced information consumers will increase their demand for information to satisfy their increased demands for information.

2. Education:

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th ed., 2005) education, refers to the formal system of teaching training and learning especially in schools and colleges to improve knowledge and acquire skills. These knowledge and skills are considered fundamental in society and the well being of an individual.
In the teaching process, instructors require knowledge and information to prepare for their lessons and material for dissemination to their students.

Students also require information to expound on what they have been taught in class so as to expand their knowledge base. Students have also been noted to seek more information during examination periods so as to excel in evaluation of what they have learnt.
They also seek information when undertaking research projects e.g. when writing theses or dissertations for partial awarding their degrees. Faculty members are also constantly engaged in research with the purpose of expanding knowledge in their areas of specialization. All these requires for a constant demand for information.
Introduction of new curriculum and fields of knowledge in an education system would also call for one to get more information for purposes of remaining relevant and up to date the requirements of the new system.

It has also been noted that many a times, education stimulates curiosity in people and the urge to seek more information about a subject that he/she has been introduced to in class and finds it more interesting and worth spending more time to read and learn more about it. Furthermore, education increases literacy levels in the society. This also directly translates to more people in society seeking for information because literate people are better known to consume more information than the illiterate. In its entirety, education generates a great demand for information as the system is in itself dependent on dissemination and acquisition of information.

3. Emerging issues:

These refer to new developments and emergence of various aspects that draw a substantial amount of interest to people in society. This may also involve current affairs that draw a lot of interest from the public, for instance the publication of the draft constitution at the time of this writing has generated unprecedented interest and there are a lot of people currently who are seeking information about this document and its contents.

The emergence of diseases that have never ailed humanity in the past and other calamities is another factor that draws a lot of demand for information. For instance the occurrence of H1N1 (swine flu) and H5N1 (avian flu) sparked a lot of people both in the research field, doctors and even administrators to seek information concerning management and treatment of these new strains of flu. Occurrences of disasters like the Tsunami that rocked Asia and other parts of the world also sparked a lot of people into seeking information about mitigation of such events should they recur in future. From a general aspect, emerging issues are constantly generated in the society and therefore will continue to draw a lot of demand for information.

4. Technological advancements:

This refers to improvements experienced in the field of information technology such as advanced computer systems with superior capabilities that generate information in a timely and more effective way than previous systems.
The field of information technology is a very dynamic one. People in this field e.g. computer engineers and technicians constantly require information to find out what new developments have come about that can help them better render their services to people in other fields.
Technological advancements have also been accredited with improved systems of acquiring and disseminating information to people. Therefore, more people are able to access and disseminate information.
Information consumers are also faced with the need to acquire technical knowhow of using information technology systems as information is largely disseminated through these systems. For them to be able to use these systems effectively, they also need information on how to use and navigate their way around the digital environment. Similarly, information custodians will also need information concerning operation and usability of various systems for them to be well positioned to assist their clients during retrieval of information. The dynamic nature of the field of information technology is therefore an important contributor to a heavy demand for information as people from all walks of life are constantly exposed to new developments in the field every day.

5. Natural disasters and pandemics:

These are usually, uncontrollable natural occurrences that cause extensive destruction of both property and human lives. Some examples of natural disasters include hurricanes Katrina in places like New Orleans, San Francisco in the USA. This creates demand for information in the sense that people who are probable victims will seek to know when they are likely to strike so they can plan and stay when they are prepared to mitigate anticipated damage.

Droughts and long rain seasons e.g. Elnino rains too are a threat to the well being of humanity and therefore have also contributed to the demand for information. For instance, this is probably the reason why weather forecasters constantly analyze weather patterns and disseminate information concerning expected weathers patterns. In situations of drought and hunger information is sought by administrators to determine how many people and from which regions will require attention. People will also seek information concerning availability of food and how to have food security in future. All these factors combined will eventually lead to an increased demand for information because are constantly wary of natural disasters and pandemics and aiming to stay safe from them.

6. Religion:

It refers to the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being or beings and the practice of all that involve the worshiping of this Supreme Being. Religion is one other factor that creates demand for information in society. This is because people need reliable information that will enhance a better understanding of God and also help to strengthen their faith and beliefs. This helps to attain an inner satisfaction and a state of well being.

Some people also need information to defend their faith and beliefs. For instance, a Christian might need information and even quote from the Bible to drive a point home when trying to convince people concerning a certain claim. Similarly, a Muslim may quote the Quran to drive his point home. The great demand for information on religious matters is also supported by the fact that the Bible is the world’s most published and widely read book and has the least reprography restrictions. The fact that religious information is required by people from all walks of life and at all levels of development means that religious information is disseminated and consumed both in social and educational circles.

7. Administration:

It refers to the government system of exercising power over its subjects within a given geographical area.
Population increase and growth in complexity of the society brings about the need for administration.
It involves application of laws and regulations that determine how people co-exist peacefully with each other in society. Administrators require information concerning such facts as the number of people within their jurisdiction for better service delivery and planning for the people. This explains why the government of Kenya conducts a national census on a periodical basis of every 10 years to obtain the actual head count of its people.

The ordinary people also need information concerning the government’s policies and regulations some of which include taxation requirements or duties and responsibilities bestowed upon the citizenry by the government of the day.
Both administrators and their subjects are thus a major factor that contributes to the heavy demand for information as information is a primary requirement in their day to day endeavours.

EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

THE advent of information technology has generated a lot of anxiety and a heated debate ensued in the publishing industry. The ongoing debate on the fate of the traditional book and the entire publishing industry the world over is indeed very polarised. However, an impartial scrutiny of the discussion and information available on the topic reveals that the socio-economic impacts of information technology on the industry are both positive and negative. Even as the society becomes increasingly techno-savvy, the traditional book shall still retain its place upon the upsurge of information technology.

THE publishing industry was in itself born of information technology. When Johannes Guttenberg (a German inventor) first invented the printing press in Europe in 1440AD, this was a major step in information technology. This invention gave birth to the printed word. The publishing industry as we know of it today had just begun. As the use of the new invention spread across Europe and eventually the entire world, a great demand for paper never witnessed before ensued. This gave rise to the paper industry, a major player in the publishing industry. Consequently, jobs were being created and the basic infrastructure laid for the modern publishing industry we know of today.

IN most of the world’s developing countries like Kenya, the printed word played a major role in the introduction of modern religion to the pagan societies as the missionaries called them. When Ndia Kuu, Swahili for Highway Press, was put up as East Africa’s first publishing house in the 1940s it mainly churned out religious materials used in spreading the gospel. At this time, most of the materials were in black and white. Neither the publisher nor the readers were feeling any adverse effects of this technology.

HOWEVER, the invention and introduction of computers into the publishing world was a major turning point. At this point, the mechanical printing press was computerised and all around the publishing house, systems were automated. Major players at this time only feared for job losses just as was the case in many other industries. To many, liberalisation brought about by information technology was unforeseen.

TO publishers and authors, the publishing process has been simplified a great deal. The authors’ process of preparing a manuscript is now more efficient than ever before as he can now write and pre-edit the manuscript and electronically mail it to the publisher. For the publisher, editing is much easier now. A word processer program (like Ms word ) will electronically save the manuscript and the editor will make as much adjustments on the text as he/she wants without having to retype the work and reprint the whole work all over again.

NOT to forget, technology has made work much easier for the people in the production department. Technology now allows the production department to run out many copies of a text at speed never witnessed before. Initially the printing press had to be physically attended to by a technician who would then set the number of copies to be run and adjusting text alignment. Today, a desktop publishing program like Adobe page maker that enables one to entirely use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) will allow one to do all these in the comfort of their chair on a keyboard. This phenomenon also applies to running out of reprints. This will come about when a publisher has sold out all copies of a title when there is still demand for it in the market.

TECHNOLOGY has further eased the process of disposing of of published materials. Numerous online facilities have come up and made it easier for publishers to market their titles via the internet. This has resulted to improved sales. Using the World Wide Web technology, avenues like e-bay and bookfinder.com have made it possible for publishers to sell their work worldwide. In close relation, books journals and periodicals have been published online. This has given rise to universal availability of publications (UAP). With this development, one can remotely access information from a journal or a digitized book without necessarily having the physical form of the resource material. This is indeed cost effective to the reader and to the publisher because it cuts out on the distribution costs of published materials.

FURTHERMORE, it can’t be disputed that information technology has pulled down production cost of information resources in the publishing industry. Apart from cutting down on the distribution costs, it has also cut down the use of massive amounts of paper in the industry. This is friendly to the environment and cost effective all at a go.

IT should also be noted that the upsurge of information technology into the publishing world has resulted to emergence of different formats of packaging information. Unlike the traditional book we know of today, the blind can now read using Braille and also listen to books “talk.” All shrewd publishers in the industry have embraced these developments and information packaging formats have evolved a great deal. These include audio books on magnetic tapes and optic disks popularly known as CD's and DVD s. These formats are less bulky and take up lesser storage space. Thus, it is much easier for information custodians to maintain them than it is for the traditional book.

IN the recent past, developments in online social networking have brought about uncertainty to many publishers. Even though social networking sites have been converted to marketing avenues by some shrewd publishers, doomsayers have foretold doom for publishers in a very near future. The doomsayers of the traditional book have cited death of the reading culture especially among the young generation. Apart from being marketing avenues, publishers can also use these sites (facebook.com, twitter.com, myspace.com etc) to create reading groups where people can discuss with friends books they have read and even share ideas and views about different books.

IN persistence, the doomsayers have cited a host of many other problems inflicted on the publisher by the advent of information technology. For instance, information technology is very expensive. With all the efficiency in the book production process, the average book has never cost as much as it does today. This is probably due to the high cost of infrastructure needed to automate the book production process. This involves purchase of expensive computer hardware and programs. It also involves training of professional information technology specialists whose services are very expensive. All these eventually lead to high production costs.

IN almost every society, there is an increasing demand for intellectual and information freedom. Censorship, banning of books and certain writers’ articles in papers and harassment of government critics, is today being fought (almost successfully) using information technology. Liberalization of the publishing industry through the internet now allows all sorts of writers to get published with an unlimited audience to read their works, either good or bad according to any
standards. This has however, greatly eroded the reserved African culture and norms. Today for example, pornography is being generated and used at a rate never witnessed before, all in the name of intellectual freedom and right to information.

IN the same spirit of intellectual freedom and right to information, piracy of copyrighted materials has undergone tremendous growth, all because of information technology advancements. Music publishers (producers) and their artistes have borne the brunt of this vice. With all the computers around, DVD writers, flash disks and mobile handsets all reinforced with the Bluetooth technology, it is hard to come by an individual who will spend a dime to purchase an original copy of music especially among the informed young generation. In the book industry, the number of unauthorised reprography of copyrighted material has skyrocketed. This is because of photocopiers and printers stationed at every stage one desire s to find one. Ironically it is the higher institutions of learning that have been accused to be the biggest perpetrators. Just because of these technological advancements, copyright holders have lost billions of their hard earned royalties to undeserving pirates.

IN the world of entertainment, technology has been accused of adversely affecting the publishing industry. Even though the internet, radio and TV have always been used by publishers for marketing books, things are still not looking up yet for the publisher. The internet radio and TV are taking up all the time people would use to read. Long time ago people who wanted to be entertained went to theatres or picked up a book and read. Today, the internet radio and TV have taken up all this time altogether. Today’s generation is ever on the lookout for the best TV, radio or internet site. There seems to be an unlimited liberty for entertainment sources for one to choose from. If one is boring you simply switch to a more interesting one. Books come a long way down the list of entertainment sources. This is killing the reading culture. It directly translates to lower revenues and it is feared some publishers could be edged out of business in a very near future.

FURTHERMORE, established publishers in many countries have all throughout their existence been dependent on text book publishing. With the lucrative business in the textbook market, they heavily relied on schools for their survival. However, today almost every book is being digitized. Companies like Google Inc. have taken it upon themselves to create a database of digital books whereby every book considered to be of interest to the USA shall be digitized.In fact today,one can search digital text of over 7 million books through Google Books according to www.books.google.com. Almost every book being published today comes with an audio or digital version. Many schools are likely to adopt the digital versions due to their cost effectiveness and efficiency when using them. In such a case, many publishers of paper books will have to be creative or find alternative means of staying afloat in business.

IT is also true that information in a book is very hard to update, is prone to wear and tear and books carry a very limited amount of information as compared to today's digital versions. However, one set-back that comes with digital information is that it is absent in absence of power. One can not access it without electricity. In many developing countries, this is a major challenge as electricity is still an elusive phenomena to a majority. In this case, people in these remote parts of the world are still reading the traditional paper book and their schools too, will continue buying the text book for a very long time.

FINALLY, we may accept that technology has dealt a big blow to the publishing industry. However, it is not true that the publishing industry and the traditional book shall be phased out in the hands of information technology. At least, not for now. This is because the effects caused are both positive and negative, in fact the two can be viewed to be in existence symbiotically,each shouldering another accordingly.

LIBRARY AUTOMATION: IMPLEMENTATION OF CDS/ISIS AND KOHA

THE OPAC SYSTEM ON CDS/ISIS

The current Moi library OPAC system does not operate on any network system. This is because when new materials are acquired, they have to be entered one by one into every computer system as they are not connected to a single database in a server from which the rest of the computers can access. This means that one cannot search the library catalogue if he/she is not using one of the terminals in the library. The OPAC system only shows those materials which the library has acquired and does not show the searcher if an item is out of the library on loan. This current OPAC system is run by CDS/ISIS (controlled database system/integrated set of information systems) which is a software developed by UNESCO in 1985 to meet the expressed needs of libraries to be able to streamline their information processing activities by using modern technology in a less expensive way. The Moi library previously used DOs before switching to Windows. Other libraries using CDS/ISIS have the capacity of running the software on other multiple web based platforms like Unix, Linux, Mac OS X or on C-ROM.
STEPS TAKEN IN IMPLEMENTING THE OPAC SYSTEM
1. The library began by identifying the need for library automation.
2. Determining the relevant requirements installing the OPAC system i.e. hardware, software, human resource and finances.
3. Drawing a plan for the work flow of the system.
4. Real installation of the system. The library hired about 60 skilled personnel who were specialized in different library activities like cataloguing, acquisition and circulation. This also included retrospective conversion of the old card catalogue format to machine readable format. This was done by temporary personnel who typed the entries into computer databases which took about a year to complete.
5. The process of cataloguing new collections and retrospective conversion of already catalogued materials was done co-currently
This whole process of installing the CDS/ISIS system took about two years.
THE OPAC SYSTEM ON KOHA
However, the Moi library is in the process of installing a new open-source Integrated Library system (ILS) called KOHA that is currently distributed by Strathmore University in Kenya. This will allow the Moi library catalogue to be searched online. The KOHA software system was previously developed in the New Zealand by Katipo Communications Ltd and first deployed for use in Jan. 2000 according to koha.org.
FEATURES OF AN IDEAL ILS
A COMPETENT ILS system is vital in the process of carrying out library automation. It may include features such as:

1. Simple and clear user interface.
   
   
2. Circulation and borrower management system.
   
   
3. A full acquisitions system including budgets and pricing information with supplier currency conversion.
   
   
4. The ability to cope with an unlimited number of branches patrons, item categories, currency and other varied data.
   
   
5. Serials control system.
   
   
6. Reading list for patrons
   
   

The Moi library intends to implement this system which will finally be accessible via the IP address 192.168.3 or for easy remembrance, www.maktaba.Ku.ac.ke.. This will allow logged in users to access services such as:

1. Search the library catalogue online.
   
   
2. Reserving or putting a book on hold online.
   
   
3. Checking when a book is due for returning or extending time for overdue books online.
   
   
4. Checking out accumulated debt for long overdue books.
   
   For logged in librarians the software will allow them to:

1. To do copy cataloguing and classification, If subscribed, from the library of congress
   
   
2. Send mail to other staff members using the same system
   
   
3. Maintain user profiles for better service delivery e.g. seeing a readers borrowing history.
   
   
4. Maintain an automatic charging system for long overdue books by each user.
   
   The OPAC system is vital in the carrying out the various functions of the Moi library. It has become easier for users of the Moi library to retrieve materials from the library by only keying in the fundamental characters. But in Moi library the CDS/ISIS is the most used since it is easily available and most users are conversant with use of computers.