Theoretical basis of library's network information service

First, the concept and types of modern library network information service

Information service industry is a new industry. According to its development history, it can be divided into traditional information service and modern information service. Network information service is an improved form of modern information service, and it is the general name of all information-related service activities carried out by modern information service institutions through the Internet.

The network information service of modern library is an activity that the library provides users with original information and processed effective information, knowledge and intelligence with the help of modern information technology and computer communication network. At present, the types of information services provided by modern libraries to users through the network mainly include the following aspects.

1. World Wide Web service

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a worldwide information network. The World Wide Web adopts hypertext and hypermedia technology, integrates online text, images, sounds, animations and other multimedia information, and provides users with network information with an intuitive graphical interface. The World Wide Web represents the mainstream of Internet information resources and is the darling of the Internet. Using a Web browser, we can jump from one file to another and from one web page to another through hyperlinks and Uniform Resource Locators (URL), so as to browse, find and obtain information resources of the World Wide Web easily and quickly. In addition, you can easily access many other types of network resources, such as newsgroups, FTP, gophers, WAIS and so on. Therefore, the World Wide Web is the most important, universal and extensive information service type on the Internet, and it is also the main type of network information service of various libraries at present (Table 2- 1).

Table 2- 1 Main types of library information services on the World Wide Web

2. File Transfer Protocol service

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a widely used communication protocol on the Internet. It is a collection of rules supporting Internet file transmission, which enables Internet users to copy files from one host to another, thus providing great convenience and benefits for users. FTP, like other Internet services, also adopts the client/server mode. There are countless files stored in thousands of FTP hosts on the Internet, which contain all kinds of information, data and software. As long as people know the host address of a specific information resource, they can use anonymous FTP login to obtain the required information. It is a good way for the library to open FTP service in the network information service, which is convenient for both readers and their own management. The FTP system of the library can require users to use e-mail addresses as passwords, so as to better track access. FTP hosts can only allow remote users to download files. In addition, FTP hosts can take other protective measures to protect themselves.

3. Email service

E-mail is another important information service mode on the Internet. It provides an extremely fast, simple and economical communication method for Internet users all over the world. Compared with ordinary letters, e-mail is very fast and easy to use, that is, write and send. Compared with telephone, e-mail is very economical to use and the transmission is almost free. It is precisely because of these advantages that hundreds of millions of users on the Internet have their own e-mail addresses, and e-mail has become the most used Internet application at present.

Since libraries want to provide extensive network information services, it is a natural move to provide e-mail services. But libraries can't provide free e-mail accounts like other websites, because it is neither necessary nor economical. Therefore, the library should open a paid e-mail service, and users can have a special e-mail provided by the library by paying a certain fee every year or once. Users can also receive electronic periodicals, electronic documents and various information of the library through this mailbox.

4. Online forums

Internet forum is the richest, freest and most open network information resource. It is the most popular way of information exchange on the Internet, which mainly includes: news networking group, mailing list, bulletin board system (BBS), discussion group, etc. (1) newsgroup. Newsgroup is a huge collection of information, which is subdivided into many groups according to categories. Each group focuses on people who are interested in a certain kind of information. Everyone can exchange ideas and discuss topics of common concern. Here, they can ask questions and answer other people's questions. When you are in trouble and need help, as long as you post help information in relevant groups, there will be enthusiastic experts to help you solve problems. ② Electronic forum. An e-forum is the e-mail address of a group of members, also known as an e-mail list or e-mail group. Using electronic forums, many people with the same interests can communicate with each other. Once you join an electronic forum, you can receive messages sent by other members of the group, or you can send messages to the forum, and Listeservs will forward the mail to other members of the group. 3 electronic bulletin. Bulletin board system is used to issue notices and messages and provide various information services, such as issuing meteorological information, public service information, campus information, legal advice, business information, etc. There are free public and commercial electronic announcements on the Internet. This is true for local users and users all over the world. On the electronic bulletin, users have personal accounts, which can not only browse the information published by others, but also publish their own information; You can not only ask questions to others, but also answer their questions; You can also participate in BBS online discussion.

5. Other types of services

In addition to the above four types of services that are most widely used on the Internet, different libraries can also provide services such as Gopher, WAIS, Archie, Whois, newsgroups, newsgroups, Finger and so on according to their own strength and user needs.

Second, the modern library network information service mode

The appearance of information superhighway and network information resources completely destroyed the traditional "pastoral" library model, and also brought new opportunities for the bottom-up development of libraries. In the era of knowledge economy, the demand for knowledge in social production is getting stronger and stronger, and the traditional library service model has been seriously impacted, which has prompted fundamental changes in the traditional mechanism and operation, and the embryonic form of a new service model has emerged. The service work of the library has changed from meeting the needs of books and periodicals to meeting the needs of knowledge and information and developing services as its main functions. Under the network environment, library service has formed a new model, and its main features are as follows.

1. Open service mode

The library began to break through the fence, jump out of the fixed place, take the initiative to contact the society, get rid of the limitations of traditional document processing, collect, process, organize and serve information for the network environment, organize, control, select and disseminate information in a new way, and establish a radial open service system. For example, the National Library uses the network environment and facilities to expand the scope of readers and develop various network information services in electronic reading rooms. There are 500,000 to 600,000 readers browsing books online every day, which is dozens of times that of readers who come to the library to study every day.

2. Combination of paid service and free service.

Under the market economy system, in order to better serve the society and meet the information needs of readers, libraries have been recognized by the society and readers to carry out various types of paid information services while completing their work services. This can not only make up for the lack of state investment, but also promote the development space of library's self-survival.

3. Active duty

Facing the information demand of the society, the service of the library has begun to go out of the library and face the society, demand and door-to-door service. While doing a good job in position service, librarians actively contact users, understand the needs, adopt new service methods, and actively serve readers.

4. Target service

With the development of society and the establishment of information society, libraries began to break through the traditional service mode, closely combined with social needs, provided characteristic services and targeted services, and constantly improved the satisfaction rate of readers. For example, the National Library has strengthened its service for government legislative decision-making. During the "two sessions" in recent years, it has provided 24-hour all-round services. Recently, I contacted the state organs and the libraries of various ministries and commissions to provide various information services and actively provide special consultation services on policies and regulations. Shanghai Library actively provides government agencies with macro-decision information such as urban construction and market development on a regular basis. In view of the economic development of Hebei Province, Zhejiang Library actively provides information consulting services for large enterprises.

5. Diversified services

Modern libraries are user-centered and provide services on demand, getting rid of the traditional service mode and abandoning the single, repetitive, passive and trivial manual services. Change "pure service" into "service management", push services to the market, and carry out information deep processing, such as agent retrieval, agent retrieval, agent translation, agent program, agent replication, online retrieval, CD retrieval, online catalog query, online thematic information service, etc. The scope and carrier of providing information sources are wider. Libraries have changed from document collectors and service providers to producers, developers and providers of information products.

6. Knowledge-intensive labor

The information society needs the deep processing of information. The library began to process from document units to customized units. The service of library has changed from simple borrowing service to multi-level information consulting service. More staff engage in information organization, directly participate in the market, become information technology experts, and increase their intellectual input in every link of information service. A new type of library information service personnel came into being, becoming "online information source", "online navigator" and "online surfer".

7. Industrial service organizations

With the development of market economy, the original public libraries, professional libraries, school libraries and other institutions have changed from simple public welfare to service institutions with public welfare as the mainstay and business as the supplement. Among the new information service organizations, the production and management of information products are the main ones, and business-oriented service organizations have emerged. For example, China Institute of Science and Technology Information, Wan Fang Data Company and Shenzhen Library Integration Software Company.

Third, the development trend of library network information service

The disorder of information and the diversity of users' needs will be the main problems that libraries have to face in the future. Facing the complicated network information, the focus of library work will shift to providing better services for library users and meeting users' needs more pertinently.

1. Personalized library

The personalized needs of information users vary greatly. In the modern society that publicizes individuality, people hope that they can combine various service modes at any time to meet their specific needs, instead of being limited by standardized or package service methods. This makes the network information service must be personalized. In a sense, the core of personalized library is personalized service. The development of personalized service is based on the full understanding of user information. Personal library integrates all users' information, and is actually a personal homepage, which is mainly divided into two functional modules: library service module and personal information module. Users can operate these two functional modules according to their own needs, and select or delete needed or unnecessary service items. At the same time, users can also choose the page style and tone according to their own preferences, thus forming a friendly personalized interface.

2. Interactive online consultation system

With the popularity of the Internet, the way for libraries to accept and answer consulting questions has expanded from face-to-face traditional consulting methods to online consulting services. There are two ways to consult online: one is to submit a form. That is, the user submits the question to the library staff in the form of spreadsheet, and the library staff sends the answer to the question to the user's mailbox by email, thus completing a consultation. The biggest disadvantage of this method is its poor effect, which may not solve the user's problems in the first time. At the same time, users may not get the perfect answer to the question in one consultation process, thus forming a second consultation and a third consultation, wasting users' time and energy. The second is real-time consultation, that is, users communicate with library staff in time to answer questions. The general mode is: users consult library staff, administrators accept users' requests, and the two sides talk through instant messaging software or chat rooms until users' problems are solved.

3. Update information announcement

The system provides users with the latest information notifications in a specific time, such as the latest network information that users need, such as the arrival of new books in the library and the expiration of books, and sends them to users through SMS or email to save users' time.

4. Integrated information services

In today's era of information explosion, those single and scattered information contents no longer attract people's attention. Only by deeply processing, summarizing and sorting many scattered information resources to the maximum extent, making them orderly, centralized, precise and professional, and becoming a collection of information, can we reflect the true value of information and truly meet the needs of information users. In addition to the demand for information resources integration, information users also have diversified demands for information types and information media. For example, the demand for information types is not limited to text information, and various types of information such as numbers, images, videos and software are also favored by various types of users. Therefore, integration will be an important mode for modern libraries to provide information services.

5. Rich service content

Rich network information resources make modern libraries have more and more new services, such as ordering and consulting network information, searching and transmitting network information, processing database and making network products, and educating and training users' network knowledge. Through these brand-new services, the library has found its own new living space. With the continuous development of high-tech such as network technology and computer technology, the content of information service will undergo greater changes, bringing greater vitality to modern libraries.

6. Network service mode

With the continuous development of high-tech such as network technology and computer technology, the passive service mode of the library is out of date, and the network information service should be open and electronic. Users can connect with any computer anywhere and express their needs by contacting the one-way service department. At the same time, the settlement method of service fee will also change from traditional remittance and face-to-face payment to online direct payment. Users only need to use credit cards to complete the payment process through online banking.