Benefits and Problems of Networking Participation: A Case Study of Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi

Time seems to be right for Indian libraries and information centres to join networks in greater numbers to overcome the issues such as budget constraints, information explosion, increase in cost of publications, and to utilize information available in machine-readable form worldwide. Telematics, the newly developed information technology - a combination of computers with telecmmunications - has been considered to be very promising technology for computer networking. Applications of Telematics in computer networking and its components have been discussed. Benefits of computer networking in terms of resource sharing, speed of information retrieval, retrenching the limit of the distance, etc. have been highlighted. Further experiences of Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, a premier R&D organisation engaged in a wide variety of research programmes on highway engineering and related subjects, using its own Local Area Network and other two networks, viz., DELNET and SIRNET have been discussed in terms of hardware, communication softwares, LAN components and utilities (e.g. peer to peer communication and E-mail). The use of LAN with client server architecture, its potential benefits in library automation such as inter-library loan, quick reference, catalogue search facility through E-mail, file transfer and correspondence with member libraries, and problems, namely, non-availability of databases at member libraries, standardization of information, security, limited staff and cost of hardware and software have been discussed in particular for library and information applications.