RESOURCE CENTRE MANUAL
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE
6.1 Advantages of computers
There are many advantages of using computers in larger resource centres, or
smaller resource centres that have a large number of periodicals, serve many
users based at a distance, or provide a wide variety of services. The main
advantages of computers are:
• more information sources
• more opportunities for cooperation and networking
• increased access to the information in the resource centre
• increased efficiency
• more services.
More information sources A computer with a CD-ROM drive can provide
access to materials stored on a CD-ROM, including databases (containing
descriptions of materials) and full-text (complete) materials. A computer linked
to a modem can provide access to information available via e-mail and other
Internet services, such as electronic newsletters and websites.
More opportunities for cooperation and networking A computer linked to a
modem makes it easier to communicate with other resource centres, via e-mail.
Sharing information among different resource centres can improve users’ access
to information and cut down duplication of effort.
Increased access to the information stored in the resource centre The main way
to search for materials using a catalogue card system is by author, title, and a
limited number of keywords. To add more keywords or other details would
require more cards. This would require more work, and the catalogue would
become larger and more difficult to keep up-to-date. A computer database
enables materials to be searched using more keywords, or using other details
such as series titles, publisher, year published or individual words from a title if
the full title is not known, all without extra work.
Increased efficiency Information stored on a computer database can be used for
different purposes. For example, details of materials entered onto a database
when ordering them can be used for a catalogue, simply by adding classification
numbers and keywords. The same records can be used to produce current
awareness bulletins or resource lists.
More services A computer can be used to ‘repackage’ information held on a
database, in the form of directories, resource lists or current awareness bulletins.
Information held on the computer or available via the Internet can be adapted to
produce locally relevant materials.
2 SECTION 6: COMPUTERS, ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND DATABASES