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Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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Access and Use of the Internet in the Libraries of Lahore, Pakistan
Komal Butt
University of the Punjab, Lahore
Pakistan
komallbutt@yahoo.com
Saima Qutab
Islamia University of Bahawalpur
Pakistan
saimaqutab83@gmail.com
Khalid Mahmood
University of the Punjab, Lahore
Pakistan
khalidmahmood@yahoo.com
Abstract: This study is to find out the level of the Internet access in libraries,
its uses by library staff and the problems regarding access and use of Internet
in libraries of Lahore, Pakistan. The research is based on primary data. A
structured questionnaire survey was conducted by (n=75) 48 academic
libraries (university and college), 21 special libraries, five public libraries
and one school library in the city of Lahore. Findings of the study may be
useful for policy makers to understand the status of the Internet access and its
need as well as for library schools to revise the curriculum to improve the
Internet skills of future librarians.
I. Introduction
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an indispensable tool in
reducing world poverty. ICT provides developing nations with an unprecedented opportunity
to meet vital development goals, such as poverty reduction, basic healthcare, education and
research, far more effectively than before. The unequal access to technology between groups
due to differences in demography, economic status, and locations, has been suggested to
affect worldwide globalization through Internet connectivity (Kamssu, 2004; UNDP, 2000).
It has become a challenge for librarians to prove the importance of libraries in the age of easy
access to the Internet. To meet this challenge, libraries take the initiative to use the Internet in
their public services and internal operations, and make the Internet an integral part of
library’s infrastructure.
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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Melchionda (2007) stated that the development of the Internet cast a profound impact on the
field of library and information science. It has involved processes, functions, services, media
and other information resources of the library as a whole.
Islam (2009) opined that the application of information technology (IT) in libraries is not a
sudden movement, but rather a product of continual development of telecommunications and
computer technologies.
The exact date of IT applications in libraries is not only unclear but also hard to trace, since
no authentic source on the subject is available in LIS literature. It can be said that the use of
the Internet in libraries began in the 1970’s. However, the use of the Internet to support
library functions was initially confined to online searching of databases in large systems such
as OCLC and RLIN for reference and interlibrary loan services.
Hundie (2003) stated that as information providers, libraries of all types, and documentation
and information centers should be the main beneficiaries of the enormous amount of Internet
resources that can be used to noticeably enhance the quality of their services and at the same
time to save time and money.
1. Access
Swift growth of Internet set the trend to offer the Internet facility for library staff and users
along with library’s fundamental services. Odero (2007) explored the Internet access in the
universities of Kenya since 1990s and found that in some universities computers connected to
the Internet were located in specific rooms under the management and staff needed clearance
from library management before using the Internet. Others charged their staff for the Internet
use and made sure the limited time access during lunch breaks or after working hours. He
also noticed that none of the libraries had proper training program for their staff and if so it
was mainly targeted to senior members. The Internet training had largely been left to the
individuals’ initiatives. Internet access in public libraries started almost in 1990’s like in other
libraries. Jaeger, Bertot, McClure and Rodriguez (2007) discussed that during 2004 and 2006,
98.9 percent of public library branches were connected to the Internet and 98.4 percent of
connected public library branches offered public Internet access in the United States.
However, there were differences in the amounts of access, the kinds of access, and
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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sufficiency of the access available to meet patron demands. Patrons and communities, and
now government organizations, relied on the fact that the Internet access would be available
to everyone who needed it.
2. Services
Libraries are using the Internet to support their fundamental functions and services:
acquisition, circulation, reference, classification, cataloguing and providing access to the
Internet as an independent service.
Bertot, McClure and Jaeger (2008) examined the ways in which public libraries’ Internet
access seemed to have direct impacts on their communities. These areas include technology
training and assistance, e-government service delivery, education resources, services for job
seekers, and disaster/emergency roles and services, among others.
Jones (2005) observed that reference services in academic libraries traditionally included
professional assistance with general reference questions, information-gathering, development
of research strategies, resource selection, and mediated database searching. However, the
distance reference services, rather than in a face-to-face transaction, called for more
“innovative approaches” with focus on the Internet services.
Marry (2005) believed that electronic reference services have rapidly replaced the traditional
face-to-face or telephone reference service. Libraries and librarians were perceived to
embody in connection with Internet services: lifelong learning, free access to information,
literacy, intellectual freedom, privacy, and services to underserved groups. They were also
seen as binding society together, providing a public space and protecting children. These
values were viewed as rooted in the past functions of libraries and attitude of librarians, as
well as being applicable in the age of the Internet (Luyt, 2006).
3. Training
Training of the Internet use for library staff and users is another component of libraries.
Education and public libraries arrange are especially keen to provide such services. However,
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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due to the variety of user communities, it seems difficult for libraries to cope with training
issues.
Webb (2002) investigated the Internet training programs for elderly people to bridge that part
of “digital divide” and found that 78 percent of the public libraries did not provide Internet
training specifically for elderly patrons due to the lack of staff and/or inadequate funding.
Styczynski (2002) examined the changes in the Internet training provided by a corporate
library and concluded that the job of librarians will be to stay on top of all the changes so that
they can effectively train the users of the future.
King (2006) observed that traditionally library staff have been trained on a “need-to-know”
basis, with an initial training concerning basic library procedures such as circulation, and
with additional training occurring as and when it is needed; such as training in the use of a
new catalogue or management system. In his study, he found that it became the number one
choice of library administration to have public library staff trained in ICT competency.
4. Issues related to Internet in Developing Countries
Libraries in developing countries face a number of problems in adopting new technologies.
Many authors have mentioned slow speed of the Internet, language difficulties, limited time
to access the web, information explosion and loss, copyright, access limitations, trust on
source authenticity and accuracy, high subscription costs, poor hardware, unskilled staff,
users’ inability to access the web, lack of awareness, etc. (Darries, 2003; Mugwisi & Ocholla,
2002; Saeed, Asghar, Anwar & Ramzan, 2000; Younis, 2002).
5. Internet in Pakistan
Pakistan is a developing country, facing many internal problems. The government of Pakistan
is struggling to develop ICT infrastructure to support research and education. But these
efforts are still at the beginning stage. Libraries in Pakistan are slow to respond to the new
advancements in society. The Internet was introduced in the non-commercial institutions of
Pakistan in 1995. The United Nations Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP)
developed the first e-mail service in Pakistan. In 1995, the government of Pakistan awarded
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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the Internet services licenses to 16 companies. In 1996, the ISPs started to provide the
Internet services in Pakistan. Digicom was the first Internet services provider in the country
connected at the speed of 64kbps (Mahmood, 2005). In June 2009, the Internet users in
Pakistan were estimated to be 18.5 million with 10.6 percent penetration rate (Internet World
Stats, 2009).
Pakistani libraries responded to the Internet technology more than a decade ago by providing
Internet access to their staff and users. Saeed et al. (2000) surveyed 40 university libraries of
Pakistan and found that 50 percent had Internet access, of which nine libraries were using
Internet for reference services; five for acquisitions, cataloguing and classification; two for
interlibrary loan; and four for document delivery. Growth of Internet in Pakistan increased in
the last seven years due to the governmental interest in basic IT infrastructure. Governmental
institutes, universities and their related libraries were provided with IT equipment and
Internet connections.
This study is to reveal the status of Internet access and use in all types of libraries as well as
issues faced by the library staff in Lahore, Pakistan.
II. Statement of the Problem
The Internet access and use can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of library services
and functions. It also affects the level, quality and compatibility of library services offered to
users. Internet has increased not only the quality of traditional library services but also has
made it possible for libraries to pioneer in new services in a constantly changing environment.
Today, it is considered the responsibility of libraries to provide the Internet facilities just like
books or any other informational sources. The government of Pakistan has taken initiatives to
promote ICT in public and private sector organizations such as Virtual University of Pakistan,
Higher Education Commission Digital Library, and fund for ICT utilization. Now many
libraries across the country have access to the Internet and they are using it for various
activities and services. But usually they do not have a clear vision about its importance and
usability for library functions. For the last two decades, use of the Internet has become an
integral part of Pakistani culture but still the output is not satisfactory.
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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This study not only presents the current level of access and use of the Internet in the libraries
of Lahore but also aims at increasing awareness about the importance and ways of using the
Internet to enhance library activities and services.
III. Objectives of Study and Research Methods
The study was conducted to achieve the following objectives:
1. To find out the level of the Internet access in the libraries of Lahore
2. To determine for which purposes the Internet was being used
3. To find out issues related to access and use of the Internet in libraries
The scope of the study covers all types of libraries (university, college, school, public and
special) in Lahore that had access to the Internet. A list of the libraries of Lahore was
developed with the help of available directories and other online sources, as an up-to-date
comprehensive list was not available. With the help of literature review and some Internet
experts in libraries, a questionnaire was developed and tested. The questionnaires were
personally administered in 78 libraries. One library refused to cooperate and two gave non-
usable responses. Data collected from 75 libraries were analyzed to calculate frequency
distribution and descriptive statistics.
IV. Findings and Analysis
1. Internet access and use in libraries
The respondents were from 48 academic libraries, 21 special libraries, five public libraries,
and one school library in Lahore, Pakistan. Frequency and percent scores of various variables
showing access and use of the Internet in libraries are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Internet access and use in libraries
Variable
Frequency
Percent
Internet facility
Staff
25
33
Staff & users
50
67
Year of Internet access
Up to 1990
1
1
1991-1995
5
7
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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1996-2000
28
37
2001 and after
38
51
Internet terminals
(staff & users)
1-5
46
61
6-10
12
16
11-15
5
7
16-20
3
4
21-above
9
12
Internet terminals
(users)
1-5
29
39
6-10
7
9
11-15
3
4
16-20
2
3
21-above
9
12
Internet connection type
LAN
36
48
Cable network
13
17
Dial-up
12
16
DSL
10
13
Leased line
2
3
WiFi
1
1
Others
2
3
Internet connection speed
128kbps-1.5mbps
24
32
64kbps-128kbps
15
20
More than 1.5mbps
14
19
56kbps
10
13
Less than 56kbps
7
9
Internet use policy
Yes
50
67
Filtering software
Yes
40
53
Formal training in using Internet
Users
46
61
Staff
33
44
Thirty-three percent of the libraries under study offered Internet access to their staff and that
sixty-seven percent to both staff and users. Internet access for staff was completely free while
a very low fee was charged for the users in some libraries. There was only one library which
was using Internet since 1990s while most of the libraries have utilized this technology since
2001. The number of terminals dedicated for Internet use varied by library type and parental
organization. In university libraries, it ranged from 20 to 100 terminals while in college,
school and public libraries, it was as low as one to 20. Type and speed of the Internet
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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connection also varied. Most of the libraries were using LAN connection with approximate
speed of 128kbps. However, an effort to increase the Internet speed was being made at both
governmental and intuitional levels.
Sixty-seven percent of libraries had policies on Internet access services in their libraries.
Filtering software was used by 53 percent of the libraries. In Lahore, 61 percent of the
libraries have arranged formal training for staff while 44 percent offered it to their users.
These figures are much higher than that from the universities of Kenya surveyed in 2007 by
Odero and Mutula.
2. Internet use in library functions
Libraries were using the Internet for different library operations (Table 2). The study found
that 52 percent of the libraries received requests for purchase of library materials through the
Internet. Fifty-five percent of the libraries were using the Internet for bibliographical
verification and selection of materials. It was observed that the use of the Internet for
circulation was not very popular among Pakistani libraries. It may be due to the lack of the
state-of-the-art integrated library software in the country. Reservation of materials, overdue
lists and notices were made by 25 percent of the libraries. Technical processing (e.g.,
cataloguing and classification) was often done by librarians using the Internet, including
getting information on cataloguing rules and authority control, checking MARC records and
classification number, and doing copy cataloguing. There is a growing interest of Pakistani
librarians to fulfill their information needs regarding cataloguing and classification through
the Internet.
Table 2. Internet use in library functions
Functions
Frequency
Percent
Acquisition
Receiving requests for purchase
39
52
Bibliographic checking
41
55
Selecting material
41
55
Ordering & renewal
27
36
Purchasing material
21
28
Claiming or cancellation
27
36
Status reports (e.g. status of publication, printing delays)
21
28
Circulation
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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Reservation
19
25
Renewal
16
21
Overdue lists & notices
19
25
Cataloguing/Classification
Information on cataloguing rules, etc.
32
43
Checking MARC records
23
31
Copy cataloguing
28
37
Authority control
19
25
Checking classification numbers
42
56
Reference & other services
Receiving and answering queries
42
56
Accessing reference sources
32
43
SDI
30
40
CAS
33
44
Interlibrary loan
23
31
Document delivery
34
45
Professional communication
45
60
Library publications
18
24
Reference is one of the functions mostly performed by using the Internet in libraries.
Inquiries were received and answered by 56 percent of the libraries. Forty-five percent used
this modern technology for document delivery, 44 percent for current awareness services
(CAS) and 43 percent for accessing reference sources. Librarians also used the Internet to
communicate with other professionals either for their personal or professional assignments
(60%).
It is apparent from the results that the Internet use is increasing day by day in the libraries in
Pakistan. The Internet use was mostly observed for such functions which can be performed
by using the free Internet applications as acquisition, reference, classification and
cataloguing. On the other hand, the Internet is less used where some specific library
application is required, such as circulation.
3. Descriptive data on the importance of the Internet use in library functions
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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The respondents were asked to mention how important the use of Internet was in their library
functions. A 6-point scale was used to indicate the importance level of the Internet use.
Descriptive statistics for this question are presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Descriptive data on the importance of the Internet use in library functions
Level of Importance
Value
N
75
Minimum
3
Maximum
5
Mean
4.43
Standard Deviation
0.825
Mode
5
Note. 0 = Not important, 1 = Less important, 2 =No opinion,
3 = Important, 4 =Moderately important, 5 = Most important
The responses show that the importance levels of using the Internet in library functions range
between important and most important. The Mean of the importance of the Internet was 4.43,
the Median and Mode for importance level were 5 and the Standard Deviation was 0.825.
4. Problems in Internet use
A section of the data collection instrument consisted of questions about problems regarding
access and use of the Internet faced by the librarians. (See Table 4)
Table 4. Problems in Internet use
Problems
Frequency
Percentage
Slow speed internet
36
48
Internet connection disconnection
24
32
Shortage of funds for internet services
23
31
Staff is unaware of internet benefits
20
27
Users are unaware of internet benefits
20
27
Copyright and access restrictions
17
23
Inadequate hardware support
14
19
Unavailability of support for maintaining internet
21
16
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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No time to use internet
15
11
Users are not interested in using Internet
10
8
The results show that the major problem in access and use of the Internet was the slow speed
of the Internet faced by 36 (48%) libraries. Connection cutoff was the second major problem
faced by 24 (32%) libraries. Twenty-three (31%) libraries faced the problem of shortage of
funds. Staff members as well as users in twenty (27%) libraries were not aware of the
advantages to use the Internet. The limitation of access to some Internet information because
of copyright or censorship was faced by 17 libraries (23%). Respondents from fourteen (19%)
libraries reported that they had inadequate hardware facility. Twenty-one libraries (16%)
reported unavailability of support to maintain the Internet facility. Fifteen libraries (11%) had
limited time to access the Internet. And users in 10 libraries (8%) seemed not interested in
using the Internet.
V. Conclusion
The results of this study are somehow satisfactory. When these findings were compared with
that from the previous study conducted in 2000 on the Internet use in the university libraries
of Pakistan by Saeed et al., it is found that the tendency of providing and using the Internet by
staff and users in libraries is growing at a faster pace. Saeed et al. (2000) observed that half of
Pakistani university libraries were not using the Internet. The university libraries which had
Internet connection used the dial-up connection with 28.6kpbs and usually on single terminal.
Islam and Panda (2009) studies Internet connectivity in the special libraries of Bangladesh
and found it far from satisfactory. The survey revealed that only 34 (28%) special libraries
had an Internet connection and the remaining libraries had no future plans of getting Internet
connections. Semertzaki (2008) noticed obstacles in accessing the Internet due to slow access
speed and low-computer capacity in some of Greek libraries.
The quantitative analysis of the access and use of the Internet in this study provides insightful
information regarding the Internet use behavior of librarians in Lahore, Pakistan. It was found
that a good percentage of the libraries in Lahore have access to the Internet. Among those,
academic libraries have more access to the Internet than any other types of libraries, with
school libraries using this facility least. Most of the libraries offer the Internet facility for both
staff and users. There is only one library that had access to the Internet for more than two
decades. Most of the libraries got access to the Internet facility in the current decade.
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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Libraries are using the Internet mostly for acquisition, cataloguing, and reference functions.
Yet circulation is rarely performed on the Internet. Nearly all libraries face a verity of issues
in accessing and using the Internet.
In general, the state of Internet access and use in libraries of Lahore is satisfactory. However,
there is still a long way to go as Pakistani libraries are far behind in the use of technology.
Planning, awareness and advance skill among librarians are needed. Enhancing the visibility
of libraries in an IT-based competitive world should also be stressed. Pakistani libraries can
play a vital role in society by promoting the Internet use.
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Authors:
Komal Butt, Department of Library and Information Science, University of the Punjab,
Lahore, Pakistan. Email: komallbutt@yahoo.com
Saima Qutab, M. Phil. Scholar, Department of Library & Information Science, Islamia
University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Email: saimaqutab83@gmail.com
Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, 31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
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Dr. Khalid Mahmood, Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, University
of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: khalidmahmood@yahoo.com
Submitted to CLIEJ on 3 November 2010.
Copyright © 2010 Komal Butt, Saima Qutab, & Khalid Mahmood
Butt, Komal; Qutab, Saima; & Mahmood, Khalid. (2011). Access and use of the Internet in
the libraries of Lahore, Pakistan. Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal,
31. URL: http://www.iclc.us/cliej/cl31BQM.pdf
