Chapter - Two

Information And Communication Technology

2.1. Introduction to ICT
 The emergence of ICT is one of the wonderful gifts of
modern science and technology which has brought
tremendous changes in library and information science.
 Application of information and communication technology
(ICT) to library and information work has revolutionized the
traditional concept of libraries from a “Storehouse of books
to an intellectual information center” connoting the concept
of an electronic library.
 It has opened up a new chapter in library communication
and facilitated global access to information crossing the
geographical limitations.
 ICT is being increasingly used in library and
information services for acquisition, processing,
and dissemination of information. Libraries have
been using ICT based services to satisfy the
diverse information needs of the users.
 The use of computers for library operation avoids
respectively jobs and saves a considerable
amount of time, resources and labour.
 It also speeds up technical processing and
information services.
 The impact of ICT is enormous and global in its
magnitude, pervasiveness and usefulness because
of its most distinguishing features of a dramatic
decrease in cost, size and tremendous increase in
processing speed, storage and communication
capabilities.
 ICT has a profound effect on the progress and
development of human civilization.
 The tools used in ICT include computer programs,
databases, communication networks, analysis,
artificial intelligence, knowledge bases, etc.
 Simply, ICT refers to all communication
technologies, including the internet, wireless
networks, cell phones, computers, software,
video-conferencing, social networking, and
other media applications and services enabling
users to access, retrieve, store, transmit, and
manipulate information in a digital form.
[Link] of Computer Systems Development

Hardware
 Provides the underlying physical foundation for the firm’s
IT Infrastructure
Software
 Consists of the detailed preprograming instructions that
control and coordinate the computer hardware components
in an information system.
Databases
 A collection of data organized to service many software
applications at the same time by storing and managing data
so that they appear to be in one location
Networks
 A group or systems of interconnected people or
things
 The organization of Telecommunication
components in various forms of topological
connectivity.
Communication
 Consists of both physical devices and software
that links the various pieces of hardware and
transfers data from one physical location to
another.
 2.3. Hardware

Hardware Devices
[Link] and Data Capture Devices
 Converts data into a computer-usable form.
Examples of Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Computer Mouse
 Touch Screen
 Scanners
 Digital Camera, etc.
2. Processing Devices
 The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the part
of the computer system where the
manipulation of symbols, numbers and letters
occur and it controls the other parts of the
computer system.
 It has two main parts: ALU (Arithmetic Logic
Unit) performs the computer’s principal logic
and arithmetic operations and CU (Control
Unit) controls and coordinates the other parts
of the computer system
 Primary Memory, or Primary Storage or Main
Memory is where data and programme
instructions are stored temporarily during
processing.
 It has (3) three functions: Stores all or part of
the software programme that is being executed
,Stores the operating system programmes that
manage the operations of the computer , Holds
data that the programme is using
 Primary Storage is also called RAM (Random access
memory)
 It is called RAM because it can directly access any
randomly chosen location in the same amount of time.
 RAM is volatile.
 ROM (Read Only Memory) can only be read from; it
cannot be written to.
 ROM chips come from the manufacturer with
programmes already burned in or stored.
 It is used for general purpose computers to store
important or frequently used programmes.
3. Output Devices
 Displays data after they have been processed.
Examples of Output Devices
 Monitors ((CRT)
 Cathode Ray Tube,( vacuum tube to display
image on screen)
 Flat Panel Display, e.g plasma panel , (LCD)
Liquid Crystal Display) , Printers (LaserJet,
Inkjet, Dot-matrix,..) , Audio Output
(Speakers)
4. Storage Devices
 Are peripheral devices because they are
outside the main computer system unit.
 Storage devices are also called secondary
storage devices because unlike primary
storage, it is not volatile; data is stored
permanently until removed by the user or
corrupted by a computer virus or system
malfunctioning.
General Categories: Magnetic Storage , Optical
Storage , Flash (Solid State) Storage ,
Removable Storage ,Magnetic Storage ,Hard
Disk Drive (HDD) , Floppy Drive (FDD) ,
Magnetic Tape , Zip Disk
Optical Storage
 CD-ROM /R /RW  DVD-ROM /R /RW
 Flash (Solid State) Storage
 Compact Flash
 Smart Media
 Memory Stick
 Multimedia Card (MMC)
 Secure Digital (SD) Card
 Removable Storage
 All of the above except HDDs
 Different types of secondary storage devices
fill different user needs: Storage Speed , Large
amounts of data , Compatibility with other
users’ computers , Portability , Compatibility
with a range of other consumer electronic
devices
Categories of Computers & Computer Systems
Mainframe
 Largest category of computers used for major
business processing
 Midrange
 Middle-size computer that is capable of supporting
the computing needs of smaller organizations or of
managing networks of other computers.
Minicomputer
 Middle-range computer used in systems for
universities, factories, or research laboratories
Microcomputer (PC)
 Small desktop or laptop/portable computer that
can be carried from room to room.
Super Computer
 Highly sophisticated and powerful computer that
can perform very complex computations
extremely rapidly.
Work Station
 Desktop computer with powerful graphics and
mathematical capabilities and the ability to
perform several complicated tasks at once.
 2.4. Computer Systems

Servers
 Used to manage internal company networks or
websites
 Server Farms
 Multiple servers running various applications
for a organization housed in one location.
Categories of Computers & Computer Systems
 Computer Networks
Client/Server Computing
 A model for computing that splits processing
between “clients” and “servers” on a network,
assigning functions to the machine most able to
perform the function.
Peer-to-Peer Computing
 Form of distributed processing that links
computers via the Internet or private networks so
that they can share processing tasks.
 2.5. Software

 Hardware would be of no use or significance

without software.
 Hardware and Software share a symbiotic
relationship. It is impossible for one to
function without the other.
 Software is installed on hardware and not the
reverse
Computer Software Defined
 The detailed instructions that control the
operation of a computer system.
 Software is a term used to refer to a
programme or programmes
 The purpose of software is to convert data
into information.
 Software is intangible unlike hardware, which
has a physical form.
Software Programme
 A software program is a series of statements or
instructions to the computer.
 The process of writing or coding programs is
termed programming.
 Individuals who specialize in this task are
called programmers
Functions of Software
 Manage the computer resources of the
organization
 Provide tools for human beings to take
advantage of these resources
 Act as an intermediary between organizations
and stored information
Classification of Software
A. System Software
 A set of generalized programs that manage the computer’s
resources, such as the central processor, communications
links, and peripheral devices.
 The system software that manages and controls the
computer’s activities is called the Operating System.
 The Operating System is the computer system’s chief
manager.
Operating System Functions
 It allocates and assigns system resources
 it schedules the use of computer resources and computer jobs
 it monitors computer system activities
B. Application Software
 Primarily concerned with accomplishing the tasks of
end users.
 Application Software is used on a daily basis.
 Describes the programs that are written for or by
users to apply the computer to a specific task.
 Primarily concerned with accomplishing the tasks of
end users.
 Application Software is used on a daily basis.
 Many different programming languages and software
tools can be used to develop application software.
C. Interrelationships
 Systems Software and Application Software
are interrelated.
 The system software surrounds and controls
access to the hardware.
 Application software must work through the
system software in order to operate.
Application Software
 Word Processing
 Spreadsheets
 Data Management
 Presentation Graphics
 Integrated Software Packages
 Combine the functions of the most important PC
software packages.
 Email
 Web Browsers
 2.6. Telecommunications
Information
 To receive full benefit from information, data must be effectively
communicated.
 Data communication is done via networked computers using
advanced technologies to ensure that what is sent is what is
received.
 Telecommunications and telecommunication systems are being
used globally, making the world seem smaller by the minute.
 The Internet is accessible via networked computers and other
electronic devices. Ever since its inception, it has been the catalyst
for successful businesses worldwide.
 The combination of telecommunications and the Internet has been
a major force in the way businesses and government manage their
respective affairs.
Telecommunications
 The communication of information by
electronic means, usually over some distance.
 It includes Voice Transmission via telephone
lines ,Digital Data (audio, video, text, music)
transmission using computers to transmit data
from one location to another.
Telecommunications System
 A collection of compatible hardware and
software arranged to communicate information
from one location to another
Components of Telecommunications System
A. Computers to process information.
B. Terminals or any input/output devices that
send or receive data.
C. Communications channels, the links by which
data or voice are transmitted between sending
and receiving devices in a network.
 Communications channels use various
communications media, such as telephone
lines, fiber-optic cables, coaxial cables, and
wireless transmission.
D. Communications processors, such as modems
(computer device that convert data from digital
format in to analog such as TV or radio),
multiplexers ( A device that can receive multiple
inputs signals and synthesize a single output) ,
controllers, and front-end processors, which
provide support functions for data transmission
and reception.
E. Communications software, which controls
input and output activities and manages other
functions of the communications network.
Functions of Telecommunications Systems
 The system transmits information.
 Establishes the interface between the sender and the
receiver.
 Routes messages along the most efficient paths.
 Performs elementary processing of the information to
ensure that the right message gets to the right receiver.
 Performs editorial tasks on the data (such as checking for
transmission errors and rearranging the format).
 Converts messages from one speed (say, the speed of a
computer) into the speed of a communications line or from
one format to another.
 Controls the flow of information
Protocol
 A set of rules and procedures that govern transmission between
the components in a network.
 A telecommunications network usually contains hardware and
software components that are diverse but work together to
transmit information. This can only be done with the correct
protocols.
Protocol Functions
 To identify each device in the communication path,
 To secure the attention of the other device,
 To verify correct receipt of the transmitted message,
 To verify that a message requires retransmission because it
cannot be correctly interpreted, and To perform recovery when
errors occur.
Communications Channels
 Communications channels are the means by
which data are transmitted from one device in
a network to another.
 A channel can use different kinds of
telecommunications transmission media:
twisted wire, coaxial cable, fiber optics,
terrestrial microwave, satellite, and other
wireless transmission
media
 Twisted wire e.g. Cat5 Network wire (two conductors of a
single circuit are twisted together for the purpose of improving
electromagnetic compatibility
 Coaxial cable e.g. Cable TV wire (a type of electrical cable
consisting of inner conductor surrounded by a concentric
conducting shield)
 Fiber optics (transfer data signals in the form of light and
travel hundreds of miles significantly faster than others cables
 Wireless Transmission
 Microwave (electromagnetic radiation- wavelengths ranging
from 256 KBPS – 100 MBPS)
 Satellite (communication satellite)
 Other wireless transmission , Cellular telephones ,Smart
phone
 [Link]

Communications Networks
 There are different ways to organize
telecommunications components to form a network
and hence provide multiple ways of classifying
networks.
 Networks can be classified by their shape, or
topology (physical and logical layout).
 Networks also can be classified by their geographic
scope and the type of services provided
Communications Networks
Network Topologies
 LANs (Local Area Networks)
 LANs are telecommunications networks that
require dedicated channels and that encompasses a
limited distance, usually one building or several
buildings in close proximity.
 Most LANs connect devices located within a
2,000-foot radius, and they have been widely used
to link PCs.
 LANs require their own communications channels
 WANs (Wide Area Networks)
Telecommunications network that spans a
large geographical distance.
 May consist of a variety of wired, satellite,
and microwave technologies.
 WANs may consist of a combination of
switched and dedicated lines, microwave, and
satellite communications.
Peer-to-Peer Network
 Network architecture that gives equal power
to all computers on the network; used
primarily in small networks.
 A peer-to-peer network treats all processors
equally and is used primarily in small
networks.
 Each computer on the network has direct
access to each other’s workstations and shared
peripheral devices.
Bluetooth
 A wireless networking standard that is useful
primarily for creating small personal area
networks linking up to eight devices within a
10 meter area using low-power radiobased
communication.
 Wireless phones, computers, printers, and
computing devices can communicate with
each other and even operate each other
without direct user intervention.
 2.8. The Internet

 The Internet the most well-known, and the largest,

implementation of internetworking, linking hundreds of
thousands of individual networks all over the world.
 An international network of networks.
 It is a network infrastructure that allows a variety of
services to function, creating a dynamic and usable
environment for productivity, communications, and
entertainment.
 The Internet began as a U.S. Department of Defense
network to link scientists and university professors
around the world.
 The Internet provides access to several electronic
services that are now used as the preferred way
businesses and governments worldwide do
business.
 Internet technology is providing the primary
infrastructure for electronic commerce, electronic
business, and the emerging digital firm.
 An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a
commercial organization with a permanent
connection to the Internet that sells temporary
connections to subscribers.
Internet Technology
 The Internet is based on client/server technology.
 Individuals using the Net control what they do through
client applications such as Web browser software.
 All the data, including e-mail messages and Web pages, are
stored on servers.
 A client uses the Internet to request information from a
particular Web server on a distant computer and the server
sends the requested information back to the client via the
Internet.
 Internet Services , WWW (World Wide Web), E-mail, FTP,
Telnet, Search Engines, Chatting (Instant Messaging),
Gophers, Usenet, newsgroups…
Key Applications of E-Business & E-Commerce
 E-Mail
 Groupware
 Voicemail
 Facsimile (FAX)
 Digital Information Services
 Teleconferencing
 Video-conferencing
 Electronic data Exchange
 Chatting (Instant Messaging)
 Usenet newsgroups
WWW (World Wide Web)
 The Web is a system with universally accepted standards
for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying
information using a client/server architecture.
 The Web combines text, hypermedia, graphics, and
sound.
 It can handle all types of digital communication, making
it easy to link resources that are half-a-world apart.
 The Web uses graphical user interfaces for easy viewing.
It is based on a standard hypertext language called
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which formats
documents and incorporates dynamic links to other
documents stored in the same or remote computers.
Intranets
 Organizations can use Internet networking standards and
Web technology to create private networks called
intranets.
 An intranet is an internal organizational network that can
provide access to data across the enterprise.
 It uses the existing company network infrastructure
along with Internet connectivity standards and software
developed for the World Wide Web.
 Intranets can create networked applications that can run
on many different kinds of computers throughout the
organization, including mobile handheld computers and
wireless remote access devices.
Intranet Technology
 The WWW or Web is open to anyone, but an intranet
is private and is protected from public visits by
firewalls, which are security systems with specialized
software to prevent outsiders from invading private
networks.
 The Firewall consists of hardware and software placed
between an organization’s internal network and an
external network, including the Internet.
 The firewall is programmed to intercept each message
packet passing between the two networks, examine its
characteristics, and reject unauthorized messages or
access attempts.
Extranets
 Private intranets that are extended to authorized
users outside the company.
 Authorized clients of an organization could link to
a portion of a company’s intranet from the public
Internet to obtain information about the cost and
features of its products and services.
 The company can use firewalls to ensure that
access to its internal data is limited and remains
secure.
 Firewalls can also authenticate users, making sure
that only authorized people can access the site.
Organizations Benefits of The Internet
 Connectivity and Global Reach
 Reduced Communication Costs
 Lower Transaction Costs
 Reduced Agency Costs
 Interactivity, Flexibility, and Customization
 Accelerated Distribution of Knowledge
 2.9. File Management
File Structure
 A computer system organizes data in a
hierarchy that starts with bits and bytes and
progresses to fields, records, files, and
databases.
 File Organization Terms and Concepts: Bits,
Bytes , Field , Record , File , Database ,
Entities , Attributes , Key Field
Bits : Represents the smallest unit of data a
computer can handle
Bytes : A group of bits, represents a single
character, which can be a letter, a number, or
another symbol
Field : A grouping of characters into a word, a
group of words, or a complete number (such as a
person’s name or age) is called a field.
Record : A group of related fields, such as the
student’s name, the course taken, the date, and the
grade, comprises a record
File : a group of records of the same type is called
a file
Database : A group of related files makes up a
database
Entity :A person, place, thing, or event about
which information must be kept.
Attributes : A piece of information describing a
particular entity. 
Key Field : A field in a record that uniquely
identifies instances of that record so that it can be
retrieved, updated, or sorted.
 2.10. Modern Database Environment

Databases
 A collection of data organized to service many applications at
the same time by storing and managing data so that they appear
to be in one location. Database technology can cut through
many of the problems a traditional file organization creates.
 Although spreadsheet programs are powerful tools for
manipulating quantitative data, data management software is
more suitable for creating and manipulating lists and for
combining information from different files.
 PC data management packages have programming features
and easy-to-learn menus that enable nonspecialists to build
small information systems.
Database Management System (DMS)
 Special software to create and maintain a database
and enable individual business applications to extract
the data they need without having to create separate
files or data definitions in their computer programs.
 Data management software typically has facilities
for creating files and databases and for storing,
modifying, and manipulating data for reports and
queries.
 It is basically software used for creating and
manipulating lists, creating files and databases to
store data, and combining information for reports.
Components of DMS
 A database management system has three
components: A data definition language ,
defines each data element as it appears in the
database; A data manipulation language , A
language associated with a database management
system that end users and programmers use to
manipulate data in the database; A data
dictionary ,An automated or manual tool for
storing and organizing information about the
data maintained in a database