MEDIATHEK –
the interactive environment of preparation the highly qualifications
specialists
In modern education the possibilities of creation of the interactive educational environment for preparation of the new specialists, capable independently creatively are more and more widely used to think, to shape and to realize received solutions. Such paradigm is founded on usage of modern methods and ways of learning, increase of hours at independent mastering trained of different educational disciplines, that promotes the best mastering by them of a studied material.
Today it is rather important to create in high school of a condition, for the most complete sufficing of the students and teachers by the information, necessary for them. It is not necessary to calculate for solution of the given problem, leaning on usage only of funds, available in the library (collections). Practically any library (especially educational) is not capable to obey all increasing requirements of the users for the information. In our judgement, only association of information resources on different media available in own funds, other libraries and information centers on base of specially organized structures and premises can allow effectively to decide the given task.
The important unit of the new system of education is the transition of high school libraries to wide area usage of new information (computer) technologies (NIT). A main condition of service of the users is the extension of possibilities of information-bibliographic works. A primal problem of inquiry-bibliographic services was search of the items of information about documents. In the electronic environment the speech, as some experts suppose, goes about operation immediately with the text. Thus they recommend to define reputed contingent of the users, on which the contents of fund of electronic documents depends; to develop criteria of selection of documents; to realize the description and cataloguing of electronic documents according to the book originals; to provide information safety, warranty of its constant and uninterrupted performance to the users; to conduct the registration of electronic documents, and also monitoring of demand in a durating time interval etc.
One of forming NIT in scientific libraries of different educational institutions can become qualitatively new subdividings – mediatheks. In 1999 in the library of the Russian for the State University Humanities (RSUH) was open mediathek. Its implementation can be successful only in that case, when for the creators of such structure (environment) are available the thought over schedule of operations and precise performance about possible outcomes of organizational, methodical and technological operations. We suppose, that mediathek is the environment, in which the users can comfortably and effectively work with different information resources (printed issuings and paper materials, audio- and videodatas, machine-readable information), were both in the library, and behind its limits.
The used approaches to its organization, equipment and effective operation have helped to create a place (environment), in which it is pleasant to be and comfortably to work; structure permitting to supplement, variety main methods of education in high school to use knowledge, available in world space, improving thus preparation of the highly qualifications specialists of the different profile. The concept mediathek RSUH implies creation of complex structure combining function of a reading-room with fund on untraditional carriers and information center possessing sources of the information on any kinds of carriers. All computers of mediathek (21 PC) are connected in a local area network, which server is immediately disposed in mediathek. It is on-line to the server of the library, which, in turn, is switched on in the common network of high school (Intranet), having the site and, accordingly, high-speed Internet connection. The shaped resources on compact optical disks (about 300), audio- (several tens) and videocassettes (more 200), are accessible to all users mediathek.
The employees mediathek submitive possibility to the users independently conduct search of information resources, necessary for them, render different information services, and also advise them by operation with available in mediathek, including own generation, resources. Thus in the automized mode are carried out recording the users in mediathek, registration visits and usage of information resources, collection and processing of other statistical datas. In mediathek have incorporated traditional informations and periodicals to a wide spectrum of similar machine-readable materials, databases (DB), different audio-, video and multimedias of datas, the access to which is provided as immediately in itself mediathek, and in the Internet with the help of the computers, placed in it. Its employees fulfil the complex of information services, including on copying and printing of the information.
The creation of information resources mediathek – important and nontrivial task – is carried out according to educational and scientific programs of university.
That the reader has not sunk in the sea of the information, it is necessary to it to submit the convenient catalogues for search of his interesting items of information. To create the catalogues on all subjects at once it is impossible, therefore task bibliograph – to define catalogues of searches of main contingent of the users to analyze possibilities of the Internet and to produce informative selection on all parameters – target and reader's assignment of a DB, scientific significance, actual etc. The main problem is reduced to definition of parts of fund of the library, on which it is possible to assume presence of active and steady demand for a long time. It is important to organize translation in the electronic form scientifically of significant publications or their fragments. Thus is shaped some kind of the encyclopedia of modern knowledge, the material in which is permanently updated.
We count, that the collection mediathek should consist of periodicals, quick references, learning-methodical manuals, and also different information resources generated in high school or obtained subjects or other way from other sources. As own bibliographic, full-text and multimedias of information resources offered to the users, there can be by a DB of works of a professors-teaching composition, diplomas and dissertations protected in RSUH, educational program – methodical materials issued by faculties and publishing house of high school, bibliographic DB of fund of the library etc. materials, including electronic catalogue, subject DB of papers from periodicals. Different information, instructive and information documents (instruction, booklets, memorys etc.), multimedias educational materials also are of interest. Practically all these resources are available and are staticized in RSUH. So, mediathek has a DB RBH, ISICS, A-RISTI, "ASIA PLUS", "British Humanities Index Plus", "World Bibliographical Index" etc. From a lawful DB "The Consultant+", installed on the server mediathek, the users can work not only in the mediathek location, but also on any deleting from it.
It is necessary to mean, that all these information resources can and should be in mediathek simultaneously on different, occasionally alternate, carriers. For example, the encyclopedias are offered to the users both in the traditional printed form, and on compact discs. The workers mediathek should submit possibility to the users operatively to be turn to such encyclopedia in the interactive mode. Thus it can be disposed not only in mediathek, but also on some site, for example, its creator.
Wide circulation in the educational process discover audiovideomaterials, which also should find the worthy place in mediathek. They, of course, are additional materials for more effective mastering of an educational material. On the other hand, they allow learned more intensively to shape necessary knowledge. For this purpose it is necessary to create some workstations for review of videodatas, and also audioinformations. For operation with last it is not necessary to arrange stationary workstations – it is possible to use audioplayers, with which user mediathek can quietly be transferred inside it. In mediathek there are 4 workstations for operation with videodocuments and 4 audioplayers. Such solution allows more effectively to use as audiotechnicals of a resource, and premises, as the user can be placed on anyone free and convenient for it a place, where it is possible to work with the books, magazines etc. materials. Such places in mediathek 43. Offered to the users audiovideomaterials in main represent the manuals on learning foreign languages, art and popular-science films etc.
The following important aspect is the organization of search of necessary information resources by the users mediathek. The more and more difficult searches act from them. Practically it is impossible or rather inconveniently to satisfy such searches by a usual way. Thus functions substantially vary and the character of information-bibliographic operation – occurs possibility most full to respond on subject searches of the users, including usage of information resources, available in a world. In this case it is necessary to decide some tasks. On the one hand, except for knowledge of funds of the library and bases of library-bibliographic activity, the workers mediathek should know how well to work on the PC with necessary user's programs (especially browsers), to learn to operation with them and (or) to advise coming in mediathek of the users so that last in most cases could independently formed a retrieval image of search and to realize search of the information, necessary for them, in local or remote bases and data banks. On the other hand, the workers mediathek should know how to work with domestic and foreign search computers for search and selection of necessary information resources and creation of tools permitting to them effective to fulfil the orders of the users, and users – fast to discover in the Internet datas, necessary for them. In these cases the processes of interactive interaction of the workers mediathek with the information and its users are watched. At last, from the third side – expedient the creation in the library (mediathek) information portal is, on which the information resources of interest for a main mass of the users will be disposed as installed beforehand own or other organizations and the additional datas, which, in opinion of the experts, can be actual. Last can occur as a result of researches of the workers of the library (including realization by them EDI), searches in the Internet, recomendations of the authoritative experts. At first this task can be decided, by creating special pages on a site of the library, which workers of the library and (or) mediathek permanently will actual. In further, placing datas on information portal, it is possible to connect to it program–robots, which permanently will realize search necessary of information resources to pattern them in the appropriate catalogues, to actual etc.
Undoubtedly, the operation of such structure can be effective not only if it is possible to find and to prepare in appropriate way premises, to arrange with its necessary program – technical means and office equipment. Major aspect is the human factor, i.e. creation of such staff of the employees, which could most effectively use available resources, material and information resources. It the challenge (occasionally not less labour-consuming, than solution two previous) suffices. As a rule, the similar services are shaped on the basis of information-bibliographic etc. of subdividings of libraries, in which a basis constitute bibliographics. In this case to them will be demanded not only to know how highly qualification to work with bibliographic datas, creating and offering the users own bibliographic datas. They should have necessary professional knowledge, skills and skills in a usage NIT; to be contact and sociable (to know how kindly to work with the users, to try beforehand to guess their possible requirements, it is correct to offer them, to consultation on search of necessary datas etc.); it is good to know how to work on the computer, including with main user's programs, bases and data banks, search computers in the Internet; to discover and to create own necessary machine-readable information resources; to aspire to boost the professional level, permanently extending orbs and possibilities in the field of maximum sufficing of requirements of the users.
It is necessary to state, that thus load on the workers mediathek grows, the staffs are magnified, in which include the experts on NIT (engineers and technics, technologists, programmers etc.), it is required to decide problems of maintenance all of increasing park of computer equipment etc.
To find the ready similar specialists practically it is impossible. Therefore one more task of libraries shaping similar subdividings, is the organization of constant learning of the workers to creation and usage NIT for sufficing all increasing requirements of the users. Important the involvement of the specialists in different conferences, seminars, "round desktops" etc., and also exchange of experience with the colleagues on the designated problems is. The similar measures can completely or partial be conducted on the basis of existing mediatheks so that they were more subjective and effective.
It is necessary to note, that the libraries (mediatheks) in high schools can and should become a component of distance education (DE). Thus of a problem DE concern not only teachers and students of high school coupled to this form of education. The librarians should receive active involvement in the given works, as they not only can store and to submitive the users (including remote) learning-methodical them and other educational and information materials on disciplines, studied in high school, but also can become learning or trained. Last concerns not only improvement of professional qualification, but obtaining of the first or second higher education necessary for the appropriate workers of the library for highly skilled service of the users in view of achievements of scientific and technical advance and having a place of the process of creation of the information society. The interactive component and environment of preparation of the highly qualifications specialists is here too watched.
It would be desirable to mark, that the effective utilization of information materials by the students is possible provided that they well own not only computer and appropriate programs, but have knowledge of operation in the library and with bibliographic datas. With this purpose it is expedient regularly (online) to conduct with them cycle of occupations on bases of library-bibliographic knowledge, for example, with all students of the first course of high school. Last will allow them not only independently to be oriented in a inquiry-information systems of the library, but also competently to constitute lists of the used literature at execution of the abstracts, controls, course and diplomas works. The creation some electronic educational and, simultaneously, inquiry manual permitting to the users independent online to study datas of a problem and to receive the answers on most frequently arose questions is possible. The answers to seldom meeting questions can be rather operatively organized by the specialists of the library by creation of electronic conference, open for anyone users disposed, on a site of the library.
Thus, it is possible to state, that mediathek RSUH allows the users (first of all, to the students) is comfortable and it is effective to seize NIT, modern technical means of informatization, skills of works with different information searching systems, locally and far off to use electronic catalogues, base and data banks of domestic and foreign libraries and information services with the purpose of obtaining new knowledge, self-perfecting in the field of studied disciplines, and, thus, represents the interactive environment of preparation of the highly qualifications specialists.