Digitization: Pros and Cons

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DIGITIZATION: Pros and Cons by MILSGROS SANTOS-ONG “Information and Communications Technology in Library Trends, Security & Ethics” Kimberly Hotel, Malate, Manila, April 28, 2006 Libraries must provide the best services to its users or clientle. To meet user expectations, libraries in the past have updated their collection. In today’s challenge, we must not only update our collection but we must also provide better access to information through the new information highway. This is may be done by way of digitization. Digitization in libraries is today’s response towards a faster delivery of information to its users via internet or intranet. For developing countries like the Philippines where internet facilities are not available even in government offices within Metro Manila or other cities, CD technology in another option to access digitized information. Information needed may be accessed via the internet in full text or in the form it was digitized (such as bibliographic), via the internet 24/7 or twenty four hours a day, seven days a week at any place in the world where there are internet facilities. Further advantage is multiple and simultaneous access to the information. Another advantage may even be for the preservation of the library and priceless archival resources and maintaining there usability and accessibility to the users. This is supported by Paul Ayris in his article “Guidance for Selecting Materials for digitization,” where he stated that one of the gains of digitizing original materials is the creation of value-added features which will enhance access to damaged materials.” It may be referred to as digital archives. In developed countries like the United States, digitization of information in libraries is not new. What is new is the digitization of materials, books, manuscripts, etc. housed

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