Abstract

Major traditional libraries particularly the academic libraries turned to electronic or digital libraries and offered information services without boundaries. The library users could access library resources from any where at any time. The changing face of the library

services supported the life-long learning environment and toward developing the learning society in the country.

The introduction of information technology and automated library systems to the library has made these things happened. This paper addresses the acquisition and deployment of technology affecting such development. Keywords:

Academic Libraries, Technology Infrastructure, ThaiSarn, ThaiLIS, UNINET

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Introduction

Majority of the academic libraries concentrates more on acquiring maximum information resources by purchasing textbooks, reference works, journals (both in printed as well as electronics media) which includes course materials and consortia. In this context can we presume the argument that “better library and laboratory facilitate better education”? Of late the argument was modified as “better access to resources and well informed users are life long learners” and hence creates good academic environment. Whereas,

the technology based developments are pointing towards broad spectrum, i.e. from simple administrative needs to high end grid computing for e-research. Usually, in university environment, all the functional units are inter-connected, may be at an admission of

a students or at the high end research activity, wherein usage is proportionate to their needs. In Thailand, information infrastructure is created as national infrastructure, optimized and deployed at university level to support all type of functional needs. The

selection and deployment of infrastructure at enterprise level or the desktop applications is guided by requirements, standards, and recommendations of standard development organizations and accepted

Development of Technology Infrastructure The major development of Information technology infrastructure in Thailand was started by the government in the year 1992 through National Information Technology Committee (NITC), with the mandate of planning, facilitating, and monitoring the implementation. The committee comprised of 22 members from leading public and private agencies chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic and social development. National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), a government statutory agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, was

recognized as the secretariat of the committee. Major activities covered were human resource development, utilization of IT

in public sector, research and development promotion, legal infrastructure, public awareness programme, software industry promotion, and electronic commerce. As computer networks were becoming more and more crucial to the development of science and technology, the Thai Social, Scientific, Academic and Research Network (ThaiSARN) was established in 1992 to meet the demand for new ways of learning and research activities. ThaiSARN was totally funded by the Thai government since its inception, and was successful in binging more than 50 sites of government agencies, national universities, their libraries and colleges all over Thailand and thus built a good foundation in information exchange for inter-organization as well as intra-organization communications including cross- database access for the participating parties.