Need and Importance of Library Automation and Networking in Public Libraries of Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract Libraries from centuries have been and are single most important pillar of societies to disseminate knowledge and to provide platform for interaction between communities. Libraries has serve people from every work of life regardless of their profession, culture, language, gender or age.      Among all types of libraries PUBLIC LIBRARIES are the most important type; as these serve people either free of cost or by charging minimal token money The present paper is showing the current status and challenges that the public libraries in Karachi are suffering. Libraries all over the world have already transformed themselves from delivering traditional library resources and services to the technology based resources and services. Public libraries are good media for transformation of information to the general public of the society. Unfortunately the public library system in Pakistan lacks the basic infrastructure to support ICT implementation and also it lags behind in terms of its accessibility to the common man. All Public libraries of Karachi are providing their services through manually. In the new information era librarians have to equip themselves with the existing and new information technology to enhance their status and also to achieve the basic objective for which the public libraries have been established. Automation of the public library is the urgent need of the time .Automation will give a paradigm shift to the entire public library working and building country wide community network. It will allow public libraries to retain best of material is digitally preserved along with traditional printing material. Networking between public libraries will allow them to share significant material on country wide basis it will also cut down on library staffs ‘time spent in their day to day job routine.