The Public Library and Information and Communication Technology (TIC): A Necessary Relationship

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research study on the incorporation and use of TIC (Information and Communication Technology) in technical operations in public libraries in the cities of Medellín, Colombia, and Colima, Mexico (although this article concentrates solely on the case of Medellín). It begins with a reflection on the necessity and advisability of analyzing the role of TIC in this information agency. To meet this objective, the study assumed a quantitative focus with qualitative elements, based upon a theoretical framework developed by means of previously established variables and the use of a survey as a primary technique for the generation of information. Nevertheless, the quantitative data

were complemented by qualitative data which were obtained by means of a workshop with a focal group which made it possible to corroborate and broaden the diagnosis. This article begins with a theoretical and conceptual explanation of the TIC and its applications in technical operations, continues with the methodology utilized in the research process, and then presents some of the findings obtained as a product of the analysis and interpretation of the data
relating to the variables, processes, resources, and infrastructure of the public libraries in the city of Medellín.