MLI-101 Information, Communication & Society
What is communication and describe information channels and their types.
MLI-102: Management of lib & Info. Centers
Total Quality Management-concept, principles and benefits for libraries.
MLIE-101: Preservation & Conservation of Lib. Material
Explain preservation and its measures.
MLIE-102: Research Methodology
Sampling Procedure & Types of Sampling (With Real time sample)
What is communication and describe information channels and their types.
The word 'Communication' is derived from the Latin word 'Communis', which means 'sharing'.
The word 'Communication' is derived from the Latin word 'Communis', which means 'sharing'.
Communication encompasses all methods used by living beings to express or to convey a kind
of thought or feeling. When we communicate with someone, we try to establish a certain degree
of commonness with the person we communicate with. Communication has been defined in
many ways. For example, the OxfordDictionary defines it as "The imparting conveying or
exchanging of ideas andknowledge whether by speech, writing or signs". On the other hand,
Columbia Encyclopaedia defines communication as "The transfer of thoughts and
messages as contrasted with transportation of goods and persons. The basic
forms of communication are by signs (signals) and sounds (hearing)".
In the beginning sign languages or expressive body languages were forms of human
communication. With the evolution of language, spoken word became the common form of
communication. The invention of scripts and writing paved the way for the written form of
communication. Written form of communication enabled recording and storing of information for
the future generations. Invention of printing provided major technological breakthrough for
recording knowledge and information in the form of documents. [Link] like telegraphy
and telephone systems provided mechanisms for people to communicate over long distances.
Over the last four decades or so electronic and mass media became commonplace methods of
communication.
Communication encompasses all methods used by living beings to express or to convey a kind
of thought or feeling. Communication systems may [Link] or grouped into vocal or
non-vocal or verbal or non-verbal as per the characteristic of physical phenomenon. They can
also be categorised into intrapersonal, interpersonal, group or mass communication.
Non-vocal and Vocal Communication
Non-vocal communication refers to the use of signs, signals and symbols, gestures, etc in
communication process. Signals, signs and symbols are the three related components of
non-vocal communication process.
There is basic difference between signs and signals. A sign contains meaning of an intrinsic
nature while a signal is merely a device by which one is able to formulate extrinsic meanings. In
other words, the meaning of a signal is explicit while that of a sign is implicit. Symbols are
generally complex and are not easy to understand. They usually carry seminal meaning.
Vocal communication refers to any form of communication that uses the human vocal chords. It
can range from shouting to spoken languages. The vocal organs permit the production of sound
effects, animal noises, birdcalls and other amusing high manipulations of speech.
Non-verbal and Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication includes actions such as gestures, vocalisations, facial expressions
and other behaviour. Whereas, verbal communication refers to the use of words.
Communication by facial expression, by tone of voice, by touch etc. falls under the category of
nonverbal communication. Non-verbal communication is of seven types. These are:
• Para linguistics is a kind of complementary language which includes meaningful variations in
speech corresponding to patterns of loudness, pitch, hesitation; • Kinesics which includes facial
expressions, eye movements, gestures, etc; • Haptics which refers to the use of touch to
communicate, for example, shaking hands, holding hands, patting, etc; • Proxemics refers to the
use of interpersonal space, that is to say how far a . person is standing from the other, can
communicate different meanings; • Dress and appearance: dress, hair styles, make-up,
jewellery, etc, can also constitute non-verbal code of communication; • Chronemics that is to say
how time is considered is sometimes a message in itself, a form of non- verbal communication
and is called Chronemics; and • Iconics, which means interpretation 'of symbolism, found in
objects or designs can be considered a type of communication. The best example of this type of
communication is international traffic signs.
Intra-personal, Interpersonal, Group and Mass Communication Communication can also be
classified in terms of its levels. The different levels of communication are as follows:
• Intrapersonal communication means communication within one person, i.e., talking to oneself,
reading something, etc. In this type of communication, the source and recipient of information
becomes one person.
• Interpersonal communication means communication between two or more persons. It could be
face-to-face, or it could be at a distance with the help of telephone or letters, etc.
• Group communication: In this form of communication many people are involved and the
speaker and the listener are shifted among the participants.
• Public or mass communication: This generally refers to communication, which takes place
between one person or a group of persons through a special media to a large audience.
In mass communication the relationship between sources and dissemination is different from
that in case of individual or interpersonal communications. Interpersonal communication is
one-to-one exchange, whereas mass communication is one-to-many exchange in which a few
sources transmit to a great number of destinations.
Channel refers to the established carriers that disseminate information knowledge or any type of
their surrogates; Using channel as a carrier that disseminates information for grouping
information, .we have the following terms e.g. Literature, Organisations and Institutions, and
Agencies that distribute them. Literature: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary channels. The
different characteristics of these three with examples are given below:
Primary Characteristics Examples 1) New, Original or new interpretations Research papers of
known facts and ideas Journal articles 2) Unorganised and unrelated, each Conference Papers
unit being a separate and Proceedings Official publications 3) Widely scattered Theses and
Dissertations Project Reports 4) Unassimilated into the general Diaries, Memos, body of
knowledge Correspondence, Personal files
Secondary Characteristics Examples 1) Information derived from Bibliographies, pnmary
sources Current Awareness Bulletins 2) Organised and arranged Indexing and according to a
definite plan Abstracting journals Reviews, State-of-the-art Reports 3) Scattered information
collected Reports, Progress, Advances, etc. 4) Repositories of assimilated and Reference
books, digested knowledge Dictionaries, Encyclopedias 5) Bibliographical key to primary
literature Directories
Tertiary Characteristics Examples 1) Compilations of primary and Bibliographies of secondary
sources Bibliographies, Year Books 2) Organised and arranged according Directories, List of to
a definite plan Research in Progress Guides to Literature 3) Aids to searching primary and
Information Sources, secondary sources Organisations,
Information Institutions Libraries, Documentation and Information Centres, Information Analysis
Centres, and such others. These institutions collect, process, analyse, disseminate all the three
types of literature mentioned above
Distribution Agencies Booksellers, Subscriptions Agents, Clearing Houses, Information Brokers
and such others. While information institutions are essentially agencies involved in the provision
of information services with reference to a specific clientele, distribution agencies are largely
commercial agencies, selling information. However these distinctions are getting blurred with
the advent of information technology.
Total Quality Management-concept, principles and benefits for libraries.
