Introduction

Web technologies, also known as web-based technologies, are Internet-based network

applications such as blogs, discussion boards, conferencing tools, online multimedia and mobile
technologies, and online games that allow people to connect. Web technologies also refer to the
way computers/devices connect over the Internet using mark-up languages, as well as the
creation, delivery, and management of web content utilizing hypertext mark-up language
(HTML). Web technologies include social networking, virtual referencing, RSS feeds, and blogs,
among other Web 2.0 tools that allow users to engage with one other.
Web technologies provide librarians with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to improve user centered
services while also facilitating and promoting collaboration between libraries and their patrons.
In real-time, emerging technologies enable library professionals to locate, gather, organize,
customize, and provide information products and services to the user community in a range of
formats and types, both on-demand and in advance, in both physical and virtual places. Though
any library operation is that developed with active participation and feedback from its user
community qualifies as a library activity. Emerging technologies can assist libraries to create
the collaborative and participatory environment needed to provide user-centric library
services, create new resources, and build collections. Libraries may now deliver better
customer-driven services to their patrons because of technological advancements. Web
technology has impacted many facets of human life as a primary medium of
communication, transaction, and consumption. Human resource potential has become the
most significant aspect of global development as a result of the web technology
environment.
Libraries are no longer discussing or considering whether or not to adopt new technology;
instead, they are frantically deciding which technologies to acquire and how to tailor them to
their specific needs. Libraries must examine their context and potential for engaging and serving
their patrons through such technology when making these selections.

Categories of Web Technologies

Web applications can be categorized as follows:
i. Document centric web technologies
ii. An online application that focuses on documents that are interactive
iii. Workflow-based web application transactional web application
iv. Web application for collaboration
v. An online application that is centered around a portal
vi. Web application that is available everywhere
vii. A web application that is built on knowledge.
Document-centric: websites are static HTML documents that are stored on a web server and
provided to the client on demand. With the use of appropriate tools, the web pages are manually
updated. These apps are static, simple, and stable, and they reply quickly. These apps are
expensive to maintain (at the time of updating), have inconsistency issues due to their static
nature, and lack timely information updates.
Interactive web application: CGI and HTML Forms provide interactive online applications. It
has radio buttons, menu selections, and forms, among other things. These programmes are easy
and quick to use. Web pages and links are created based on user input in this type of application.
Transactional web application: These types of web applications allow users to make changes.
These applications are more interactive and allow for organized database searches. Data is
handled consistently and effectively by the database system.
Work-flow based web application: These web applications are capable of managing workflow
between businesses, private entities, and government agencies. For interoperability, web services
are included. It is a powerful, dependable, and flexible workflow management system that allows
businesses to operate independently. The best illustration of such applications is B2B e-
commerce.
Collaborative web application: These programmes are mostly utilized as group applications
with a strong emphasis on group communication. Some examples of such web applications are
chat rooms, online forums, e-learning websites, and websites where content is shared with the
option of modification, such as Wikipedia.
Portal oriented web application: These web apps fall into this category because they use a
single access point to connect several sources of information and services. The best examples of
portal-oriented applications are search engines, community portals, and so on.
Ubiquitous web application: These programmes deliver tailored services for any device, at any
time, from any location. It offers limited interaction capabilities and device support. It
necessitates prior knowledge of the context in which the web application is being dynamically
adjusted. A web application that is dependent on location is an example of this type of web
application.
Knowledge-based web application: This type of programme is used to provide information to
both humans and machines. Semantic web technologies are used to manage knowledge. Web
mining, connecting, and repurposing knowledge are just a few examples.

Characteristics of Web Technologies

It is difficult to forecast how often a web application will be used because it changes depending
on the user, the devices they use, and some other factors. As a result, web application user
characteristics can be split into three categories namely natural content, social content, and
technical content. They are discussed in turn as follows:
Natural Content: It includes both the geographic location from which online applications can
be accessed and the availability of the web application. When a web application is accessible
globally

and online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it improves its performance, stability, and
demand.
Social Content: It has something to do with a user-specific feature. Users demand immediate
and spontaneous benefits from the thousands of competing web applications available
throughout the world. Two of the most crucial characteristics of a social web programme are
scalability and multiculturalism.
Technical Content: It has to do with the web application's network and the devices on which
the web application is used. Some important aspects that affect the performance of an online
application include connection bandwidth, stability, and reliability. Web application performance
and accessibility are determined by device specifications, browser configuration, version, and
other factors.
Other notable characteristics of web applications include but are not limited to:
Development Team: The development team must be knowledgeable in their field. Designers,
database developers, IT specialists, hypertext experts, and application developers are all need to
be knowledgeable. Nerds with a passion for knowledge, willing to work, creative, and interested
in cutting-edge technology and tools should join the team.
Development Process: The development methods are often straightforward and adaptable.
Parallel development procedures are required.
Technical Infrastructure: The web application must be bug-free, and development should be
completed within a reasonable amount of time. The two external components that should be
considered during development are the server and the browser. Because the actual use of a
browser is unknown and is dependent on user preference, the server is usually set and maintained
according to the user's wishes.
Integration: The web application must be able to integrate with other systems as well as
external information and services.

Benefits of Web Technologies to Libraries

Academic libraries participate in a variety of instructional activities, including library orientation
and tours, on-site and online classes, webinars, symposia, and conferences, where the use of
various web technologies would allow virtual attendee participation, incorporate learning
assessment, or engage new library users. Additionally, librarians can "reverse" educational
sessions by assigning movies and other online resources prior to group discussion, collaboration,
and application using web technology.
Emerging online technologies can also help medical librarians who want to expand their
professional outreach responsibilities. Other medical librarians concentrate on patient education
and consumer health to ensure that patients and their families obtain accurate health information
before to and following medical incidents. Other librarians focus on user education to ensure
users obtain appropriate information before and after events, while embedded librarians and
information professionals provide information services to interdisciplinary teams of researchers.
Each of these new and integrated librarianship positions could be an excellent approach to
introduce new instructional web technologies to communicate search results, explain how to use
reliable user resources, and promote innovative research projects. Instructional web technologies
could be used by information professionals or workers to give training and references to users
who travel long distances or dwell in remote regions.
During the first 10 to 15 years of the web's existence, the Internet, hypertext/hypermedia
technology, a variety of search engines and tools such as Excite and AltaVista, followed by
Yahoo!, Google, Hotbot, and Google Scholar/Books, and the explosion of free content all
contributed to a perceived eclipse of the academic library's role in supporting research and other
key activities in higher education. A new generation of web technologies has emerged (or been
enhanced), with the potential to reverse academic libraries' marginalisation and restore their
standing as critical components of research. Improved digitised collection hosting platforms
(such as Biblioboard, ContentDM, Hathitrust, and Internet Archive), LMSs (such as Blackboard,
Moodle, Sakai, and Canvas), and widespread availability of e-books have the potential to
increase traffic to library resources and services.

Web discovery tools provide the advantage of allowing users to access the majority of an
individual library's electronic resources from a single location. Users do not need to be familiar
with all of the library's resources, nor do they need to search each one separately. Additionally,
consumers do not need to get comfortable with many search interfaces; instead, they only need to
become familiar with one easily identifiable Google-like interface. Discovery tools also give
libraries the "illusion" of being able to "aggregate" their content by collecting metadata from a
variety of vendors (Shapiro, 2013a). With a growing number of academic libraries adopting it,
discovery technology has reached critical mass, and its impact on user behaviour is beginning to
appear. The United Kingdom Serials Group recently produced a research (November 2013) that
revealed a correlation between discovery tools and increased e-resource usage, particularly for e-
books (ejournals did not exhibit any significant trends; Spezi, Creaser, O'Brien, & Conyers,
2012). In addition, there are indications that people are returning to the library to begin their
studies.
Institutional repositories are another developing technology that enables academic libraries to
make locally created information (faculty and student publications, dissertations and theses, e-
journals, and other digital material) accessible to the campus community and a wider audience
(community at large). They could also serve as portals for on-campus academic newspapers, as
well as showcase professor and student publications and research.
This allows academic libraries to play a bigger role in publishing and disseminating research
both within and outside their institutions. In addition to institutional repositories, libraries like
Oregon State University and the University of North Florida, for example, use discovery tools
Other technologies that are becoming increasingly widespread include mobile computing on
devices such as iPads, iPhones, Smartphones, Tablets, and Kindle and Nook e-readers, as well as
wireless Internet. Both of these widely used technologies are anticipated to have a positive
impact on library e-resource usage. It is impossible to ignore the trend toward "Information on
Demand," or the capacity to acquire information at any time and from any location. At least 40%
of adults, according to Pew Foundation study, use their mobile phones to access the Internet, e-
mail, and instant messaging (Smith, 2010). Our users will want more library e-resources as well
as mobile-friendly services as a result of this.
Another noteworthy trend is the use of social media to connect customers with libraries (e.g.,
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn). The new science of Altmetrics (which uses social
media to quantify the impact of journal papers) shows the use of social media in disseminating
important research that has sparked a lot of debate among academics. It's not difficult to see how
this could benefit libraries.
The second generation of web technologies, like as Discovery Services, Institutional
Repositories, Platforms for Digital Collections, and LMSs, can help libraries take control of their
destiny. Academic libraries that invest time, energy, and money in this opportunity will reap
benefits such as the ability to remain central to academic institutions' research missions and
expand their role to become content "aggregators" and "publishers," as well as provide an online
venue for showcasing faculty and student research and work.
Other noticeable benefits of web-based technologies in libraries are:
Faster time to market: The information environment in which libraries operate today is
changing at a greater rate than it has ever been before. Library 2.0 is an idea for a library service
that uses tools like RSS, Blogs, and Social Networks to meet the needs and expectations of
library customers more quickly. Libraries must go above and beyond to meet the needs, wants,
and demands of their patrons, attempting to anticipate them as much as possible.
A closer relationship with customers: Library 2.0 is a virtual community centred on users.
Users communicate with one another and with librarians, resulting in the creation of more and
more content in less time. Participation in library activities fosters relationships with other library
patrons. Users uploading their historical images to Flickr to create community photo archives
and allowing users to evaluate and rate books in the library's catalogueue help to build
relationships.
Increased responsiveness: Increased responses are because publishing is simple, allowing you
to focus on content delivery. A blog can be created, updated, and published from any

computer that is connected to the Internet. Readers are encouraged to leave comments on blogs.
The content can be typed in plain text, and there are design templates to choose from. There is no
need to install any additional servers or software on your computer.

Types, Application/Relevance, and Challenges of Web Technologies in Libraries and

Information Centres
Web technologies are diverse and varied, and libraries and information centres all over the world
are using them to boost their services and operations. These web technologies are available in a
wide range of sizes and shapes. Some examples of web technologies used in libraries are;
Online Public Access Catalogue OPAC
The online public access catalogue, is a sort of library catalogue that allows users to browse,
search, and discover content. Users' needs were the driving force behind the development of web
OPACs. The online public access catalogue(OPAC) is a public-access internet-based catalogue
of a library's collection. It's an online bibliography of a library's collections that is open to the
public. An OPAC is a computerized version of a traditional card catalogue.
Relevance and Application of OPAC to Libraries:
i. It gives users access to library functions, particularly circulation.
ii. It provides immediate access to machine-readable bibliographic entries to library users.
iii. The online catalogue does not need to be sorted in a fixed order; the user can choose author,
title, keyword, or systematic order dynamically.
iv. Most online catalogue let you search for any term in a title or other area, broadening your
search options.
v. Most online catalogue allows you to link multiple variations of an author's name. If an author's
name is keyed in differently in a catalogue as "Ado John Sule,"Ado A. Sule," and "A.A. Sule,"
there will be linkages between the three names, boosting findability.
vi. Because of the introduction of OPAC in libraries, many people with impairments, such as the
visually impaired, wheelchair users, and those allergic to paper or building materials, now have
easier access to information.
vii. The usage of OPAC in libraries has resulted in a significant reduction in physical storage
space, making updates easier and more efficient.
Cloud Computing
The term "cloud" refers to the vast networks of hardware and software that are used to provide a
variety of services to clients over the internet. As a result, the term "internet-based computing"
was coined. Cloud computing allows clients to access a wide range of resources, including
software, platforms, and information. Cloud computing, rather than using a personal computer,
uses remote servers on the internet to manage, store, and analyse data. According to the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the US Department of Commerce, cloud
computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)
that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider
interaction (2012). There are three deployment models of cloud computing in libraries. These are
public, private, community, and hybrid cloud.
i. Public Cloud: The term "public cloud" refers to a service that is available to the general
public. To use cloud services, all one has to do is sign up and use. The customer's payment is
calculated based on the number of services used. Public clouds are often vast in size and are
managed and maintained by large companies. Applications from several customers are blended
together on public cloud servers, storage systems, and networks, such as Amazon Web Services
and Google's App Engine.
ii. Private Cloud: A single organization or institution with multiple consumers, such as
business units, uses the private cloud. An organization, a third party, or both can own and
administer private cloud infrastructure.
iii. Community Cloud: A community cloud is a cloud that is intended solely for the use of
members of a specific community. This type of cloud allows community members to exchange
concerns such as mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations, and so
on.
iv. Hybrid Cloud: The term "hybrid cloud" refers to the combination of two or more different
cloud infrastructures. A private-public, private community, public community, and various
combinations of cloud infrastructure are available. Individual clouds in the common
infrastructure keep their distinct identities, but data and application portability is made possible
thanks to standardized technology.
Application of Cloud Computing in Libraries
i. Because apps and data are hosted on a remote server, cloud computing allows users to access
them from any computer at any time. Cloud computing is ideal for libraries that cannot afford to
invest in technology or hire people.
ii. Cloud computing is utilized for a variety of purposes, including hosting library websites,
backing up media collections, and storing and accessing bibliographic data.
iii. Tella (2020) stated that cloud computing has made the integration of information
organizations in libraries much easier by providing multi-level user-centered services. As a
result, most libraries are turning to cloud computing technologies to keep their digital libraries
and social networking sites up to date and flexible.
iv. Libraries can use cloud computing to boost the power of collaboration and establish a strong,
unified online presence. This computing method can help libraries save time and money while
also streamlining procedures.