Editorial Note

Abstract

I welcome readers of the second issue of the International Journal of Information Studies & Libraries {IJISL}. It is an International online peer reviewed and indexed journal. IJISL is initiated by the Publishing India Group, India. This will consider any original contribution that enhance or illuminates Library and Information Science or Practice, or that educates or entertains the journal’s readers. IJISL is published twice times a year (Bi-annual). This editorial note talks about SMACs. Thanks to the advancement of technology, we are now into social media based open communication world after successful transition from the closed systems of communication. The transition can be seen as we shifted from the physical ground-based systems to disconnected radio-based (mobile) systems, form physically owned storage spaces to cloud-centered, anywhere, always available, affordable managed storage. We have now deeper and better understanding through growth of analytics which help organizations in knowing the unknown and unearthing the hidden. SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud) is the concept that four technologies are currently driving business innovation. SMAC creates an ecosystem that allows an organization to improve its operations and get closer to the customer with minimal overhead and maximum reach. Harvey R. Koeppel, President - Pictographics Inc. - SearchCIO , writes that “While many of us, this author included, are intrigued by smoke signals and still derive visceral pleasure from the warmth, sights, sounds and smells emanating from the flames and smoke that billow from a good campfire”. Social media/networking technologies have completely transformed the way in which people communicate and interact with each other and with organizations. Libraries, are not adopting virtual reference service (VRS) to interact with their patrons and addressing their queries. VRS also utilizes the “M- Mobile” the second component of SMAC for creating additional Point-of-Presence (PoP) and Point-of-Service (PoS) for their convenience and handling their information needs. One interesting phenomenon pertaining to Mobile applications, which is catching the attention worldwide is “BYOD - Bring Your Own Device”. BYOD in libraries emphasizes on the practice of encouraging the users to use their own computers, tablets, smartphones, or other devices for access to information and its further processing. Analytics is the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data through meaningful, attractive and lucid visualizations to communicate insight. Two examples can be mentioned here for the readers include impactstory and figshare. Impactstory is an open-source website that helps researchers explore and share the the online impact of their research. It aims to build a new scholarly reward system that values and encourages web-native scholarship. figshare is a repository where users can make all of their research outputs available in a citable, shareable and discoverable manner. Thus, we are living in an era of SMAC where the discussions on Internet of Things (IoT) is considered to be a normal discourse.

Keywords: NA

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