# 13 TECHNOLOGY

Over the years there have been obvious benefits to the SLV stemming from advances in technology.
Our online voyager catalogue leaves the old card catalogue for dead- the latter simply could not function in todays world.
Our users can order books from home, before arriving at the library.
Our users can access from home a number of quality databases (eg G.B. House of Commons.
Sessional Papers), encyclopaedias, textbooks, and a selection of full text journals.
The SLV online digitized picture collection offers so much that until recently was unknown and unused.
Communicating with our patrons via email has greatly simplified and speeded up the transmission of information.
The accessioning of periodicals and the selection and ordering of books, have been significantly upgraded and streamlined via new technology.
The daily internal administration processes of the SLV have been transformed for the better by the application of modern technology.
We are currently working on a project to enable federated searching to take place across our catalogues.
Technology in itself is neither good or bad.
Obviously we must continue to monitor what is happening "out there" in technologyland.
We should select this and that, here and there, now and then, if we can benefit from it, if it is relevant to us as a major reference and research library
But we must not be stampeded into taking on board purile fads, and playthings, simply because they are based on something"electronic" they are popular with yobbos , and somebody else is using it.
Remember the parable of the emperor's clothes!
We must not allow technology to become an ideology, and the SLV must not become an ideology driven institution.
P.S Umbopo sometimes suffers from technology fatigue. As soon as he masters the kiddies version of some new contraption,its replaced by something newer!
Umbopo's mind feel overloaded, it tires .
Umbopo seeks out the company of blackbirds and potato plants for solace and reinvigoration.