The Hindu : New Delhi News : JNU to get a ‘cyber library’

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Sunday, Jan 06, 2008
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New Delhi

JNU to get a ‘cyber library’

Parul Sharma

Several other changes planned in the nine-storey library building

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University here is all set to upgrade facilities in its library and University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) for the benefit of its students, researchers and faculty.

Towering over all other buildings in the academic complex, the nine-storey library is being renovated to include an air-conditioned general reading room and a research room. It will be equipped with about 200 additional computers with networking facilities and Internet. The installation of the systems will begin this week. At present, there are 75 computers, including 20 for students.

“We are in the process of installing a ‘cyber library’ with these 200 networked personal computers for accessing online databases, e-journals and other Intranet and Internet resources beneficial to the JNU research community,” said Rector-I Rajendra Prasad.

The JNU library, which remains open from 9 a.m. to midnight, houses more than 5.40 lakh volumes, subscribes to around 900 journals, 6,000 e-journals or online databases and adds an average of 10,000 books to its stock every year.

“In 2007, we added 50 more print journals to the library. In the 11th Five Year Plan, we have asked for Rs.45 crore specifically for e-journals. We acquired membership of the Online Computer Library Centre last year, which will be able to provide online access to international bibliographic data,” said JNU librarian Krishan Gopal.

By the end of 2008, the JNU database of resources -- which currently is accessible only for the campus community -- will be available to the rest of the world.

The library is also being digitised. About 11.5 lakh newspaper clippings from 1972 onward available in its newspaper clippings unit will be digitised over the next six months, said Dr. Gopal.

The USIC has also procured about 15 highly sophisticated instruments worth Rs.16.5 crore relating to different branches of science. These instruments will be housed in a new state-of-the-art building – the Advanced Instrumentation Facility -- coming up on the campus.

“This will be a unique facility in the country. No Indian university has under one roof such sophisticated instruments that are useful to all sciences, be it life sciences, environmental science, physical science and bio-technology,” said USIC Director Shatendra K. Sharma

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