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This paper describes about the 'Infrastructure facilities in fine arts college libraries in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry states: A case study. The analysis of the study explains about the Books Collections available in the fine arts college Library, Information Facilities and Services in the Library of the Music, Dance and Visual Arts Colleges in Tamilnadu and Pondicherry, Number of Journals subscribed and journal back volumes available by the colleges under study. The study reviled that the library collection of more than 72% of the colleges have more than 5000 books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Library website is the reflection of library resources, services, and all the things about the library. Library website helps the users to access and utilize the services online. The present study investigates the library's website of the top-ranked 30 law institutes of India, ranked by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in the year 2021. The required content information has been collected through searching, browsing, and analyzing the selected library websites of said Institutes from 1st September to 30th October, 2021.It analyzed the General Information of selected 30 law institute's library websites. The study explored that the selected institute's library services and collection and legal databases, remote access eresources. Information is available on library websites GNLUG 88.23%, UPESD 82.35% and IITK 76.47%. WBNUJSK, JMIND, SLSP, NLIUB, SASTRAT, CUB, NLUJAK, ALIM, LPUP, UPESD, PUC have more than 70%. Maximum institutes having SCC online, Lexis Nexis, and MANUPATR, WESTLAW, Hein Online, JASTOR, legal database. All institutes having References Services, Reprographic Services, reading room services, and WEB OPAC/OPAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to find out the current scenario of library resources and services viz. collection including infrastructure, staff position, library services available in the private university libraries in the state of Assam, India. Methodology: Physical survey of all the five libraries has been conducted for which a questionnaire was designed. Findings: With the increasing number of library users, there should be adequate number of library staff to maintain all the different collections and services of the library. Private university libraries e-books and e-journals facility is not sufficient to cater the increasing demands of the users. Research Limitations: The study is applied to private university libraries within the geographical barrier within the state of Assam. It is applied only on the basic level library resources and services expected from a library. Practical Implications: It will provide an opportunity to the library authority to fill up the gap in providing their basic library services. The method and technique of the study may be applied to any other libraries where the libraries are managed by library science professional with proper library procedures. Originality/value: The study is itself a unique one as no such study was conducted in the area of private university libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of advanced IT applications has enabled the university libraries to provide innovative library services to their patrons. While the general students are getting all required services from the libraries, the students with visual impairment have continued to face challenges in accessing the library collection. The technology to help overcome these challenges is available today in the form of assistive technology (AT). Unfortunately, a majority of the university libraries in the country do not have this technology in their libraries due to which a huge amount of information stored in the books and journals subscribed by them has become out of reach of the students with visual impairment. The present study was conducted to ascertain the status of AT to support students with visual impairment in university libraries. The study which has covered around 185 universities, provides the first systematic exploration of the status of AT in university libraries in India. The major findings of the study in context of university libraries in India are: 12.97 per cent having Braille Books in their collection; 22.70 per cent have made provision for AT for students with visual impairment; 22.70 per cent have accessible library websites; 21.08 per cent have designated staff members to serve the students with disabilities; 22.70 per cent have 'written disability policy or 'documented minutes' related to the 'library services for the students with disabilities'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the growth and development of the architectural engineering college libraries in Haryana, India. It evaluates the available resources, library services provided, library hours, collection of practices and policies, issues on space and related facilities and document technical processing. Study shows that majority of these libraries start to operate in three years already. It demonstrates the significance of improvement in their staff strength and their collection. It suggests to create digital libraries, provide quality services in technical colleges, and establish well-qualified staff.

Purpose — The purpose of this research is to identify and evaluate the collections within digital libraries and repositories in India available in the public domain. Design/methodology/approach — The digital libraries and repositories were identified through a study of the literature, as well as internet searching and browsing. The resulting digital libraries and repositories were explored to study their collections. Findings — Use of open source software especially for the creation of institutional repositories is found to be common. However, major digital library initiatives such as the Digital Library of India use custom-made software. The collection size in most digital libraries and repositories is in a few hundreds. Practical implications — The paper highlights the state of digital libraries and repositories in India in late 2007. Originality/value — The paper is the first of its kind that attempts to identify and evaluate digital libraries and repositories in India. It also gives a comprehensive listing of digital libraries and institutional repositories in India available in the public domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries are playing pivotal role in knowledge buildings and are accepted as spiritual institutions equal to our religions places. These institutions are enlightening people with knowledge and helps us to have better means of life. Knowledge is a power which spreads peace and helps needy people to nurture themselves with light. Government of India enhances our libraries from time to time to aware people about new innovations, discoveries in the fields of science and technology. Similarly, new programmes where launched to support people from all grounds (like, students, teachers, entrepreneur's, academicians, and farmers etc). Community based programmes has been launched to aware people about water management, agricultural activities and financial help. This paper will try, to find out the information communication technology infrastructure available in KVK'S libraries. To explore the collection and services offered by the KVK'S libraries for the users. Methodology, this paper is based on primary study 3-4 % of the population has been investigated by the help of well-designed questionnaire and analysis has been carried with the help descriptive statistics. The findings of this paper show that ICT in KVKS libraries is still under developing stage. The services are very limited for its users. KVKS libraries need more budget to facilitate users and other people who are taking help from these libraries directly or indirectly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, the history of education has traversed a unique path in the last hundred years. The political influences guided the discipline, but at the same time, they were also contested and critiqued in equal measures. History of education as a discipline went through four distinct phases. The first phase coincided with the last stage of the freedom movement (1920–1947), which saw a new interpretation of what constituted education from the perspectives of Indian tradition and its contestations. The second phase (1947–1980) began with the collection and publication of official documents with strong introductions analysing the complexity of the history of education in the colonial period. The third phase (1980–1998) revived the arguments that took centre stage during the freedom movement based on literary texts and political speeches. The fourth phase (1998–2020) has witnessed a critical questioning of the historiography of the previous decades on the basis of archival sources and saw the publication of books and journal articles on various themes. This paper looks at these distinct phases and analyses the underlying socio-political currents that moulded the history of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education system in India is fast developing; educational institutes and various government departments conduct different types of exams in India to select the ideal candidates. Millions of students attend these exams every year to get jobs. The aspirants are required to use essential information resources to prepare for competitive examinations. In recent years, public libraries have become the primary source of resources for students, job seekers, and the general public. As a result, the current study examines the use of public libraries in the preparation for competitive examinations through a comprehensive evaluation of academic research papers. This research article also emphasizes how Competitive Examination resources are used in public libraries. The main purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the use of public libraries in preparation for competitive exams. However, this manuscript provides a good understanding for new researchers who wish to conduct research in this field and facilitates effective data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper delineates the appraising and comparing the circumstances that may influence the choices and preferences of the undergraduates of National Institutes of Technology (NITs) of the north-western region of India for using library's print versus electronic resources. The author investigated the circumstances in knowing whether different situations impact their choice for using print or electronic resources concerning their demographical characteristics for their academic learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a survey of undergraduates at six NITs in the north-western region of India. The responses were analysed using Chi-Square, Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis statistical analysis tests, via SPSS software. Findings: The study revealed that respondents preferred a mix of both forms of sources for their academic studies under different circumstances. The results reveal that the institution of respondents affected the choice of print resources over e-resources and vice versa in many different circumstances. Respondents' year of study affected the choice of using print over e-resources and vice versa in certain situations. The residential backdrop affects the choice of using e-resources over print in some situations. Gender of respondents affects the choice of using e-resources over print under some situations. Practical implications: The study will further aid librarians at six NITs in the north-western region of India to know whether print resources still have the same importance among library users or their preference switched towards using electronic resources. Originality/value: This study offers new perspectives on the use of print verses electronic resources among the undergraduates at six NITs in the north-western region of India so that the libraries can procure desired resources rather than moving with the market trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contributions of public libraries to the satisfaction of the intellectual needs of rural inhabitants in West Bengal, India. The study applied a quantitative survey method with the help of a well-structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed among to the users (students, officers/professionals, self-employed individuals, businessmen, jobseekers, retired persons, and housewives) of 45 rural public libraries in five selected districts of West Bengal. The study found that the largest group of respondents belonged to the students and jobseekers categories, who visit the rural public libraries for seeking academic and job-related information. Many students from humble backgrounds were solely dependent on public libraries because they have procured some textbooks from middle school up to graduation level. Jobseekers were mostly consulting the Career Guidance Section of the library to prepare for various competitive exams. The study also revealed that public libraries have been trying to satisfy the intellectual and informational needs of the rural inhabitants by providing various services and facilities. Respondents have further reported that public libraries should adopt modern technologies and provide ICT-based library services as well. The outcome of this study would help to develop and upgrade the public library collection, services, and facilities in developing countries in a way that reflects patrons' stated needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenough's large-scale geological map of India (1854) represents a significant landmark in the history of geological cartography in India, it being the first geological map of the entire Indian sub-continent. This paper attempts to provide an account of the production, distribution, variants and survivorship of this pioneering map. The geological information contained on the map is based almost entirely on published data sources, Greenough never having visited India, yet the map is far more than a mere compilation. Its construction required the preparation of a topographic base map, geological interpolation over large swathes of unmapped territory, the organizing of mainly lithological descriptions into a unified chronostratigraphic order, and the integration of palaeontological information. By modern standards the delineation of strata on the map is imprecise, stratigraphic resolution is poor, and structural data are entirely lacking, yet it remained unrivalled as the only available geological map of all-India until the Geological Survey of India produced a smaller-scale map some twenty-four years later. In terms of areal coverage and paucity of reliable information, Greenough's India map represents a far more ambitious and pioneering undertaking than his more famous geological map of England and Wales. 202 copies of the map were produced, sixty of which were purchased by the East India Company, while a further forty or so were gifted by Greenough to various public institutions and distinguished geologists. Edward Stanford acquired publishing rights to the map in 1855 and continued to offer copies for sale until at least 1898. A recent survey has identified three variant states of the map and has confidently located thirty-four surviving copies. For reasons outlined here, Greenough's India map has languished in obscurity since its publication. It deserves to be better known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Panjab University Library (PUL), named officially as "A. C. Joshi Library", is a prestigious university library in Northern India. In this study, an attempt has been made to analyse the PUL collection in the selected disciplines including Economics, Education, English Literature, Library and Information Science, Political Science and Public Administration. The focus of the study is on the total collection, print journals subscribed by the library, Bound Volumes and the status of online journals which are available through UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium. The study has been conducted with the help of WebOPAC of the PUL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of ICT tools and techniques in library environment library website has served as a gateway to reach out to library system and services. The present study deals with analysis of the content of top ten NIRF ranked universities located within India as per the rank list published in the year 2021 by taking into account 58 criteria arranged in nine checklists. From the study it was found that all the university libraries taken under study have covered a whole range of information related to general information, library collection and E-resources possessed by them. Very few university libraries have included Information related to library sections and the volume and variety of information related to library services and value added services in the libraries is not satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet's rapid growth and broad penetration, along with affordable enabling Web 2.0 technologies, has not only democratized access to information but also catalyzed open access publishing which has contributed to the explosion of freely available digital information. The paper describes how the IIT and IIM Libraries provide access to their collection and user support for all that access using Web 2.0 technologies such as synchronous messaging and streaming media, blogs, wiki and social networking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This empirical study aims to measure the performance of electronic service quality and related infrastructure in a state university library and suggests the strategies for further improvement based on this study. Design/methodology/approach: The data collection was done through a survey questionnaire based on the 22 attributes of four e-Service quality dimensions rated on five-point Likert scale. The sample population consisted of 239 respondents comprising of different categories of users of university library. Findings: The results of this study indicated that all four dimensions rated by the users fell between mean score 3 to 4 (good), the highest score was received in dimension online public access catalogue (OPAC) and internet service with followed by Library website, Library electronic equipment's and e-User education. Out of total 22 e-Service quality attributes, none of the attributes received score above 4 (excellent), which indicates that still university library need to improve the current performance of e-Service quality and to take remedial steps to enhance the existing e-services and infrastructure. Practical implications: Findings from this study could assist university library authority to sustain and enhance performance of e-Services that could achieve the core journey of the modern university libraries. Originality/value: This study was the first endeavour for measurement of the performance of e-Service quality and related infrastructure of federal university libraries in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a study of the services provided by Indian libraries during the COVID-19 lockdown and the problems faced by the libraries in providing their services. Using a Google Forms questionnaire survey, responses were sought from librarians through library groups covering schools, colleges and universities, mailing list forums and WhatsApp/Telegram groups. The findings show that libraries strived to stay connected with the users and provided remote services. Many libraries developed library/digital guides and e-content and responded to online reference queries. Librarians frequently participated in webinars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on the role of academic libraries during Covid-19. Topics include challenge to the libraries being the current global trends in online education and significant roles libraries play; and understanding the permanent changes in the outlook and behaviour of library professionals bringing about by the covid outbreak.

The article explores the year 2020 has been a challenging one to people all over the world, effecting every perspective of the human life. Role of academic libraries changed according to the evolving paradigm shift in teaching methodologies as a result of the outbreak of Covid-19. The challenge to the libraries were the current global trends in online education and significant roles libraries can play.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of district-level public libraries in West Bengal, India. The study focused on staff as well as services against the backdrop of collection development policy. It also investigated the problems faced by librarians and suggested measures to overcome these difficulties. The researchers used a mixed-methods approach – quantitative and qualitative methods – to obtain the data. However, the primary means of data collection was a survey method using a structured questionnaire. Additionally, interviews were carried out with librarians in order to bring more subjectivity to the results. The findings suggest that no selection committees have taken place to recruit new staff in different public libraries; hence, libraries have been suffering from a shortage of staff. Due to severe shortage of library staff, book database has not been completed in Libsys library management software in any surveyed library. Public libraries are established to provide a variety of services to their users. Thus, services are the main product of the public library system. The findings reveal that different kinds of services – such as children's, career guidance and community information services – are provided by the surveyed libraries to benefit their user communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to derive the current status of web contents of library websites of Agricultural Universities in India and to examine the web-based library services provided via their websites and to determine the rank of the library websites on the basis of content analysis. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: For data collection in this study, survey and observation methods were applied. Data are collected from the library websites of Agricultural Universities of India with the help of a checklist prepared on the basis of previous studies done. Findings: The findings show that most of the surveyed libraries have up-to-date library websites or webpages with the information of adequate services and facilities. Most of the library websites provide access to e-resources and provide remote access to their resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Disability’; the ‘D’ word generally speaks its own meaning, as anyone who is different from others in terms of physical and mental impairment. There are various types of disabilities; broad categories such as physical and communication disability, mental illness and mental retardation, learning disabilities and so forth. In this article, an attempt has been made to describe the term ‘visual impairment’ which falls under the category of physical and communication disability. The next section of the article presents activities of the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Dehradun, India to make the visually impaired self-sufficient and to recognize the role played by the Institute in disseminating information to them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In southern India, forming the Deccan Shiite governments (1098-895 AH / 1687-1489 AD), which was simultaneous with the Safavid reign in Iran, resulted in incremental Iranians’ immigration to this region. Among immigrants, Iranian Shiite physicians, due to their high medical knowledge and considerable skill, along with the support of the Shiite rulers, enhanced their status and settled in areas under the control of those governments, contributing to the festive medical production and developments there. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of the Iranian Shiite physicians, who migrated to the Deccan region, on the Shiite governments' medical advancements. The research hypothesis is that the Iranian physicians developed medicine by establishing Dar al-Shifa (medical schools and hospitals) and teaching and authoring medical books in Persian. Moreover, upon the invitation and support of the Adil Shahi, Nizam Shahi, and Qutb Shahi Shiite rulers, they were appointed as special physicians in the court, resulting in the flourishing and advancement of medical sciences in those areas. The research employed a descriptive-analytical research method and collected data by library resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: India is one of the countries which has maximum number of livestock with rules the rural economy, which are eventually dealt by veterinarians to overcome different crisis. Veterinarians are entrusted with combating various disastrous situations whichever come in the way of this natural resource. This article deals with information needs and seeking behaviour of veterinary users who are aspiring to be future experts in the field and faculty personnel of two Veterinary Council of India accredited colleges situated in North East India, namely College of Veterinary Science, Assam and College of Veterinary Science, Mizoram. Methodology: The authors visited the above mentioned colleges to elicit data from respondents. A questionnaire was propounded for the purpose. Later the data were analysed, tabulated and hypothesis were drawn and checked. Scope and Coverage: The article encompasses veterinary college students; faculty personnel of two Veterinary Councils of India (VCI) accredited veterinary colleges of Assam and Mizoram. Findings: Sixty percent female respondents had graduation degree followed by 58.06% male respondents having the same. Overwhelming majority of both the male and female respondents claimed that they visited library for books while, 71.43% female respondents visited library for borrowing books. Chi square test proved that there is a significant relationship between the gender of the respondents and the purpose to visit the library. Originality: This article is entirely original in nature. No other research works have been performed in this region so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an updated checklist of marine annelids from the Indian subcontinent. Records of annelid species were obtained from published and grey literatures and online databases. Our review of annelid publications was restricted to the Indian continental shelf region. This paper also discusses the taxonomic status of marine annelid species recorded from this region and problems that impede its research. The updated list comprises of 727 species belonging to 334 genera and 72 families. A total of 152 species have their type locality in India including 88 species that are endemic to the region. The current checklist indicates that 25% (183 species) of the records are questionable and require further examination. Our results highlight that marine annelid richness of the Indian sub-continent is underestimated with many of the native undescribed species being most likely concealed under 'erroneous' or 'cosmopolitan' records. With a combination of factors that include a lack of experts, funding, and failure to update regional literature has resulted in an incomplete state of knowledge for the marine annelid biodiversity from this region. Therefore, there is an urgent need for extensive and intensive sampling to discover new species, conduct detailed re-examinations of doubtful records and, collaborate within the local and international institutes and organizations to improve the regional biodiversity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School library is regarded as the hub of all the teaching learning process of an institute. It provides the full range of print and not print material to the staff and the students to support teaching learning and other educational functions. This article deals with an analytical approach to user base studies of 235 Libraries of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan - KVS. KVS is a pioneer and well established school education system governed by the Government of India under the Ministry of Human Resource and Development. The paper discussed about the main objectives of KVS libraries, computerisation, man power, services, infrastructure, available for the students and staff. Paper also presents the study about open access, purchasing procedure, library operation, library collection, staffing, library activities etc. Online and other library work also evaluated in the study. The evaluation of status and services is based on various guidelines formulated by National and International agencies. The present work refers various policies like ALA, IFLA/UNESCO, UK School Library Association CBSE, MHRD and KVS. On the basis of analysis various suggestions and recommendations are also included at the end of this research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries can bridge the gap between the 'information poor' and, the 'information rich' by ensuring that people from all sectors and settings of society and the community across India have easy access to knowledge seek. In view of this, the Government of India has taken up the responsibility and helps each and every State in planning and establishing the quality public libraries throughout the country under Digital India Project. RRRLF is also working and taking initiatives to develop & support the Public libraries throughout the nation with the help of State Governments. Public Library in India has achieved its most remarkable development in large cities. But in Rajasthan, the development of Public Library is not much initiated. In the present research paper, an attempt has been made to know the current scenario of the Public Library System in India with special reference to Rajasthan State. It also covers the initiatives taken by the Government towards the development of Public libraries particularly in Rajasthan, along with the challenges and opportunities encountered by the Library professionals in the development of Public libraries. It also describes the future scope for the development of Public libraries in India as well as in Rajasthan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New and emerging technologies have always been playing the vital role in shaping the different services of libraries. These technologies not only help the users to quick, quality and efficient services but also provide a chance to library and information professionals to think outside the box to make their services effective and responsive. Top trends will be familiar to some readers who will hopefully learn of new equipment to expand their knowledge. Other readers will be made aware of trends that are outside of their experience. This is the nature of trends in our current technological and educational environments. The change is constant, but it affects different libraries at different level. With the arrival of affordable smart mobile phones, libraries all over the world have been trying to utilise them for the betterment of their services. QR code is one of the technologies which can be used with smart phones. In India the use of QR Code and smart phones though started late but in these days emerging as basic element of their day to day life and accelerating technology adoption. In this paper author has discussed and highlighted on QR codes and their use in library. It discusses on how the QR Code technology can enhance the library services with Quick and Quality as prime role. This paper is limited to the library based use and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the expectation and perception of the users of a library of reputed special academic institute in India on quality of library services. The paper is an effort to identify a service gap within five SERVQUAL dimensions rated by the library users. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted through a survey methodology. The survey was implemented through a questionnaire based on five SERVQUAL dimensions. The data were collected by using 22 attributes of SERVQUAL for user expectations and perceptions of special academic institute library, and the gap score between expectation and perception of users was calculated. Based on the expectation mean score and gap score of each attributes, the researchers have identified the service shortfall in five SERVQUAL dimensions. Findings: The result of the study indicates that there is an overall service quality (SQ) gap in services provided by institute library. However, the library is providing relatively satisfactory services to the faculty, but it needs to enhance up to the expectation level of its services to their registered participants. From the study, the average expectation score is very high and it indicates that users expect more from the institute library, particularly in Reliability and Tangibles dimensions. Out of the total 22 SERVQUAL attributes, the result reflects that 10 SERVQUAL attributes have high expectation and high service gap. Originality/value: This paper will assist libraries to improve their library services, particularly in special academic training libraries. Determining SQ has been originated from marketing discipline that has progressively shown its value in the discipline of library and information science profession. This study contributes to the emergent body associated with SQ measures in libraries. Expectation-service gap chart and expectation-service gap grid are the major contribution and rarely found in SERVQUAL literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is based on the secondary data compiled by the Ministry of Human Resource & Development, Govt., of India for the period 2012-13, 2013-14 & 2014-15 and was released as the ranking list of Institutes of Engineering and Technology in India for the year 2016. The study aims to assess the Returns on Investment (ROI) of the twenty leading libraries of the Institutes of Engineering and Technology in India in the form of institutional research output. An attempted has also been made to rank the each individual library on the basis of seven different parameters chosen for the study and worked out the difference between their ascribed rank as per the MHRD list and the achieved ranks worked out on the basis of chosen. The rankings have been calculated on the basis of scores earned by each individual library against each individual parameter. The results showed that the Institutes of Engineering and Technology in India concentrate more on procurement of electronic resources in their libraries, spending nearly three-fourth of their budget on the procurement of electronic documents mostly in the form of online journals and eBooks. While evaluating the ascribed and achieved ranking, 95% libraries under study faced shuffle, as 55% libraries slipped in their rank, while as 45 % improved and 5% showed no change. The study gives a clear idea about the importance of libraries and the part these sub-institutions' play in the overall ranking of their institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study has been conducted with a purpose to see the availability of e-theses collections across agricultural libraries of northern India; work out the proportion of users for each of the e-theses collection and make an assessment about the satisfaction level of users about availability and adequacy of e-theses. Seven sampled universities were surveyed personally by the investigator for collecting data about the questions under investigation. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The investigator also availed of the telephonic & e-mail communication and had a face to face interaction with respondents to collect prompt response, substantiate the responses and remove ambiguities thereof. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to make an analysis of the data on an empirical basis. Chi-Squared (?2) Test has been used to derive association between the variables and test the level of significance. The agricultural libraries of northern India are not seen to subscribe to any e-theses collection of international coverage and all seem to rely on 'KrishiPrabha', the free of cost Indian Agricultural Doctoral Dissertations Repository. Only SKUAST-K and CSKHPKV have developed their institutional repositories; whereas it is only SKUAST-K & SKUAST-J which participated in a state level e-theses initiative. The set of freely available etheses under investigation are not used to a desirable magnitude as only KrishiPrabha is used by a maximum number of users (42.08%) and 30.10% do not use any of them at all. Majority of users (53.10%) use a single e-theses collection, while only 16.80% use a combination of more than one e-theses collection to meet their requirement. Though the majority of respondents (60.33%) are satisfied with the availability & adequacy of e-theses collections; the level of their satisfaction in this regard is below the moderate level (x=3.54). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey paper aims to find out how far the security is a concern and how the university libraries are lacking in this sector. The paper reviewed the literature on security issues and identified issues are verified through a survey of 21 University Libraries of West Bengal. The study finds out that security is a neglected area in libraries and only 5 university libraries have been able to cross a significant role. There is a need to evaluate the security scenario in the libraries of India and emphasis should be given on such issues. There has been more concern about the service but there is a need to put emphasis on the security management area in the library and information centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the university libraries in North East India regarding their initiatives towards open access movement and conceptualize a model for Open Access Initiatives (OAI). Approach, Design and Methodology: Surveyed and identified all the universities in the eight states of North East India. Covered 11 central, 5 state and 4 private universities to understand open access initiatives taken up by them in their respective libraries collecting data through a semi-structurally designed questionnaire. Using statistical techniques, data have been analyzed to draw empirical conclusions. Findings: The study have revealed various issues associated with the libraries regarding their automation status, digitization process, different motives towards OA, establishment of institutional repositories, challenges and many more. The need for having a model for OAI for all the libraries of the region has been felt. Came out with a proposed model for OAI having eight phases comprising mainly of rejuvenation of library system, digitization, digital archiving, OA publications, constitution of a committee, etc. However, acceptability of the model by the libraries of the region needs to be taken care of by the concerned universities. Originality/value: The study is first of its kind in the area of open access initiatives taken up in the region. Findings provide a new vista for the university libraries, which are added feature in the context of the stock of the existing knowledge in the field. The conceptualized OAI model is a new proposal the acceptability of which being rest with the universities concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public library is the nerve of the education and culture and the National Library is in core center in the system and it has resulted ongoing changes in a society’s economy, education, policy, tradition and religion. In the public library system, National Library is the apex library and extensive use of Information Communication Technology (ICT)in its housekeeping operations and activities has tremendously impacted the type of services delivered by public libraries in the society. In present study the ICT based library services provided in a public library has been discussed with special reference to the National Library of India. The paper also explores the possibility of introducing other modern ICT based user services where the National Library can initiate those facilities to its users. The main objective of this study is to examine the services provided by National Library of India to its esteemed users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Christian missionaries working in India in the nineteenth century made numerous important contributions to European and North American understandings of Islam. One such contribution was theDictionary of Islamcompiled by the Anglican missionary Thomas Patrick Hughes, who was serving in Peshawar on the border between British India and Afghanistan. Drawing upon sources such as collections of Hadith, he provided both brief definitions and some longer analyses of a wide range of aspects of Muslim beliefs, practices and history. However, his compilation was not entirely based on textual sources, but was also informed by daily contact with Muslims in and around Peshawar, particularly Maulavi Ahmad of Tangi. Hughes combined his interest in defining Islam with a passion for exploring and explaining Afghan culture and politics to his readership in Britain. Although situated on ‘the edges of empire’, Hughes nonetheless found himself at the centre of world events as the intrigue between Britain and Russia resulted in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Although located in what some considered a minor province on the periphery of the Muslim world, he nonetheless produced a major reference work on Islam that is still in print. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study examines the number of backlinks to the websites of libraries belonging to Central Universities of India. The study has presented seven categories of library webpages based on their features. The study was conducted in five rounds to get the primary data through four selected search engines. Analysis is presented for each search engine separately. Study concludes that index page/home page of library websites attracts more number of backlinks than any other webpages of library websites. Search engine Yahoo Site Explorer retrieved highest number of backlinks for library websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to highlight the status and application of an automated cataloging system in central university libraries in north India. Data has been collected using questionnaires. Interview and observation techniques have also been used to bring objectivity in the present study. Results show that varying levels of progress have been made with respect to implementation of a cataloging system. Results also show that with the help of automation, libraries have satisfied user communities by way of easy retrieval. It has removed discrepancies and set a trend for standardization. Furthermore, staff morale has been boosted up in an automated environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Monastery libraries have, for centuries, been the hub of religious education and research. They house collections that are unique and even rare and have been useful to students of religion as well as to members of the public. Some, along with the monasteries to which they are attached, even serve as tourist attractions, being as they are ancient relics with rich culture and history. The Tawang Monastery, in Arunachal Pradesh, India, is one such monastery whose libraries are unique and valuable. This paper reports results of a study on the collection in the two libraries of Tawang Monastery which not only found that they are among the best in terms of format, variety and value but also discovered shortcomings like shortage in staff and space which need to be addressed at the earliest.Design/methodology/approach For this research, case study method was used by the researchers. The tools used for data collection were questionnaire and interview. This is because they were found to be easier and convenient methods to carry out this research. Apart from that, observation method was also carried out throughout the research period. Besides these field work research methods, literature review was also carried out to gather mostly historical and some background information about the monastic libraries in India. Internet searching was also carried out to find out other relevant information.Findings This study provides an enumerative account of collection development in the Tawang monastery libraries. During the study, certain pitfalls were noted. First, the ancient Parkhang library building is in a very precarious state of existence. In fact, the library building was undergoing renovation during the period of this study. Due to this very reason also, it’s collection of Kanjur and Tanjur religious texts have not been subjected to any preservation methods, although it is of utmost necessity.Research limitations/implications During this particular period of study the ancient Parkhang library was undergoing the process of building renovation. In fact, the whole library building was deserted as a result, and was in topsy-turvy condition. The tour of the library hall was given, for whatever it was worth by the librarian himself, during which some photographs were taken. Hence, most of the data collection was possible only due to the dedicated cooperation of the monks and a few learned teaching staff of the monastery school. Much relevant information was collected through personal interviews, apart from the questionnaire sets. On the other hand, no such hindrance was faced for the data collection from the school library.Originality/value This study, to an extent, shows that the collection development in the Tawang monastery libraries (especially Parkhang library) is a very vital and important asset, both for the state of Arunachal Pradesh and for India as well. It is the first full-fledged study on collection development in the Tawang Monastery libraries, covering all aspects of the topic at hand, and can serve as a precedent to other such studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the damage suffered by the prominent libraries of Kashmir during September 2014 floods. The work provide an insight about the response and recovery measures being taken during and after the floods respectively in ten prominent libraries of Jammu & Kashmir [six Academic libraries (S.P. College Library, Women’s College Library, Govt. Degree College Library – Bemina, Amar Singh College Library, Gandhi Memorial College Library and College of Education Library); three Special libraries (J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages Library – Srinagar, Govt. Medical College Library – Srinagar and J&K High Court Library) and one Public library (Sri Pratap Singh library)].Design/methodology/approach A variety of data collection tools and techniques such as interview, questionnaire, observation, etc., were used to collect the data. The collected data have been tabulated and analyzed to derive meaningful conclusions and findings as per the set objectives of the study.Findings The results reveal that although libraries in Kashmir are prone to disasters like floods; yet, none of the library seems to be prepared to bear or cope such a disaster. The findings provide a gloomy picture of libraries when it comes to the measures being taken by these libraries during and after the floods to protect their resources. The paper highlights the inefficiency and incapability of libraries (in terms of disaster management) by finding that most of the libraries are without a disaster response and recovery plan as well as a disaster response and recovery team. The study recommends that some tangible measures if taken can save precious resources hosted in libraries.Practical implications The current study can help the stakeholders to chalk out scientific and systematic policy and plans for library and information centers that can be executed with minimum of fuss and anarchy.Originality/value The study offers working knowledge to library professional on ground for effective management of assets and resources in pre- and post-disaster scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present assessment strategies, research results, and decision making in the process of building a website and formalizing management procedures for a library in Kerala, India serving a significant number of deaf students. The strategies include user interviews and developing user experience personas, collecting and incorporating examples from other library sites in building a new website, and communicating new methods of managing and promoting library resources to the university community. The co-presenters encountered difficulties and some resistance regarding their suggestions for changes in the website as well as the public and technical services offered by the library due to differences in infrastructure and expectations in academic culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The present study aims to assess the resource procurement preferences among the leading academic libraries of the institutes of higher learning across India. The study analyses the amount and percentage of budget spent by the institutions under study during the period 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 on the procurement of print and electronic resources in their libraries. The study also discusses about concerns with regard to the subscription of e-resources and the reasons for weaning interest among the Indian academicians towards the print resources.Design/methodology/approach By and large, the scope of the study is limited to institutes of higher learning across India, but reflects a great deal of relevance to the global higher education practices. The study has been undertaken on the 20 leading institutes each from Universities, Institutes of Management and Institutes of Technology in India, based on the ranking list released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, on 4 April 2016.Findings The electronic documents are the dominant forms of present day library procurements in India, with the print struggling to retain its readership. The Institutes of Engineering and Technology and Management have almost similar procurement preferences, spending almost three-fourth of their library budgets on the procurement of e-documents. On average, the University libraries in India have spent 43.54 per cent of their budget on the procurement of print resources and 56.46 per cent of their budget on the procurement of electronic resources during the period of study. Similarly, on average, each Institute of Engineering and Technology has spent 24.04 per cent of their library budget on the procurement of print documents and 75.96 per cent towards the procurement of electronic resources, whereas 27.51 per cent of the library budget by the Institutes of Management in India is being spent on the procurement of print resources and 72.49 per cent towards the procurement of electronic resources.Originality/value The study is original and is first of its kind, undertaken on three different category of institutions, based on the national ranking of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate discovery layer search tools for retrieval of legal information in Indian law libraries. This paper covers current practices in legal information retrieval with special reference to Indian academic law libraries, and analyses its importance in the domain of law. Design/Methodology/Approach. A web survey and observational study method are used to collect the data. Data related to the discovery tools were collected using email and further discussion held with the discovery layer/ tool /product developers and their representatives. Findings. Results show that most of the Indian law libraries are subscribing to bundles of legal information resources such as Hein Online, JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, Manupatra, Westlaw India, SCC web, AIR Online (CDROM), and so on. International legal and academic resources are compatible with discovery tools because they support various standards related to online publishing and dissemination such as OAI/PMH, Open URL, MARC21, and Z39.50, but Indian legal resources such as Manupatra, Air, and SCC are not compatible with the discovery layers. The central index is one of the important components in a discovery search interface, and discovery layer services/tools could be useful for Indian law libraries also if they can include multiple legal and academic resources in their central index. But present practices and observations reveal that discovery layers are not providing facility to cover legal information resources. Therefore, in the present form, discovery tools are not very useful; they are an incomplete and half solution for Indian libraries because all available Indian legal resources available in the law libraries are not covered. Originality/Value. Very limited research or published literature is available in the area of discovery layers and their compatibility with legal information resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction-This paper discussed the need of performance audit through LibQUAL+ technique in University Library users in West Bengal, India. LibQUAL+ Technique is developed by Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in the year 2000. It is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users' opinions of service quality. In this paper, an attempt has been made to measure the performance of Burdwan University Library and Visva-Bharati Library Users through LibQUAL+ technique. Comparative study of each dimension that is Library as a Place (LP), Information Control (IC) and Affect of Service (AS), Adequacy Gap (AG), Superiority Gap (SG) and Zone of Tolerance has been determined. This technique has been applied to know what library users saying about the performance of the library. Methods-To conduct of this study a large variety of data-gathering and analysis techniques have been adopted such as surveys, interviews, observations, etc. of the users of both the libraries. Findings-Visva-Bharati Library (VBL) performs better in all respect than Burdwan University Library (BUL) specially overall library performance of VBL (3.20 mean score) where as BUL (3.34 mean score) in West Bengal, India. Suggestions-Library authority should concentrate whether minimum service levels are available to users, what their desired service levels are but what they are getting (perceived) at this moment. Faculty, scholars and students opinion (feedback & suggestions) regarding library services have to take regular interval i.e. quarterly, half-yearly or yearly. Besides that, authority of university library should always promote introduction of new services to the academic community through notification as well as put it library website or university website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of data collected from a simple random sample of 1130 faculty members belonging to 37 Engineering colleges affiliated to JNTU-Anantapur using a questionnaire, reveals that most of the faculty members are using textbooks (97.3%), and Internet (85.7%) for their teaching activity. Further, most of the faculty members are using e-journals (80.1%) and Internet (79.0%) for their research activity. Most of the faculty members are satisfied with latest editions of books available (79.8%) and with the multiple copies available for prescribed textbooks in their libraries (75.02%). Most of them (77.3%) are consulting periodicals for their teaching and research work. Most of them (78.1%) are satisfied with the present collection of periodicals. Nearly half of them (51.3%) are consulting indexing and abstracting periodicals to know the latest literature for their teaching and research needs. Most of them (77.2%) replied that the latest issues of periodicals are available in their libraries concerned. Majority of the faculty members replied that current issues of periodicals (68.8%) and the back volumes of periodicals (60.5%) are not issued for home reading. Most of them (81.8%) replied that their libraries are subscribing to e-journals. Majority of them (53.7%) replied that their libraries are not subscribing to e-books. A few recommendations have been made by the researchers on the basis of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The main purpose of this paper is to examine the current practices related to e-resource collection development in management libraries of India with special reference to the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi with some constructive suggestions for improvement in this area.Design/methodology/approach A well-structured questionnaire was administered to the librarians of the nine management libraries under study.Findings The management libraries are actively involved in building e-resource collection. The budget allocation for purchase of e-resources has increased progressively over the years in majority of the libraries. The factors that, to a great extent, affect selection of e-resources include quality, subject coverage, license agreements and vendor support. The study found that libraries associated with management institutions such as ABS, DMS-IITD, FMS, BIMECH and FSM need to add more management-related databases.Research limitations/implications The paper restricts the study exclusively to e-resources as the type of material and the librarians of nine major management institutions of NCR of Delhi as the respondents in its scope of discussion.Practical implications The study is of great importance to information professionals of similar management institutions in India. The recommendations made could also help solve some of the challenges that are being faced.Originality/value Very little is known about the electronic resource collection development practices followed in management institutes’ libraries of India owing to lack of significant research undertaken on the topic. This study is, therefore, significant because its findings fill up the existing knowledge gap in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to suggest performance evaluation of university libraries in India using qualitative and quantitative parameters provided by librarians to be collected, analysed and disseminated by a national agency apart from LibQual user surveys. Design/methodology/approach – The status about the university libraries in India provided by the Association of Indian Universities publication Universities Handbook would help to assess the quantity and quality of collection and services offered by these libraries. The framework for performance evaluation of university libraries is presented in three heads: parameters, players and procedures. Parameters cover the various qualitative and quantitative data to be collected for the purpose of evaluation. Players include a vast network of institutions involved in this exercise. Among these, the first and foremost is the individual libraries. There should be a national agency to be identified for collecting, analysing and disseminating the consolidated evaluation reports on a national scale. There may also be international agencies or services involved to support and guide user survey such as LibQual. Procedures involve the processes, actions and activities undertaken by the various players to achieve the basic objective of performance evaluation of these university libraries. Findings – The performance framework suggested when implemented every year by university libraries present the qualitative and quantitative outcome of their functioning and reveal their worth in the university landscape. This may also aid in planned and organised development of university libraries in the country. The results provided by this exercise should influence judicious collection development decisions and pragmatic information service planning. Originality/value – India, perhaps, has the largest number of higher education institutions in the developing world. The national directory Universities Handbook only presents information about library of a university without any attempt to analyse the statistics collected to arrive at national trends or patterns. This may be the first attempt to provide a holistic picture to assess the performance of a varied spectrum of libraries as far as infrastructure, resources and services are concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to destabilise the categories of the regional, national and foreign by juxtaposing several strands of performance history in colonial India. The first of these is the strong presence of military theatricals in the subcontinent; the second is the continuous passage of girls and women often as solo performers or as a couple, through British India and Ceylon, eastwards and westwards; and the third, the growth of new forms of vernacular theatre under colonial auspices. Select examples are drawn here from the 1860s-1880s to index the performance range, establish links with regimental theatres and outline the popular travel routes to highlight crucial points of intersection between these strands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of indigo culture that developed on indigo plantations in colonial Bengal was remarkably cosmopolitan in its borrowings. The protean knowledge that was assembled in the first plantations in the Caribbean in the mid-seventeenth century had roots in various peasant traditions on the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere in the world. French naturalists committed this knowledge to texts, making them legible and portable whilst the needs of European empires ensured the perfection of this knowledge on separate continents even as it picked up heterogeneous forms at numerous sites. The heterogeneity of the knowledge attached to the practice of indigo manufacture was reproduced on the Indian subcontinent when indigo was reinvented as a colonial commodity. European planters generously drew on the texts describing indigo-making that were easily available, as the practice of dye making continued to evolve in the colonial locality. Some surviving peasant traditions of indigo culture on the subcontinent also impinged on the evolving knowledge. Thus multiple logics rather than the single colonial logic lay beneath the development of colonial indigo plantations in Bengal. An understanding of the process requires attention to the global genealogies of this knowledge system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study describes the reading skills prospects and challenges of the students of Government Arts and Commerce College, Indore, M.P. India. Attempt to know the response of the student this study adopts the questionnaire method for collection of data. To select the sample population, random sampling method has been used. Accordingly the questionnaire was distributed among 350 students of Government Arts and Commerce College, Indore, out of which 300 responded. The study reveal that a majority of respondents i.e. 116(38.6%) spend 2-4 hours daily for reading and 65(21.6%) are in the favour of guided tour to promote the reading skills. Lack of latest information is a most common encountered by the majority of respondents 105(35%), while 68(22.6%) respondents have problem with time due to busy schedule of classes. Finally highlights the suggestions for improvement of reading skills among the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]