Library

Research plays a central role in the academic work of students and faculty at colleges and universities. As a result, college and university libraries—also called academic libraries—are often considered to be the most important resource of an institution of higher education. Because students and faculty at colleges and universities may wish to conduct research within any conceivable academic discipline, the collections of academic libraries usually reflect a vast range of interests and formats. Our undergraduate library typically offers relatively general materials needed to support study toward a three-year, undergraduate degree. It contains materials for more specialized study toward an advanced, graduate degree. Our academic library generally attempts to expand its holdings on an ongoing basis. However, during the 1990s acquisition of expensive printed materials began slowing at most academic libraries in the world, as more funds were devoted to the acquisition of new computers, telecommunications equipment for access to the Internet, and online databases. Because of the complexity, range, and diversity of formats and information in academic libraries, our college offers programs to introduce incoming students and faculty to the institution’s library services. Such programs are designed to teach new users effective ways to make use of a variety of reference tools and library search mechanisms.

Reading Section

Our library has the facility of a Reading Room for the students. At least a hundred students use this facility daily. The Reading room can accommodate 100 students together. We have opened our collections to the public, although borrowing privileges are limited for users not affiliated with the college or university.

Books

As the college was established long back in 1959, and it was lucky enough to have eminent scholars as Principals and administrators, the library today boasts a very rich and worthy collection of about 29,239 books on different subjects. The same tradition of buying worthy, useful and qualitative books still prevails, and every year, we have been increasing the quantity of books and thereby enhancing the quality of the richness of the library to the best of our abilities. We do utilize the maximum budgetary provisions to enrich the library.

Journals Magazines and NewsPapers

We have subscribed for about 42 magazines and journals related to the subjects being taught in the college, and 12 magazines of general nature. The journals and magazines are being utilized both by the students as well as the teaching and the administrative staff. The librarian takes care that all latest issues of the received magazines are displayed in the library and the last five issues of the same magazine are also preserved at the back of the respective magazine. Fresh journals or magazines are not issued for taking them home.

Locating Library Materials

Visitors of our library locate materials in different ways, depending on their own particular needs and interests. Someone looking for recreational reading material may wish to simply browse through the library’s selection of recently published books. Most users, however, come to the library in search of information about a particular subject. The librarian is trained to help library users locate the materials they need. However, users must also learn how to search for information themselves if they are to make the best use of the resources the library has to offer. So we do plan such sessions for students.
Presently, the computerization of all books is going on and hence, we have prohibited students’ direct access to the shelves and cupboards. Instead, we have made an arrangement of “Requisition Slip”. The students are supposed to fill up the demand slip and hand it over to the librarian and the librarian searches for the book on her own and the student gets either the book, or if it is issued, the probable date of its being returned within 48 hours. But we are sure, once we computerize the library, locating books will be far easier for the staff and students. Moreover, the latest status of the books too will be got within a click. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and other materials are located near the library’s reference desk, and hence students can easily locate them. We also intend to place a map of arrangement of books in the library, so that patrons can easily locate the cupboard and the shelves easily.