IITs LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES STATUS

Transcription

1 IITs LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES STATUS IITs were established in different geographical areas of the country in different years with the objectives to meet the technical manpower needs & requirements of the nation to provide the latest technology to the industries to achieve a better economical growth and above all to make the people s life more comfortable. Government of India has given special status to all these IITs by naming them as an Institute of National Importance. Up to some extend, product of these institutes have fulfill the needs and requirements of Indian S & T and contributed a lot to make India really a strong country. The products of IITs are not only welcomed in Indian industries but abroad also To achieve the objectives and goals of IITs, the role of library can not be denied. If an institute is doing academically well, there is no doubt about its having a good library to support it. Keeping these points in mind, the services of IITs libraries were evaluated and presented in this chapter. In Table 3.1a-c are given the breakup of library budget from financial years and their distribution under various heads and sub heads so that some speculative ideas may be drawn about the functioning of the IITs libraries. Unfortunately, in spite of several request reminders none of the IITs returned the duly completed questionnaire. Among the seven IITs, it appears that in financial year IITG was having the lowest ( 3.25 cr.) library budget in contrast IITKGP was having the highest (7.00cr) library budget followed by IITK (6.5 cr); IITB (6.45cr); IITM (6.00cr.); IITR (5.75cr.) and IITD (4.50 cr). From the available data it appears that IITB, IITM, IITR, IITD, IITK and IITG spend less

2 43 Table 3.1a: IITs library budget break-up ( ) Sl. No. Financial year Library Budget (Rs in Lacs) IITB IITD IITG Allocation of Budget for Library Allocation of Budget for Library Allocation of Budget for Books Journals Non- Budget Books Journals Non- Budget Books Journals Non- Book Print Electronic/ Book (Rs in Print Electronic/ Book (Rs in Print Electronic/ Materials online Material Lacs) online Materials Lacs) online # 316 # # # # # # 330 # # # # # # 344 # # # # # # 365 # # # # # # # # Table 3.1b (contd.) Sl. No. Financial year Library Budget (Rs in Lacs) IITK IITKGP Allocation of Budget for Library Allocation of Budget for Books Journals Non- Budget (Rs Books Journals Non- Book Print Electronic/online Book in Lacs) Print Electronic/online Materials Material # # # # # 462 # # # # # # # # # 447 # # # # # # # # 510 # # # # # # # # 557 # # # # # 700 # # # # # Data not received.

3 44 Table 3.1c (contd.) Sl. No. Financial year Library Budget (Rs in Lacs) IITM IITR Allocation of Budget for Library Allocation of Budget for Books Journals Non- Book Budget Books Journals Non- Book Material (Rs in Materials Print Electronic/ Lacs) Print Electronic/on on line line # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Data not received.

4 45 than one fourth of their budget amount on books and major share of the remaining amount goes to print and E- journals. In Table 3.2 are given the details of users and infrastructures available in the IITs Library. The IITD and IITB were having more than 8000 users including by IITK (7000), IITR (4000) and IITG (2500) where as IITKGP and IITM have not supplied the data. The IITB is having 31 departments and surprisingly only two departmental libraries where as IITD is having 28 departments and 15 departmental libraries followed by IITK with 20 departments and the same number of departmental libraries, IITM with 15 departments and the same number of departmental libraries. IITKGP is having twenty nine departments including advance centres but there is no departmental library. It seems from the available data that IITKGP and IITB users are heavily depending on central library where as Delhi, Kanpur and Madras are having good number of departmental libraries to share the load of the central library. In Table 3.3 and 3.4 are given the data related to collection, both print and non print materials. The received data of IITs were cross examined from their websites and it appears that IITM is having better collection than others. IITG looks still very young baby but picking up gradually. Collection of patents and subscription of large number of international journals, both print and electronic version as well as audio visual materials and microfilm /microfiche makes IITs libraries different than the Universities, NITs, and private AICTE approved technical institutions. It was also notices that IITs have dropped quite no of print journals after internet services and their E- version were taken. Collection of good no of E books and consortia databases (Appendix-1 and 2), both full text & bibliographical are the assets of the IITs library. In Table 3.5 are given the details of conventional services offered by IITs. Almost all IITs library is offering abstracting and indexing, inter library loan,

5 46 Table 3.2: Details of users and infrastructure available in IITs Sl. No. Institutes Users Total UG PG Ph.D. Faculty Supporting Others Users Student Student Scholar Staff Reading Space No. of Depts. Departmental Libraries 1. IITB sqm IITD # sqm IITG # # # sqm 11 # 4. IITK # # # # # # sqm IITKGP # # # # # # # 80000sqf 29 No 6. IITM # # # # # # # # IITR # # # # # # 4000 # # # # Data not received.

6 47 Table 3.3: Collection break-up of IITs (print media) Sl. No. Institutes Collections Books Journals Theses Patent/ General Text Book Reference Special collection Others Foreign Indian Back vol standard/ others Manuscript 1. IITB # # # # # 2. IITD # # # # # # Govt. Pub. Others 3. IITG # # 4005 # # 524 # # # 4. IITK # # # # # # (Technical Reports) 5. IITKGP # # # # # # # # # 6. IITM # # # # # # # IITR # # # # # # # # # # # # Data not received.

7 48 Table 3.4: Collection break-up of IITs (other than print media) Sl. No. Institutes N0N- book Materials AV Micro Films / Fiche Collections Electronic Publications e-books Journals Databases Indian Foreign 1. IITB INDEST 2. IITD (Subs.)+5(free) # # INDEST 3. IITG Nil 1 # # 5+INDEST 4. IITK # # # # INDEST 5. IITKGP # # # # # 14+INDEST 6. IITM # # # INDEST 7. IITR 628 Nil # # # INDEST # Data not received.

8 49 Table 3.5: Conventional services offered by IITs Sl. No. Services offered Institutes IITB IITD IITG IIT K IIT KGP IITM IITR 1. Abstracting & Indexing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2. Inter library loan Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 3. Lending of periodicals Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No 4. Ready reference Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 5. Translation No No No No No Yes No 6. Bibliographic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No 7. CAS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8. Citations No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes 9. SDI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10. Reprographic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 12. Downloading and Printing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

9 50 ready reference, bibliographical, CAS, SDI and reprographic services to their users. Among the IITs, IITM library is only offering translation service. The citation services are also offered by the IITD, IITG, IITM, and IITR to their users. Downloading from internet and getting few papers printed facilities offered by the IITs libraries. In Table 3.6 are given the status of art of modernization. The collected data revealed that all the IITs library were fully computerized and out of seven, four are using Lybsis network version software where as IITB is using LYBSUITE; IITK is using IITKLAS and IITM is using VTLS network version softwares. Barcode technology has been introduced in the libraries for circulation and stock verification. IITB and Madras are using smart cards and FRID technology to detect the theft cases. IITB, IITD and IITG manage their automation from their own fund where as IITK; IITKGP & IITR got the automation budget from the MHRD and IITM managed budget from some other sources. Other than IITM, all the six IITs are having separate IT application budget which they feel is sufficient to meet their IT needs and requirements of the library. In Table 3.7 are given the information about internet and intranet services details offered by IITs to their users. All the seven IITs are having their campus wise network to offer internet and intranet services (Table-7). Out of seven IITs, IIT Bombay and Delhi libraries are having their independent network and that to be compatible to campus network. The five IITs other than Bombay and Kanpur have taken membership of more than one network, such as DELNET, CALIBNET, and INFLIBNET etc to provide better services. Almost all the IITs libraries are having leased line and V set connections and their speed vary from 100mbps to 50mbps where as IITM depends upon cable network. IITM & IITR are having 100 PCs to their library connected with internet, followed by IITB (75+); IITD (68+); IITK (55) and IITG (21). Almost all the IITs libraries are

10 51 Table 3.6: State of art (modernization) Sl. No. Library operation Institutes IITB IITD IITG IITK IIT KGP IITM IITR 1. Computerization status Computerized Computerized Computerized Computerized Computerized Computerized Computerized 2. Level of computerization Fully Fully Fully Fully Fully Fully Fully 3. Software used LIBSUITE Lybsis Lybsis IITKLAS Lybsis VTLS Lybsis 4. Software version Network Network Network Network Network Network Network 5. Whether the software has online help for users? 6. Barcode technology introduced Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 7. Barcode used for V& C C V&C C V&C V&C V&C 8. Theft detection technology Smart card No No No RFID Smart card No 9. Funding agency for automation PO PO PO MHRD MHRD O MHRD 10. Budget for IT application Separate Separate Separate Separate Separate Not Separate Separate 11. IT fund Sufficient Sufficient Sufficient Sufficient Sufficient Sufficient Sufficient V=Annual stock verification & C=Circulation; PO=Parent organization, and O=Other

11 52 Table 3.7: Internet / intranet services offered by IITs Sl. Internet services Institutes No. IITB IITD IITG IITK IITKGP IITM IITR 1 Campus LAN Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 2 Spread of campus LAN Whole campus Whole campus Whole campus Whole campus Whole campus Whole campus Whole campus 3 Has library an independent Yes Yes No No No No No network? 4 Is library networking a part of Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes campus network? 5 Campus LAN/Library network are Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes compatible to each other 6 Membership of others library network No DELNET Other No Yes INFLIBNET,DELNET No & MALIBNET 7 Is campus network/library network Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes connected to INTERNET? 8 Type of Internet connection Leased Line Leased Line Leased Line V-Set Leased line & V- Cable Network Leased line & V-Set set 9 Internet connection speed: 32MBPS 34+10MBPS 46MBPS 100MBPS 100MBPS 100MBPS 100 MBPS 10 No. of PCs connected to Internet in the library # Have Institute its own Web Site? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 12 Internet service charge (if any) No No No No No No No 13 No. of databases subscribed CD* 06+CD CD CD CD 9+CD # Data not received, *CD= INDEST Consortia

12 53 having their own website and they don t charge any amount from users for internet services. Being core members of MHRD INDEST consortia, they get INDEST consortia services and IITD, IITK, and IITR have also subscribed few additional data bases to meet the needs and requirements of users. In Table 3.8 are given data on feedback of pre and post internet era of library services. Out of 14 services listed in the table, four of them such as , web browsing, access to electronic journals, e- commerce etc were started only after introducing the internet facilities in the library. These services have been proved very much useful and got appreciation from the users where as the remaining services, such as access to library, generating reminders, recent edition list, database searching (off line), content page access, SDI, CAS and literature survey etc. were very much influenced and enhanced from the internet. In Table 3.9 are given data on impact of internet on library and information services. Total 16 questions were asked from the IITs Librarians to know the impact of internet on various aspects of library and information services and future mode of communication. As librarians felt, the image of the library, working efficiency, resource sharing, and drop out of print journals, library rules and policies are under very much influence of net. Though it was expected that ICT will bring down the budget of library but a reverse impact has been noticed till date. No doubt improvement in budget has provided tremendous facilities in comparison to investment. Internet based consortia services in almost all fields have come up and it has pull down the prices of the e-resources for example-iel database (INDEST members are getting more than 90% discount on IEL database and same is true for the other full text and bibliographical databases. (See appendix no-2). There are several factors which influence the scientific outputs and information is one of them. It was expected from ICT services to bridge up the

13 54 Table 3.8: Services offered during pre and post internet era Sl. No. Services IITB IITD IITG IITK IITKGP IITM IITR 1. Access of Library 2. Generating Reminders 3. Recent Addition List 4. Database Search 5. Content Page 6. Services 7. www services 8. Access to INFLIBNET Database 9. Access to the other Library database Service not provided Service not provided Useful 10. E. Journals 11. SDI 12. CAS 13. Literature Search, etc Useful 14 E- Commerce

14 55 Table 3.9: Impact of internet on library services SN Internet applications Institutes IITB IITD IITG IIT K IITKGP IITM IITR 1. Library image has improved or not. Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved 2. No. of users increased or decreased. Increased Increased Increased Decreased Decreased Increased Decreased 3. Impact on Library policy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 4. Impact on annual budget. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No 5. Impact on journals subscriptions Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes problems. 6. Impact on working efficiency of Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved Improved library staff. 7. Any significant change in the Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes scientific output. 8. Impact on citation behavior of users. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No N0 9. Purpose to use the Internet A A A A A A A 10. Changes in the users dependency on No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes the Library Staff. 11. Will internet bridge up the Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No unavailability of current information gap and help to improving the scientific out put? 12. Impact on S&T communication Very much Yes Very Very much Very much Very much Yes process. much 13. Opinion about replacing the print No No No No No No No media by electronic one. 14. Impact on changes in the resource Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes sharing process. 15. Place of Library compared to other Ahead Equal Ahead Ahead Ahead Ahead Equal departments after implementation of Internet services. 16. Have you dropped any print journal subscriptions due to internet Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes A= To read News Papers, Watch sports, Research purpose, Referencing, Forth coming Conf./ Seminar, etc.

15 56 information gap between the developed and developing countries. Table 6.3 presents the data related to scientific outputs and it shows tremendous improvement in the number of papers. Study reported (Table 6.6a-g) to provide the data related to changes in citation behaviors. Some shift in citation behavior was observed among the scientists. They prefer to cite latest articles than the pre internet era. People use internet to get current news-both national and international, to watch sports, to know the forthcoming conferences & seminars, to get references, to access the e-journals, to send and receive the mails etc. The facility has revolutionized the personal communication and helped in achieving a paperless society. Printed journals are serving S&T community last more than three hundred years. Due to its demerits, scientists were trying to have an alternative of this vehicle and ultimately online journals have emerged as a well accepted alternative. Due to several merits and very limited demerits, e-journals are going to serve the purpose of scientific communication and its future looks very bright. Librarians of IITs feel that print media can t be replaced by the electronic media. It has been observed that there are several journals which only publish in electronic mode and almost all the important printed journals are appearing in both print and electronic simultaneously. No doubt, due to its special feature that it may be made available to any where, any time and any mode will force the society to accept as a couplet version of print media. Thus internet based services have changed the image of library and given an opportunity to search the latest information to the users to be needed to sustain themselves in the knowledge society.

16 57 Reference 1. AICTE (1997), Technical education in independence India ( ), New Delhi