Libraries and information networks List in Indian

• The Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET);
• The Delhi Library Network (DELNET);
• The Biotechnology Information System (BTIS);
• The Scientific and Industrial Research Network (SIRNET);
• The Technology Information System (TIFACLINE);
• The Calcutta Library Network (CALIBNET);
• The Madras Library Network (MALIBNET);
• The Bombay Library Network (BONET);
• The Mysore Library Network (MYLIBNET); and
• The Pune Library Network (PUNENET).

The Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) - 1991
UGC was launched in May 1991.located in Infocity, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Library Network(DELNET)- 1988 

Old name : The Delhi Library Network 

Established in 1988.
NISSAT took the initiative in setting up DELNET.
DELNET also provides CAS and SDI services, consultancy in library computerization, training and H.R.D.

The Biotechnology Information System (BTIS- NET) -1987
establish in 1987

India was the first country in the world to establish in 1987 a Biotechnology Information System (BTIS) network to create an infrastructure that enables it to harness biotechnology through the application of Bioinformatics. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has taken up this infrastructure development project and created a distributed network at a very low cost.

The Scientific and Industrial Research Network (SIRNET)- 

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC)

 NKC was established by The Indian government on June 13, 2005, for a duration of three years, from October 2, 2005, to October 2, 2008. As a senior advisory body to The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. concentrating on a few key areas, such as e-governance, agriculture, industry, science and technology, and education. 

    Easy access to knowledge, creation and preservation of knowledge systems, dissemination of knowledge and better knowledge services are core concerns of the commission.

    The Commission envisaged the future road map for the growth and development of academic libraries by imbibing core issues such as, set up a national commission on libraries, prepare a national census of all libraries, revamp LIS education, training and research facilities, re-assess staffing of libraries, set up a central library fund, modernize library management, encourage greater community participation in library management, promote information communication technology applications in all libraries, facilitate donation and maintenance of private collections, and encourage public private partnerships in LIS development, etc.

    The most important recommendation of NKC regarding university libraries is that by 2015 the number of universities should be 1500 to cater to the needs of the youth. make it possible for India to reach a gross enrollment ratio of at least 15% by 2015. 
    

    Sad to Hear this: The National Knowledge Commission was abolished by the new Indian government that took office in the summer of 2014, so as of July 2014.

Library networks and development of consortia

access most advanced media including CD-ROM, the Internet and other electronic formats of information resources. Today libraries are witnessing the network based era having connected to vast ocean of the Internet based information. The use of ICTs have placed the Indian academic libraries at par with the libraries the world over.

The Information for Library Network (INFLIBNET) set up by the UGC as an autonomous interuniversity centre in 1991 proved to be a landmark to interlink the academic libraries.

 It is involved in modernizing university libraries in India and connects these to a nation-wide-high speed data network.

 

The INFLIBNET promotes 

automation of libraries, 

develop standards; 

creates union catalogues of serials, theses, books, monographs and non-book materials; 

provide access to bibliographic information resources; 

creates database of projects, institutions, specialists; 

organizes training programmes, etc.

    The INFLIBNET  also developed ‘Software for University Libraries’, a library automation software more popularly called as SOUL.

    Other national networks and library networks have developed in addition to INFLIBNET.

Notable networks include INDONET, ERNET, CALIBNET, DELNET, MALIBNET, and the National Informatic Centre's Network (NICNET). These networks increased resource sharing and expanded the user base's information access.

    The consortia are usually intended to meet the information needs of stakeholders in a homogenous group. The consortium approach began in India in 1982 with emergence of the Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy and Astrophysics (FORSA). This was initiated for sharing resources available in astronomy libraries in the nation and was extended to physics and mathematics libraries in 2004.

    FORSA's objectives and activities: The Indian Digital Library in Engineering Science and Technology (INDEST) was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India to give all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and other institutions, such as NITs, ISM, IIMs, NITTTRs, etc. access to electronic resources.
Indian Digital Library in Engineering Science and Technology (INDEST) headquarter is at IIT Delhi.

The National Knowledge Resource Consortium : (NKRC) was established in 2009. It is a network of libraries and information centres of 39 National Laboratories and institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and 24 institutes of the Department of Science and Technology.

The Health Science Library and Information Network: (HELINET) was launched during March 2003 with an aim to improve the "quality of education and research in institutions of health sciences" in Karnataka through enhanced "access to high quality medical information". The consortium facilitates access from leading publishers to 600 scholarly, international biomedical journals to members/institutions. 

Agricultural universities, veterinary universities, and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions have access to more than 3000 journals in the broad spectrum of agricultural sciences through the Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture (CeRA). 

The UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium was launched by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at Vidya Bhawan on 28th December 2003 on the concluding day of Golden Jublee celebrations of the UGC.

The consortium facilitates current as well as archival access to more than 7,500 core and peer-reviewed electronic journals and 10 bibliographic databases from world famous publishers, scholarly societies and aggregators.
In the first phase, access to e-resources was offered to 50 universities having the Internet connectivity under the UGC-INFONET networking program. Thereafter, the consortium access was extended to 209 universities under the purview of UGC. The consortium provides access to e-resources in almost all disciplines including arts, humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences, life sciences, computer sciences, management, mathematics and statistics. 

History of Academic Libraries in India - EPG

Where is Taxila University, the oldest university in the world, located?

a) Eastern India 

b) Central India 

c) North-west India (now in Pakistan) 

d) South India

Which subjects were included in Taxila University's excellent library? 

a) Physics, Chemistry, and Biology 

b) Buddhism 

c) Political Science, Literature, Medicine, Hinduism and Philosophy 

d) Mathematics and Astronomy

What ancient civilization was the city of Gandhara associated with? 

a) Mesopotamian Civilization 

b) Egyptian Civilization 

c) Indus Valley Civilization 

d) Harappan Civilization

What is the modern-day location of the ancient city of Gandhara? 

a) India 

b) Bangladesh 

c) Pakistan 

d) Afghanistan

Who provided detailed accounts of Nalanda University during the 6th and 7th centuries A.D.? 

a) I-tsing 

b) Brahmanical Scholars 

c) Hiuen-tsang 

d) Sanskrit Grammar Experts 

What was the primary emphasis of learning at Nalanda University? 

a) Brahmanical learning 

b) Secular knowledge 

c) Mahayana learning (the Great Vehicle)

d) Vedas and other religious books 

What was the geographical location of Nalanda University in relation to Patna? 

a) North-east 

b) South-east 

c) North-west 

d) South-west 

Where was the Nalanda University Library situated?

   a) Dharmaganja

   b) Ratnasagara

   c) Ratnodadhi

   d) Ratnaranjaka

What were the names of the three huge buildings that comprised the Dharmaganja?

   a) Ratnasagara, Ratnodadhi, Ratnaranjaka

   b) Dharmaganja, Ratnasagara, Ratnodadhi

   c) Ratnodadhi, Ratnaranjaka, Dharmaganja

   d) Ratnaranjaka, Ratnasagara, Dharmaganja

Which building among the three was a nine-storied building?

   a) Ratnasagara

   b) Ratnodadhi

   c) Ratnaranjaka

   d) Dharmaganja

What kind of works were housed in the nine-storied building?

   a) Philosophical treatises

   b) Rare artifacts

   c) Manuscripts and rare sacred works

   d) Historical documents

Explanation:  Manuscripts and rare sacred works like Prajnaparamita Sutra, etc.

What does "Dharmaganja" mean in English?

   a) Sacred Garden

   b) Piety Mart

   c) Treasure Trove

   d) Knowledge Haven

 

Which of the following works was NOT housed in the Ratnasagara building?

   a) Prajnaparamita Sutra

   b) Ratnodadhi Manuscript

   c) Manuscripts of ancient Indian texts

   d) Rare sacred works

1. What subjects were covered in the library at Nalanda?

a) Mathematics and Geography

b) Philosophy and Religion

c) Military Strategy and Warfare

d) Economics and Politics

2. Which philosophy was specialized in by the University of Nalanda?

a) Vedanta

b) Samkhya

c) Mahayana

d) Dharmasastras

3. Until what century did the library of Nalanda flourish?

a) 10th century A.D.

b) 12th century A.D.

c) 15th century A.D.

d) 17th century A.D.

4. Who sacked the University of Nalanda and its library, causing its decline?

a) Alexander the Great

b) Genghis Khan

c) Bakhtiyar Khalji

d) Ashoka the Great

Explanation: library flourished down to the 12th century A.D. until Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked it in 1197-1203 A.D. and set fire to the establishment of Nalanda.

LIBRARIES IN MODERN INDIA (1757-1947)
During the British rule in India, a number of academic institutions were established by the East India Company, and by the Christian missionaries. Jonathan Duncan, a British agent at the time, built the Benaras Sanskrit College in 1792 after the founding of the Calcutta College in 1781.

The Calcutta Fort William College was founded in 1800.

The Charter Act of 1813, the founding of Fort William and Serampore Colleges, the establishment of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay universities and their libraries, the Hunter, Raleigh, and Calcutta University Commissions library training programs, and the creation of the Inter University Board are significant turning points, particularly in the context of academic libraries. 

Academic Library

    Education and library are the two faces of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. Hence, an academic library is an integral part of any institution of formal education. It supports the teaching-learning process of the institution it is associated with. Academic library can be defined as "a library which is associated or attached with any educational institution to support its educational programmes".

 

    The library collection is developed depending upon the nature of the institution and its academic programmes. The students, teachers, research scholars, administrative staff and other staff members of the institution are the users of the academic library. The needs of these users dominate the collection of an academic library. The number, qualities and qualifications of the library staff of an academic library differ on the basis of the type of academic library, its users and the services, it provides.

 

Objectives of Academic Library

The objectives of an, academic library are to:

(i) serve the needs of the academic community;

(ii) collect and store all kinds of reading and reference material;

(iii) provide all kinds of informational materials to support the curricular requirements of the institution;

(iv) provide supporting materials for extra curricular activities;

(v) provide reading rooms for users;

(vi) render lending service appropriate to students, teachers and researchers

(vii) provide an active reference and information service.

Types of Academic Library

Broadly, there are three types of academic libraries. These are:

 

• School library
• College library
• University library
• School Library

 

    The school library is a library attached to or associated with a school to support the education system of the school. It caters to all the informational needs of the students, teachers and staff of the school. In India, there are four levels of school: primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary. The government and the agencies responsible for developing and supporting school education in India, have a policy that the school of all levels should be supported by a school library. Because of this, even primary schools are being supported by a library to serve the needs of its students, teachers and other staff members.

 

Objectives of School Library

The objectives of a school library are to:

(i) support the education programmes of the school;

(ii) awaken and foster interest in reading books and create reading habits among students;

(iii) nurture good moral values and principles in students to create refined and responsible citizens;

(iv) develop self-learning skills and interest in using library for solving problems;

(v) provide information on further study and vocation;

(vi) help teachers to improve their teaching skills;

(vii) inculcate communication skills through extra curricular activities like story telling, viewing and discussions on audio-visual programmes, workshops, etc.

 The school libraries of all levels have almost same set of objectives as mentioned above.

 

Functions of School Library

     The school library of all levels should develop the collection of information material to satisfy the objectives mentioned above. Apart from developing suitable collection of inspiratory, informatory and recreatory books and other materials, the academic library is supposed to perform the following functions:

(i) Lending of books and other materials;

(ii) Reading rooms with suitable furniture and lighting;

(iii) Reference services;

(iv) Guidance, counselling and advisory services.

 

College Library

The library associated with college caters to the informational needs of the college community- students, teachers, staff of the college and alumnus. The library help in the expansion of knowledge and satisfies the quest for knowledge.

 The modern society has different types of colleges. These are:

(i) Junior college;

(ii) Degree college;

(iii) Postgraduate college;

(iv) Professional college and technical college.

Objectives of College Library

The objectives of the college library, of all categories of colleges, are to:

 (i) give the students, a wider and deeper understanding of the various disciplines;

(ii) help in all the educational programmes of the college;

(iii) provide guidance to students for higher studies and self-learning; (iv) prepare the students for shouldering higher responsibilities in government departments, civic organizations, commercial establishments, business and industries, etc; 

(v) prepare them for varied professions like law, medicine, engineering, technology, etc;

(vi) train them to become more enlightened, knowledgeable and responsible citizens; and

(vii) keep informed the teachers with latest updates in their respective subject area.

 

Functions of College Library

The functions of a college library can be listed as:

(i) developing collection of textbooks, related books, books of general knowledge, reference materials and audio-visual materials to support educational and instructional programmes of the college;

(ii) procuring popular magazines, newspapers and scholarly journals to support students and teachers in acquiring deeper knowledge their subject area and general knowledge about their surroundings;

(iii) making the library resources accessible through proper classification, cataloguing and shelving;

(iv) providing physical facilities such as functional building, furniture, equipment, reading rooms, etc. ;

(v) preserving previous years' question papers to help the students in preparing for examinations and assessments;

(vi) developing collection of inspiratory materials like fiction, poetry, biographies, travel-books, etc. 

(vii) organizing orientation programmes for new students to make them aware of the facilities and resources available in the library.

 

University Library 

The university library is an integral part of a university. The academic programmes of a university covers a wide range of disciplines and subjects. The modern universities are offering a number of academic programmes which are multi-disciplinary in nature. Apart from the academic programmes, scholars of the universities undertake research projects for acquiring degrees such as PHd, DLit, etc., as well as for the discovery and invention of new theories, principles and technology for the sake of society or for solving the problems of the society. Hence, a library becomes an essential component of the university to support its academic and research activities. 

Because of the responsibilities a university library shoulders, it is considered the heart of a university, around which teaching and research revolves. According to the Association of University Teachers, "the prime function of the university library is to provide facilities for study and research for the members of its own institution".

 

Objectives of a University Library

The objectives of a university library are to:

(i) provide facilities for all teaching, learning, educational, and research programmes of the university;
(ii) satisfy informational needs of the students, teachers and researchers of the university;
(iii) inspire the teachers and researchers of the university to undertake research works for generating new knowledge to improve the quality of life of the people;
(iv) provide latest knowledge to the teachers in their area of teaching and research; and
(v) conserve knowledge and ideas for posterity.

Functions of a University Library
The major functions of the university library to fulfil its objectives are to:

(i) develop collections on a wide range of subjects for learning, teaching, research, publication, etc.;
(ii) organize and store the library collection with proper classification, cataloguing, shelving, etc to make the collection easily accessible to the users;
(iii) acquire materials such as books, journals, periodicals, newspapers, and others sources of information to provide latest information and knowledge on the concerned subjects;
(iv) provide reference, information and documentation services to the university community to keep them up-to-date in their area of study and research;
(v) keep pace with the development in the library management system and application of new technologies to provide better library services to the users.