Lib automation

Paper Presented in National Seminar on
Networking of Library and Information Centres of North East India in Digital Environment (NLICDE-2011)
(21-23 March 2011)ORGANISED UNDER THE AEGIS OF National Library, Kolkata
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of IndiaByOrganized by
Central Library, National Institute of Technology Silchar

1. 1
STATUS OF AUTOMATION OF
MEDICAL COLLEGE LIBRARIES WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
GAUHATI MEDICAL
COLLEGE
LIBRARY
PRESENTED BY
MAYURI MEDHI
LAKSHMI CHETRI
PALLAVI NEOG

2. 2
INTRODUCTION
In this era of information, a well-organized modern
library is vital for any institution, whether it is an
educational or research institution. Application of
ICTs in the libraries has become a global
phenomenon. To meet the ever-changing demand of
information of the society, automation has become the
need of the hour. Library automation not only
improves the image of the library staff, but also
provides additional services to the users with the
existing staff in a more efficient way.

3. 3
Though initiatives for automation have
already been taken in different region of
India but only a few institutions have
successfully completed the task. North East
region is also not exception to this; rather it
is in more pathetic condition. Yet there are
exceptional libraries in this region also.
One of such library is Central Library,
Gauhati Medical College. In this paper the
status of automation of this particular
library is highlighted

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AIMS OF THE STUDY
To know about the collection of the Gauhati
Medical College Library
To know about the automation status of the
library.
To know about the different services and
facilities provided by the Gauhati Medical
College Library.
To Study about the future planning of
Gauhati Medical College Library.

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SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was based on Gauhati Medical
College Library. Since there are seven
medical libraries in Assam, but the
Gauhati Medical College Library was
selected as the area of study as because
among all the libraries only GMC library
is fully automated. Therefore the study is
concentrated in this library only.

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METHODOLOGY
In order to understand the automation status
of Medical College Libraries of Assam, the
Gauhati Medical College Library was taken as
a sample. A questionnaire-based study was
conducted. Comprehending the importance of
the library the authors personally went to the
respective library to collect the data.

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LIBRARY AUTOMATION
Library automation may be defines in simple
sense as a process of mechanization of
library operations which are of a routine and
repetitive nature. This covers usually house
keeping operations. Such as acquisitions,
serial control, cataloguing, circulation,
references and administration. We may also
say that computerization of all library
operation is known as library automation.

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DIFFERENT SOFTWARE PACKAGES FOR
LIBRARY AUTOMATION
The automation of libraries have becomes a very
important task of today for effective resource
sharing among libraries. Thus there is a need of
good hardware and software which libraries can use
for automating their day to day functions, creating
database of their holding and providing access to the
users online. In India many software are available
for these activities and many libraries have
automated their various functions. Among the
available software some of the important
commercially available & open source software/free
software’s are presented under the table,

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Commercial Software Packages
ORACLE
Window/
LINUX
Standalone/
Networ
king
Softaid Computer
Pvt. Ltd.,
Pune
LIBSUITEviii)
ORACLE
Window/ UNIX/
LINUX
Standalone/
Networ
king
Alogorhythms
Co., Bombay
SLIM++vii)
--UNIX
Standalone/
Networ
king
DELNET, DelhiDELSISvi)
INGRESUNIX
Standalone/
Networ
king
CMC, CalcuttaMAITRAYEEv)
--MS DOSStandaloneDESIDOC, DelhiSANJAYiv)
MSSQL/ MYSQLWindow XP/ NT
Standalone/
Networ
king
INFLIBNET,
Ahmedabad
SOULiii)
ORACLE
Window/ UNIX/
LINUX
Standalone/
Networ
king
Libsys Co., New
Delhi
LIBSYSii)
--Window 98/ NTStandalone
UNESCO, New
Delhi
CDS/ISISi)
ServerO/S
Standalone/
Networ
king
Developer with
place
PackageSl. No.

10. 10
Open Source/Free Software
MSQQLWindow XP
Standalone/
Networking
NIC, New DelhiE-Granthalayaiv)
ApacheeWindow/ UNIX
Standalone/
Networking
Waikato
university,
New-
Zealand
GSDLiii)
MYSQL/
ORACL
E
UNIX
Standalone/
Networking
MIT Library &
Hewlet
Packard
D-SPACEii)
Apachee
Window/
LINUX
Standalone/
Networking
Katipo
Communicati
on, New
Zealand
KOHAi)
ServerO/S
Standalone/
Networking
Developer with
place
Package
Sl.No

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-2011Barpeta Medical College,Barpeta7.
-2009Jorhat Medical College,Jorhat6.
-1976Swahid Jadavnath Govt. Homoeopathic
Medical College,Panjabari,Guwahati
5.
CDS/ISIS1968Silchar Medical College,Silchar4.
KOHA1962Gauhati Medical College,Guwahati3.
-1948Assam Govt. Ayurvedic College, Kamrup
Guwahati
2.
-1947Assam Medical College,Dibrugarh1.
Software
Used
Year of EstablishmentName of the LibrarySI. No.
MEDICAL COLLEGE LIBRARIES OF ASSAM

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CENTRAL LIBRARY, GAUHATI
MEDICAL COLLEGE
The Central Library, Gauhati Medical
College was established in 1962. This is a
well-equipped library with all the modern
infrastructural facilities.

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LIBRARY COLLECTION
Available
CDs, Floppy, audio/ video
cassettes etc.
3000 +
Online Journals
( ERMED Consortium )
Electronicii)
Nil
Thesis, Dissertation, Project
Report
17,000Back Volumes
30 (Indian)Periodicals
25650Books
Printedi)
TotalType of collectionSl No

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MANPOWER
6 Total Staff
2Othersiii)
4Non Professionalsii)
1Professionalsi)
TotalCategorySl No

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LIBRARY AUTOMATION
2008ii)Year of Automation
KOHA
i) Software used
STATUS OF AUTOMATION
16,000 +25,650
Records entered in databaseTotal Records

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AREAS AUTOMATED
Gauhati Medical College Library has automated their Acquisition,
Circulation, and Cataloguing areas.
LIST OF HARDWARE USED IN THE LIBRARY
YesUPSv)
YesBar-code Scanneriv)
YesScanneriii)
YesPrinterii)
YesPCsi)
AvailableItem
Sl No.

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SERVICES OF THE LIBRARY
Following are the services available in the Library
Circulation Service
Reference Service

•OPAC
•Internet Browsing Facility
•CD ROM Search Service
•Photocopying Service

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FUTURE PLAN
Gauhati Medical College Library has digitized
their documents to build a Digital Library by using
Green Stone Digital Library Software .
Digitization process is on progress.

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SUGGESTIONS
Adequate training (such as ICT application) should be
given to library staff and sufficient qualified staff should
be employed to this library.
Government should provide adequate financial
assistance to the medical college libraries so that they can
very soon computerize their library.
Inadequate management support. Therefore proper steps
should be taken from the State Government.

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CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it is seen that Gauhati
Medical College Library is providing excellent service to
its users. Yet there are provisions to extend its services to
make it a better one. Effective use of ICT improves the
status of library and its services most efficiently.
Therefore it is the right time for the medical college
library to wake up and gear up to meet the challenges of
digital environment.

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