“The Ramanujan Central Library” at Indore Institute of Science and Technology is a vast repository of knowledge, housing approximately 76,619 books and 10,664 e-books, and provides access to numerous online journals, including 108 journal titles. Located on the first floor of B Block, the library covers a carpet area of about 1150 square meters and offers seating for 200 students. The library is fully automated with an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS) that ensures efficient administration. Provided by Mastersoft Pvt. Ltd., the ILMS streamlines various operations, including book entries, issuances, returns, and renewals. All the books are barcoded, enabling automated transactions. The entire process of issuing, returning, and renewing books is computerized. The counter transactions page is user-friendly, eliminating the need for extensive navigation and significantly reducing transaction time, enhancing the overall user experience.
The Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) allows users to easily locate resources within the library. Users can search the catalog using various criteria, including author, title, publisher, and keywords. The Digital Library, or e-Library, offers additional facilities for students and staff. It is air-conditioned and equipped with 20 systems with internet connectivity. The Digital Library includes NPTEL lectures stored on a 10 TB hard disk, the National Digital Library of India (NDLI), and access to online journals such as IEEE, DELNET, J-GATE, and the RGPV E-library.
A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to material and may be a physical building or room, a virtual space, or both. A library’s collection can include books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, films, maps, prints, documents, microforms, CDs, cassettes, videotapes, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, e-books, audiobooks, databases, and other formats. Libraries range in size from a few shelves of books to several million items. Sidney Sheldon perfectly describes: “Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life.”
Laura Bush in her famous quote said: “I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.” Visit your library, get your library card, and you’ll be able to borrow a print or electronic book, use the free internet, or attend a course that will improve your digital skills.
