Bhai Gurdas Library at Guru Nanak Dev University goes digital

Amritsar, March 17

The Bhai Gurdas Library of Guru Nanak Dev University has been transformed into an automated and digitised library. The automated features were on Thursday unveiled by Vice-Chancellor Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu. The upgraded features included newly established digital lounge, RFID (radio frequency identification system) and a new seminar hall.

“The library has been redesigned and restructured in terms of physical and structural changes to cater to the needs of the 21st century learners, who are more into exploring the e-content like videos and audios,” said Dr Sandhu. The digital lounge consisting of 100 computers has been set up, which will be used to provide access to e-resources, e-journals and e-books. This project is sponsored by RUSA-2.0.

Prof Amit Kauts, in-charge, Bhai Gurdas Library, said e-journals and e-books are available free of cost through Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre, situated in Gandhinagar. It is an autonomous Inter-University Centre (IUC) of the UGC.

“As many as 9,239 e-journals have been subscribed by the university and 8,678 e-books have been purchased. All the resources will be used by faculty, researchers and students which will further facilitate the optimum utilisation of e-resources. The university is spending approximately Rs2.25 crore on creating e-databases annually for improving the research output,” informed Dr Kauts. Besides, the university has signed an MOU with the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC). The resources received from CEC have been put on the server of newly established digital lounge for providing easy access to the users.

An RFID System has been implemented, which has made library system more effective, user-friendly and secure. All students and faculty members have been issued smart cards, which will ease the process of circulation of books (issue/return). An intelligent trolley and RFID-based self check in / checkouts kiosks have been installed for issue and return of the books without any human intervention. A seminar-cum-orientation hall has been developed with multimedia facilities and smart digital podium which will be used to provide orientation about the functioning of the library and e- resources to the students, scholars and the faculty.

The library also initiated to issue smart card, which will be used for circulation of books and also a identity card of the faculty, staff and students.