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

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. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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,

9. Commercial Software Packages ORACLE Window/ LINUX Standalone/ Networking Softaid Computer Pvt. Ltd., Pune LIBSUITE viii) ORACLE Window/ UNIX/ LINUX Standalone/ Networking Alogorhythms Co., Bombay SLIM++ vii) -- UNIX Standalone/ Networking DELNET, Delhi DELSIS vi) INGRES UNIX Standalone/ Networking CMC, Calcutta MAITRAYEE v) -- MS DOS Standalone DESIDOC, Delhi SANJAY iv) MSSQL/ MYSQL Window XP/ NT Standalone/ Networking INFLIBNET, Ahmedabad SOUL iii) ORACLE Window/ UNIX/ LINUX Standalone/ Networking Libsys Co., New Delhi LIBSYS ii) -- Window 98/ NT Standalone UNESCO, New Delhi CDS/ISIS i) Server O/S Standalone/ Networking Developer with place Package Sl. No.

10. Open Source/Free Software MSQQL Window XP Standalone/ Networking NIC, New Delhi E-Granthalaya iv) Apachee Window/ UNIX Standalone/ Networking Waikato university, New- Zealand GSDL iii) MYSQL/ ORACLE UNIX Standalone/ Networking MIT Library & Hewlet Packard D-SPACE ii) Apachee Window/ LINUX Standalone/ Networking Katipo Communication, New Zealand KOHA i) Server O/S Standalone/ Networking Developer with place Package Sl.No

11. MEDICAL COLLEGE LIBRARIES OF ASSAM - 2011 Barpeta Medical College,Barpeta 7. - 2009 Jorhat Medical College,Jorhat 6. - 1976 Swahid Jadavnath Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College,Panjabari,Guwahati 5. CDS/ISIS 1968 Silchar Medical College,Silchar 4. KOHA 1962 Gauhati Medical College,Guwahati 3. - 1948 Assam Govt. Ayurvedic College, Kamrup Guwahati 2. - 1947 Assam Medical College,Dibrugarh 1. Software Used Year of Establishment Name of the Library SI. No.

12. 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.

13. LIBRARY COLLECTION Available CDs, Floppy, audio/ video cassettes etc. 3000 + Online Journals ( ERMED Consortium ) Electronic ii) Nil Thesis, Dissertation, Project Report 17,000 Back Volumes 30 (Indian) Periodicals 25650 Books Printed i) Total Type of collection Sl No

14. MANPOWER 6 Total Staff 2 Others iii) 4 Non Professionals ii) 1 Professionals i) Total Category Sl No

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

16. AREAS AUTOMATED Gauhati Medical College Library has automated their Acquisition, Circulation, and Cataloguing areas. LIST OF HARDWARE USED IN THE LIBRARY Yes UPS v) Yes Bar-code Scanner iv) Yes Scanner iii) Yes Printer ii) Yes PCs i) Available Item Sl No.

18. 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.

20. 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.

21. THANK YOU