Libsys very soon in Allahabad University's Central Library

ALLAHABAD: Are you tired of searching your favourite book from more than six lakh books located at the Central Library of Allahabad, theAllahabad University comes up with a solution. Just click the mouse button and locate the book you want. The authorities of the Central library of AU would soon be procuring the hi-tech version of the software called Libsys which will not only help locate the book for the user but also keep the detailed information pertaining to the record of the book concerned. 

With the latest version of this software working at the library, any user has to just come to the reference section of the library and the computer would tell the user where to locate the particular book, be it the stack of the central library, libraries located at different departments, reading section etc. Not only this, the software will also serve as the bibliography of the book concerned keeping all the records associated with the given book. 

"We are already working on the software but in the coming days, we would be getting the latest version of the software after which we can not only locate the book but can also tell if the book is issued to someone or for that matter how many times the book has been issued etc as we can install the system called RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology which helps in keeping records of lending, borrowing and shelving status of items such as books, along with the locating the book would be much easier", said librarian, Dr A P Gakhar. Moreover, the library authorities are feeding the data regarding the books purchased after 2002 and the same is being fed in the computer which would later on be telling the exact location of the desired book, he added. The best help that RFID would be providing us is that any book can be easily located along with the issuing history of the book as we can keep the exact record of the book, he added. 

The authorities of Central Library has also initiated the process for procuring a 'Blade Sever' after which the latest and more hi-tech version of Libsys will get functional in the library. Sources say that the main problem being faced by the library authority is of cataloguing the books that were purchased before 2002 as the books that were purchased after 2002 have been properly catalogued and can be easily located. Thus, the authorities would soon start cataloguing the books procured before 2002 by outsourcing the same. 

"We have asked the departments also to prepare the data of the books kept in the departmental library which would in turn be fed along with that being prepared at the central library", said thedeputy librarian B K Singh. 

Once the data would be accumulated, any user can find the location of the book with just a click of the mouse, despite the fact that the specific book is kept at the central library or at departments. "We have mentioned a particular call number to every book which is identification of the specific piece and as such easy to locate it", said Singh. 

Remarkably, the data fed in the main server would also be attached to the internet, after which any user, sitting in any of the distant library of the country, can find the book on internet. "But this does not mean that the distant users can get the access to the books", said Singh. 

"This is just the beginning of our plan to make the central library fully digitise after which the age old functioning of the library will witness a phenomenal change all set to give a new meaning for the users", said Dr AP Gakhar, librarian of varsity central library. 

With the latest version of this software working at the library, any user has to just come to the reference section of the library and the computer would tell the user where to locate the particular book, be it the stack of the central library, libraries located at different departments, reading section etc.

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