Gauhati Commerce College to get digital library

Rs.10 crore sanctioned for the digital library will allow students to access e-journals and e-books online by just a click of the mouse.

Guwahati: The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has sanctioned Rs. 10 crore for setting up a digital library at the 50-year-old Gauhati Commerce College here. The college had submitted the proposal to set up the digital library to the ministry in 2010 and it received its sanction recently. The state’s public works department is now preparing a detailed project report for developing the infrastructure needed to build the first digital library of a college in the state.

         Gauhati Commerce College librarian Utpal Sarma said that the digital library would incorporate internet gateway connectivity which would allow students and researchers to access e-journals, e-books and other necessary information online. “Setting up of the digital library will have many advantages. First, we will prepare a computer database of all books currently in our library, which will allow students to locate a book by a click of the mouse. Secondly, we will also provide them access to many e-journals which students can use for downloading articles for academic and research purposes,” Mr. Sarma said. He added that the digital infrastructure for the library would include LAN terminals, VSAT server and an open source software.

       “We are planning to incorporate Informatics, an open source software and e-journal provider. Informatics offers access to one billion e-books and e-journals. Students will be able to read e-books, e-journals and download them for use by making an online payment of just $2. It will be different from accessing the articles online as one is normally not able to download articles from journals because of copyright issues,” Mr. Sarma added.  The digital library is also planning to get a membership of The American Library of the Congress which will allow students to browse, surf, download and read any content available through the library, according to other college sources.

     Set up in 1962, Gauhati Commerce College offers courses in business and commerce. It also started a Centre of Management Studies in 2010 and now enrolls students in its BBA and MBA programs as well.

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