The Rajshahi University central library with its rich collection of books is under process of automated, says officials.
Library official Bidhan Chandra Das says the authorities concerned have under taken the programme with a view to making modern computerised system available to the students, teachers and researchers.
The library, established in 1955 at Bara Kuthi in Rajshahi town, was shifted to the university in 1964.
The three-storey air conditioned building can house 900 people at a time.
As present, the library has nearly 2,60,699 books, more than 35,508 journals, 2,857 documents, 246 reprints, audio-visual, microfilm and machine-readable materials.
Bidhan Chandra says that after completion of the project, the RU library will be linked with the Bangladesh National Scientific and Library Information Network, a pilot project of science and technology ministry.
The Bangladesh National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre is the executing agency of the present project.
The BNSTDC has already provided the library authorities with workstations, through which the library will become a partner of a national network of 15 major libraries.
Bidhan Chandra also says that the library users will be able to browse through the catalogues of other libraries and download digital books from the sources.
Under the ongoing project, the RU library authorities will make digital format of some rare books that can be downloaded from the library archive in PDF format, Bidhan Chandra adds.
He, however, says that it will be impossible for the authorities concerned to make digital format of all books kept in the library.
A modern computer laboratory will be open for the library users and the master's students will get unlimited internet browsing facilities.
The library will remain open from 8:00am to 8:00pm in working days and from 8:00am to 2:00pm during vacation.
The library also going to introduce computerised cataloguing of books through which the users will be able to find books easily by using 'search' options on the computers, Bidhan Candra says.
He, however, says the library will also continue its old card cataloguing system and will provide a subject guide board to help the users in using the catalogues.
He expresses his hope that the project will be finished soon and will ease the way to higher education in the country.
Source : New Age
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