Madurai Central Library to improve and change for hi-tech

The profile of library network in Madurai district is set to change in about a month’s time. Giving lead to this image makeover is the District Central Library in the city which is now giving shape to various Information Technology (IT) initiatives. 
It will no more be just an array of racks, shelves, books and a reading table. The District Central Library, which has a collection of 1.56 lakh books, will provide a range of value-added services, the infrastructure for which is getting ready. 
Internet browsing centre, downloads, book scanning, printouts, CD writing, an exclusive webpage, bar coding of books and CCTV are among the things in pipeline. 
Not only the central library in Madurai but also the 12 taluk libraries in the district at places such as Melur, Usilampatti, Sholavandan, Tirupparankundram and Tirunagar are being supplied with computers, thanks to support from Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. 
“IT has penetrated into every field and so libraries cannot be an exception. Each branch library is getting three computers and already the taluk level libraries are provided with photocopiers,” says M. Kannan, Librarian, Subramaniapuram Branch Library. 
According to R. Sakthivel, Librarian in-charge, District Central Library, the infrastructure development and IT installations were made possible due to a special fund of Rs.4.09 lakh sanctioned by former Collector T. Udhayachandran. 
“On an average, there will be 750 visitors a day at the central library which was opened in 1952. Out of the total collection of 1.56 lakh books, one lakh books are meant for lending and the remaining 56,000 are reference books,” he says. OPAC soon 
For the benefit of people outside Madurai district who want to know the details of books in the District Central Library, a webpage is being created with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC). “In library parlance, we call the webpage facility as Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) through which public can access the library catalogue,”says Mr. Kannan. Librarians were trained in operating computers at a programme held here last month. 
The annual subscription for library membership is Rs.10. Besides, Rs.50 has to be paid as caution deposit for three tokens and the books are lent for 14 days. 
Browsing charges per hour will be Rs.10. Talks are under way with the BSNL to get broadband connectivity. “The value-added services will prove that public libraries can be revenue-earners too by collecting nominal charges.” 
The District Central Library is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and it has a separate section for women and children. Library authorities put forth a request to the State Government to appoint qualified full-time/pay scale staff because “the central library and branch libraries cannot afford to have temporary staff since it is risky when you are dealing with valuable books.”

source: k a r u r l i v eee