source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/320336/jnu-library-now-anytime-...

JNU library now anytime, anywhere

Now information for Jawaharlal Nehru University students is just a click away! The Central Library of JNU has come out with an online library called the Remote Access Services, through which the faculty members and students can access all JNU e-resources including the library catalogue, e-journals, e-books and all subscribed databases.  Almost eight lakh digital news clippings, 20,000 theses and dissertations and other in-house publications including reprints of faculty articles have been made available under this service. Metrolife spoke to Dr Ramesh C Gaur, University Librarian, JNU. “The current focus is on electronic delivery of information and also reaching the unreached. We are living in a digital world where one can even get newspapers online and that is how we came up with this latest development. And our concern is not that how many students or faculty are visiting the library but how many we are reaching out to with various library and information services.”

“To sort out the problem of multiple databases and e-resources, we have also provided single window access to all e-resources through Web Scale Discovery Services. The discovery service provides similar search as Google but the results are limited to your own in-house and subscribed resources only,” adds Dr Ramesh.

The best part is, that all the students need is a mail ID and password. Besides remote access services, the library has taken up number of new initiatives like Digital Voice Recorders for the visually impaired students, electronic thesis and dissertations (ETD) labs, etc.

“We have distributed laptops to visually-challenged research scholars who have softwares and tools that convert digitals prints into audio. The laptops will provide anytime, anywhere access to all e-resources of the library and also assist in enhancing their research writings,” said Dr Ramesh. Currently the University has 70 visually-challenged students from all disciplines, out of which 30 are research scholars pursuing PhD and MPhil.

A research scholar, Rajiv Nirala, shared his satisfaction over the online library. “Many times, while writing something or doing some research you need extra books and information and this is very helpful. One has a lot of extra material to write on. Also one gets to know what your seniors have done.”

Another scholar from JNU, Arshad Khan seconds Rajiv. “At this stage where we need loads of information and material, the remote access service will benefit us. Now, we don’t have to always go to the library physically as everything will be available online. And also one’s research is bound to get comprehensive. Otherwise it is too time consuming.”