Library automation started in India three decade ago and the initial systems were stand alone applications for each library activity. The term “library automation” refers to the phenomenon of mechanization of traditional library activities, such as acquisition, serial control, cataloguing, circulation, budget etc. Today the term “library automation” is however used extensively to refer primarily to the use of computers to perform the library activities in recent times , even the related topics such as information retrieval, semi automatic/automatic indexing network of automated systems.“Library Automation” is generally defined as the replacement of manual operations in libraries by computerized methods. Libraries have always been first to adopt and assimilate the technological innovations. This shows that the field is most amenable to technology adoption. Technology and standardization are the two areas in which have always ahead and they have and have been using for their efficient management.

1. PROJECT SUBMITTED FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF LIBRARY AND
INFORMATION SCIENCE
SUBMITTED BY
SAMARJIT DEY
VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY
GUIDED BY
PROF. SMITA SETT

2.  Library automation started in India three decade ago and the
initial systems were stand alone applications for each library
activity. The term “library automation” refers to the phenomenon of
mechanization of traditional library activities, such as acquisition,
serial control, cataloguing, circulation, budget etc. Today the term
“library automation” is however used extensively to refer primarily to
the use of computers to perform the library activities in recent times
, even the related topics such as information retrieval, semi
automatic/automatic indexing network of automated
systems.“Library Automation” is generally defined as the
replacement of manual operations in libraries by computerized
methods. Libraries have always been first to adopt and assimilate
the technological innovations. This shows that the field is most
amenable to technology adoption. Technology and standardization
are the two areas in which have always ahead and they have and
have been using for their efficient management.

3. The objectives of the present study are to find out the following
aspects:
 To find out the extent of library collections of these colleges.
 To examine the IT infrastructure available in the College libraries
under study.
 To study the use of network technology.
 To study the number of college libraries that have undertaken
automation.
 To study the problems faced by librarians to automate their
libraries.
 To study the feasibility and implementation of library automation in
the libraries.

4.  Ten general degree college libraries located in
Jhargram district. The name of these ten colleges
are:-
 Government General Degree College Gopiballavpur II
 Jhargram Raj College
 Jhargram Raj College(Girls Wing)
 Lalgarh Government College
 Nayagram Pandit Raghunath Murmu Government
College
 Sankrail Anil Biswas Smriti Mahavidyalaya
 Seva Bharati Mahavidyalaya
 Silda Chandrasekhar College
 Subarnarekha Mahavidyalaya
 Vivekananda Sataversikhi Mahavidyalaya

5.  Due to unavailability of library in colleges, six
general degree colleges are taking from ten
general degree colleges for further analysis.
 Jhargram Raj College
 Sankrail Anil Biswas Smriti Mahavidyalaya
 Seva Bharati Mahavidyalaya
 Silda Chandrasekhar College
 Subarnarekha Mahavidyalaya
 Vivekananda Sataversikhi Mahavidyalaya

6. A structured questionnaire is used as a tool for collecting the primary data. The questionnaire format
has been developed by consulting a number of previous automation surveys. There are total ten general
degree colleges in Jhargram district, West Bengal. Among the ten general degree colleges, only six colleges
have libraries. I have collected data from those six general degree college libraries for further analysis which
are following. The information was collected from the official documents of the colleges and consultations
with librarians and users of these libraries.
 All the data collected from these college libraries are separated category wise. These sorted data are grouped
together and arranged in the form of a table and showed through graph or chart.
 In the next step, I analyzed these data and came to conclusion. I offered suggestions based on these data. I
tried to give a complete picture of library automation of general degree colleges of Jhargram district.
 I hope my work will be helpful for the policy makers and future research workers who will work on this area.

7.  Library Automation refers to the process of
computerization or mechanization of Library
operations, such as acquisition, serial control,
cataloguing, circulation control and other
housekeeping operations of the library and
information centre, which are of a routine and
repetitive nature. The initial phase of Library
automation involves installation of the relevant
automation software in computer systems of
libraries.
 The steps taken by libraries are assessed in this study
to understand the extent of status of library
automation of general degree college libraries in
Jhargram district. In this study all the libraries
worked under library automation

8.  The range of total library collection in the
libraries varies from less than 10000 to greater
than 100000. It is found from the above Table
that more in more than 50% of colleges the total
strength is within the range of 20001 to 30000.
It is noticed from the table that majority 1 of the
libraries have a collection of less than 10000, 1
college libraries has a collection is within the
range of 10001 to 20000 and 1 of the libraries
have a collection of more than 100000. Jhargram
Raj College is the oldest college, and its
collection is highest, more than 115000.

9. Sl No.
Name of
Colleges
Collection of other printed and non-printed
materials
Serials subscribed
CD/
DVD
Maps,
Atlas
Others Newspapers Magazines Journals
1
Jhargram Raj
College
200 50
500(Rare
books)
0 4 5
2
Sankrail Anil
Biswas Smriti
Mahavidyalay
a
2 0 0 4 0 0
3
Seva Bharati
Mahavidyalay
a
0 0 50(Pamphlets) 0 0 0
4
Silda
Chandrasekhar
College
0 25 0 3 2 5
5
Subarnarekha
Mahavidyalay
a
25 10 0 5 18 1
6
Vivekananda
Sataversikhi
Mahavidyalay
a
70 10 0 8 8 5
Total 297 95 550 20 32 16

10. Type of library access Number of colleges
Open Access 1
Close Access 3
Mixed Access 2
Total 6
This study shows that a major portion of libraries among the 6 general
degree college libraries in Jhargram district, – 3 of them have a closed
access libraries, while only 1 of them has open access. However, there are
2 of the libraries which have mixed access. This reflects that there is a
need for more open access and mixed access libraries to evolve to attract
more library users and cultivate the habit of reading in them. There is a
feeling among the college libraries that Open Access leads to more loss of
books and the losses beyond limits is going to be some problems as they
are required to pay for the loss. This is still unsolved problem in libraries
to some extent.

11. Strength of Library Staff Number of colleges
1 0
2 2
3 3
4 1
Total 6
Among the general degree colleges in Jhargram district, libraries with
total staff of 2 are 2of the total colleges. Libraries with total staff of 3
are 3 colleges, staff of 4 is only 1 colleges. The majority of the libraries
just have one librarian and 1 or 2 non-professional staffs.

12. Sl No.
Automated
Software
Number of colleges
1 Koha 5
2 SOUL 1
Total 6

13. Sl No. Automated Modules Number of colleges
1 Acquisition 3
2 Budget 0
3 Cataloguing 6
4 Circulation 4
5 OPAC 6
6 Serial Control 1

14. Sl. No
Automation
Manpower
Number of College
1 Librarian Himself 4
2
Appointed Skilled
Persons
1
3 Affiliated Agency 1
Total 6

15.  As mentioned already, the college libraries are
provided with finances to equip with computer
facilities especially for library automation, which is
the primary objective of this study. So an attempt is
made here to take stock on the availability of
computer hardware infrastructure facilities available
for the libraries under study.
 This study shows 1 college library has only 1
computer, 1 library has 3 computers, 1 library has 4
computers, 2 libraries have 5 computers and 1 library
has 7 computers.
 The 4 libraries provide 7 computers to users for
OPAC searching and digital resource service. 2
libraries do not provide any computers to users,
because their library automation is in initial stage

16.  Vivekananda Satavershiki Mahavidyalaya library is the best library in
Jhargram District from overall performance.
 Vivekananda Satavershiki Mahavidyalaya library is technological
advanced because it provides OPAC, Wi-Fi connectivity to the users,
High speed Internet connectivity in library, subscribe INFLIBNET-NLIST, It
control their library services and control their library resources through
library management software.
 Jhargram Raj College library is the best library in Jhargram District from
library collection.
 The total collection of Jhargram Raj College library is above 115000, and
it is the highest number of collection among the rest colleges. The
collection of library includes 200 CD/DVD, 50 Maps-Atlas and 500 rare
books.
 Government aided colleges have their own sufficient funds and they
provide a minimum budget to library every year. But Government
colleges have no such funds, the library budget is provided by
government, which is irregular.
 For this reason Government college libraries can not provide their library
services regularly.

17.  1. Many respondents have suggested for organizing
special training programme for librarian in the areas of
library automation, networking and digital libraries.
 2. Suggested functional library building and other physical
facilities should provide to promote the use of library
resources.
 3. The Professional Skilled Persons are needed to be
employed to properly manage the library and other
service.
 4. Encouragement of library Improvements.
 5. To inform the users about the new technological use of
the library, continually organizing a user awareness
program.
 6. Financial constraint and lack of infrastructure are found
to be barriers in automation. Thus, these areas should be
properly emphasized. A fixed budget of money should be
provided for library automation

18. Lack of awareness of new technologies in the library community is
a real problem. The 'hybrid' (traditional/digital) environment further
complicates the situation. Not only should libraries have to acquire or
configure technologies to manage their internal collections, but also to
manage the resources made electronically available/accessible beyond
their own organisations. There has been some significant progress in,
and a number of projects on, the development of functional
specifications for managing the external digital environment and on
access to electronic resources on a large scale. These initiatives,
however, have largely ignored the functional and technical requirements
for the internal management of resources. It remains the responsibility
of individual managers to acquire appropriate systems technologies and
software to manage local collections and to integrate these with the
external digital environment. Librarians are now recognized as
information scientists and libraries are considered as information
centers which provides’ right information at right time in a right
manner’. There is no doubt that this library automation will fulfill
Ranganthan’s 4th law of library science “SAVE THE TIME OF THE READER”

19. THANK YOU