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Resource Sharing at Local Level: Possibility and Some Suggestions to Library Professionals

INTRODUCATION:

The development of information explosion and technological changes has provided a variety of materials and opportunity for alternative choices to user community. In this era, library management refers to effectively identify, acquire, use, store and share knowledge to its users.

This has led the information and library centers to crate and form a network for optimum utilization of resources at least cost. Dr. Ranganthan also suggests the need of establishing a network of libraries in India from block level to national level. Some of the big networks like OCLC, DELNET, ERNET, INFLIBNET are performs very well, which is very huge and costly also. As related Indian scenario due to low budget there is a need to develop local library networks or resource sharing at local level. The aim of this paper is to focus on journals which subscribed by colleges of Mehsana Taluka. How can we share resources and get financial benefit? How do we manage the cost of overlapped journals? How a trained librarian form a campus area networks. The paper deals with all these questions and gives possible suggestions to library professionals.

DEFINITION OF TERMS RESOURCE SHARING:

The term “Library resource” has been defined in many ways in various contexts. As per john Fetterman “Library resource” as any all materials, functions and services which constitute modern library resources comprise man, materials and method.

Resource sharing in the Libraries Regulation: “means making available to other libraries the library resources owned by a board, the information contained in those resources and the staff expertise required locating and making available the information or the library resources”.

In present scenario resource sharing means resource sharing via network implies automation, data communication and effective cooperation.

Overlapped ::

The terms “overlapped” has been in many ways as per wiki definition “To have an area or range in common with”.

The operational definition of this study is “In journals, the amount spent by one college in one journal which one Journal includes the same title subscribed by another”

Objectives :: The main objectives of the study are:

  • To collect information about journals subscribed by college libraries of Mehsana Taluka
  • To identify overlapping journals title subscribed by college libraries of Mehsana Taluka
  • Find out the possibility for resource sharing with respect to other aspect of resources at local level
  • To give possible suggestions, for resource sharing, which would be helpful to cost saving & get maximum utilization of resource available at local level.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

There are over 25 colleges offered different courses like Pharmacy, homeopathic computer studies, law, arts, science, home science, commerce, education and masters of social worker. This multi faculty college has its own fully equipped modern library and well trained librarians also. The present study covers available recourses and possibility to share these resources amongst the libraries at local level. The main focus area is journals subscribed by college libraries of Mehsana taluka. Based on overlapped cost in journals, suggestions should be made for other areas of resource sharing. The present study covers only Indian journals.

RESOURSES OF COLLEGE LIBRARIES AT MEHSANA TALUKA:

The researcher observed that there are 25 multi faculty colleges’ offers different courses to its student community. So the needs of student have multi dimensional and are user oriented also. All these colleges have rich library collection of books, journals, thesis, projects, reports and other printed and non books materials as well as references sources like encyclopedias, dictionaries also. To equip with latest information to the students, all libraries subscribed latest journals, India editions as well as foreign edition also. Some of them are very costly and library budget couldn’t afford or cope up with increasing cost. Technological solution is available to reduce the operational cost of libraries and optimum utilization of resources. So there is an urgent need to rethinking about library management systems and to accept an alternative choice to overcome the problems of print media such as rising costs, space limitation, slow delivery and information explosion. Resource sharing is the only way to meet the user satisfaction. Besides many factors of recourses researcher focus on latest information related materials like journals and magazines.

METHODOLOGY:

The methodology of the study comprises of sample, tools, sources and research method. Let us look at the details of each.

Those colleges which are affiliated with Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan and Gujarat technical university, Gandhinagar are included in the present study. The sample comprises 25 multi faculty colleges situated in Mehsana taluka like Pharmacy, homeopathic, computer studies, law, arts, science, home science, commerce, education and master of social work.

For this study, survey method of descriptive research method has been employed. With the cordial help of library professionals researcher has been able to get list of journals subscribed by college libraries of Mehsana taluk. The analysis and interpretation has been done by this primary data.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS OF DATA:

The analysis of the primary data has been done by using Micro soft excel software. Simple auto sum and multiplication has been done for analysis and interpretation of the data. Table shows that there are total 144 journals subscribed by all libraries in different subject areas. The sheet has been used for entering data according to their title, cost, and colleges. With the help of Checklist an attempt has been made for counting the no’s of college and overlapping title. After that all titles were grouped into main subject area no’s of titles, no’s of colleges, no’s of overlapping titles and the overlapped cost in amount.

After analyzing all this data it is found that there are total no’s of 144 titles subscribed by 25 college libraries of Mehsana taluka. Amongst them 89 titles have been found overlapped. And it consists of total costs of Rs. 1, 13,920/-. It is very huge amounts spent on overlapping titles in local area. So the urgent requirement is to be rethinking on resource sharing at local level.

Journal subscribed by college libraries of Mehsana taluka

BARRIES IN RESOURCE SHARING:

  1. Cost involved in computer network
  2. Skilled manpower
  3. Loss of autonomy
  4. Traditional / Institutional barrier
  5. Lack of institutional support
  6. Difficulty in mutual understanding
  7. Legal problems
POSSIBILITY FOR RESOURCE SHARING AT LOCAL LEVEL:
  • Inter library loan service
  • Document delivery
  • Joint use partnership
  • Consortia approach
  • Collaborative Collection
  • Web OPAC service & reference services
    1. For Inter library loan service proper understanding and policy should be framed to permit transaction of resources. Reference documents can be supplied to the users in Xerox form or electronic form with respect to nominal charges.
    2. Within one campus parental institute can stop subscribing overlapping journals and with mutual understanding they can offer wide range of journals titles in all subjects.
    3. Joint use partnership should be made on given priority to campus. It is observed that within one campus there are three or four colleges running there. Most of the colleges are self – financed. So, the Librarian of Grant in aid colleges has to take lead for resource sharing. They can use UGC Budge for equipments, recourse centre, Consortia & costly reference books like encyclopedias. And given chance to use the user community of parental institute with mutual understanding.
    4. Grant in Aid College has to be a member of DELNET & INFLIBNET. So, the users of parental self finance institute can use variety of materials and E – resources
    5. Success of any resource sharing project depends on skilled manpower for operation and implementation. All the librarians should meet together once in monthly to from a study circle. They should share their idea and improve them shelf. Technology oriented person should trained other librarians also.
SUGGESTIONS:
  1. Establish a local level board and form a policy for resource sharing amongst the libraries.
  2. All libraries are encouraged to plan their own services in the context of resource sharing within multi faculty colleges.
  3. Support education and training of library personnel within the multi type library system. It is essentials to have skill and trained human resource.
  4. Regularly communicate with librarians for develop and plan to ensure information reaches all of the potential partners.
  5. Do not heisted for getting and providing any of help and services to user community and librarians also.
  6. Get removes with ego and some psychological constraints to be sophisticated person.
    7. CONCLUSION:

    “Think globally, search locally, work collaboratively, and act individually” is the successful mantra for survive in present scenario. For this purpose library professional should have helping nature, good communication skills and technical knowledge, positive attitude, and mutual understanding to share resources. This all would be a good impact to remove barriers and get maximum utilization of resources at low budget at local level.

    REFERENCES:

    1. Kaul,H.K., Ed. “ Library and Information Networking NACLIN 2000” DELNET, New Delhi, 2001, P.179 – 186
    2. http://www.thefreedictionary.com
    3. www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/.

    *************************************************** 

    Desai Shilpaben K.
    Librarian
    Jashodaba Polytechnic Institute
    Sidhpur – 384151
    MO: 9998938118
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