Page 124 - DLIS001_FOUNDATION_OF_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SCIENCE

Unit 7: Academic Libraries

Notes
Did u know? With the advent of computers, the nature of libraries has changed dramatically.
Computers are being used in libraries to process, store, retrieve and disseminate
information. As a result, the traditional concept of library is being redefined from a place
to access books to one which houses the most advanced media including CD-ROM, Internet,
and remote access to a wide range of resources. Libraries have now metamorphosed into
digital institutions. Gone are the days when a library was judged by its quantitative
resources. Today, libraries are surrounded by networked data that is connected to vast
ocean of Internet-based services. Moreover, electronic resources relevant to the professions
are developing at an unprecedented pace.

7.1.1 Definition of Academic Library

An Academic Library has been defined as:

“A library is associated or attached with any educational institution to support its educational programmes”.
Academic library is an integral part of formal education system which provides time bound
education from primary school level to university level. An academic library works as a base
for teaching, learning, research, etc.

An academic library is defined in the Instructions section of the survey form as an entity in a
post-secondary institution that provides all of the following:

An organized collection of printed or other materials, or a combination thereof.
A staff trained to provide and interpret such materials as required to meet the informational,
cultural, recreational, or educational needs of clientele.

An established schedule in which services of the staff are available to clientele.
The physical facilities necessary to support such a collection, staff, and schedule.
An academic library is a library attached to an academic institution i.e. an institution engaged in
teaching and or research and imparting formal education to students who aspire to complete a
particular course under a prescribed syllabus. Schools, colleges, universities and technological/
engineering/medical institutions are some of such institutions, which may vary from one
another in respect of courses offered by them. Since academic libraries exist to cater to the needs
and requirements of their parent academic institution, these vary in shape, size, collection and
services; depending upon the nature of the parent institution.

Example: Libraries attached to a school, college (general, engineering or medical) or
university would be different from rest in respect of collection, shape, size and services. However,
all academic libraries exist to support to the teaching and research programmes of their parent
institutions. Besides having good collection of reference books on variety of subjects, these
emphasize on building up a strong collection concerning the courses offered by the institution.

7.1.2 Purpose of Academic Library

Generally speaking, the library aims at providing the necessary information and making them
available to all the beneficiaries in the appropriate time as well as it seeks affording and
organizing balanced sets of books and other information sources to go hand in hand the university

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 119