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Unit 7: Academic Libraries

regarding the holdings of the library, different library services and skill to use various Notes
library tools viz Reference Books, OPAC etc., is imparted to the library users.

Example: Agricultural Universities in India conduct a full-fledged course of one semester,
in the same direction.

7.4.2 Functions of a University Library

University libraries support and help the university in achieving each of the objectives of the
University. The universally recognized basic functions performed by a University Library are:
By procuring comprehensive range of documents including books, manuscripts, journals,
magazines, newspapers etc. on varied subjects, it conserves knowledge and ideas.
By processing the procured documents with the help of classification, cataloguing, proper
shelf arrangements it gives easy and open access to knowledge to its users;
In order to organize huge collection of documents it keeps them in different sections on
the basis of their categorization like text book section, reference section, journal section,
thesis section, etc.;
It provides facility of inter-library loan to its users if document desired by user is not
available in the library;
A modern university library interacts with different information networks to give easy
access to e-sources/data to more users so that they could access the desired information
even from their workplace.

Example: In India university libraries use the facility of INFLIBNET for the same purpose.
It also provides entertainment and healthy leisure to users by providing different
newspapers, magazines, short story books, fiction, internet facility, etc.

It gives the user orientation training to new enrolled users to make them feel at home and
to acquaint them with the library system so that they could make maximum use of library
services;
With the help of display of new arrivals, old book exhibitions, information bulletins
about new library services, etc. it keeps the users updated with the library activities;

It provides reference service through reference section to establish a contact between the
right reader and the right document in a personal way to attract more users.

7.4.3 User Community

The user community of university libraries includes the following:

Students at different levels of study in different subjects;
Teachers, imparting instructions and guiding students at different levels and in different
subjects;

Research students working for M. Phil. or Ph. D. degrees;
Post-doctoral research scholars working on specific projects;
Professors and experts guiding research projects and managing research activities of the
university;

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