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Foundation of Library and Information Science Jovita Kaur, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 8: Special Libraries

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction

8.1 Special Libraries: An Overview
8.1.1 Definition of Special Libraries
8.1.2 History of Special Library

8.1.3 Information Centre
8.2 Purpose of Special Libraries
8.3 Features of the Special Libraries
8.3.1 Collection Development
8.3.2 Processing and Organisation

8.3.3 Services
8.4 Functions of the Special Libraries
8.5 Summary

8.6 Keywords
8.7 Review Questions
8.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

Explain an overview of Special Libraries
Discuss the purpose of Special Libraries
Describe the features of the Special Libraries

Discuss the functions of the Special Libraries
Introduction

In the previous unit, we dealt with the definition, purpose and function of Academic Libraries
along with the purpose and functions of School, College and University Libraries. Special libraries
and information centres are a natural outcome of the need for information support to research
and development, business and industry, expanded functions of governments and similar other
organisations. While special libraries have been in existence since the beginning of this century,
information centres emerged from the fifties and have now developed into a major group of
information centres. They have overlapping functional characteristics. There are also considerable
variations in the level of services offered by them. In this unit, we shall study the origin, growth
and development of these two major information institutions, such as Special Libraries and
Information Centres – the functions they perform, the products they generate and the services
they offer. The purpose of this unit is to enable the students to comprehend basic expressions. At

142 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY