Page 40 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Unit 2: Functions and Requirements of Library Automation

The majority of college libraries in Goa state use NEWGENLIB, perhaps because Goa Notes
University Library uses it. NEWGENLIB supports all automation functions, and its cost is
comparatively low. The Central Library of Goa University has installed the Networking/
Consortium version of NEWGENLIB on its server. The plan is to build an Academic
Library Network of the University and College libraries in Goa state.
Retrospective Conversion
Only 8 college libraries have completed retrospective conversion in the range of 95% to
100% of their total collection; followed by 4 college libraries completing this work in the
range of 80% to 90%, while the remaining 11 libraries have completed their retrospective
conversion in the range of 10% to 40%.
Areas for Automation
The focus of the college libraries is on completion of retrospective conversion on
computerized circulation. Nine college libraries have completed automation in cataloguing
and circulation. Among the housekeeping operations, acquisitions are the least automated,
perhaps because the acquisitions module of the software is complicated.
Table 1: Areas of Automation

Areas Neither Selected Nor Initiated Selected Initiated Completed Total
Acquisition 23 NIL NIL NIL 23
Cataloguing NIL 6 8 9 23
Circulation 8 1 5 9 23
Serial Control 16 2 5 NIL 23
Budget 23 NIL NIL NIL 23
Administration NIL 7 15 1 23
SDI 23 NIL NIL NIL 23
CAS 12 3 8 NIL 23
OPAC 2 4 15 2 23

Outsourcing

None of the libraries surveyed are outsourcing their automation work to other agencies.
They are trying to complete the work of automation with in the available resources in the
library. Budgets can be one of the reasons that libraries are not outsourcing jobs such as
data entry, generation of barcode labels, maintenance of hardware, etc.
Staffing
Sufficient staffing is essential. The required number of staff depends on the number of
documents in the library and the number of library users. The following table shows the
opinions of the librarians in the libraries that have automated on the sufficiency of staff.
Table 2: Sufficiency of Staff

Sufficient Staff Insufficient Staff
4 19

Only four libraries out of 23 which have undertaken automation have sufficient staff.

Contd...

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