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Academic Library System

Notes (x) Since the subscribed resources is accessible online in electronic format, the beneficiary
institutions have less pressure on space requirement for storing and managing print-
based library resources. Moreover, all problems associated with print media such as
their wear and tear, location, shelving, binding, organizing, etc. are not an issue for
electronic resources.

Self Assessment

State whether true or false:
1. Many developed countries have well developed career plan in their educational system.
2. Nalanda near Patna grew to be the foremost Buddhist Monastery and educational centre.
3. In 1840, Presidency college was founded in Bombay.
4. Libraries are said to be the heart of educational institutions.

2.5 Role of Academic Libraries

An academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary
level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff. These libraries serve two
complementary purposes: to support the school’s curriculum, and to support the research of
the university faculty and students.
The support of teaching requires material for class readings and for student papers. In the
past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the
instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available,
the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles.
Traditionally, one copy of a book was made available for each 10 students — this is practical
for large classes only if paperback copies are available, and the books reused from term to
term.
Academic libraries must decide what focus they take in collecting materials since no single
library can supply everything. When there are particular areas of specialization in academic
libraries these are often referred to as niche collections. These collections are often the basis
of a special collection department and may include original papers, artwork, and artifacts
written or created by a single author or about a specific subject.

United States

The first colleges in the United States were intended to train members of the clergy. The
libraries associated with these institutions largely consisted of donated books on the subjects
of theology and the classics. In 1766,Yale had approximately 4,000 volumes, second only to
Harvard. Access to these libraries was restricted to faculty members and a few students: the
only staff was a part-time faculty member or the president of the college. The priority of the
library was to protect the books, not to allow patrons to use them. In 1849, Yale was open 30
hours a week, theUniversity of Virginia was open nine hours a week, Columbia University
four, and Bowdoin College only three. Students instead created literary societies and assessed
entrance fees in order to build a small collection of usable volumes often in excess of what the
university library held.
Around the turn of the century, this approach began to change. The American Library Association
was formed in 1876, with members including Melville Dewey and Charles Ammi Cutter.

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