AUTOMATION OF LIBRARY INTEGRATED OPERATIONS A How to Do Manual

Library Automation though not a recent concept, it is evergreen as all the libraries in the developing countries are in the process of automating in-house operations irrespective of their type and size. Library automation is considered as advantageous in standardizing bibliographic records and relieving libraries from the tedious as well as repetitive processes. Until recently the automation was optional activity for libraries and limited to few larger libraries with fewer operations like cataloguing, circulation of books etc. The concept has been gaining prominence in recent times and drawing the attention of most of the practicing librarians and LIS schools in developing countries including India. Moreover, it is made mandatory by the government departments, quality assessment as well as accrediting agencies, who have been encouraging foundations/consortia to design and develop LIS software for the benefit of their member libraries. For example UGC INFLIBNET has developed SOUL software and supplying to university/college libraries at nominal costs while providing training facilities for automating their in-house operations. Many commercial as well as open source LIS software have already entered the field with varied processes, facilities and customizable options e.g. Libsys, Libris, Newgenlib, Koha, VTLS, e-grandhalaya ,SOULetc. The objective of any library is primarily to serve the user community by providing right information to the right reader at right time with the latest technologies and tools. The father of library science and profession in India, Dr. S.R. Ranganathan described that the users, books and staff as the integral and inseparable components of library and thus called as “trinity of library”. Most of the public and academic libraries especially of colleges are yet not able to implement automation programs due to lack of funds and also expertise. These libraries are encountering with customization issues in case of commercial software as no software is sufficiently supporting all the library operations according to procedures followed by Indian libraries. Further, these libraries are also facing installation/ update problems with Open source software. Thus most of the software’s whether commercial or open source are posing many practical issues and remain unresolved during implementation. The book “Automation of Integrated Library Integrated Operations : A How to do Manual” deals with all the current aspects of automation and the issues that need to be addressed while implementing automation in their respective libraries. The Library automated systems those support in house operations, users as well as management information needs through conventional acquisition, cataloguing, Serials, circulation modules are dealt in detail illustrating the main processes and also the other supporting operations like article indexing, bindery, security, stock/stack maintenance management, audit and user information systems etc. The latest web applications viz. mobile, RFID technologies are discussed in the context of enhancing the effects of library automation. The contents of the book with practical inputs are designed for practicing librarians for implementing automation in their libraries and the LIS students to learn the most significant aspects of the discipline as well as the profession.