|Objectives|Development of Library & Documentation Centre|Computerization of Library & Documentation Centre|Information Analysis & Documentation Unit|Library, Information & Documentation Services|Future Perspectives|Services on Payment|

 | Bibliography Database |

Library and documentation centres are the backbone of any research & training institution. The rapid technological development the world over has increased manifold the value of information dissemination, and no research or training programme, or institutional development anywhere can be said to be pragmatic and complete if libraries don’t have a role in it. So is the case at WII too. The Institute’s has given a due importance for the development of its library like any other academic activity. Hence, considerable inputs were provided from very beginning. The Institute’s library is now a repository of literature in the field of Wildlife Science. It has been primarily designed to function as a centre of learning resources within the framework of the Institute's mission.

OBJECTIVES

• To serve as a repository of all wildlife related literature published in India.

• To acquire, organize and disseminate all relevant worldwide literature on biodiversity conservation and related fields.

• To serve the user readership through normal and special library & information services, like circulation, reference, photocopy, documentation, etc.

• To establish and maintain links with other national information systems in India and other countries to ensure free flow of information at national and international levels.

• To serve as a training centre for information personnel and users.

• To provide the above services to:
   

  • WII faculty, trainee, researchers, students & staff

  • Protected areas all over the country

  • Institutions engaged in nature conservation research in the country & abroad

  • Universities & colleges

  • Individual scholars working in related areas, NGOs, etc.
     

• To bring out periodic publications on the following :

• Current content of periodicals

• Research in progress

• List of unpublished research literature, covering dissertations, thesis etc.

• Compilation of bibliographies

• Compilation of abstracts

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Development of Library & Documentation Centre :

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Computerization of Library & Documentation Centre :

The computerization of library & documentation activities was initiated under a special programme in April 1991. Its first phase was completed in May 1992. The L & DC has since developed its own databases in different areas based on the CDS/ISIS package. The Common Communication Format (CCF) was used for input of data. In the second phase of computerization, information about maps and journal holdings of L & DC were made machine readable. In the last phase of this programme all the documents were barcoded for circulation control and all CDS/ISIS databases were also converted to LIBSYS software.

Library Local Area Network :

Research and studies being undertaken by researchers and faculty call for frequent referencing of literature. For this, the library is now being provided with an 18 node LAN. The library LAN is also connected to the Institute's main LAN, which is being also used by the researchers and faculty for inputting and analysis of their data. This enhanced LAN facility will usher in efficiency and speed as well as enable larger referencing and consultation from each node.

Users also have access to CD-ROM databases that are available on the LAN. These are as follows:

Wildlife Worldwide 1935 - Covers over 3,70,000 citations from published and unpublished sources provided over 55 years of coverage on all aspects of wildlife.

CAB-Abstracts-1990 - The most comprehensive international agriculture and forestry research database in the world.

E-CD CAB Spectrum 1973 - Covers deforestation, soil erosion, land degradation, conservation biology biology, water treatment, bioremediation, desertification, soil fertility, environmental economics, biodeteriotion, sustainability, plant responses and environment.

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Information Analysis & Documentation Unit

Information Analysis and Documentation is a separate unit in the Library. This unit is responsible for providing information and bibliographic services. Articles from the newspaper and periodicals are identified by the staff posted in this unit. Monthly information service entitled "Current Content Service" is also issued by this unit. Topical bibliographies are prepared from time to time on selected topics, and also on demand from the users. Indian Wildlife Abstracting Service and Newspaper clippings are also maintained by this section. Other responsibilities of this unit include maintaining all in-house databases and CD-ROM databases as well (see list below) :

In-house databases :

a. Books
b. Reprints
c Indian Wildlife Abstract
d. Thesaurus on Wildlife/Forestry terms
e. WII Publications
f. MSc term papers/Diploma trainees term papers
g. Map/Toposheets collection
h. Press clippings
i. Directory of Forestry Institutions imparting forestry training in India
j. Directory of Information Centres in and around Dehradun
k. Specialized bibliographic databases on -
           * Application of telemetry in wildlife
           * Musk deer
           * Tahr
           * Rajaji National Park
           * Wildlife and Protected Area  Management in Madhya Pradesh

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Library, Information & Documentation Services

This centre provides a variety of library and information services to its users (figure). These services can be broadly categorized as follows:

a. Reference and inter library loan:

     i. Collection of latest relevant material for use by researchers.
     ii. Preparation of bibliographies on demand and sometimes in anticipation.

If a particular document is not available in the library, it is provided by asking for it on loan from other libraries. Additionally, we also have an arrangement with INSDOC for obtaining copies of required research papers.

b. WII’s L & DC is the only library providing an abstracting service for wildlife literature in India. At present the library has a sizeable number of reprints of research articles on wildlife and conservation. These reprints have been indexed and computerized.

c. Bibliographical services:

The L & DC has bibliography on different subjects. Many are the result of requests made by the faculty members of WII. The library also offers a compiled series of bibliographies in different areas of wildlife science (as given below) :

• An Annotated Bibliography on Musk Deer (Priced publication)

• Application of Telemetry in Wildlife Conservation : An Indexed Bibliography (Priced publication)

• Bibliography on Interpretation and Conservation Education

• Bibliography on Wildlife Management

• Bibliography on Zoo Management

• Bibliography : Wildlife and Protected Area Management in Madhya Pradesh

d. Retrospective search service:

CD/ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) was installed in L & DC in February, 1991. At present there diskettes are available on CD-ROM. Wildlife and Fish Worldwide, Biological Abstracts (BA), and CAB Abstracts. This service is also available to outsiders on payment.

e. Press clipping service:

A clipping service on wildlife conservation and related matters appearing in national media has been started.

f. Current awareness service:

A list of additions to the L & DC is published in our Institute's Newsletter alongwith WII Article Alert service. The Article Alert Service was started in Oct 1990 to channel new items and current information from the latest periodicals/articles received by L&DC for the attention of students, researchers and faculty. Photocopies of the articles are sent to the respondents. The members from other institutions can also avail of the Article Alert Service by sending an annual subscription.

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Future Perspectives

a. National information resource centre for India’s protected areas & biodiversity literature :
 

Although information is considered a vital resource for development in any field, yet a gap between the quantum of information generated and its dissemination would greatly reduced its significance. The initiatives of research activities in various protected areas have opened up avenues for genuine exchange of information through libraries. This would not only provide information on the kind of research programs but would help the prospective researchers in developing new directions, as well as a wide duplicating any ongoing effort. There are very few good libraries dealing with wildlife matters in India and there is a lack of coordinated information exchange apparatus which puts a heavy drag on scientific information from reaching different institutions quickly. Information is a vital for driving field conservation strategies, developing plans and raising the standards of scientific inquiry. Information per say is expensive, the only way to reduce its cost for the user in establishing a well appointed library with a mechanism for providing quality service on real time basis. There is an urgent need for a National Information Resource Centre on Biodiversity.

The WII being an institute of excellence in the field of wildlife conservation in India, South Asia and the developed world, its library & documentation centre needs likewise to be enabled to grow on its own merit. Its plan for modernization is well placed with some significant achievement. The library & documentation Centre which is well equipped with modern gadgets of information access and resources in terms of Scientific literature comprising journals, books, reports, theses, dissertations, manuals, etc. It has been responding to a number of queries and requests made by a number of national and international agencies and personnel. Therefore, setting up of a National Information Resource Centre on wildlife conservation at the WII is most appropriate. As one of the next steps, the library would plan to acquire a collection of publications in relevant disciplines of generated by sister institutions under the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India to support its multidisciplinary literature pertinent to research, education & field conservation.
 

b. Doon-Lib-Net : Proposal for Dehradun library networking
 

Dehradun is unique in having many specialized institutions. Most of them are under the Central govt. and Public Sector. Each institute has its own library which plays a significant role in promoting professional advancement in the relevant field. Libraries are not without their own problems. A problem to reckon with is the exponential growth of literature, difficulty in acquiring even the more important literature due to tremendous increase in cost of documents. Besides it is very difficult for any library to achieve self sufficiency due to rapid expansion of established disciplines into sub disciplines and some barriers to information. In Indian context the problem is more complex as most of the institution face a resource crunch, there is inadequate trained man power and even the strength of the available resources is way below the minimum necessary.

In view of the above, the libraries in larger cities are taking resources to inter library networking. Some examples are Delnet for Delhi, Bomnet for Mumbai and Calibnet for Calcutta etc.. There are others like Inflibnet for universities, IIMs, IITs and other institutions established in like spirit. There are more than 50 institutions in Dehradun and all of them are specialized in the different fields of knowledge. If we have some kind of networking for information resource sharing, it will not only help in ensuring better resource utilization but will be significant for exchange our technical knowledge. In the light of the above the Wildlife Institute of India has drafted a preliminary proposal and the for networking of the libraries in Dehradun and has been circulated to the all Heads of institutions concerned to develop an understanding & modalities of shaping an effective network for mutual benefit.

c. Online access to international databases :

Most of the international databases are now available in computer readable form. These databases can be accessible online through the communication network. The WII has setup a communication network, which will provide On-line access to different databases.

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Bibliography database

• Bibliography on Mountain Ungulates

• Bibliography on Conservation of Rainforests in India

• Selected Bibliography on Rajaji National Park

• Indian Wildlife Abstracting and Indexing Services (WILD)

Services on Payment

Literature search

From WII Database – Rs. 10.00 up to 20 references (without abstracts). Re.0.50 per additional reference.

From CD-ROM Database – Rs. 20.00 up to 20 references (without abstracts). Rs.1.00 per additional reference. Rs.40.00 up to 20 references (with abstracts). Rs.2.00 per additional reference.

Current Contents of WII Periodicals

Rs. 1000.00 per year (institution)

Rs. 500.00 per year (individual)

Document Copy (From WII Collection)

Rs. 15.00 for 5 pages or part thereof

Rs. 1.50 per additional page

Library Working Hours (Mon to Fri)

Reading Room

9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Saturday)

Library Services

09:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Staff

The Services are provided by a team of trained and experienced professional.

User Relation

We make all efforts to maintain best standards of services and encourage our users to given suggestions for improvement. Orientation programmes for new members/users are conducted regularly.

Membership

All of the the members of the Institute are the members of our Library and Documentation Centre
 

Objectives|Development of Library & Documentation Centre|Computerization of Library & Documentation Centre|
|Information Analysis & Documentation Unit|Library, Information & Documentation Services|Future Perspectives|
Services on Payment|  Bibliography Database |

Copyright © 2003 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun