Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) / Guidelines for the smooth operation of the Departmental / Seminar Libraries

[Accepted by the authority on 11 April 2023. Meeting of the Library Working Committee (formerly, Library Development Advisory Committee and Library Committee) on 03 February 2023, 11.30am. Meeting of all In-charge of the Visva-Bharati Library Network (VBLN), on 23 January 2023, 12.30pm].

1. After receiving the requisition of print book(s) from the department through HoD, Central Library / concerned Sectional Library will procure the book(s) following the existing SOP for the procurement of Print Books;

2. Central Library / concerned Sectional Library will process the books (Accessioning, Classification, Catalogue, Spine label printing and pasting) followed by data entry (bibliographic information) in the LibSys, existing Integrated Library Management Software (ILMS) of VB;

3. HoD of the concerned department or his/her representative will receive the book(s) from the Central Library / concerned Bhavana/Sectional Library for their departmental library. After waiting maximum three months from the processing of book(s), Central Library / concerned Bhavana library will send the book(s) in its stack, if the concerned department fails to receive the book(s) from the Central Library / concerned Bhavana/Sectional Library for the seminar library;

4. The Books of the Seminar Library will not be issued officially for home lending and regular footfalls of the library are to be noted in a register;

5. If any department does not maintain any register or file to prove the number of footfalls readers in the seminar library to consult book(s) in a given period, then the department concerned will not be entitled to get the provision noted in the GFR-2017, 215.ii. for losing/missing of library books;

6.  Every department need to submit the Physical verification report (list of accession number of books holds by the concerned department other than Project, SAP, etc.) annually to the University Librarian without fail. The work of verification may be done by the department by their own during any recess/vacation or as they find convenient time. The photo copy of the register of the annual footfalls is to be attached with the physical verification report;

7. All the books of the Seminar/Departmental Library transferred from Central Library will be under the control/custody of the HoD or his/her nominee among faculty members of the department. HoD or his/her nominee among faculty members of the department will be responsible to clarify before the competent authority regarding any mishandling of the Seminar/Departmental Library;

8. Concerned Department has to find out the ways and liable to compensate for the missing book(s), if any from the seminar/departmental library, based on latest VB Library rules;

9. Before issuing clearance to the students/scholars/faculty members, HoD or his/her nominee among faculty members of the department will take enough care about the seminar library books to stop the misuse/losing of library books;

10. All the VB fraternity will be permitted/allowed to consult each and every Seminar library books within the concerned library/department only;

11. If, any department would like to return all the books (initially transferred from the central library to the departmental library) from the seminar library to the Central Library or Bhavana / Sectional Library along with the Almirahs and Book racks, the Library Authority will consider this transfer subject to availability of adequate physical space at the Central Library.