FAQs

• Why do you call the Visva-Bharati libraries as a 'library network' and what are its constitutions?

  Networking of libraries means sharing of databases, resources, hardware and software by constituent libraries and switching all interconnected with communication channels. The libraries at Visva-Bharati, though located at various places in the two campuses, function virtually as a single unit using a single software, single catalogue database (webopac), single server and sharing of all resources channeled through the single location (server) at Central Library.

  The constituents of the Network are the Central Library, 12 Sectional (Bhavana) Libraries and 30 Seminar Libraries.

• Where do I get details about library services, facilities and developments?

   

  Library website site (http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php) is the gateway to everything about the library network. Through the site you have access to resources and services (with links), the Library E-newsletter, brochure, site map, links to other libraries, contact and all. .

• What are the various facilities/sections of direct relevance to me as a user in the Central Library?

  (Pl refer to Floor Plan at the Entrance)

  1. Circulation, Personal Effects Counter (Entrance)
  2. Reference Section - (Air-conditioned) (Entrance, left side/ deals with membership, Library Card, Inter-library loan etc)
  3. Periodical Section - (Air-conditioned) (Bound journals, current issues of journals/ magazines, theses, newspapers, VB Research publications (sale & reference) and digial libraries/browsing centre) [A list of theses and Research Publications is provided in hard copy form in the Section]
  4. Stacks (in 3 floors) (books, bound journals)
  5. Braille Library
  6. Rare Books Collection
  7. Reading Room & Career Corner (1st Floor) (Air-conditioned) [ A list of text books is provided in hard copy form in the Room]
  8. Tagore Displays (mini-museum- open to all) (1st Floor)
  9. Conference Hall (Air-conditioned) (1st Floor)
  10. Cafeteria (Quadrangle)
  11. Gitanjali Net
  12. Photocopying (Photocopying, printing, lamination, spiral binding) backside from cycle stand)  

• Is there any reserved desk for the Research Scholars or faculty?

  Yes, eight seats in the Reading Room (Air-conditioned) are reserved for faculty/ research scholars.

• What are the Library timings?

  Central Library

  All days except weekly holidays                   :  7 am - 8 pm 

  (Saturday & Sunday)

   

  Saturday, Sunday and other holidays         :   10 am - 5 pm    

   

  During April and November                         :   Reading Room Service hour will be during working days i.e. Monday to Friday: 7.00 am to 9.00 pm and Weekly Offdays i.e. Saturday and Sunday and other Holidays 9.00 am to 6.00 pm      

                                                            

  The Central Library is open all days of the year except three closed holidays viz., Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.

   

                                          Sectional Libraries

  Cheena Bhavana Library                    : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Kala Bhavana Library                         : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Rabindra Bhavana Library                  : 10 am - 5 pm (Closed: Wed & Thu)

   

  Hindi- Bhavana Library                      : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Sangeet Bhavana Library                    : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Patha Bhavana Library                       : 6.30 am - 1.30 pm (summer) & 7 am -1 pm (winter) (Closed: Wed & Sun)

   

  Siksha Bhavana Library                      : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Philosophy & Religion Library           : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Vinaya Bhavana Library                     : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Siksha Satra Library                            : 9.30 am - 6 pm & 6.30 am -1.30 pm (Summer vacation) (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Palli Siksha Bhavana Library              : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

   

  Palli Sangathan Vibhaga Library         : 9.30 am - 6 pm (Closed: Sat & Sun)

• Transactions

  Same as 'Library Timing'.

• Library Membership, Access

  Membership is open to: (a) Members of the Visva-Bharati Academic & Non-Academic Staff attached to the Institutions at Santiniketan, and Sriniketan, (b) Members of the Samsad (Court), (c) Members of the Karma-Samiti (Executive Council), (d) Members of the Siksha-Samiti (Academic Council), (e) Members of the Artha-Samiti (Finance Committee), (f) Students of the University, (g) Visva-Bharati pension holders (who have served the institution at least five years) residing in the area of Visva-Bharati.

  [For Application Form click here: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php

  Access to Library is provided any one on request.

  Temporary Membership: Provision is also made for temporary membership, on filling up the appropriate form (Available in the Reference Section or http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php). Applicants are allowed to use Reading Room, Reference Section and Periodical Section. Photocopying and access to online resources are extended to them. They can seek transfer of books from stack to Reference Section for study but borrowing and home lending is not provided for. .

• Library Card

  Eligible individual may fill up the Application Form (http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php) along with the required documents, and submit at the Central Library. Collect the Library card on spot. (Photos will be removed at the Library Counter). NB: The Library card needs to be carried with you while visiting the Library and also for transactions of all sorts.

• What shall I do, if I lose my Library Card? How do I obtain a duplicate Library Card?

  • Submit an application for lost library card at the Office, Central Library and collect a performa 'No Dues Certificate' and cash voucher.
  • The applicant collects 'No - Dues Certificate' based on the proforma from Central Library & all Sectional Libraries and submit to Office, Central Library. Also remit Rs. 50 at the cash counter, Accounts Office on the cash voucher.
  • User has to return all the books issued to him / her.
  • After showing paid voucher a duplicate Library Card is issued to the user.

• May I use the library card of my friend on his / her behalf?

  No, this is strictly prohibited.

• What are the various resources available in the Library Network?

  • Books (print, electronic and digitized) - 8.63 lakhs
  • e-Books  - 121969
  • CD/DVDs - 620+
  • Theses (print & digitized) - 2830
  • Journals (Print, electronic, bound journals) - 8500+
    • Online databases (like J Stor, Sage, Indiastat.com, J-Gate Plus (More than 37000 e-journals), Odia Patrapatrika Sangraha (Digital Compilation of Odia Periodicals) 1856-1950.
  • Institutional Repository (contains articles, question papers, syllabus etc)
  • VB Research Publications
    • Newspapers & magazines

• How do I get to know of availability of/search various online resources in the Network?

   Resources

  I.  Catalogue of Books (including Granthan Vibhaga) - 8.63 lakhs 

  E-books (full text)* - 5123 & a lakh plus from consortia

  Digitized Books (full text) - 29,689 (alternate site: www.new.dli.ernet.in)

  Theses, digital (full text) ** - 2,830

  Access Link:

        LS Discovery & WebOPAC: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard

         Alternate WebOPAC (7 x 24): http://indcat.inflibnet.ac.in/

  *For more e-books: see Resources at  Lib. Website like JGate, BCL***

  **For more theses: Sodhganaga → shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

  II. Journals 

  Print Journals: (146): http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php

  Online Journals: (7,032)

   Access Links

  a)   Retrieval of information from  thousands of online journals (including free/open) and databases by a single search (single window search) → Discovery Services: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard OR  J Gate Plus:jgateplus.com/

  b)  To search individual online journal (subject-wise, title-wise, publisher-wise) → Library Website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php

  c)   Bound volumes:

  https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard  (Physical location at Journal Section, Central Library)

   

  III. Online Databases

   

  JSTOR	IndiaStat.com (click on IP Login)
  Artstor	Odia PatrapatrikaSangraha 1856-1950 - Lib. Website
  J-Gate Plus (37000+ e-journals)	Sage   (22)*
  American Chemical Society (37)*	American Institute of Physics: (18)*
  American Physical Society (10)*	Annual Reviews: (33)*
  Cambridge University Press (224)*	Economic & Political Weekly: (1)*
  Institute of Physics (46) *	Oxford University Press: (206)*
  Project Muse (411) *	Taylor and Francis (1365)*
  Springer Link & Nature (1389)*	Royal Society of Chemistry (29 + 6 Databases)*
  Wiley Blackwell (908)*	Nature Archive 1987-1996*
  Nature (1) *	MathSciNet
  ISID Inst of Industrial Development *

  *These figure under 'Journals' too. Detailed guidelines at Lib. Website

  **For more journals: see 'Resources' like JGate, BCL at Lib. Website

   Access Link:

  Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php & Discovery Services   https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard

   Visva-Bharati Digital Library website: https://vbudspace.lsdiscovery.in/xmlui/

   

  IV.    Syllabuses

  Old question papers

  Faculty publications

  Access Link: Visva-Bharati Digital Library website: https://vbudspace.lsdiscovery.in/xmlui/

   

  V.      Others (Physical Location)

  • Bound Volumes of Journals: at Lib. Website Section, Central Library
  •  CD/DVDs -  620+:  GitanjaliNet, Central Library
  • Theses (print) - at Lib. Website Section, Central Library
  • Newspapers - at Lib. Website Section, Central Library/SLs
  • VB Research Publications - at Lib. Website Section, Central Library

• What are the various resources in electronic format and access facilities to them ?

  LS Discovery & WebOPAC: Catalogues (including Granthan Vibhaga Library), e-books, digitised books, theses Digital) Link: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard & For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php

  • E-books: (full text) - 5123 & a lakh plus from consortia (Alternate site: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard OR J Gate Plus: jgateplus.com/
  • Digitised books: (full text) - 29,689 (Alternate site: www.new.dli.ernet.in)
  • Theses: digital (full text) - 1,650 (Alternate site: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in)

  Discovery Service: Retrieval of information from all the thousands of online journals (including free/open journals) and databases by single search (single window search) → Discovery Services: http://search.ebscohost.com For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php. You don't require any user id and password, access is on the IP range of the University.

  To search individual online journal (subject-wise, title-wise, publisher-wise) → Library Website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php

  Retrieval of information from thousands of online journals and e-books: J Gate Plus: jgateplus.com/ 

  NB: All resources can be searched and accessed by using WebOPAC, Discovery Service and JGate Plus

  Remote Access (LS Discovery): 'Library goes where you go' - access all journals, online databases and e-books from anywhere in the globe, at any time. Any member of VBLN having Library card number may browse library resources from their location by using mobile/laptop/desktop through any network. Basically, it is remote access and discovery services with added features. Checking Individual Account, browse print, digitized and electronic resources, download of the procured/subscribed resources.

  Simple way to login:

  URL: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/

  Click Login at the last icon of the righthand corner

  ID: VB Library card number as noted in the Library Card

  Password: vbu123 (after entering in the account, through profile one can change his/her own password).

  Library Website - Gateway to Library (Single window for everything for everything on Library like resources, services, links, short and detailed guidelines) http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php 

  • Web of Science: (Citation Database): http://apps.webofknowledge.com/ For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php.
  • EndNote (Reference Manager): endnote.com/ For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php.
  • Urkund (Anti-plagiarism software): www.urkund.com/ For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php. 

• Is there any Open Access online resources that are listed the library website?

  Yes, many. For instance, LII of India, Digital Library of India, UNCTAD Stat, HANSARD, UNESCO, Open J-Gate, Online Library of Liberty, OAJSE, Indian Newspapers, Basic Calculus Refresher.

  JGate Plus is an easy tool to reach open resources in fields of your interest. Click on http://jccc-ugcinfonet.in or http://jgateplus.com/search/ to be taken to the Home Page of JGate Plus.

• How can I physically locate documents (books / journals etc) on shelf?

  In open stack area, the arrangement of books on shelves is according to DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme) class numbers in an ascending order.

  Central Library

  To assist in locating books fast 1) Bay cards are inserted into the side slots of the shelves which gives an outline of the most relevant subjects and their corresponding DDC numbers, so that users can go straight to the shelf of his/her subject area and browse the titles there after, 2) 'Subject Guides' are provided at the entrance to the stack area. However, when the user is particularly looking for a title, s/he may first search and/or browse the online library catalogue* (webOPAC), locate the desired title in the online catalogue, note down its call number (DDC class number) and go directly to the shelf tracking that call number [Link to webOPAC: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard]. If the required title is on shelf, his/her search stops there. If not, s/he may seek assistance from the library staff for further action. If the desired title is found to be issued, the member can put a reservation (by filling up a designated slip) for the same at the library circulation desk. [One should be ready to invest some time to learn how to use webOPAC and make best of it for your study and research. Click on 'help' beside webopac button here: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard] or the website for detailed guidelines.

  Sectional Libraries

  In open stack area, the arrangement of books on shelves is according to DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme) class numbers in an ascending order.

  One may first search and/or browse the online library catalogue* (webOPAC), locate the desired title in the online catalogue, note down its call number (DDC class number) and go directly to the shelf tracking that call number.

  *As you know, catalogues of books/documents spread across all the libraries are available in a single database accessible through the WebOPAC. The location of each book is indicated by the prefix given before the Accession No. For instance, KB12345 will mean the book with accession number 12345 is parked in Kala Bhavana Library. The codes are given below:

  Sectional Library Codes / prefixes (Accession Series)

  Name of the Sectional Library	Accession Series
  	Purchased Books	Gifted Books
  Cheena Bhavana	CB	CG
  Hindi Bhavana	HB	HG
  Kala Bhavana	KB	KG
  Palli Samgathana Vibhag	PV	BG
  Pally Siksha Bhavana	PB	AG
  Rabindra Bhavana	RB	UG
  Rathindra Pathagar	RP	RG
  Samindra Sishnu Pathagar	SP	PG
  Sangit Bhavana	MB	MG
  Siksha Bhavana	SB	SG
  Vinay Bhavana	VB	VG
  Bangladesh Bhavana	BB	BG

  These prefixes will indicate to which library a book belongs to Accession number having no prefix, indicates the location of the book(s) is/are at the Central Library only.

  Seminar Libraries

  Books are stacked in Almirahs. They are not meant for lending but use within the department for reference and class preparation. Following is the number of books available in Seminar Libraries. [A list is provided in hard copy form in each Seminar Library] 

   

  Sl. No	Dept. / Bhavana	No. of Books
  1	Administrative Building	325
  2	AIHC&A	1373
  3	Bengali	4973
  4	Biotechnology	238
  5	Botany	1718
  6	Chemistry	1225
  7	CJMC	446
  8	Computer Science (Ganitra Sadana)	650
  9	Computer System Science, Dept.of	440
  10	DEOML	2247
  11	DSW	136
  12	Economics Seminar	207
  13	Environmental Studies, Centre For	519
  14	Geography	2232
  15	History	1175 (approx.)
  16	IGCNI	566
  17	Indo-Tibetan	1930
  18	Islamic Studies	1139
  19	Japanese Studies	737
  20	Mathematics	281
  21	Oriya	1350
  22	Physical Education	201
  23	Physics	2251
  24	PM Hospital	252
  25	Statistics	172
  26	Zoology	1106

   

  Journals (Bound Volumes)

  Locating bound volumes of journals (journal archive) in the open stack journal section is quite easy. Here also indicative bay lists, as well as tags with journal titles are pasted on the shelves. One can get to know about the archival collections of each bound volumes of journal WebOPAC: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard

  Central Library

  Stack; 2nd Floor: Mainly Science and Economics journals arranged according to class number

  Periodical Section; Ground Floor: Generalia and Social Sciences journals arranged according to call number (inside the compactor) To know of the availability of bound journals search WebOPAC (https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard) 

  Sectional Libraries

  Approach the Library staff to locate the bound journals from their registers.

  Current issues of journals, magazines for general reading and newspapers

  • Central Library: displayed in the Periodical Section
  • Sectional Libraries: Displayed in respective Sectional Libraries

  CDs / DVDs

  On locating the CD / DVD (by search) from the online library catalogue (webOPAC), https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard approach the Acquisition Section, Central Library or Sectional Library. [A list of CDs / DVDs is provided in hard copy form in the Section]

  Theses

  Search the online library catalogue (WebOPAC) https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard for catalogue of theses / to download full text. [A list is provided in hard copy form in the Section] The print version of theses is a preserved in compactors in the Periodical Section, Central Library. Contact the Library staff to get the documents.

  For full text digital copy of theses:

  a) https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard

  b) Sodhganaga: http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/

  VB Research Publications: (For Reference & sale) The books are displayed in the Periodical Section, Central Library. Contact the Library staff to get the documents. [A list is provided in hard copy form in the Section]

  Books-Granthan Vibhaga Library: The catalogues are searchable form WebOPAC: https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard . Books can be brought on Inter-library Loan system and courier charges (both directions) will be borne by the indenter.

• How can I get the past loose issues of magazines?

  Loose past issues (not current) of magazines alone (not journals and expensive magazines) may be issued one piece at a time on overnight basis, against entry in the designated register.

• Are Research Scholars allowed to purchase & Issue books out of their Contingency Grant?

  Yes ! Research Scholars are allowed to purchase books out of their Contingency Grant. On demand, these books will be issued back to them for purpose of their research. It will be in addition to their normal issue limit (08 volumes as of now). All these books will be returned to the Library before submission of thesis, and the entire process will be treated as par with ‘Project Grant Books’ of the faculty members. 

• How do I borrow books?

  Timings for all transactions, including book issue and return, are concurrent with the library opening hours.

• How many books can I borrow from the Library, and which items are not lent?

  There are different entitlements for different categories of users. 

   

  Category of Members	Vols. at a time	Duration
  Adhyapakas	20	One semester
  Scholars-in-Residence / Emeritus Professors / Adjunct Professors / Professor on Re-employment	10	Six Months or tenure of appointment, whichever is less
  Librarian / Deputy Librarians / Assistant librarians / Information Scientist	20	30 days
  Research Associates / Research Scholars / M. Phil Students / Research Fellows (Project) & Pool Officers / Post-doctoral Scholars	8	30 days
  Visiting Teachers / Guest Teachers / Part-time Research Teacher Candidates (PRTC)	5	30 days
  Post-graduate, Honours / Post Diploma / B.Ed Students	6	30 days
  Certificate and Diploma Students of Language Groups, Kala, Sangit, Students of Patha-Bhavana (Senior) & Siksha Satra (Senior)	2	30 days
  Students of Patha-Bhavana (Junior) & Siksha Satra (Junior)	1	30 days
  Administrative Staff (Dept. Heads)	5	30 days
  Non-Academic Staff including Library Staff, Other Members as specified in rule 2	2	30 days
  House Tutor (Requisition Countersigned by respective Principal)	5	7 days
  Institutional Members	10 *	30 days

   *Two books per card.

  Restricted documents

  Books marked 'Reference', and loose issues of journals and magazines are not issued.

  CD-ROMs, DVDs, theses and dissertations are also not to be checked out.

   

• How do I renew / reissue a book and how many times can I renew the same title?

  Books that are not yet overdue or have not been requested by another borrower can be renewed twice, expiry of which it needs to be returned back to the Library.

• Can I issue / reissue books if I have overdue document (s)?

  No, you can't.

• How can I reserve books, which have already been checked out by other members?

  A book can be reserved by making a request with details of the documents (like title, author, publisher, accession no and call number) and depositing the letter at the Library Counter. You will be informed on phone as the book in question is returned by the borrower.

• How can I keep abreast of the due dates?

  You will receive e-mail alerts when books are overdue for return. One can also get to know of his / her circulation statistics from the library webOPAC https://vbu.lsdiscovery.in/home/dashboard under Patron / My Account tab, enter your card number and click. This option enables a member to check her / his checkouts, due date etc. It also facilitates changing of password of your account. [Your membership number functions, initially, as the ID as well as password. Change the password on logging in.]

• What should I do if the book I have borrowed got lost?

  Report immediately to the Assistant Librarian (Reference Section). You may need to make it good to the University by replacing the book with the latest edition and / or making the payment as the rules.

• Am I permitted to bring in personal books, laptops, etc. inside the Central Library?

  Yes, one is allowed to bring his / her course materials, personal books, books already issued to them, personal photocopies (loose as well as bound), magazines, journals, books of other library etc. inside the Reading Room (1st Floor) in Central Library. (No permission needs to be sought). For other places in Central Library special permission may be sought from the Reference Librarian, on daily basis using 'Personal Book Entry Slip'.

  However, bags and folders are strictly prohibited. They should be left at the Property Counter.

• Is there any formal arrangement for gaining access to other libraries in Kolkata?

  Visva-Bharati is an institutional member of the following:

  British Council Library and American Centre. Collect the Library card from the Library against your application on plain paper. [The card needs to be returned on the next working day]. You can borrow books and documents.

  One can search the catalogue database from the given URL of American Library (http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/resources/library-catalogue.html) and request the Librarian, V.B. for ILL (Performa can be downloaded from the Central Library Website at http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php). American Library will bear postal charges for dispatching borrowed items to institutional members, and returning of the same is made by requester themselves.

  Interested students, research scholars and Faculty members may collect the Borrowers Card from the Librarian, V. B. at Central Library to utilize the British Council Library service. Importantly, we can also access (password based: http://172.16.2.2/bcl.html) more than 85,000 e-books and 7,000 e-journals from their website (5 users at a time).

• Besides the Library website, what other sources are available to update myself on resources, services and developments in the network?

  • E-newsletter (Monthly) - see Lib. website

  • Brochure - see Lib. website

  • Orientation Programmes (general and 2-day programmes for Research Scholars)

• Is there any Citation Database and Reference Manager facility in VB library Network?

  • Web of Science: (Citation Database): http://apps.webofknowledge.com/ For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php
  • EndNote (Reference Manager): endnote.com/ For detailed guidelines, visit the Library website: http://visva-bharati-library.in/index.php.

• What’s Sodhganga / Sodhgangotri and submission of theses in softcopy?

  Sodhganga: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

  Twin purposes: Deposit your theses (mandatory) and browse full text theses.

  The Central Government funded project named Shodhganga, a national repository of electronic theses and dissertations, was initiated based on a UGC notification (Minimum Standards & Procedure for Award of M. Phil. / Ph. D Degree, Regulation, 2009 dated 1 June 2009). It mandates submission of electronic version of theses and dissertations (alongwith the print copies) by the researchers at Visva-Bharati. The aim is to facilitate open access to Indian theses and dissertations to the academic community world-wide.

  TheShodhganga@INFLIBNET Centre provides a platform for such deposit as well as full text accessibility to theses produced in Indian universities.

  How to: Upload yourself or approach Central Library (Reference Section).

  Sodhgangotri  http://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/

  ShodhGangotri: Repository of Indian Research in Progress (Synopses/Research Proposals for Ph. D Programme).

  Under the initiative called Shodhgangotri, research scholars / research supervisors in universities are requested to deposit electronic version of approved synopses submitted by research scholars to the universities for registering themselves for the Ph. D programme. The repository on one hand, would reveal the trends and directions of research being conducted in Indian universities, on the other hand it would avoid duplication of research. Synopses in ShodhGangotri would later be mapped to full-text theses in Sodhganga.

  How to: Upload yourself. For guidance go to http://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/ or contact Central Library (Reference Section)

• How do I reach my complaints / suggestions to the Library authority?

  You could send a mail to the University Librarian (Acting) (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or deposit a written letter at the 'Suggestion Box' installed at the front gate of the Central Library. Besides, the University Librarian will be glad to receive you in person.

• Is there any special facility provided to the differently - able members?

   Central Library

  Braille Unit: Room in front of the Stack.

  • Supernova: It has two functions, a) Desktop Reader - It can read all the actions that take place on the desktop like 'save', 'delete', 'desktop icon', 'start' etc, b) Write-Read - It can read back what you type and also any text file line by line. It also helps in browsing Internet as it can speak back.
  • Readit Wand: The Unit has a scanner-cum-reading machine (Readit Wand). Just place a document under the scanner and press 'enter' key, the present page gets captured and it starts reading. Turn the pages (manually) and press 'enter' to scan other pages. Finally, the scanned documents can be saved into different formats like PDF, Word, Text, and MP3. The voice, volume and pace of reading may be changed according to the convenience of the user. For the low vision users there is an option to magnify the screen, convert colour of screen background and text.

  [Share Database of Documents: Whatever various users have saved on the desktop(s) of Braille Unit (from Readit Wand, downloaded files, own collection in all formats) have been uploaded in Google drive. Users can share these resources anytime, anywhere provided their gmail ID is communicated to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., which will, in turn, send the link to access the database]

  • NVDA & Braille Embosser: NVDA is a software to open a file (containing printable matter) to convert into Braille format. Braille Embosser is hardware (printer) that can print a file in Braille. It has the facility to print / emboss both sides of a page simultaneously.

  Additional Facilities / Devices

  • Talking Typing: It helps new users practice typing and operation of computers.
  • Daisy Book Reader: It is a portable device (like a Kindle for e-book reading) a) which can read any type of files (PDF, Word, Text, doc, audio, video), b) can do voice recording (in any language) and c) FM radio with recording facility.
  • Adjustable High Power Optical Lens Spectacles: Two layers lens to be adjusted according to one's visibility demands.
  • Special Keyboards: A special keyboards with large font and florescent yellow keys to enhance visibility.
  • Magnifier Mouse: The scroller magnifies the current position on the screen.
  • Seika Cell Braille Display: This portable device (like mathematical instrument box) helps to read texts currently visible on computer screen as Braille and have option to stop in any line and correct the spellings on the text.
  • BAT (Single Hand Keyboard): Compact input device that does all the functions of a full-size keyboard and is operated by one hand. It is an ultimate typing solution for persons with physical or visual impairments.
  • Foot Mouse (Slipper Mouse) with Programmable Paddle: All the features and functions of a hand mouse operated by foot here. It is more helpful to the physically rather than visually- impaired.

  Special Toilets (Gents & Ladies): At Periodical Section

  Ramps: Ramps are built at the entrance of the main building and annexe so that physically challenged users can be directly wheeled into the library.

  Sectional Library

  Braille Unit: Vinay Bhavana Library

• Any visual displays on Rabindranath Tagore?

  'Under re-organization

• Any arrangement for refreshment in Central Library?

  The cafeteria will be re-started very soon.