MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE

The MVC Library has built up a very good collection of books for the University community to meet their various information needs. Basic to recent outstanding publications are procured for the library users. At present the MVC library holds around 41,767 books.

Keeping in pace with the electronic and digital library technologies, the library also provides access to e-books. Around 350 e-books are available online to the library users. Further, web links had been created to access important open access e-book portals which provide access to more than 30,000 full-text free e-books available on the Internet. Some old rare books free from copyright were digitized and made available through the e-Book Gateway of the Library OPAC in elibrary.tanuvas.org.

Scientific journals are an excellent means to convey research findings, latest discoveries, developments and future research prospects. It enables communication between scholars, form the basis for the development of further ideas and track emerging ideas. Hence, the MVC Library has subscribed 33 Indian print journal (both free and paid subscription) to cater to the knowledge requirements of the students, staff, faculty and scientists of the University.

Keeping in pace with the digital information explosion, the MVC library started subscribing electronic journals in addition to print since 2005 and at present online access is available for foreign journals in addition to the electronic journals available under Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture (CeRA) at elibrary.tanuvas.org Further, an e-Journal gateway had been developed through which the library users can access about free full-text open access electronic journals in the field of veterinary and animal science related journals Thirty Two computer terminals have been established in the E-Journal section of the library exclusively for this purpose which facilitates research scholars, faculty members and scientists of the university to access the electronic journals.

Back volumes of journals play a vital role in reference service. Hence, the back volumes of the journals are carefully bound and kept as reference for students, staff and researchers. The Library has got a rich collection of more than 30000 back volumes of International and national journals.

The MVC library helps the users to retrieve data from the CD-ROM databases. The library procures important CD-ROM databases to strengthen the CD-ROM database access facility. At present, there are 185 CD-ROM products available in the Library.

In addition to its own collections, the MVC library has access to Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture (CeRA), an online journal consortium funded under NAIP of ICAR. CeRA provides access to about 2,800+ online journals covering various disciplines of agricultural sciences including veterinary and animal sciences http://jgateplus.com/search/

Entire Circulation activities of the MVC Library have been automated with ‘KOHA’ with the financial assistance of NAIP project on e-Granth. Radio frequency identification technology and biometric access control system have also been installed in the Library to ensure effective use of ICT in the library Users could issue or return books by themselves using self kiosk

Open Access System, Colon Classification System (OPAC available) and AACR II and MARC 21 (SOUL 2.0)

Since the MVC Library is 118 years old, the library has very old books and back volumes of journals. To save these materials, an archive unit has been established at MVC campus. Necessary infrastructure facilities are being created to strengthen the archive unit.

Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) is provided in the MVC Library and 35 OPAC terminals have been provided for the use of library members. The OPAC is also accessible over the Intranet of the University which connects all the constituent colleges and the University headquarters.

Photocopying facilities are available to the library users at nominal charges. To improve the services, two digital copier (scanner, printer and copier) and a colour digital copier had been added recently. The students and staff utilize these facilities for their reprographic requirements.

Electronic surveillance system has been installed in the library to ensure proper safety and security of the valuable library collection. The system consisting of IR surveillance cameras and monitors help the library administration to track the movements of the library users.

RFID Technology of Document Identification and Library Security System have been implemented for the library functions and services, along with the following facilities: RFID Tags for protecting the documents, RFID Reader for Circulation transactions and RFID Antenna Alarm Gate.

A finger based biometric attendance system has been established at MVC Library. Biometric attendance system is used to mark attendance of all teaching and non-teaching staff members as well as students. It provides exact information about every body's presence.

MVC Library is a participating library under CeRA project and through this project it shares the library resources of about 123 libraries including SAU/SVU and ICAR institute libraries. The library is also a member of the Madras Library Network (MALIBNET) to share the resources of the libraries of IIT-M, Anna University, Medical University, University of Madras, etc. Further, the library is an institutional member of the British Council Library and Madras Library for resource sharing.

The MVC library has established a “Theses and Dissertations Section” to cater to the reference requirements of research scholars. A total of around 4000 theses are made available in the section for reference. All the theses are available on the OPAC itself up to Abstract level. Further, full-text access to about 2,72,599 Ph.D. thesis of various SAUs is available through Krishikosh (http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/) database.

An SC/ST Book Bank comprising of basic and advanced books has been established in the library for the benefit of SC/ST students of MVC.

MVC Library initiated a Book drop box facility for returning of library books. This is to facilitate easy return of issued library books by just dropping the books inside the drop box instead of coming physically to the library to return the book. Books could be returned during the holidays also .

The Department of Library Science offers ICAR Non-Credit Compulsory course on “Library and Information Services (0+1) to M.V.Sc and Ph.D research scholars of Madras Veterinary College.

The MVC Library periodically conducts information literacy / library orientation programmes to the library users. Awareness programmes are also being conducted for the benefit of library users regularly.

A Network project on “Strengthening of digital Library and Information Management under NARS (e-Granth) has been sponsored by Indian Council of Agricultural Research under NAIP at Department of Library Science, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai-600 007 with a sanctioned budget of Rs.49.00 lakhs for a period of four years from 2009-2010. MVC Library is one of the eleven co-operating libraries for this project.