Mehtab Alam Ansari

Awareness and use of OPACs in five Delhi libraries

Purpose – The objective of this study is to establish the opinion of users with respect to the awareness and utilisation of, as well as their satisfaction level with, the use of the online public access catalogue (OPAC).Design/methodology/approach – The paper deals with the applicability and utility of OPACs in five libraries in New Delhi, namely the Indian Institute of Technology; Jawaharlal Nehru University Library; Dr Zakir Husain Library, Jamia Millia Islamia; National Information System for Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR); and the Defence Science Information and Documentation Centre (DESIDOC). A questionnaire was developed and distributed randomly to 128 users including undergraduates and post graduate students as well as MPhil. and PhD scholars. Users returned 115 completed questionnaires of which 100 were selected for analysis.Findings – The paper finds that the OPAC system has changed the traditional concept of access to library resources. It allows simple as well as complex sear...

Library Automation in Indian Central Universities: Issues and Challenges

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to highlight the status and application of an automated cataloging system in central university libraries in north India. Data has been collected using questionnaires. Interview and observation techniques have also been used to bring objectivity in the present study. Results show that varying levels of progress have been made with respect to implementation of a cataloging system. Results also show that with the help of automation, libraries have satisfied user communities by way of easy retrieval. It has removed discrepancies and set a trend for standardization. Furthermore, staff morale has been boosted up in an automated environment.