The history of the library has been running
parallel to the history of the Forest
Research Institute (FRI) since
1906. The library started with a few hundred books and a few periodical titles
in English and German languages accommodated in a small room. However, upon shifting of the FRI to
its newly constructed magnificent building on Chakrata Road in 1929 the library
was provided with a sufficient space in the front wing next to the convocation
hall, having all facilities that were required at that time. Later a separate
building for the library was constructed on Chaturvedi Road in the campus and
the library was shifted there to accommodate 1.5 lakh books and display about
300 current journal titles. With the constitution of the Indian Council of Forestry Research
and Education (ICFRE) as
an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India
in the year 1986, the then Central Library of FRI was upgraded to National Forest Library and
Information Centre (NFLIC), the acquisition of books and subscription
to journals increased manifold. Besides, the NFLIC also started computerization
of its operations. Several CD-ROM based bibliographical databases started being
acquired. A new modern library building with all up-to-date facilities was
constructed on the Pearson Road, and the NFLIC shifted therein in the year
2000.
The NFLIC
adopted an open access system and installed electromagnetic security system for
controlling pilferage of documents. The major portion of the books in the NFLIC
is, of course, related to forestry. But there is a large collection of
documents on chemistry, biological sciences, agriculture, etc. There is an
excellent Reference Section stocked with encyclopaedias, dictionaries,
directories, handbooks and rare books, etc. Besides, it maintains a grey
literature collection on forestry which comprises documents like theses and
dissertations, research reports, conference proceedings, forest working plans,
etc. which are neither formally published nor available commercially. The NFLIC
maintain 7,025 Ledger Files containing research and other useful articles on
different forest species, subjects, and countries.
The most remarkable of the journal titles in the collection are
Transactions of the Zoological Society of London from the year 1835;
Transactions of the Scottish Arboricultural Society from 1872; Transactions of
the Linnean Society of London from 1875; Justus Leibig’s Annalen Der Chemie
from 1880; Nature from 1873; Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry from
1882; and Indian Forester from 1875. The current journal titles include almost
all the titles published on forestry from India and abroad and other important
Indian and foreign journals on related subjects like agriculture, biological
sciences, chemistry, etc. It also subscribes bibliographical databases like
Forest Science on CD-ROM. The NFLIC has computerized its housekeeping as
well as information retrieval functions by designing integrated software, which
has also facilitated the access of the NFLIC on-line. Besides, the NFLIC
provides all other services to its user viz. reference, referral, circulation,
reprography, inter-library loan, etc.
The marketing of the publications of FRI is an important activity. The NFLIC has been entrusted with the work of marketing of all the documents published by the institute.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India designated the NFLIC as ENVIS Centre on Forestry in the year 1997. The Centre has taken up the challenge and initiated a number of the services under the project.
The marketing of the publications of FRI is an important activity. The NFLIC has been entrusted with the work of marketing of all the documents published by the institute.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India designated the NFLIC as ENVIS Centre on Forestry in the year 1997. The Centre has taken up the challenge and initiated a number of the services under the project.
No comments:
Post a Comment