Ram Kumar Matoria, P.K. Upadhyay and Arvind Mishra
Newspapers constitute an important source of information as they contain the latest information in the form of news with, often daily, updating. Being aware of their importance…
Abstract
Newspapers constitute an important source of information as they contain the latest information in the form of news with, often daily, updating. Being aware of their importance, libraries have been providing news clipping services in various ways to their users since newspapers were invented. Initially, manual methods of marking, cutting and pasting the useful news items were used, but today’s libraries have automated this service by using information technology. This certainly has improved the access, delivery, and searching of news clippings in a Web‐based network environment for remote users. This case study discusses the needs, objectives and advantages of NewsNIC, a Web‐based full‐text news clippings project implemented by the library of the National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. The authors discuss the design aspects, various systems components, Web technology and database tools used as back‐end solutions, and the use of the Microsoft MS SQL Server features and active server pages technology.
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Ram Kumar Matoria and P.K. Upadhyay
To share the experiences gained during the migration of library data from one library management system (LibSys™) to another (e‐Granthalaya™).
Abstract
Purpose
To share the experiences gained during the migration of library data from one library management system (LibSys™) to another (e‐Granthalaya™).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the step‐by‐step approach taken to migrate the existing library data to the new software. The paper also discusses the peculiarities of the source software from which data were converted and the practical approach adopted in solving the problems faced during the conversion.
Findings
During the process of the conversion of the library data from one software to another many lessons have been learned. These lessons and experiences will be useful for us in the future to import/export the data from other software such as MINISIS, CDS/ISIS, TECHLIB PLUS, etc. being used in Indian libraries. Moreover, the switch over from one software to another is also useful for the libraries as the existing data are refined and cleaned during the conversion process.
Originality/value
The authors share the lessons learned during the conversion process and hope that these will be useful to others in migration of data.
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Ram Kumar Matoria, P.K. Upadhyay and Madaswamy Moni
To describe the development of the library management system, e‐Granthalaya, for public libraries in India. This is an initiative of the Indian government's National Informatics…
Abstract
Purpose
To describe the development of the library management system, e‐Granthalaya, for public libraries in India. This is an initiative of the Indian government's National Informatics Centre (NIC). The paper outlines the challenges and the potential of a full‐scale deployment of this software at a national level.
Design/methodology/approach
The project is being implemented in various phases depending on the funds, infrastructure and willingness of the various state governments and library authorities. This case study provides an understanding of the challenges confronted by the NIC in the scale and scope of the deployment of e‐Granthalaya. The national effort towards a “single window access” is constructively undertaken with an infrastructure deployment phase followed by a services integration phase: both of these are undertaken in tandem with local conditions and technological developments.
Findings
The proposed end‐product is a web‐based online library service connecting public libraries in India and integrating library services in a “single window access”. The authors conclude that there is a need for greater orchestration of funding provision, acquisitions of systems, data entry of catalogues, hosting and so on.
Research limitations/implications
The project will be useful as a model for the automation, networking and federating of resources for other groups of libraries in India.
Originality/value
The paper is a case study of design, development and implementation of the e‐Granthalaya software in India's public libraries.