Source : The Indian Express
The Jayakar library is all set to get its own music library, to ‘help students relax’ with a melodious tune or two.
The iconic Jayakar library at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), which will mark its 60th anniversary on Monday, may have some new, and welcome, changes in store for its patrons. The library is all set to get its own music library, to ‘help students relax’ with a melodious tune or two. Soon, it will also have a new reading room, for the hundreds of readers who wish to go through its enviable collection of books, but can’t do so because of paucity of space.
Work on the music library, which has been going on for years, is nearing completion. It includes setting up a sound-proof room with the latest equipment and computers, creating data back-ups and digitising CDs of classical music stalwarts. Once technical issues, such as acquiring software for the library, are sorted out, the music library will be fully operational.
“Just like the user-friendly e-catalogue for the library, we want a software that can make audio-video resource browsing equally easy. For example, if a student types in the name of a classical music artiste or the name of a raaga, they should be able to access the song right away without searching through the e-library. Since we already have over 300 CDs in our collection, with countless songs, and an equally vast collection of videos, it is taking time to set up the software. But in our 60th year, we should be able to open up the music library,” said Aparna Rajendra, head of the Jayakar library.
As lack of space has often been an issue for patrons of the library, a reading hall, with a capacity of 130 students, may be unveiled soon. Authorities estimate that the library has over 4,000 registered members, including students and staffers, but the seating capacity of the library isn’t more than 650.
“Currently, work on the reading room is on… the estate department has provided the chairs. Now, the process of acquiring tables is on… once that is completed, we should be able to open up the reading hall, which will enhance the seating capacity by 130,” added Rajendra.
The library, which was set up in 1950, operated out of a small room on the campus for years. It moved to its current location on November 27, 1957. It is named after the first vice-chancellor of the university, Dr M R Jayakar.
The library comprises six floors and has over five lakh books, journals, manuscripts and e-books. Its collection includes rare books and almost 4,500 handwritten books, as well as manuscripts. A few years ago, the library went online and introduced e-books and e-resources. The library has also digitised all its PhD thesis, as many as 8,800 research papers.
