DELNET: Services towards sharing between institutions

Abstract

Indian information professionals, education specialists and scientists had realized that the time has come to share the information resources and to coordinate mechanisms. Looking from the participant’s side, it was common to find an institution participated in more than one network. The ultimate goal of information/library networks is to interlink information resources in a metropolitan area, so that users could access information irrespective of its location, format, medium, language, script etc. Further, the development of such networks required actions in several areas such as training, rationalization of information resource acquisition, diffusion of standards, preparation of union lists, and generation of database services apart from setting up hardware, software and communication facilities. A large number of library resource sharing networks like the Metropolitan Area Networks such as CALIBNET in Calcutta, DELNET in Delhi, BONET in Bombay, PUNENET in Pune, MALIBNET in Madras, HYLIBNET in Hyderabad, ADNET in Ahmedabad, MYLIBNET in Mysore, and countrywide ones like ERNET (Educational and Research Institutions), SIRNET (CSIR Laboratories), and INFLIBNET (Universities and Research Institutions), and sectoral ones like BTISNET (Biotechnology Networks) etc. were conceptualized. This paper describes the establishment of DELNET (Delhi Library Network). While describing introduction to DELNET and its history, author will describe when it is started and who supported the financially and present status and number of members from the country and from foreign nationals. Author will describe what are the services it provides to its member institutions, the objectives of DELNET and what are the union catalogues and databases are maintained to provide services to its members satisfactory. Authors describes the mechanism how delnet collect information of the difference members institutions and share information with each others. Authors describes DELNET’s inter-Library loan (ILL) and Document Delivery Services to its member libraries and its mechanism. DELNET is giving training in the use of KOHA - an Open Source Integrated Library System and Dspace for building Digital Libraries. DELNET is glad to provide consultancy to the libraries on implementing these Open Source Software. DELNET Provides a DEL-PLUS software which has features like MERC 21, barcode application, compatible for all libraries and provides free upgradation from time to time. Authors will describe DELNET’s other important and major services to the Libraries of India and Overseas member libraries like Retro-coversion, Reference Services, Professional Training and Consortia Services. DELNET has been growing up very successfully during all these years of its existence. Its relentless efforts in resource sharing have proved extremely effective and has been a big leap towards the modernisation of libraries in India. The future of DELNET is very promising with the growth in number and size and as a variety of information on South Asia Libraries becoming available through DELNET. It is expected that all institutions outside India specializing in South Asian studies will take DELNET membership in future.