DELNET
Developing Library Network
Introduction
Delhi is growing as a major center of information resources in India. These resources cater both to the specialized and the general users. They are located in activities, information and documentation centers, institutional libraries, research libraries, government libraries, public libraries, department libraries besides the libraries of the universities, colleges and schools. During the recent years, increase in information has led to increase in the demands of the users. It has been noticed that in this area of information explosion, libraries in India are generally ill-equipped to handle and retrieve information effectively, the financial resources and the space requirement for housing library collection are limited in almost all of the libraries. No a single library can afford to house every necessary document even in the area of its interest. Resource sharing, thus assumes great importance at this juncture the option left with the forward looking librarians has been to promote the sharing of resources by automation and networking. With this objective, in January 1988, the India International Center initiated efforts for the establishment of Delhi Library Network (Now Developing Library Network).DELNET is the first operational library network in India. It was started as a project of the India International Center in January 1988 with the initial, financial and technical assistance by National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India. It was registered as a society in June 1992 under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 and is currently being promoted by the National Informatics Center (NIC), Planning Commission, Govt. of India and India International Center, New Delhi.
DELNET was started at the India International Centre Library in January 1988 and was registered as a society in 1992.
It was initially supported by the National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT), Department of Scientific and Industrial Reseach, Government of India. It was subsequently supported by the National Informatics Centre, Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.DELNET has been established with the prime objective of promoting resource sharing among the libraries through the development of a network of libraries. It aims to collect, store, and disseminate information besides offering computerized services to users, to coordinate efforts for suitable collection development and also to reduce unnecessary duplication wherever possible.DELNET has been actively engaged with the compilation of various Union Catalogues of the resources available in member-libraries.It has already created the Union Catalogue of Books,Union List of Current Periodicals, Union Catalogue of Periodicals,CD-ROM Database,Database of Indian Specialists, Database of Periodical Articles, Union List of Video Recordings, Urdu Manuscripts' Database, Database of Theses and Dissertations, sample databases of language publications using GIST technology and several other databases. The data is being updated in these databases and is growing rapidly. All the DELNET databases have been resident on DELSIS, an in-house software developed on BASISPlus, an RDBMS, the product of Information Dimensions Inc. of USA which has been provided to DELNET courtesy National Informatics Centre, New Delhi.
Objectives of DELNET :
- To promote sharing of resources among the libraries by developing a network of libraries, by collecting, storing and disseminating information and by offering computerised services to the users;
- To undertake scientific research in the area of Information Science and Technology, create new systems in the field, apply the results of research and publish them;
- To offer technical guidance to the member-libraries on collecting, storing, sharing and disseminating information;
- To coordinate efforts for suitable collection development and reduce unnecessary duplication wherever possible;
- To faciliate and promote delivery of documents manually or mechanically;
- To establish /facilitate the establishment of referral and /or research centres, and maintain a central online union catalogue of books, serials and non-book materials of all the participating libraries;
- To develop specialised bibliographic database of books, serials and non-book materials;
- To develop databases of projects, specialists and institutions;
- To possess and maintain electronic and mechanical equipment for speedy communication of information and delivery of electronic mail;
- To coordinate with other regional, national and international networks and libraries for exchange of information and documents;
Any Institution/Library interested in using DELNET resources for borrowing books from libraries, getting photocopies of articles and for research and reference, and willing to contribute records of its library holdings for resource sharing purposes among institutional members of DELNET can join as an institutional member of DELNET.
Membership Fee:
DELNET at present has 6872 libraries as its members, of which 291 libraries are in Delhi, 6559 outside Delhi in 28 States and 8 Union Territories and 22 in overseas countries. Libraries interested in joining DELNET should apply on a prescribed form. The fees for membership are kept very low. At present the rates are as follows:
Full Details : View
DELNET Activities/Services
1. Promotion of Database Creation
For effective networking, standard bibliographic data should be available in machine readable form with the libraries. So, efforts were made from the very beginning to promote the standardization of databases in the DELNET libraries. Experts were sent to the libraries to solves day-to-day problems. A panel of experts was seeing maintained for this purpose. Regular meetings of the librarians and computer specialists were organized to discuss mutual problems and the areas of cooperation. Nevertheless, there have been some libraries in Delhi that took keen interest in database creation on their own. But the practice of regular meetings for database creation and resource sharing continue. DELNET provides technical assistance to member libraries in the following areas:
- creation and maintenance of bibliographic databases
- serials controls
- user services
- hardware and software requirements
- union catalogue preparation
- current awareness and SDI services
- authority data compilation
- subject profiles construction
- abstracting services
- inter-library loan and user services
- document transfer/copying facilities
- access to local, national and international databases
DELNET saved foreign exchange worth Rs. 10 million by rationalizing subscriptions to foreign periodicals during 1991, 1992 and 1993 through resource sharing. This was mainly achieved in the fields of physical science, medical science and agricultural sciences. It is hoped that in the years to come, DELNET would be able to save more foreign exchange for India through sharing of periodical resources. In 1991, a courier service was started on contract basis will a private agency for inter library lending among the participating libraries but it was not very effective. Later, DELNET has introduced its own courier service with the financial help of NIC. The service is well used.
3. Standardization
A standardization committee of DELNET has been meeting from time to time. The standardization committee takes into account the following areas:
- Communication format for interchanging bibliographic data
- Input output format
- Bibliographic description : Mandatory and optional data elements
- Classification scheme and subject headings
- Thesaurus
- Authority files
- Language scripts into roman script
- Forms of heading
- Identification numbers, codes and abbreviations
- Data input for abstracting and indexing
- Search/command language
- DELNET has around twenty databases available online for its users. These are:
- Union Catalogue of Books : UCF
- Union Catalogue of Books : MARC Format
- Union List of Current Periodicals
- Union Catalogue of Periodicals
- Database of Periodic Articles
- Indian Specialists Database
- CD-ROM database
- Union list of Video recordings
- Union List of Sound Recordings
- Union List of Newspapers
- Union List of Serials of Management Libraries
- Union Catalogue of Hindi Books
- Multilingual Books : Sample database
- Urdu Manuscripts Database
- Database of Theses and Dissertations
- DEVINSA Database
- Serials : Petroleum and Natural Gas
- Books in-Print Database
- Jain Database
- Directory of Libraries
1. ILL Online
DELNET members can place their inter-library loan requests through our ILL online facility, which is available on the union catalogue of books database. The member requests appear on the main server, which are monitored by DELNET staff at regular intervals and the books are acquired and supplied to the requesting library through the courier. Photocopying charges for journal articles etc. and courier charges for sending books to member libraries outside Delhi are extra.
2. DEL-LISTSERV
DELNET has created a Listserv service called DEL-LISTSERV to provide the current awareness service to users and allow the member libraries to receive the latest daily information from the INTERNET automatically in the form of electronic mail. The following listservs have been created and are available online through DELNET:
3. Net-happenings –
This Listserv appraises the users about the latest new sites along with their web addresses on the INTERNET and has proved to be a major source of information for the users on the INTERNET.
4. Med-clips –
This medical clippings listing discusses the various topics of medical interest like AIDI, cancer, etc. and is informative in nature.
5. IFLA –
This Listserv allows the users to get the latest information from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, which includes the issues of concern to library and information professionals.
6. LIBJOBS –
Through this Listserv, the library professionals are able to find out daily, the jobs/vacancies available throughout the world.
7. Book : New Arrivals
This is a new service through internet giving a list of recent publications in all subjects. The service covers education, management and physical sciences. Other subjects can be introduced on demand.
8. Book Reviews from INTERNET
This is an INTERNET service of reviews of latest published books covering different subjects. The service covers in the field of Arts and Music, INTERNET and military history. From time to time, other subjects will come into this fold.
9. Current Contents
This service gives the current contents of the latest issues of journals. It is particularly useful for rationalization of periodicals and resources sharing in member libraries.
10. Index to Hindu
DELNET has started offering Index to Hindu online to its members. Indexed news items are available on the system covering different periods of the Chennai edition. More updates and archival data is being added into the system regularly.
11. Retro-Conversion
DELNET offers retro conversion facilities to the libraries through specialized agencies and also facilitates the use of modern tools such as CO-ROM’s and online facilities for retro-conversion.
12. Referral Services
DELNET maintains a referral centre that provides reference facilities to participating libraries. The referral centre also looks after the access to the central databases and monitors access to international databases.
13. Document Transfer/Copy facilities
DELNET provides the facility for transferring or copying of the documents to its users.
14. Training Programmes
DELNET conducts training programmes in the use of DELNET services, software, E-mail, AACR II and LC subject headings, Internet, etc. from time to time. Information about future training programmes is available on request.
15. Lectures and Workshops
DELNET organizes lectures by networking specialists working in different parts of the world. The lectures are open to members, specialists and users in general. DELNET also organizes national workshops, seminars and meets on library networking from time to time. DELNET had organized National Annual convention on Library and Information Networking (NACLIN) in 1998 & 1999.
16. Newsletter
DELNET publishes a newsletter in order to spread the message and increase the awareness about library networking in India. Through this Newsletter, DELNET communicates to its members the progress, it is making in various fields. The Newsletter is also a forum for communication on the advances, achievements and needs of the libraries and their services.
Products
1. DELSIS
A major breakthrough has been achieved by DELNET with the launch of DELSIS, a powerful library networking software. DELSIS (DELNET System for Information Services) is an integrated modular system, which supports DELNET online databases.
It has been developed by DELNET on a Relational Database management System called BASIC plus, a product of Information Dimension Inc. of USA, which has been provided to DELNET courtesy National Informatics Centre, New Delhi. It handles not only the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) but also has the administrative tools for building up the union catalogues on BASISplus. It provides powerful and extensive facilities for online enquiries for books, serials, biographical details about the specialists and supports the cataloguing of books in Indian languages.
Features of DELSIS:
- DELSIS is a user friendly menu driven package
- Its versatile options allow the users to retrieve the information quickly.
- It contains the modules for Online Public Access Catalogue as well as the modules for the creation of databases e.g. addition, deletion, inserting of records etc.
- The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) components of DELSIS can meet the needs of the users, irrespective of whether the user has little computer experience or is familiar with using computers to perform various library tasks.
DELNET has released the DEL-WINDOWS version 1.0 after the successful creation and implementation of DELSIS Unix version. It is an efficient tool for creating and retrieving bibliographic databases and catalogues.
DEL-WINDOWS can convert the simple PC into a powerful management information system.
Some of the salient features are:
- It is simple and easy to use. The novice library professionals and end users can interact with the software without any prior training.
- It is user-friendly with adequate windows-menus for data inputting and search capabilities.
- It provides the option for creating the bibliographic records either using ECF or the MARC format.
DELNET has opened a new chapter in the information retrieval procedure by devising a new database access mechanism through DELSEARCH. It is an off-line remote database access system through E-mail. It is the first of its kind and is the most economical and user-friendly remote database access system. It helps institutions, information specialists, research scholars, librarians and users interested in bibliographies and tutorial information on South Asia. It allows them to search the DELNET union catalogues through E-mail and is a great tool for research scholars. The software is developed on UNIX platform and allows the users to send their search requests through E-mail. As soon as the query is received by the system in the form of an E-mail, the respective databases are searched for the query word and the results are returned to the addressee immediately. The searching of the database does not require any human intervention and the searches are done by the system automatically.
The Future of DELNET
DELNET is very promising. Its membership with India and outside India is going to take a quantum jump. The DELNET databases are growing in number and size and as a variety of information on South Asia is becoming available through DELNET, it is expected that all institutions outside India specializing in South Asian studies to take DELNET membership. DELNET databases are going to be accessible through INTERNET which will made accessibility very fast. INTERNET users in India are increasing and it will increase DELNET presence in different parts of India. DELNET has already created software, viz. DELDOS and DEL-WINDOWS for creating MARC records.
These software will so on be developed to perform library operations as well. There developments are likely to give more revenue to DELNET and provide justification for more and more libraries to join DELNET. As a resource, it is hoped the DELNET will grow faster as a service based resource sharing model in India.
DELNET has developed several software in the past, but at present serves the following :
DEL-PLUS- Software designed and developed exclusively to work under all kinds of libraries.
- Free upgradation
- Follows internationally recommended standards and formats such as MARC 21
- Best for small and medium size libraries which have collections upto one lakh holdings.
- Barcode enabled.
- Acquisition
- Cataloguing
- Circulation
- OPAC
- Administration
- Export/Import
- Authority Control
- Article Indexing
- Report Generation
- Stock Verification
Important Questions that can be asked in Competitive examinations related to library science
- What is the full form of DELNET ?
- When did DELNET Start ?
- Under which act DELNET was registered ?
- In which year DELNET was registered ?
- What is the name of the organization that provides financial support to DELNET?
- What is the ranking of DELNET among the library network in India?
- Which are the products of DELNET ?
- Define modules of DEL-PLUS?
- Who organized the seminar in which DELNET rise up ?
- What is the full form of NISSAT ?
IMPORTANT LINKS
Silver Jubilee Documentary : ViewNACLIN : Click Here
DELNET Newsletter : Click Here
DELNET Brochure : Click Here
NACLIN Proceedings : Click Here
Previous Programmes : Click Here
DELNET Statistics : Click Here
Head Office : Contact Us
Ask Us a Question : Click Here
REFERENCE : View
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