PEARL - A Journal of Library and Information Science DOI : 10.5958/0975-6922.2017.00032.

8
Vol. 11, No. 3, July-September 2017: 238-249

University Libraries in North India: A Comparative

Analysis
Har Singh1*
Preeti Mahajan2

ABSTRACT
This paper includes the profile of five university libraries of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The profile of
five universities as well as their libraries is compared. The Integrated Library Management Software (ILMS)
used by them and use of ILMS in its housekeeping operations are also discussed. The data were collected both
from primary and secondary sources. Primary data included information obtained from five university libraries
with the help of questionnaires. The secondary sources included information obtained from the library records
like annual reports, budget estimates, ledgers and other official records. Panjab University (PU) has the highest
number of faculty members, whereas Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has the minimum faculty members.
Punjabi University (PbiU) has the highest number of research scholars, whereas Maharishi Dayanand University
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(MDU) has the minimum research scholars. MDU library has the highest budgetary provision for purchase of
books, whereas it is lowest in Kurukshetra University (KU) library. PU library has the highest budgetary
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provision for journals and e-resources, whereas PbiU library has the lowest budget for journals and e-resources.
www.IndianJournals.com

PU library has the maximum documents, whereas least number of resources are available at MDU library. PU
library has maximum number of books, whereas MDU library has the least number of books. MDU library has
the highest number of e-book, whereas KU library do not have any e-book. The acquisition section of PU, PbiU
and MDU is fully automated, whereas the acquisition section of GNDU and KU is partially automated. PU
library is using ‘SLIM21 and Dbase’ Library Management Software in its library, whereas PbiU, KU and MDU
libraries are using ‘LIBSYS’ and GNDU library is using ‘CLIPS’ software in its library.
Keywords: ILMS, University libraries, University libraries in north India, Library collection, Library
budget

INTRODUCTION universities and 4 institutions established under

the State Legislature Act. This article includes the
The higher education system in India is monitored profile of five university libraries of Punjab,
by the University Grants Commission (UGC) Haryana and Chandigarh. The profile of five
which was established on 28 December 1953 and universities as well as their libraries is compared.
became a statutory body of Government of India The Integrated Library Management Software
by the Act of Parliament to monitor the higher (ILMS) used by them and use of ILMS in its
education institutions in India. There were only housekeeping operations are also discussed.
20 universities and 500 colleges having 2.1 lakh
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
students at the time of independence of India. As
per the UGC Annual Report (2013–2014), the  To find out the profile of five universities and
number of universities has gone up to 666, which their libraries.
includes 45 central universities, 313 state  To find out the collection of five universities’
universities, 129 deemed universities, 175 private libraries.
1
Assistant Librarian, Nava Nalanda Central Library, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology University, Patiala, Punjab, India
2
Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
(*Corresponding author) email id: *harsingh@thapar.edu/infoisil07@gmail.com, 2ipreeti2001@yahoo.com

Indianjournals.com 238
 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis
 To find out the status of automation in
acquisition and periodical section.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The present study covered the following five
universities in the region of Punjab, Haryana and
Chandigarh:
i. Panjab University (PU) (Chandigarh).
ii. Punjabi University (PbiU) (Patiala).
iii. Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU)
(Amritsar).
iv. Kurukshetra University (KU) (Kurukshetra).
v. Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU)
(Rohtak)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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The data were collected both from primary and
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secondary sources. Primary data included
www.IndianJournals.com
information obtained from the librarians of five
university libraries with the help of questionnaires.
Moreover, interviews were also held with the
librarians as well as acquisition in-charges. The
secondary sources included information obtained
from the library records like annual reports,
budget estimates, ledgers and other official
records.
PROFILE OF FIVE UNIVERSITIES AND
THEIR LIBRARIES
The profiles of the selected five universities and
their central libraries in the region of Punjab,
Haryana and Chandigarh have been given below.
Thereafter, a comparative account of these
university libraries has been prepared and
presented in a tabular form.
Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh
PU is one of the old universities, which was
originally established at Lahore in 1882. It has 192
affiliated colleges, 75 departments, 15 centres/
chairs and 4 regional centres at Muktsar,
Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Kauni. The university
is funded by both the Central Government as well
as by the Government of Punjab. Its annual budget
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for the year 2013–2014 was Rs. 15,519.78 lakh
(non-plan) and Rs. 5,647.48 lakh (plan &
schemes). It has around 10,000 students on its
campuses from all over India and foreign
countries. It has a special provision for admission
of non-resident Indian students. The faculty of the
university includes over 700 teachers, many of
whom are internationally renowned scientists and
academicians. It has been ranked number one in
India and 31st in Asia by the Times Higher
Education Asian University ranking in 2014. The
university has been given grade ‘A’ status by the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
(NACC) of UGC (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Panjab University, Chandigarh
Source: www.puchd.ac.in.
A.C. Joshi library
The PU library, known as A.C. Joshi library, was
established in 1873 as a library of PU College,
Lahore. It has a five storey impressive building in
red stone, which is based on modern principles of
architecture (Figure 2).
The library building is centrally air-conditioned
and equipped with computer and communication
networks. It can accommodate about 600 readers.
The library system consists of a main library along
with 55 departmental libraries. The library holds
approximately 567,920 books, 327 e-books,
124,467 bound volumes of journals, 11,000 e-
journals, 660 current journals, 350 non-book
239
 Har Singh and Preeti Mahajan

Catalogue (OPAC) and Web OPAC can be

Figure 2: A.C. Joshi library, Panjab University,
Chandigarh
Source: http:/www.puchd.ac.in.
materials and 1,492 manuscripts. It subscribes to
55 current magazines and 30 newspapers (as on
December 2014). The reference collection of the
library comprises latest reference tools in almost
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accessed representing 7.5 lakh documents. The
library also provides reference service including
Current Awareness Service (CAS), orientation
programmes and so on to its users. The library
has successfully installed RFID for self-circulation
and anti-theft purposes.
To support the research, a link under the head
‘Thesis and Dissertations’ has been created on the
library portal. The library website also gives the
information about bibliographical/abstract/and
full text databases and dissertations submitted to
the university. Another very important feature of
the website is conference alerts. It provides
information about national and international
conferences to be held in different parts of the
world. The A.C. Joshi library is one of the six

Document Delivery Centres of INFLIBNET

all the major disciplines. Besides this, a number of
(Ahmedabad) and caters to the north-west region.
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reference tools are available in CD-ROM, DVDs

The library also provides document-delivery
www.IndianJournals.com

and online. The library is fully automated with

an ILMS, namely SLIM21 (version 2.8). Nearly
88% of the collection forms the part of
computerised database which can be searched on
the campus network. The library operations such
as acquisition, technical processing and
circulation work and so on are fully automated.
The library has 2 computer servers, 75 computer
terminals, 19 printers, 3 scanners, 2 barcode
scanners, 1 digital camera, 20 UPSs, 20 CCTVs
camera with 5 h backup and so on.
facility to Developing Library Network (DELNET),
New Delhi.
Punjabi University (PbiU), Patiala
PbiU, Patiala was established in 1962 under the
Punjabi University Act, 1961 and spread across
316 acres. It has over 65 departments covering all
the disciplines of Arts, Humanities and Sciences.
The university also provides research facilities for
scholars and others at ‘Dr. Balbir Singh Sahitya

Presently, the central library provides access to

around 11,000 full text e-journals through UGC-
INFONET Digital Library Consortium, Indian
National Digital Library in Engineering Science
and Technology and procured through
subscription. The library spends nearly Rs. 2.08
crore for subscription of print and electronic
journals. Besides this, open access journals are also
made available on the portal of the library. A
digital library has been set up within the library
especially for accessing online journals and other
electronic resources by the researchers. For all such
resources, A.C. Joshi library can be accessed Figure 3: Punjabi University, Patiala
through www.library.puchd.ac.in. Apart from Source: http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/
the online journals, Online Public Access mainevents/index.html.

240 Vol. 11, No. 3, July - September 2017

 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis
Kendra’ at Dehradun (Uttarakhand). The
university has been given grade ‘A’ status by the
NACC of UGC (Figure 3).
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Library
The central library is playing a crucial role in
promotion of research and education. The library
has a magnificent reading hall with a seating
capacity of more than 400 readers at a time. It is a
member of UGC-INFONET Digital Library
Consortium (Figure 4).
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Figure 4: Bhai Khan Singh, Nabha library, Punjabi
University, Patiala
Source: http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/
mainevents/index.html.
The library has 1 computer server, 40 computer
terminals, 12 printers, 1 scanner, 2 barcode
scanners, 1 digital camera, 15 UPSs, 80 CCTVs
camera with 7 h backup and so on. The collection
of the library includes around 469,649 books,
54,132 bound volumes of journals, 10,000 e-
journals, 3,615 non-book materials, 439 current
journals, 22 magazines, 21 newspapers and so on
(as on December 2014). It offers reference service,
and its collections can be searched through OPAC
and Web OPAC.
Dr. Ganda Singh Punjabi Reference Library
The reference library was established in 1981 with
an aim to build up sound collection on Punjabi
culture, history and literature. The collection of
the library has been housed in a structured
building which was inaugurated in January 1996.
The library building has been interconnected with
the main library of the university. The collection
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of the library is spread over three floors with
sufficient reading space on each floor. The
reference library comprises more than 1 lakh
resources comprising biographies of eminent
persons, historians, literary persons and so on. The
reference library has been chosen as the nodal
centre of DELNET for north India.
Libraries outside Patiala
Punjabi University has also the following libraries
outside Patiala:
 Punjabi University Extension Library, S.A.S.
Nagar (Mohali).
 Dr. Balbir Singh Sahitya Academy, Dehradun
(Uttarakhand).
 Sher Mohd. Khan Institute of Persian & Urdu
(Malerkotla).
 Punjabi University college of Education
(Bhatinda).
 Punjabi University Regional Centre
(Bhatinda).
 Guru Kashi Institute of Advances Studies
(Talwandi Sabo).
 College of Engineering (Rampura Phul).
 Punjabi University Extension Centre for
Computer Education (Jaito).
The libraries mentioned above have their own
collections and are catering to the needs of the
students living nearby.
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar
GNDU was established at Amritsar in 1969 after
the name of first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak
Dev Ji. It is spread over an area of 500 acres and
presents a picture of modern architecture with
abundant spread of lush green lawns. It offers
teaching and research in all disciplines including
physical sciences, electronics, bio-sciences,
management and industrial technology and so on.
It has 35 departments/schools and 148 affiliated
colleges. It has been awarded ‘A’ Grade by NAAC
of UGC (Figure 5).
241
 Har Singh and Preeti Mahajan
Figure 5: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Source: http://www.gndu.ac.in.
Bhai Gurdas Library
Bhai Gurdas Library, established in 1969, has
modern library building in pyramid shape with
five floors. The library is a member of DELNET
(New Delhi) and INFLIBNET (Information and
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Library Network) (Ahmedabad). Being a member
of DELNET and INFLIBNET, central library
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provides access to various e-resources and services
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to its users (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Bhai Gurdas Library, Guru Nanak Dev
University, Amritsar
Source: http://www.gndu.ac.in.
The library has its own website, which carries
useful information about its collection as well as
services including information about the
subscribed print and e-journals, PhD theses,
manuscripts and so on. The library has
approximately 484,000 books, 1,250 e-books,
124,467 bound volumes of journals, 7,500 e-
242
journals, 510 current journals and 1,511
manuscripts (as on December 2014). It has 1
computer server, 20 computer terminals, 9
printers, 1 scanner, 1 barcode scanner, 8 UPSs and
so on. It has a web OPAC and offers reference
service including photocopy, CASs, orientation
and so on. Apart from this, the central library also
provides referral service to its users.
Kurukshetra University (KU), Kurukshetra
KU was established in 1956, which has 46
departments, around 450 faculty members and
450 research scholars. It has around 457 affiliated
colleges in the districts of Ambala, Fatehabad,
Hisar, Jind, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula,
Panipat, Sirsa and Yamuna Nagar. It has been
awarded ‘A’ Grade by NAAC of UGC (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra
Source: http://www.kuk.ac.in/.
Jawaharlal Nehru Library
The central library has approximately 381,694
books and bound volumes of journals, 7,500 e-
journals, 15,000 manuscripts, 246 current journals
and so on (as on December 2014). There are eight
large reading halls with a reading capacity for 500
readers at a time. There are 43 departmental
libraries which are liaising with the central library.
It has 8 computer servers, 50 computer terminals,
25 printers, 1 scanner, 2 barcode scanners, 17
UPSs, 50 CCTVs and so on. It provides reference
service to its users (Figure 8).
Vol. 11, No. 3, July - September 2017
 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis
Figure 8: Jawaharlal Nehru library, Kurukshetra
University, Kurukshetra
Source: http://www.kuk.ac.in/.
Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU),
Rohtak
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MDU was established in 1975 with the aim of
education and research and is situated at Rohtak
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(Haryana). It is fast emerging as an academic hub
for traditional courses and also for job-oriented
courses. The university also has a formidable track
record in sports, cultural activities and teaching.
The university campus is connected through Local
Area Network, and a leased line of eight MBPS
for the Internet facility has already been installed.
It has been accredited by NAAC of UGC with ‘A’
Grade. A few departments of the university have
been chosen by UGC for its special assistance
programme, and a few departments have been
chosen by the Department of Science &
Technology, Government of India under its DST-
FIST (Department of Science & Technology - Fund
for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure)
programme. It has 27 post-graduate departments,
one PG Regional Centre (Rewari), Directorate of
Distance Education. The university has more than
490 affiliated colleges/institutions located in 10
districts of the state (Figure 9).
Vivekananda Library
The MDU library has three storey building with
63,000 square feet floor area. The central library
has a number of large reading halls. The library
offers computerised reference service, inter-library
PEARL - A Journal of Library and Information Science
Figure 9: Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak
Source: http://www.mdurohtak.ac.in/info/photogallery
_collegecampus.html.
loan facilities, xerox facility, e-mail and Internet
facility and so on. The collection of the library
comprises approximately 315,625 books, 6,010 e-
books, 50,000 bound volumes of journals, 560
current journals, 8,612 e-journals, 30 magazines,
18 newspapers, around 283 video cassettes and
so on (as on December 2014) (Figure 10).
It has around 43 professional and non-professional
staff. The library has 5 computer servers, 107
computer terminals, 20 printers, 5 scanners, 12
barcode scanners, 21 UPSs, 47 CCTVs and so on.
Comparative Analysis of Five Universities and
Their Libraries
Comparative Profile of the Five Universities
The comparative profile of the five universities
covered under the study is given in Table 1.
Table 1 indicates that PU (Chandigarh) is the
oldest university in the region, which has
maximum number of departments and schools.
MDU (Rohtak) is the largest university in terms
of area which is spread over 665.44 acres and has
the highest number of affiliated colleges and
institutions. PU has the highest number (700) of
faculty members, whereas GNDU has the
minimum (300) faculty members. PbiU has the
highest number (600) of research scholars;
whereas MDU has the minimum (400) research
scholars.
243
 Har Singh and Preeti Mahajan

Figure 10: Vivekananda Library, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak

Source: http://www.mdurohtak.ac.in/info/photogallery_collegecampus.html.

Table 1: Comparative profile of the five universities

Name of the University PUa PbiUb GNDUc KUd MDUe
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Website Address www.puchd.ac.in www.punjabiuniversity. www.gndu.ac.in www.kuk.ac.in www.mdurohtak.

ac.in ac.in
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Year of Establishment 1947 1962 1969 1956 1975

www.IndianJournals.com

Type of the University Inter-state body State State State State

corporate
Department and Schools 75 departments and 65 departments 35 departments 46 departments 27 departments
15 centres/chairs
Faculty Members (Approximate) 700 500 300 450 430
Research Scholars (Approximate) 500 600 500 450 400
Affiliated Colleges 192 166 148 457 490
NAAC Grade A (3.35 CGPA) A (3.11 CGPA) A (3.51 CGPA) A (3.21 CGPA) A (3.03 CGPA)
Source: Filed survey, 2014–2015.
a b c
PU = Panjab University PbiU = Punjabi University GNDU = Guru Nanak Dev University
d e
KU = Kurukshetra University MDU = Maharishi Dayanand University.

Comparative Profile of the Five University
Libraries
A comparative analysis of the five university
libraries is given in Table 2.
Table 2 indicates that the PU library is the oldest
and the largest university library of the region
which was established in 1948, whereas MDU
library is the youngest which was established in
1975. For purchase of books, the annual budgetary
provision is highest in MDU library, whereas it is
lowest in KU library. PU library has the highest
budgetary provision for journals and e-resources,
whereas PbiU library has the lowest budget for
journals and e-resources. The table also indicates
that MDU library has the highest budget for
purchase of books (Rs. 1.62 crore), whereas KU
library has the lowest budget (Rs. 7 lakh) for the
purchase of books. PU library has the highest
budget for purchase of print journals/periodicals
and e-resources (Rs. 2.08 crore), whereas PbiU
library has the lowest budget (Rs. 8 lakh). PU
library has the maximum documents (706,301),
followed by GNDU library (582,788), PbiU library
(538,293), KU library (404,440), whereas least
number of resources are available at MDU library
(380,855). Maximum number of books (567,920)
are available at PU library, followed by GNDU
library (484,000), PbiU library (469,649), KU
library (381,694), whereas least number of books

244 Vol. 11, No. 3, July - September 2017

 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis

Table 2: Comparative profile of the five university libraries (as on December 2014)
Name of the University PU PbiU GNDU KU MDU
Library’s Name A.C. Joshi Library Bhai Khan Singh Bhai Gurdas Jawaharlal Nehru Vivekananda
Nabha Library Library Library Library
Website Address www.library.puchd. www.punjabiuniversity. www.librarygndu. www.kuk.ac.in www.mdurohtak.
ac.in ac.in ac.in ac.in
Year of Establishment 1948 1962 1969 1956 1975
Number of Staff 73 72 108 66 43
Total Budget of the Library 7.38 crore 6.02 crore 6.89 crore 6.35 crore 6.50 crore
Budget for Books 18 lakhs 16 lakhs 16.80 lakhs 7 lakhs 162 lakhs
Budget for Journals & E-resources 208 lakhs 45 lakhs 83 lakhs 80 lakhs 148 lakhs
Books 567,920 469,649 484,000 381,694* 315,625
E-books 327 215 1,250 NA 6,010
Bound Volumes of Periodicals 124,467 54,132 87,492 – 50,000
E-journal 11,000 10,200 7,500 7,500 8,612
Current Periodicals 660 439 510 246 560
Current Magazines 55 22 60 – 30
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Current Newspapers 30 21 14 – 18
Manuscripts 1,492 – 1,511 15,000 –
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Theses & Dissertations 8,000 7,000 8,724 2,200 9,000

www.IndianJournals.com

Non-book Materials 350 3,617 451 – 283

Library Software Used SLIM21 and Dbase LIBSYS CLIPS LIBSYS LIBSYS
Software Version 2.8 4 NA 5.72 7.0
*Including bound volumes.
Source: Filed survey, 2014–2015

(315,625) are available at MDU library. MDU
library has the maximum number of e-books
(6,010) despite having the least number of printed
books, followed by GNDU library (1,250) and PU
library (327), whereas least number (215) of e-
books are available at PbiU library. PU library has
the maximum number of bound volumes
(124,467), followed by GNDU library (87,492),
PbiU library (54,132), whereas MDU library has
the least number (50,000) of bound volumes of
journals. Maximum number of current print
journals (660) are available at PU library, followed
by MDU library (560), GNDU library (510), PbiU
library (439), whereas least number of current
print journals (246) are available at KU library.
All the five university libraries are either
subscribing to e-journals from various e-databases
or are accessing e-journals through consortia
including UGC-INFONET Digital Library
Consortium. The table also reveals that PU library
has the maximum number of e-journals (11,000),
followed by PbiU library (10,200), MDU library
(8,612), whereas least number of e-journals are
available at GNDU library as well as KU Library
(7,500). The availability of non-book material and
manuscripts are very less in all libraries except KU
library, which has around 15,000 manuscripts,
followed by GNDU library (1,511) and PU library
(1,492). PbiU library has the maximum number
of non-book material (3,615), followed by GNDU
library (451) and PU library (350), whereas KU
and MDU libraries do not have any non-book
material in their respective collections.
All the libraries are using ILMS. A.C. Joshi Library
is using SLIM21 software (version 2.8), Bhai
Gurdas Library is using CLIPS software, whereas
Bhai Khan Singh Nabha Library, Jawaharlal
Nehru Library and Vivekananda Library are
using LIBSYS software.

PEARL - A Journal of Library and Information Science 245

 Har Singh and Preeti Mahajan

Status of Automation in the Acquisition and
Periodical Section
The librarians of different university libraries were
asked about the status of automation in
acquisition and periodical section of their
respective libraries to find out its use in acquisition
process of books and journals. The response
received from the librarians is depicted in
Table 3.
Table 3 shows that PU library is using ‘SLIM21
and Dbase’ ILMS in its library, whereas PbiU, KU
and MDU libraries are using ‘LIBSYS’ ILMS in
their libraries. The GNDU library is using ILMS-
based Open Source Software called CLIPS. The
librarian from GNDU informed that they have
modified the source code CLIPS software and
customised it as per their requirements. The
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libraries are fully automated, whereas the
acquisition section of GNDU and KU libraries are
partially automated. The periodical section (which
acquire print as well as electronic journals/e-
resources) of all the university libraries are
partially automated.
Use of ILMS in Acquisition of Books
The librarians of five university libraries were
asked about the use of various features available
under ‘Acquisition Module’ in ILMS during
acquisition of books. The response received from
the librarians is depicted in Table 4:
Table 4 reveals that PU, PbiU and MDU libraries
are using ILMS for generating orders of books,
receiving shipments notices and generating
reminders, whereas GNDU and KU libraries are

librarian from the PU informed that SLIM21 is not using such features of ILMS. When the
librarians of PU, PbiU and MDU were asked
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being used in all housekeeping operations of the

www.IndianJournals.com

library. In addition to SLIM21, PU library is also about the procedure of generating orders through
using ‘Dbase’ customised software for ILMS, they informed that first they select the
management of print periodicals. The table reveals vendor from the acquisition module, then create
that the acquisition section of PU, PbiU, MDU the order and enter the bibliographical details of

Table 3: Status of automation in acquisition and periodical section

University ILMS Used Acquisition Section Periodical Section
Libraries Automated Hybrid Manually Automated Hybrid Manually
PU SLIM21 and Dbase  – – – – –
PbiU LIBSYS  – – –  –
GNDU CLIPS –  – –  –
KU LIBSYS –  – –  –
MDU LIBSYS  –  –

Table 4: Use of ILMS in acquisition of books

Use of ILMS in Acquisition of Books PU PbiU GNDU KU MDU
SLIM21 LIBSYS CLIPS LIBSYS LIBSYS
Generating orders Yes Yes No No Yes
Receive shipments notice Yes Yes No No Yes
Generating reminders Yes Yes No No Yes
Accession Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use of budgeting modules Yes No No No Yes
Generating barcode and levels Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vendors/Publishers list (with address and contract number) Yes Yes No No Yes
Use of acquisition statistics and generating reports Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use of Z39.50 protocol No Yes No No Yes

246 Vol. 11, No. 3, July - September 2017

 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis

the books. Then, they close the order and save the
file in MS Excel or PDF format. After that, they
forward the covering letter of order (where the
terms & conditions have been mentioned) along
with the order list (in MS Excel or PDF format)
and send the same to the respective vendors. PU,
PbiU and MDU libraries do receive the shipment
notice of the ordered titles through the acquisition
module. Once the shipment notice is received, it
automatically shows only the pending titles.
Hence, libraries can generate reminders on a
particular date.
All the five university libraries are using accession
modules of ILMS, where all the bibliographical
details of books are entered including accession
number, classification number of books, location,
type of material and so on. The table also shows
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importing the record of books from the Library of
Congress and other libraries’ records, whereas PU,
GNDU and KU libraries are not using it.
Use of ILMS in Subscription of Journals
The librarians of five university libraries were
asked about the use of various features available
in ‘Serial Module’ of ILMS for subscription of
journals. The response received from the librarians
is depicted in Table 5.
Table 5 indicates that all the university libraries
have updated the list of print journals subscribed
by them in their ‘Serial Module’ of respective
ILMS. PU, PbiU and MDU libraries are using
ILMS for generating order of journals, whereas
GNDU and KU libraries do not use this feature of
ILMS. The in-charge of periodical section of PU

that all the university libraries are using ILMS for library informed that they are using Dbase library
generating barcode and spinal level, which are automation software in subscription of
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pasted on the books. PU and MDU libraries are periodicals, in addition to their main ILMS called
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also using budgeting system, whereas remaining SLIM21. The table also indicates that PU, PbiU
university libraries are not using budgeting section and MDU libraries receive the shipment order of
available under the acquisition module. PU, PbiU various issues of journals through their respective
and MDU libraries also enter vendor’s details ILMS, whereas GNDU and KU libraries do not
along with their address, contact number and receive such information through their respective
email IDs, whereas GNDU and KU libraries do software. The librarians of the GNDU and KU
not enter such details in their ILMS. All five informed that when they receive the issues of
university libraries are generating reports such as journals, they note the information in ‘Kardex’
list of new arrivals, number of titles and copies system. The PU, PbiU and MDU libraries are also
received, department wise list of books and so on, using ‘Kardex’ system in their respective libraries
through the use of the acquisition module. PbiU to record information about the loose issues of
and MDU libraries are using Z39.50 protocol for journals along with ILMS. All the university
Table 5: Use of ILMS in subscription of journals
Use of ILMS in Subscription of Journals PU PbiU GNDU KU MDU
SLIM21 and D Base LIBSYS CLIPS LIBSYS LIBSYS
List of current journals Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Generating orders Yes Yes No No Yes
Receiving shipments’ notices Yes Yes No No Yes
Claims Yes Yes No No Yes
Check expiration Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Manage frequencies Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use of budgeting modules Yes No No No Yes
Vendors/Publishers list Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
(with address and contract number)
Use of generating reports Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

PEARL - A Journal of Library and Information Science 247

 Har Singh and Preeti Mahajan
libraries check the expiration of subscription of
journals through ILMS. PU and MDU libraries are
also using the budgeting module of ILMS, whereas
PbiU, GNDU and KU libraries are not using the
budgeting module. All the university libraries have
entered the details of their vendors/publishers
along with address, contact details and e-mail ids
in the ‘Serial Module’ of their respective ILMS. The
table also shows that all the libraries do generate
reports of subscription of journals and others
through ILMS.
FINDINGS
i. PU has the highest number (700) of faculty
members, whereas GNDU has the minimum
(300) faculty members. PbiU has the highest
number (600) of research scholars, whereas
MDU has the minimum (400) research
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scholars.
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ii. MDU library has the highest budgetary
www.IndianJournals.com
provision for purchase of books, whereas it
is lowest in KU library.
iii. PU library has the highest budgetary
provision for journals and e-resources,
whereas PbiU library has the lowest budget
for journals and e-resources.
iv. PU library has the maximum documents,
whereas least number of resources are
available at MDU library.
v. PU library has maximum number of books,
whereas MDU library has the least number
of books.
vi. MDU library has the highest number of e-
book, whereas KU library do not have any
e-book.
vii. PU library has the maximum number of
bound volumes of journals, whereas MDU
library has the least number of bound
volumes.
viii. PU library has the highest number of print
journals as well as e-journals, whereas KU
library has the least number of print journals
and e-journals too.
248
ix. The acquisition section of PU, PbiU and
MDU is fully automated, whereas the
acquisition section of GNDU and KU is
partially automated.
x. PU library is using ‘SLIM21 and Dbase’
Library Management Software in its library,
whereas PbiU, KU and MDU libraries are
using ‘LIBSYS’ and GNDU library is using
‘CLIPS’ software in its library.
xi. PU, PbiU and MDU libraries are using ILMS
for generating orders of books, receiving
shipments’ notices and generating
reminders, whereas GNDU and KU libraries
are not using such features of ILMS.
xii. PU and MDU libraries are utilising
budgeting system under acquisition module,
whereas remaining university libraries are
not utilising budgeting system available
under the acquisition module.
xiii. PU, PbiU and MDU libraries receive the
shipment order of various issues of journals
through their respective ILMS, whereas
GNDU and KU libraries do not receive such
information through their respective
software.
CONCLUSION
A comparative overview of all the five universities
in the region of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh
indicates that PU (Chandigarh) is the oldest
university of the region, followed by PbiU (Patiala)
and KU (Kurukshetra). MDU (Rohtak) has the
largest number of affiliated colleges, followed by
KU and PU. Each university library has separate
budgetary provision for books, journals and e-
resources. MDU has the highest allocation of
budget for books, whereas KU has the lowest
budget for books. PU has the highest allocation of
budget for journals and e-resources, whereas PbiU
has the lowest budget. PU library has the highest
collection, whereas MDU library has the lowest
number of books and bound volumes of journals.
All the five university libraries have sufficient
information communication technology
infrastructure with sufficient number of terminals,
Vol. 11, No. 3, July - September 2017
 University Libraries in North India: A Comparative Analysis

computer servers, printers and so on. All the Maharishi Dayanand University, 2014. Retrieved from [http:/
libraries have ILMS to manage their collection and /www.mdurohtak.ac.in/]. (Access date: 05-09-2014).
provide effective and efficient services to its users Ministry of Higher Education. Government of India,
with the help of such ILMS. 2015.Retrieved from [http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/
upload_files/mhrd/files/document-reports/AR2013-
BIBLIOGRAPHY 14.pdf]. (Access date: 04-05-2015).
Panjab University, 2014. Retrieved from [http://puchd.ac.in/
Guru Nanak Dev University, 2014. Retrieved from [http://
]. (Access date: 12-09-2014).
www.gndu.ac.in/]. (Access date: 04-09-2014).
Punjabi University, 2014. Retrieved from [http://
Kurukshetra University, 2014. Retrieved from [http://
punjabiuniversity.ac.in/]. (Access date: 12-09-2014).
www.kuk.ac.in/]. (Access date: 04-09-2014).
Downloaded From IP - 14.139.246.26 on dated 7-Sep-2017
Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale
www.IndianJournals.com

PEARL - A Journal of Library and Information Science 249