Articles

A HEALTHY LIBRARY IN A HEALTH INSTITUTION

S.L. NARASIMHA MURTHY, B.Sc., D.L.Sc.,

Retired Librarian, Guntur Medical College, Guntur.

Just as healthy brain is essential for healthy human bieing, a healthy lobrary is an assest for promotion and advancement of health sciences in a health Institution.

            The library of a health institution plays significant role in moulding the young Doctor’s career. Then we have to think how best the library be adequately organised to provide maximum reference as well as reading potential for the students and staff of the Institution.

            The Location of the library be centrally located so that the same may be acesable to the readers.

            The Medical college are now catering education to para-medical personnel, Under-graduates, post graduates. Research scholars and staff of the institution. So much so the library must be able to accommodate at least a minimum of 500 readers, as such the library building be designed to House the book reacts, periodical recks, back nos of periodicals, audio-visual aids, the library administrative personnel.

            Hitherto the undergraduates are not accessible to periodical section, bu as the times of fast changing they have to be allowed to refer periodicals which are potentials of advancement of medical research. We have to take into account that today’s undergraduates are tomorrow’s research scholars. In my service tenure I used to allow them to the periodical section inspite of lack of library personnel to render the service.

            The library building should be decent in appearance and attractive to readers. The worth of appearance and attractive to readers. The worth of an institutional libnrary depends mostly on reference material if provides. A healthy institutional library must be able to acquire all the latest editions of recent books besides providing minimum medical periodicals. Unless the postgraduate or the Professor is in constant touch with the progress of the present day medical research it will not be possible for the teaching faculty nor for the library to generate talented post graduates or research scholars.

            Providing convenient reading facilities is the next programme. Deceent reading tables accommodating four reading trables accommodating foru reders at each table with a screen in the center to provide privacy is the fashion of the day. Comfortable chairs and good ventilation and lighting is all the way better for readers concer-tration on studies. The building should be well-painted and sound proof. In summer the library be made Air conditioned  depending on the resources.

            It is not out of exaggeration to say that nothing can achieved without proper reference services to the readers. It not the whole stock of the library will be inaccessible to readers.

            As such propetrly trained library personnel and their services is a lasting asset to library. For a proper medical institutional library at least a qualifed Librarianh with two Assistant Librarians and four non professionals and a minimum of sox attendant staff is the requirement. The librarian is not only a professional but also a counsellor for the readers. He must be withing reach of the readers and acquiant himself with the stock of the library. For good reference service, the librarian has to provide a decent library catalogue, and the list of medical periocical holding and good documentation service. For this present librarians who are not propertly trained in documentation should be drafted for training to National libraries, DRTC. And other reference service centers. It is good that all the Institutinal libraries be connected via satellite. Seminars of various departments should be organised in the centrral library so that the library staff may provide maximum reference service and the readers will be aware of reference potential of the library. The under graduates and postgraduates be inculcated by the teachinbg staff to render the library frequently and thus boost the image of the library frequently and thus boost the image of the library in the readintg community. It will be happy day for the librarian if he is member of the academic staff council to facilitate him to contribute his needs and requirements and ideas for promotion of library service.

            Much thought can be lent to provide a hospital library as a part of the central library since the Hospital staff and postgraduates are not in easy reach of the central library when an urgent reference is needed during their academic work. In Britain and US every Hospital has got a decent library and all the Medical libraries are satellites linked.

            The day is not far to see such decent and healthy libraries in our Health institution; and I am condfident the Government will increase the budgets sumptuously to better the library services in Andhra Pradesh and in India also.

            I am dedicating this article to my revered Principal who appointed me to this Institution, late Dr. D. Jagannatha Reddy, who himself was an embodiment of Library and Library welfare and the Welfare of Librarian community.