KOCHI: The Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) library, which has bagged the Information and Library Network (Inflibnet) national award, is set to undergo a major renovation. A common reading room open to students round the clock, audiovisual research centre, Skype and teleconferencing facilities as well as a language lab are some of the major facilities to be introduced as part of the modernisation. A new three-storeyed building is ready to house these facilities.
Viewing academic exhibitions of high quality, listening to classes and speeches by experts, exchange of ideas with experts and participation in research programmes globally will be possible once the modernisation of the library is complete, said librarian C Beena. It will also help students attend online courses. Book exhibitions, seminars and workshops are also planned in the new facility besides a garden library to promote reading habit, she said.
The availability of a good store of reference books and CDs and science-related documentaries/cinemas and facility for debates and discussions will immensely help those preparing for national and international examinations. “The library also plans to conduct short-term training programmes in the retrieval of technical data,” Beena said. As a first step, the librarians under Kerala State Library Council will be offered training.
Besides CUSAT students, a large number of graduates, several state and Central research institutions, industrial establishments and educational institutions are members of this library.
There are direct and online visitors for reference of technical publications. In addition to more than 15,000 online journals provided by UGC, availability of publications of various international agencies subscribed by the library make this place distinctly rich in data.