CRRID Library was established in 1980.The library at the Centre is entirely devoted to the research needs of the faculty, and offers a wide range of choices to the reader. It has developed, overtime, a regional focus that recognizes the primacy of the north-west India in particular. Impressive collections in Banking, Biographies, Computer, Demography, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, History, Political Science, Psychology, Rural Development, Sociology, etc. running up to 25,000 titles characterise its thrust areas. Broad spectrums of social science journals also are available for the benefit of the users in the library, which cover 122 periodicals; Indian and Foreign. The library receives journals in the aforesaid disciplines on exchange as well as on complementary basis from India and overseas. In addition, the Centre also periodically receives a number of books and journals as gifts from different philanthropic trusts and individuals. Important local, regional and national dailies in English, Hindi and Punjabi constitute the newspaper section of the library. The library also has audio-visual collection and CD-ROM databases.

Clientele                 ^TOP

The library caters to the needs of a diverse section of the users. Besides the research faculty of the Centre, it is also consulted frequently by eminent personalities, academicians, policy makers, scholars from universities, colleges, research institutions and professional bodies from the region and beyond. However, the non-members of the library need prior permission for any consultation visit.

Reference Collection                 ^TOP

Reference sources in the library include encylopaedias, dictionaries, handbooks, directories, atlases, and other publications from a variety of sources, both government and private. The library has developed a strong database that caters to the needs of the users. Some of these data sources are Census of India, Sample Registration System (SRS), National Sample Survey (NSS), National Family Health Survey (NFHS), Central and State Statistical Abstracts, and other documents brought out by different agencies. Publications of Regional, National and International agencies are also available to the users among which the Planning Commission, various departments of Central and State Governments, Professional Organisations, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), World Bank, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations (UN), International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Health Organisation (WHO), etc, are prominent.

As an Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) institute, the CRRID library also regularly receives publication from a host of other ICSSR Centres besides the National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC), New Delhi that are systematically maintained and made available to the users on demand. All the research publication of the Centre is available in the library for the benefit of the readers. The unpublished research reports, for the research undertaken at the Centre, are also available in the library for the users.

Library Automation                 ^TOP

The computerization of library is currently underway in US-MARC format for streamlining of the services. The software being used is LS-Ease an offshoot of Libsys on Windows platform, some of the key features of which are Acquisition, Cataloguing, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), Circulation, Article Indexing, and System Administration.

Hardware                 ^TOP

At present, library has eight computer nodes including five nodes with internet connectivity and CD-ROM drive, one printer and one laser printer. All the six nodes are connected with LAN. Faculty and researchers can access library databases from any node. The library has following CD-ROMs:

1.                  Mahatma Gandhi

2.                  ISID Research Reference

3.                  The WHO Reproductive Health Library

4.                  World Book 1999

5.                  UBSPD Indian Books in Print 2000

6.                  Economic Development in India : Monthly update

7.                  Economic Development in India Vol. 31,32 and 33

8.                  IT enabled services

9.                  Five year plan documents

DELNET Database Access                 ^TOP

CRRID being a member of the Developing Library Network (DELNET), faculty members can exploit the collections and services offered by DELNET as well as its member libraries spread across the country and abroad.

Document Delivery Service                 ^TOP

If a book or article from a journal required by a researcher is not available in the Centre's library, the same is procured on inter-library loan from any other library and is supplied to the concerned faculty member at the earliest. Being a part of DELNET, CRRID faculty can search books available in Delhi libraries and place the request through inter-library loan facility.

Internet and E-mail                  ^TOP

CRRID Library provides internet and e-mail services to the faculty members of the institute for their research and academic purposes.

Documentation on News Clippings                 ^TOP

Library maintains News clippings and articles on the on-going research projects carried at the CRRID. News and articles that have bearing on the on-going research programme of the Centre are also compiled and incorporated in the existing database for the use of the readers.

Photocopying Service                 ^TOP

Photocopies of the documents available in the CRRID library are being provided to the faculty members on demand in accordance with the provisions in the copyright act.

Indexes and Bibliographies of CRRID Publications                 ^TOP

From time to time, library compiles bibliographies and indexes of CRRID Publications for the reference by the users.

Reference Service                 ^TOP

Library provides bibliographic references and also guides the faculty in the location of documents also outside the library.

Selective Dissemination of Information                 ^TOP

Whenever any material relating to the ongoing projects of CRRID as well as to the specific interest of the reader is received in the library the faculty member concerned is informed about the same in no time.

Weekly Book Reviews                 ^TOP

Indexing and abstracting of the book reviews published in newspapers and leading academic journals is being done and circulated among the faculty members.

Networking and Inter library loan service                 ^TOP

As no library is self sufficient to fulfill its users information needs, arrangement is made to help the scholars in getting the desired books and periodicals which are not available in the CRRID library on inter-library loan basis from other libraries and research institutions. The CRRID library is an active member of the "DELNET (Developing Library Network)" based in New Delhi. The benefits of the DELNET membership involve quick access to a wider database of books, journals, and specific articles in 276 libraries.

Other Activities                 ^TOP

Library, in association with CRRID Computer Centre, has  organized two training workshop-cum-symposiums on  'Information Technology for Social Sciences' for Social Scientists, Librarians, Social Science Information Users,  Research Scholars, University Teachers in collaboration with National Social Science Documentation Centre  (NASSDOC), Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.

Future Plans                 ^TOP

CRRID Library’s future plan is to enhance the facilities to the readers and its in-house capacity building. The library plans are resource sharing and access to other libraries through networking, upgrade the present software to LIBSYS 4, a web enabled library system which has advance functions like ANSI Z39.50 search engine, web OPAC, images and multimedia interface and support TCP/IP for communication and networking. Bar-coding of documents so that the charging and discharging of documents may be faster and plans to shift to some online journals. This will ensure collaboration and close interaction with other libraries. In addition to upgrade the skill of library staff, attitude and efficiency through periodic visit to libraries of repute and participation in the workshops, seminars and conferences and regular exchange arrangement with other institutes on the basis of research reports, conference proceedings, exchange of data, journals, articles, audio and video collections.