Heritage to futuristic, AC Joshi Library now treads digital path

CHANDIGARH: Taking note of the requirement of the visually impaired students of Panjab University the AC Joshi Library on the campus a heritage structure is planning to come up with a special wellequipped section for them on the premises

Updated At : 07:41 AM Feb 22, 2017 IST

Students at the reading hall of AC Joshi Library at Panjab University on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

Taking note of the requirement of the visually impaired students of Panjab University— the AC Joshi Library on the campus— a heritage structure— is planning to come up with a special well-equipped section for them on the premises.

Though the library is adding facilities for the students every year keeping in view the upgrade in technology and the existing requirements, there are some areas which are yet to be taken care of by the authorities.

The five-floor building has two main reading halls facing the Shivalik Hills with a panoramic view of the natural surroundings. The library building is centrally air-conditioned and equipped with computer and communication network houses, has more than six lakh volumes and a seating accommodation for 600. Besides the two main reading halls, there are reading rooms also in the periodicals and special collections sections, and an outer reading hall for studying personal books.

One of the students utilising the reading hall facility said the area around the library should be declared as no-noise zone. The students complained that every month, events keep taking place at the Student Centre adjoining the library which disturbs their studies.

Another student, an inmate of girls hostel number 9, asked as to why the reading hall was not planned on the south campus of the university. The girls have to commute during the night on the north campus to utilise the outer hall for studies.

Officialspeak

"Around six major projects were sent to the higher authorities for approval to improve the facilities for the students. We are shifting from the traditional way to digitised services in the coming days." Raj Kumar said, PU librarian

History of the library

The Panjab University library, named officially ‘AC Joshi Library’, after an illustrious Vice-Chancellor of the university, was established in the US Club, Shimla, in the year 1947 after the Partition of the country. The Panjab University started shifting its offices to Chandigarh, the new capital of Punjab, in 1955-56. The foundation stone of the new library building was laid in 1958 by Dr S. Radhakrishnan, the then Vice-President of India. The library, in its new premises, was formally inaugurated in 1963 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India.