Kale Swati Ramesh1*, Dr. Ram Narayan Sharma2
1 PhD Student, Dept. of Library Science, Calorx Teacher's University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Email: swatikale303@gmail.com
2 PhD Guide, Dept. of Library Science, Calorx Teacher's University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Abstract - This study investigates the library systems and services in colleges within the Bhandara and Gondia divisions. The research aims to assess the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of these libraries in supporting the academic needs of students and faculty. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive data. The findings reveal significant variations in library infrastructure, resource availability, and service delivery across different institutions. Key challenges identified include inadequate funding, lack of trained personnel, and insufficient digital resources. The study suggests strategic improvements in these areas to enhance library services and better align them with educational objectives.
Keywords: Library systems, College libraries, Library services, Bhandara division, Gondia division
INTRODUCTION
Education was not previously accorded the proper weight in the armed services or in defence or military institutions at the time of admission. As an infantryman, one could join the armed forces with ease and no further education was required. However, Current systemic advancements have modified procedures and raised the calibre of those who defend the country. These days, cutting-edge methods and equipment are created and extensively used by the armed forces. The military forces now have far higher expectations of them and are required to fulfil a variety of responsibilities. In order to stay up with the nation's demands and systemic changes, newcomers received improved education. Being in the military currently requires a high level of expertise with contemporary equipment and methods. The armed services are using an increasing amount of technology (Renge, & Sinnarkar, 2016). As a consequence, military personnel began to need appropriate education and training. Any country's defence system today understands that various educational programmes are necessary and should be updated often to meet the demands of the defence system. The us military website Education and training for military and defence personnel is a procedure that enhances their ability to carry out their specific tasks (Rani, 2018). A person must be properly educated and qualified for operating technological equipment on the battlefield before being granted permission to do so. As a result, many nations founded military colleges for the army, navy, and air force, respectively. Like colleges, these academies provide degrees in a variety of topics. Graduates of the academy are often referred to as rank officers and are eligible to join the armed forces.
To educate and train those wishing to join the armed services, the Indian military constructed around twenty institutions. Unlike the conventional education system, which is overseen by regulatory authorities like as UGC, MCI, AICTE, etc., they are specialised educational institutions. The military Ministry oversees these educational institutions since the vision and objective of military education are distinct and diverse in their own right. Numerous institutions, including as military schools, army public schools, sainik schools, military preparatory schools, etc., are part of the defence education system and support military education methods up to the point of enrolment into the system via examination. It should be emphasised once again that the goal of defence education and training is to determine and enhance the skills of defence personnel in their various jobs. Although enlisting in the military is either mandatory or optional depending on the nation, before a person is really capable of fighting and operating technically complex equipment, they must mainly go through instructional, specialised, and physical training. They can't start performing their regular duties as defence personnel unless they've received the necessary training and education. The main goal of a cadet's training is to impart the knowledge and skills necessary to be a capable military member. To succeed, service members must get technical, mental, and physical training. Preparing the service members for the military is the drill instructor's responsibility (Nkamnebe, et al., 2014).
After completing basic training, many military members go on to get advanced training in their chosen or assigned speciality. Advanced training typically covers defence technology and equipment. Like other universities, some large nations maintain several defence academies, one for each branch of the armed forces, offering bachelor's degrees in a variety of fields (Chaubey, & Manglik, 2017). There are several options available to academy graduates, who often carry the rank of officer, besides working in their major field as civilians. Higher ranking officers have access to greater educational opportunities. To educate professional troops in new generation military sciences, combat command, strategy, and related technology, the Indian armed forces have set up a number of prestigious academies and staff colleges around the country (Geetha, et al., 2016).
Numerous information revolutions have previously occurred throughout the globe, and the development of manuscript communication was made possible by the discovery of writing, which dates back around 6,000 years. Printing was a great way to store and transfer knowledge from one person to another, from one civilisation to another, and from one generation to the next since it could be done in a broad range of languages and symbols. The first printed book was released after the year 13th (Ismail, & Idrees, 2018). A major turning point that has just surfaced has caused a revolution in the sharing of knowledge and information. These developments led to the creation of libraries, which were designed to collect, store, and make printed materials accessible to the wider public. In the past, the royal court was the only entity to utilise libraries for information sharing, but missionaries, educational institutions, and other social groups started using printing as a major source of knowledge dissemination. This situation changed as the learning exercises began. Only the richest members of the Indian knowledge society had access to education prior to the 18th century. In the 19th century, the government declared education to be a fundamental human right.
The role of libraries became vital in education and the growth of the common society via academic and public libraries. Libraries fall into three basic categories: academic, special, and public. Libraries are thought of as stores of knowledge (Murugan, 2016).
Academic libraries are devoted to higher education-related teaching, learning, and scholarly research. Academic libraries may be further divided into school, college, and university libraries. Colleges and universities are the starting points for higher education, and libraries play a critical role in the lives of instructors, students, and researchers. Serving the country's higher education sector are academic libraries. Libraries have changed with time, moving from being temple repository to being digital centres. The writing, printing, and blue revolutions, among others, have all changed or revolutionised the face of libraries; however, the ICT revolution has had a major influence and fundamentally changed how libraries of all sorts operate. The introduction of significant technologies such as computers, storage, networking, internet, social media, web 2.0, and digital technology forced librarians to reorganise their long-standing library operations. The library profession also undergoes major changes on a periodic basis. In response to these developments, experts in this sector have sought to modernise libraries. Academic libraries—more specifically, college and university libraries—are essential to the higher education industry because they satisfy the needs of scholars, educators, and learners who need both current and archival information.
College libraries are the cornerstone of higher education, much like libraries for the humanities, sciences, and sciences and arts. University libraries instruct and provide resources for postgraduate researchers (Khan, et al., 2015).
METHODOLOGY
The researcher examined the many approaches that are often used to investigate his research topic in this study.
Everybody who does research and produces new information use a variety of research techniques. The typical research techniques was used in library and information science are categorized as follows:-
A well-organized, printed questionnaire was sent to the librarian by courier; other questionnaires will be delivered by hand. the main information gathered from the Bhandara College of Gondia division's faculty and librarian.
A pilot research was conducted at Bhandara College in the Gondia District to guarantee the validity and uniformity of the questionnaire. Both types of questionnaires were sent to the library's faculty members and librarians.
In order to gather library data, the researcher was choose the Bhandara College of Gondia division and deliver 50 questionnaires to the colleges. The college's faculty members (Prof. & A.P.) were get more than 280 questionnaires in order to gather information about their information-seeking habits.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Assessment of Librarians with Regard to the Library System and Services
Type and standard of college
Details on the kind and calibre of the colleges in the chosen region are provided in Table 1. There are 7 female-only institutions and 43 co-ed colleges.
The chart also provides information about college criteria in the chosen field. Twenty PG institutions and thirty UG colleges are present. It is evident that postgraduate institutions also instruct undergraduate students.
Table 1: Type and standard of college
District | Number of Colleges | Type of College | Standard of College | ||
Co-Ed | Girls | UG | PG | ||
Bhandara, Gondia division's | 50 | 43 | 07 | 30 | 20 |
Figure 1: Type and standard of college
Position of library staff
Details on the positions held by district library employees are provided in table 2. 33.33% college libraries has assistant librarian, 75% college libraries has book lifter, 41.67 % college libraries has peon, 58.33% college libraries has other helping staff and 8.33% has no any helping staff.
Table 2: Position of library staff
Name of colleges | Assistant Librarian | Book Lifter | Peon | Other Helping Staff |
J.M. Patel College, Bhandara | × | √ | × | × |
Shashkiya Shikshan Mahavidyalaya, Bhandara. | × | √ | × | × |
Pragati Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Bhandara. | × | √ | × | √ |
Kala Vanijya Mahavidyalaya, Near Petrol Pump, Jawahar Nagar. | × | √ | √ | × |
Ashok Moharkar Arts & Commerce College, Adyal. | √ | √ | √ | √ |
Dr. L.D. Belkhande College of Arts and Commerce, Paoni. | √ | × | √ | √ |
Yashwantrao Chavan Arts & Commerce College, Lakhandur | × | √ | × | × |
Samarth Mahavidyalaya, Lakhni. | √ | √ | × | √ |
Santaji Arts & Science College, Palandur. | × | √ | √ | √ |
M.B. Patel Arts, Commerce & Science College, Sakoli. | × | × | × | × |
Mor College, Tumsar. | √ | √ | √ | √ |
Gopikabai Bhure Mahila Arts College, Tumsar | × | × | × | √ |
Total | 04 | 09 | 05 | 07 |
Figure 2: Position of library staff
Awareness of current development in the field
Information on how librarians stay up to date on developments in the field of library science in a particular area is provided in Table 3. 42 % librarians use only internet followed by 28% librarians use library and internet, 14% librarians use library, dialogue with colleague and internet, 8% librarians use internet and dialogue with colleague, 8% librarians are depends on only library for keep abreast. It is observed that internet is the best option for keep abreast; most of the librarians are using internet facility.
Table 3: Awareness of current development in the field
District | Number of Colleges | Number of Colleges | ||||||
Library | Dialogue With colleagues | Internet | Book Shop | 1+2+3 | 2+3 | 1+3 | ||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
Bhandara, Gondia division's | 50 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 04 | 14 |
Figure 3: Awareness of current development in the field
User`s assessment as regard library system & services
Visit to the library
Information on the number of patrons that visit the library in the chosen area is shown in Table 4. 56.09% of users visit the library every day, followed by 27.74% who visit once a week, 13.48% who visit once a month, and 8.69% who come based on their needs.
Table 4: Visit to the library
District | Number of Respondent | Daily | once in a week | once a month | When there is need |
Bhandara, Gondia division's | 230 | 129 | 50 | 31 | 20 |
Figure 4: Visit to the library
Availability of books in library
Information on the books that are available at the library in the chosen area is shown in Table 5. In the library, 37.39% of users typically get their books, 34.35% of users always receive their books, 18.70% of users sometimes receive their books, and 9.56% of users never receive their books.
Table 5: Availability of books in library
District | Number of Respondent | Always | Mostly | Some times | Never |
Bhandara, Gondia division's | 230 | 79 | 86 | 43 | 22 |
Figure 5: Availability of books in library
Are appropriate and up to date
The relevant and current resources in the chosen region are listed in Table 6. 26.09% of users mainly receive, while 49.57% of users always get. 11.73% of users do not get their mandatory reading material, while 12.61% of users only sometimes receive it.
Table 6: Resources are appropriate and up to date
District | Number of Respondent | Always | Mostly | Some time | Never |
Bhandara, Gondia division's | 230 | 114 | 60 | 29 | 27 |
Figure 6: Resources are appropriate and up to date
CONCLUSION
The study concludes that while some colleges in the Bhandara and Gondia divisions have well-established library systems, others are hindered by various challenges, including limited resources and insufficient staffing. To optimize library services across the division, there is a need for increased investment in library infrastructure, enhanced training for library staff, and the integration of digital resources. By addressing these issues, colleges can significantly improve the support provided to students and faculty, fostering a more conducive learning environment.
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