In the Awe-inspiring Halls of the Library
- Rivett '25
- Nov 4, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Jessica Chalcy J, III BA English
Many students go to the library only to borrow a book or to relax with a book in the air
conditioned reading room. Thus they don’t know what lies beyond the Fiction section. There is a wide range of other sections, digital resources and working spaces which students can benefit from.
The Information Resource Centre (IRC) as our library is called, works from 7.30 am to 6 pm and has more than 92,000 print documents. It is largely automated and has wi-fi access and air-conditioned halls for reading and working. The books in the library can be accessed from the computers available there as well as from the Autolib app on mobile phones where students can check for a book’s availability. The library also offers a variety of e-resources like N-LIST, EBSCO, NDLI, and e-ShodhSindhu from which the students and faculty can access e-books, articles, and journals from their own devices.
The library provides well equipped, air-conditioned computer facilities with wi-fi access. On the ground floor, there is a student browsing centre allotted for undergraduate students. Here, the students can browse the internet and do their coursework anytime. There is also a printer available there. Similarly, on the first floor there is a faculty browsing centre for the teaching staff. There is also a Digital Library allotted for the postgraduate students and research scholars where they can browse the internet and access all the e-resources subscribed by the library. Additionally, there are smartboards and a projector in this room. Moreover, to maintain academic and research integrity the library subscribes to Turnitin, which is a plagiarism detection tool, to be used by faculty, PG students and research scholars.
There are two places in the library to work or read in a relaxed atmosphere. One is the
“Bring Your Own Device” room on the ground floor where, as the name suggests, students can bring their own laptops or other devices and work comfortably in the air-conditioned and well-furnished room. The room also offers a variety of newspapers and magazines for students to lounge and read. Another is the popular “Laura S Rockefeller Reading Room” which is the plush reading room that many students prefer to relax and read in. This room has comics and other light fiction for students to enjoy and unwind.
There are several dedicated corners which focus on specific subject areas. At the NPTEL corner on the first floor, students have access to NPTEL SWAYAM where they can also do their other courses like MOOC and Coursera using the computers there. At the Competitive Exam Collection, an assortment of books related to various exams like UGC NET, JRF, Banking etc are stocked. At the Foreign Languages corner on the ground floor, books about different countries, languages and their cultures are kept. The TV there plays France 24 channel in English which the students can watch, sitting cozily on the sofas.
“The library not only focuses on academics, but also includes creative spaces and learning hubs,” says Dr. Lisa Sheba Rani, Librarian.
To foster inclusive education, the library has a Braille section for visually impaired students. Tactile books of non-fiction like encyclopaedias are kept there. There are two softwares to assist them in reading - one is JAWS screenreader which reads aloud e-resources displayed on the screen and another is Pearl Openbook hi-speed scanner which scans books and reads them aloud. These softwares are installed on three computers in the library. The library even has a ramp outside for disabled students. It has also subscribed to Daisy Forum which is a digital library for the visually impaired.
The library also offers a few schemes for deserving students. One is the “Book Bank”
scheme where a student can apply to get a book from the book bank - which is a collection of books for this scheme - and keep the book with her for the rest of the semester. Another is the “Earn while you learn” scheme in which students can work part-time at the library and get paid a sum of money per hour. This not only helps them to earn, but also to learn about the different features in the library. “A student from Corporate Economics, after taking part in the scheme, decided to pursue a degree in Library Sciences,” said the librarian, highlighting the impact of this scheme in students’ career choices.
The library is more than just a place to borrow books - it is a dynamic space that fosters inclusivity, learning, productivity, and personal growth. The door to knowledge and creativity are wide open - we only have to step in and make fitting use of it.
