Indian National Digital Library in Engineering Science and Technology (INDEST): A Proposal for Strategic Co-operation for Consortia-based Access to Electronic Resources

Abstract

Co-operation amongst institutions for sharing their library resources has been practiced for decades. However, the mode of co-operation has gone through a transformation with the infusion of new information technology. The emergence of the Internet, particularly, the World Wide Web as a new media of information delivery triggered proliferation of web-based full-text on-line resources. An increasing number of publishers are using the Internet as a global way to offer their publications to the international community of scientists and technologists. The libraries and information centres, as heavy consumers of electronic journals and on-line databases, stand to benefit greatly from this technology-driven revolution. The prolifiration of electronic resources in the networked society has resulted in development of “shared subscription” or “constortia-based subscription” to journals everywhere in the world. Shared-subscription to electronic resources through the consortia of libraries is a feasible strategy to meet pressures such as diminishing budget, increased user's demand and rising cost of journals. The article outlines efforts made by Indian libraries and institutions towards formation of consortia of libraries for buying access to electronic resources. The proposed strategic cooperation called the “Indian National Digital Library in Engineering Science and Technology” (INDEST) is based on five project proposals submitted to three major Ministries/Departments of Government of India, namely the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Ministry of Information Technology (MIT) and Department of Biotechnology. The INDEST is proposed to function as consortium of engineering and technological libraries for building-up core digital collection in engineering and technology. As a consortia of libraries, the INDEST would bring together institutions receiving financial support from these three Ministries/Departments of Government of India. While these Ministries/Departments would provide financial resources for establishing the consortia and for obtaining core electronic resources, the participating institutions would contribute for consortia-based subscriptions. The INDEST would host a variety of web-based digital resources including those available through national and international agencies with consortia and national licenses to provide access to authorized users in India.