Libraries in Chennai on the Threshold of the Third Millennium: Information and Communication Technology Issues and Challenges

Abstract

This paper presents the survey of libraries located in and around Chennai comprising of academic (government and private universities), public and special. The purpose of this paper is to present the state-of-the-art of the libraries and the specific objectives are to survey and compare the major academic, public and special libraries in and around Chennai with regard to the collection, manpower, resources (print and e-resources), and information and comminication technology (ICT)-based services, etc; to identify the issues and challenges being faced by the librarians and to offer suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of the libraries. A total of 32 libraries comprising of 9 government universities, 13 private universities, 3 public and 7 special have been considered for this survey. The data has been collected during January and mid-February 2015 based on a structured questionnaire. There exists variation in the infrastructure, print and e-resources and services (traditional and ICT-based) offered in the libraries of those institutions. Based on the results of the survey, a few suggestions and recommendations are offered.