NLA library has over 20,000 books with online training room

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 10 (EMN): Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, formally inaugurated the automated library and a modern online training room on February 9 at the Assembly Secretariat in Kohima.

Senior librarian Temsumenla Jamir, while speaking to Eastern Mirror on Wednesday evening, informed that the library at the Assembly is automated while many materials are digitised and some are under the process of digitisation.

She informed that the newly inaugurated library has many divisions which include books on philosophy, religion, social sciences, language and literature, law, geography and history, science and allied operations, management and technology, archive, biography, journals, proceedings of the state assembly and collection of arts, North-east collection, Gandhian etc.

The library houses over 20,000 volumes of books, which has about 90 sub-divisions with seating capacity of 30 in the reading room.

Jamir also informed that the library is automated using Koha software, which is an integrated library system featuring all library housekeeping operations. The proceedings of the House starting from the Interim period till date have been compiled and digitised in a DSpace format.

She explained how that the proceedings of the Assembly which are digitised are also available in hard copies while the archive section shows how materials were obtained from various sources which have also been digitised for record, research and reference, and that the same is locally accessible in the library.

In addition, the librarian also informed that they are subscribing to the local dailies of the state and some national newspapers besides some magazines. She also shared that they have subscribed to get updates of the Supreme Court cases and from the North East judgement.

Jamir also said that archive materials, some proceedings and important publications are under the process of digitisation while the hard copies are available.

“We have digitised Who’s Who of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, which is already published in a booklet from the Interim period till 13th NLA, where we can find the bio data of the member,” she informed, adding that committee reports are also going under the computerisation process soon.

She informed that the “special library” will mainly cater to the past and present legislators of the Assembly, past and present members of Parliament from Nagaland, officers and staff of Assembly Secretariat, administrative heads of departments, heads of departments, research scholars from various fields and law scholars.

Including Jamir, the automated library is being managed by Elibeni Ezung, a librarian with three other junior assistants.

Meanwhile, the online training room of the Assembly for the legislators, officers and staff was renovated and converted from an old office.

Sources from the Assembly informed this newspaper that besides a resource room, the air-conditioned training room has a seating capacity for 23 people at a time.

The facility has uninterrupted power back-up with PA system, smart TV and computer and an all integrated for video conferences to facilitate both online and in-person training programs with a part of the e-Vidhan project.

The renovation and installation of the facility was done by Southern Mechanised Furniture Co. while the training room will be operated by the IT cell of the Assembly Secretariat.