Please read the following news item. Situation must be similar in other institutions of 'Higher' learning. I feel it is high time we concentrate on this menace and take steps to put books to better use than merely allowing monopolisation by a few users. Vyasamoorthy, P =================== http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041212/asp/bengal/story_4118695.asp CU library lists full, not shelves OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Calcutta, Dec. 11: Valuable books and journals have disappeared from Calcutta University's library as the borrowers have "conveniently" forgotten to return them. Flooded by complaints from students and teachers on important books that are off the shelves for years, the university authorities have begun an exercise to trace them. But the effort may have come too late. Many of the missing books were borrowed nearly 30 years ago and the borrowers are either retired or dead. At best, a few of the habitual defaulters may be traced and only a few books recovered. "We cannot deny that there are some teachers and scholars who are in the habit of not returning books after borrowing them from the university's libraries. We are working out measures to stop the practice," said Saumitra Sarkar, the librarian. Bound by rules, the university cannot fine a teacher if he or she returns a book late. "We recently introduced a system of giving repeated reminders to defaulting teachers. We are now working on steps that may be taken if the reminders do not work," said Sarkar. To get books back from research scholars in time, the authorities have introduced fines. Earlier, only students had to pay a fine if they failed to return their books on the stipulated date. Last year, the university increased the rate of fines for students. They are now charged 10 paise for every day's delay in the first week and a rupee a day after that. The scholars are now being fined at the same rate. University sources said the catalogues in its central and departmental libraries show a large number of books, but they are never found on the racks. In all, Calcutta University has nearly 12 lakh text and reference books. In addition, the libraries house maps, journals, theses and commission reports. A student alleged: "Often a rare book issued to a teacher is never returned to the library." "We have also come across teachers who borrowed books at the time of joining and never gave them back." Another student alleged that many of the teachers have in their possession books that are not available anywhere else in the country. At present, a section of teachers of the varsity's geography department are up in arms against the authorities for not taking action against at least three retired teachers who did not allegedly return about a dozen rare maps. =======================sent by ================ Dr.P.Vyasamoorthy, Advisor, Virtual Information Centre, ICICI Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Shameerpet Mandal, RR District, Hyderabad 500078 INDIA Email: vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com Phone - Office: +91(40)23480053 Fax: +91(40)23480007 Phone Residence: +91(40)27846631