Library's operation and services are fully computerized with "e- Granthalaya" multi-user Integrated Library Automation Software, developed by National Informatics Centre, New Delhi. Bibliographic records of IRC's holdings can be, accessed through the e- Granthalaya's On-line Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). It allows searches by keywords or through several access points like author, title, subject, publisher and year of publication. The system is extremely user friendly and enables searches to be conducted with ease and speed. Database of library books is being updated on day-to-day basis with details of recently acquired books.

Arrangement of books on the shelves

Books are classified and arranged as per the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The purpose of classification is to locate books on similar subjects close together on the shelves and to allow new titles to be incorporated with them.

The Dewey Decimal Classification System, has ten major subject divisions, which are divided with decimal expansion to provide for even the smallest topic. For example, 600 is the major class for applied science, and one of its divisions is 620, which represents engineering. A subdivision of the engineering classification is 621, which represents applied physics, and 621.38 is the number for electronic and communication engineering. There are still further divisions, even for the smallest of subject variations, made possible by adding numbers after the decimal point. Therefore, all books with a like number will be on one subject, and the entire collection, classified and arranged by the Dewey System, will progress along the stacks from subject to subject.

The call number of a book

Every book is given a classification number according to the subject matter it covers. The class number for electric arc welding is 671.52, and since there are many books on this subject, it is necessary to have a means for distinguishing one book from another. Assigning an author number in addition to the classification number makes this distinction. This number arranges all books in the same class alphabetically according to the author?s surname. The following example will illustrate the make-up of the call number. In call number 671.521 Ala, 671.521 is Dewey classification numeral, Ala are first three letters of the author?s surname or main entry. The arrangement of books on the shelves follows the outline of the classification system. Books with the following call numbers will appear on the shelves in this order, with numerical placement being the primary classification:

610.3	610.712	610.73	610.73	610.73	610.736
Nat	Fur	Ala	Bro	Smi	Atw

Notice that .712 comes before .73 in the 2nd and 3rd examples. Each number is read independently. In this instance, .71 comes before .73. It is not read as seven-twelve.

Users are requested to leave the books on the tables, or end of the shelves so the staff can count them in statistics and make sure they are re-shelved according to their Call number.