The Presidency University libraries’ book exchange has been shifted to an open space as assembly in a closed facility like the central and arts libraries could pose health risks.
Students are going to the foyer outside Derozio Bhavan that has big open windows and doors to collect and deposit books according to slots allotted online.
Students have to access an online catalogue to search for books and note down their details. They have to then go to a link for the book issue form. They have to submit the form at least four days in advance.
“Students are informed the date of issuing books at least a day in advance,” said an official.
The books the students want to issue are brought and kept in the foyer. The Derozio auditorium is being used as a waiting room for students to prevent crowding.
Classes are being held on digital platforms as a precaution against Covid but the library service resumed in mid-September. The reading facility has not been restarted.
Students can exchange books on Wednesdays and Fridays. This week, the service was extended to Monday as well.
Registrar Debajyoti Konar said: “Any gathering inside closed facilities like the central and arts libraries could pose health risks.”
The Arts Library was on the ground floor of the main building and the Central Library off the football ground.
Adit Dasgupta, who is pursuing masters’ in history, said they had to go to campus because Presidency is yet to digitise its collection.
“In the final year of my postgraduation, I have to work on my dissertation. The entire collection of Jadunath Sarkar, Ramesh Chandra Majumdar is available in our library. You won’t get these collections even in the bookstores on College Street. Since the collections are yet to be digitised, we have to come to collect these books physically,” said Dasgupta, who lives in Behala.
Saikat Manal, an undergraduate student of history, said: “Last week, I came to collect Researches of Medieval India by Irfan Habib. If one goes to buy, it would cost around Rs 1,000. For books by foreign authors, which are even more expensive, we have to depend entirely on the library. If the collection had been digitised, there would be no need for us to come.”
When asked why Presidency has not yet digitised its collection, registrar Konar said the process was disrupted because of the pandemic. “We started the process. But as the campus was shut because of the pandemic, the task could not be completed. Digitising such a large volume requires the presence of adequate staff,” he said.
Jadavpur University has also opened its central library and departmental libraries from September.