University library to get Rs.54 lakh for books

    KERALA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY TO BE GET

                    RS 54 LAKH FOR BOOKS

The Kerala University Library will get Rs.54 lakh in 2012-13 for the purchase of books and other publications.While Rs.40 lakh will be non-Plan funds, Rs.14 lakh will be in the Plan fund category, the university's budget for 2012-13 presented here on Wednesday says.

The university will spend Rs.2 crore, with assistance from the government, for the next phase of development of the library.The Karyavattom campus library will get Rs.3 lakh in the non-Plan head for purchase of books and other publications. It will get four times that as Plan funds.

The university will seek to rejuvenate its publications wing by computerising its office and sales counter. The budget has allocated Rs.2 lakh for this. A ‘curio corner' selling mementos will be set up at the sales counter at an outlay of Rs.10 lakh.

The wing will start publication of e-books; a beginning will be made by republishing early titles brought out by it. An amount of Rs.5 lakh has been set aside as seed money for this venture.

The budget has earmarked Rs.10 lakh for the digitisation of manuscripts stored at the Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library.The State government has in principle agreed to provide Rs.50 crore needed to complete the digitisation of records at the university. The budget has set aside Rs.3 crore as the first instalment from its Plan fund for this purpose. The university press will be modernised at a cost of Rs.15 lakh.

                                                     Prof. John Kurakar