Scientific Information Resource Division
Knowledge Management Group
Central Library: BARC Central Library is one of the biggest in this part of the continent in Nuclear Science & Technology and related fields. The library provides all sorts of library services required by BARC employees.
The Central Library is open for 10 hours a day on all working days of the year and on Saturday for 6 Hours except on public holidays observed by BARC.
| Monday to Friday | Morning 08:00 Hrs. to Evening 18:00 Hrs. |
| Saturday | Morning 08:00 Hrs. to Evening 16:00 Hrs. |
| Library remains closed on all public holidays & sundays | |
The sole aim of the Scientific Information Resource Division is to provide seamless access to pinpointed, exhaustive and expeditious information to users in networked and non-networked environments, in the field of nuclear science & technology and allied fields.
The division also provides allied services like reprography, printing & binding, photography & videography, foreign language translation and interpretation, document delivery and auditorium services. International Nuclear Information System (INIS) of IAEA and Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) related activities are also part of the responsibilities of this division.
The genesis of the present library goes back to the year 1953, when the Atomic Energy Commission formally established a small information unit, with the aim of providing translation facilities for scientific and technical documents. Library & Information Services were scattered in various research laboratories in and around Mumbai, catering to the specific information requirements of Scientists and Engineers working in those laboratories. Certain centralized services such as documentation, information dissemination and technical translation were provided from the Old Yacht Club, at the Gateway of India. A separate, centralized Library Information Services Section was established in the year 1968, which was located in the Central Complex building at Trombay, BARC. This Section was reorganized as a full-fledged division, the Library and Information Services Division, in the year 1984.
The Division was renamed as Scientific Information Resource Division (SIRD) from July 1, 2004, in keeping with the continuous evolution of the library and its services.
Head of Division/Section
| 1953- 1968 | Dr. Athavle | Publication Officer |
| 1968- 1982 | Dr. V. A. Kamath | Librarian |
| 1982-1999 | Dr. M. R. Balakrishnan | Scientific Officer |
| 1st April 1999 - 31st October 2009 | Dr. Vijai Kumar | Outstanding Scientist |
| 1 November 2009 - 31 December 2014 | Dr. K. Bhanumurthy | Outstanding Scientist |
| 1 January 2015 - 30 November 2021 | Dr. G. Ravi Kumar | Outstanding Scientist |
| 1 December 2021 - 14 December 2023 | Dr. S. Adhikari | Outstanding Scientist |
| 15 December 2023 Onwards | Shri Manoj Singh | Scientific Officer H |
Over the years the Scientific Information Resource Division (SIRD) formerly known as Library & Information Services Division has grown into a centre which is playing vital role in acquisition, preservation & dissemination of Knowledge in all fields of nuclear science & technology and related fields. SIRD has been geared up with latest cutting-edge information technology tools and updated resources. The initiatives taken in the year 2000 has now bloomed with a well-established Digital Library with massive collection of digital resources. These digital resources are available to the BARC community through the indigenously developed portal SARASWATI.
For digital resources on the Internet, an Online Information Gateway “LAKSHYA” have gained momentum and is now well recognised by BARC scientists & engineers.
The Central Library has an excellent collection of Books, Journals, Bound volumes, Reports, Patents, Standards, Thesis etc. A massive drive is going on for the automation of all its activities using integrated Library Management software. A well established OPAC provides access to the collection
National Collaboration
Inter Library Loan: There is an excellent understanding and collaboration with a large number of national scientific & technical academic organisations e.g. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT B), NISCAIR, IISc, RRI, all DAE units etc. for Inter Library Loan.
International Collaboration
INIS : International Nuclear Information System is operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with 114 Member States and 19 Co-operating International Organizations.
BARC is the Liaison Agency for the INIS (International Nuclear Information System) activities in India with Head of Scientific Information Resource Division, BARC is the designated Liaison Officer.
INIS processes most of the World's scientific and technical literature that falls within its subject scope. INIS maintains a bibliographic database which currently contains over 2.5 million abstracted and indexed records. A comprehensive additional collection of over 600,000 of full texts of Non Conventional Literature which is not easily available through the commercial channels, makes it the world's most comprehensive and leading information source on the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.
India is a participating member of INIS since its inception in 1970 and is represented by BARC. As a part of its obligations, BARC is responsible for identifying and providing in a standardised format, nuclear literature published in India. India's contribution to INIS databank represents 2-3% of the total volume. BARC receives from INIS Atom index in CD-ROM version and non-conventional literature (NCL) also on CD-ROM. (earlier NCL were received in microfiche form).
INIS database on Internet (1970 onwards) is available on Lakshya (Institute IP address based) and also on Saraswati.
Inter Library Loan (International): The division has very useful Inter Library Loan collaboration understanding with INIS & RCA member countries, in particular, and other International Scientific academic institutions, in general on mutual exchange basis.
Currently more than 3700 E-journals and other E-Resources are available on Lakshya, a large number of them with full text.
In house development & innovative methods have made possible to web enable these digital resources.
Briefing Room is available for meetings, interviews with e-media of VVIPs discussions etc. as a part of Auditorium. Various high level delegates visiting BARC are briefed by Director, BARC or senior scientists. It meets all high-end audio-visual playback and display system requirements.
Printing Section of SIRD is involved in various major activities like Offset printing, Screen Printing. DTP trained operator makes a camera-ready printout according to requisitioner's request.
Binding Section of SIRD is involved in various major activities like Binding with Embossing. Binding of various scientific papers of different division and other important documents are done by the binding section. Titles are embossed in the cover wherever it is necessary. Restricted reports are printed and bound completely in house by the section.
Excellent photocopying facility with an array of photocopiers (analog & digital), and Resograph is available. A part of it, a number of photocopiers are kept in the central library for users to fulfill their immediate requirements on self service basis. Facilities for viewing and digital conversion of microfiche are also available.
Acquisition Section deals with acquisition of books/CDs/databases/reports etc for central as well as divisional libraries. After receiving a requisition for a specific document, order is placed to the vendor. Once the book is received, it is accessioned followed by stamping; where spine labels.
Book are classified as per the, Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) scheme. Cataloguing of a book includes, updaing bibliographic information, specifying -subject headings, physical format, location, language, special notes etc. Special issues of journals are also catalogued and classified. After cataloguing barcode labels are generated and pasted on the books. Books are then sent for Weekly Display and intimation is sent to the requisitioner (who has requested the book). After a week books are released for general Circulation.
Book are filed/shelved according to UDC/BOS system. Reference books are shelved separately in reference area. Data validation is done periodically.
All the above in-house activities viz ordering, invoicing, payments, accessioning, cataloguing are done through a Integrated library management software system. All types of reports, enquiries, bibliographies, catalogue cards, accession register (maintained manually as well), weekly display lists are generated/printed using various modules available in the software. More accessibility to this entire process is given through Web-OPAC, where a user can trace various stages of processing (like approval, ordering, processing etc.) of a book.
Mr. Manoj Singh
Head, Scientific Information Resource Division
Tel : 022 - 25592073 (PA), 25593685, 25590820
Email : headsird@barc.gov.in