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Insdoc modernising products, services

Surendranath C

THRISSUR, March 30

INDIAN National Scientific Documentation Centre (Insdoc), the national laboratory under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) dealing with library, documentation and information sciences, technology, services and systems, is modernising it self, according to its director, Prof. T. Viswanathan.

The thrust of the modernisation programme was on enhancing Insdoc's capabilities for online supply of information and documentation products and services to national and international clients.

With the setting up of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) LAN, and an optical fibre backbone that would enable data transfer at very high speeds in every work station, Insdoc would be able to enhance its services, Mr. Viswanathan told Business Line.

``In a small way, we have launched a digital library initiative and has taken up a virtual library project,'' he said. Insdoc's server for providing linkages to international databases would be operational in three months.

The information products on CD-ROM offered by Insdoc included the National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials in India, the database on nearly 50,000 of Indian patents granted between 1972 and 1997 and the library automation package called `Granthalay a'.

Two CD-ROMs containing nearly two lakh Indian science abstracts between 1990 and 1999 will be launched by the end of April.

The electronic version would provide the advantages of minimum storage space and many search options. CD-ROMs on eminent Indian scientists in various disciplines are also being prepared by the institute.

The information services provided by Insdoc include homepage creation and porting besides provision of journal lists, full texts/abstracts of science and technology journals, chemical abstracts, key word index and foreign languages translation and interp retation services.

Prof. Viswanathan said that over the years, Insdoc had progressively brought down its dependence on the Government and 45-50 per cent of its resources was now being generated through in-house projects.