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The Central Library
The Central Library of St. Xavier's College is a hub of academic and research activities. The library has a potential collection of old and rare books, valuable reference books, important journals, educational CDs and DVDs for the use of students, staff and special borrowers. The total number of books in Central Library is around one lakh, the number of periodicals subscribed is 184. The library provides services to its users through an automated mode by using LIBSYS 4 (Release  5.0) software. The services rendered by the Central Library cover all departments of the college. The library for B.Ed. students is housed on the second floor, above the canteen. The catalogue-search and circulation systems are fully automated at present. Search for any document can be made through online-Public-Access-Catalogue (OPAC) and the circulation system is barcode-based. The Web-OPAC will be started shortly. The reading room has a capacity to accommodate 250 students. Besides, there are 14 cubicles in the library, each equipped with computer connected through LAN. The cubicles are specially meant for students engaged in project works and teacher-student discussions beyond class-hour. The library maintain a book-bank for financially-challenged students. The photocopy facility is available in the library. The Internet browsing facilities are also available, but only educational sites are allowed for surfing. The library provides current awareness service to the readers through newspapers and clippings, announcement posters, newsletters etc. The membership of the Library is open to fathers, students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the College. Only reading room facilities are provided to the retired teachers, eminent scholars and research workers engaged in serious reading and research. The reading room remain open from 6.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.; and the leading section functions from 9.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. except Sundays and college holidays. There are four leading counters and two reading room counters (including annex counter of B.Ed.) in the library. A student can borrow at most three books at a time for seven days, which are further renewable at most twice in seven days slot each. A delay in return is charged by Rs.3/- (Rupees three only) per day per book. The facilities of e-books, e-journals and e-databases will be implemented shortly.

The Paradigm Shift

• The Library provides services to the students, staffs, research scholars, faculty members and Fathers of the college through an automated mode by using LIBSYS 4 (Release 5.0) software. The catalogue-search and circulation systems are fully automated at present. Search for any document can be made through Online-Public-Access-Catalogue (OPAC) and the circulation system is barcode-based. The Web-OPAC will be started shortly.
• The reading room has sitting capacity of 250 students altogether. Besides, there are 14 cubicles in the library, each equipped with computer connected through LAN. The cubicles are specially meant for students engaged in project works and teacher-student discussions beyond class-hour.
• The library maintains a book-bank for financially-challenged students from all disciplines.
• The photocopy and print-out facilities are available in the library at the rate of 50 paisa per page.
• The Internet browsing facilities are also available. However only educational sites are allowed for surfing. 
• The library provides current-awareness service to the readers through newspapers and clippings, announcement posters, newsletters etc.
• The membership of the Library is open to Fathers, teachers, research scholars students and non-teaching staff of the College.
• The reading room remains open from 6.00 AM to 8.00 PM and the lending section functions from 9.00 AM to 8.00 PM except on Sundays and college holidays. There are three lending counters and one reading room counter.
• A student can borrow at most two books at a time for seven days, which are further renewable at most twice in seven days slot each. A delay in return is charged by Rs. 3/- (Rupees three only) per day per book.
• The facilities of e-books, e-journals and e-databases will be implemented shortly.
• The online database Prowess and www.indiastat.com can be accessed from the library.
• There are some online journals also that are accessible in the library.
• The library presently subscribes nearly 200 periodicals, including both journals and magazines and 10 daily newspapers.

Present Condition

• The college had five different libraries before January, 2009.
• All these five libraries have been merged into one integrated corpus and started functioning as a centralized system since January 16, 2009. But the new centralised system is open-access. Several constraints to timely access of library documents have been overcome. As a result, the use of the library has increased.
• As the college got CPE status, a new project entitled “Bibliographic Description Conversion and Standardization of Documents” was installed under the financial support from University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi in CPE scheme since January, 2008. This is a retro-conversion project.
• The objectives of this project include the following
• To introduce a new classification system according to the scheme of Dewey Decimal Classification-22nd Edition.
• To introduce a new subject descriptor system according to the scheme of Sear’s List of Subject Headings-18th edition.
• To introduce a new cataloguing system according to the scheme of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rule-2nd edition.
• To bring the entire library collection under the single umbrella of the three above-mentioned internationally standardised document processing systems.
• To provide data-entry for developing a centralized library database, by the software used, i.e. LIBSYS 4.0 (Release 5).
• To develop a fully automated catalogue search system.
• To develop a fully automated barcode-based circulation system.

Brief Background
The college had five different libraries before January, 2009 as follows:

1. Arts & science lending library
2. B.Com lending library
3. Eco, Pol. Sc. & Sociology lending library
4. Arts & science reading room
5. B.Com reading room

All these five libraries were merged into one integrated corpus and started functioning as a centralized system since January 16, 2009. The readers had limited and restricted access to library documents earlier. They had to cross so many hurdles to get the required book or periodical at right time in old de-centralized library system. But the new centralized system is open-access, where the readers find out their required books from the library shelves. Several constraints to timely access of library documents have now eradicated and, as a result, the use of library documents has enhanced to a large extent in this new centralized open-access system.

The systems of call numbers of the books in the previous library systems were inconsistent and unscientific. Also, different books contained different call-numbers based on different systems, and the multiple copies of a single book housed in different libraries were marked with different call numbers, that is, there was no standardization of call numbers. As a result, it was not at all possible to develop a centralized library database. As the college got CPE status, a new project entitled “Bibliographic Description Conversion and Standardization of Documents” was installed under the financial support from University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi in CPE scheme since January, 2008. This was a retro-conversion project with the following objectives:

1. To introduce a new classification system according to the scheme of Dewey Decimal Classification-22nd edition
2. To introduce a new subject descriptor system according to the scheme of Sear’s List of Subject Headings-18th edition
3. To introduce a new cataloguing system according to the scheme of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rule-2nd edition
4. To bring the entire library collection under the single umbrella of three above-mentioned internationally standardized document processing systems
5. To provide data-entry for developing a centralized library database, by the software used, i.e. LIBSYS 4.0 (Release 6)
6. To develop a fully automated catalogue search system
7. To develop a fully automated barcode-based circulation system

Central Library: At a Glance

• The Library provides services to the students, staffs, research scholars, faculty members and Fathers of the college through an automated mode by using LIBSYS 4 (Release 6.0) software. The catalogue-search, circulation and periodicals systems are fully automated at present. Search for any document can be made through Online-Public-Access-Catalogue (OPAC) and the circulation system is barcode-based.
• The reading room has sitting capacity of 250 students altogether. Besides, there are 14 cubicles in the library, each equipped with LAN-connected computer with internet connectivity. The cubicles are specially meant for students engaged in project works and teacher-student discussions beyond class-hour.
• The library maintains book-bank for financially-challenged students from all disciplines
• The photocopy and print-out facilities are available in the library
• The Internet browsing facilities are also available, but only educational sites are allowed for surfing
• The library provides current-awareness service to the readers through new arrivals display, newspapers and clippings, announcement posters, newsletters etc.
• The membership for Lending Section is open to Fathers, teachers, research scholars students and support staffs of the College
• The reading room remains open from 6.00 AM to 7.30 PM; and the lending section functions from 8.00 AM to 7.00 PM except Sundays and college holidays. There are three lending counters and one reading room counter.
• A First-year student can borrow at most three books and Second/Third year student can borrow at most four books depending on the availability of the same in the library, at a time for seven days, which are further renewable at most twice in seven days slot each. A delay in return is charged by Rs.3/- (Rupees three only) per day per book.
• The facilities of e-books, e-journals and e-databases are available.
• The online database Prowess and www.indiastat.com can be accessed from the library.
• The e-books and e-journals are available in the library through www.inflibnet.ac.in , JSTORE and www.Nature.com. In all, nearly 2000 journals and 50,000 e-books are available through this scheme covering all major areas of science, social science and humanities. For accessing this facility a student has to submit an approval letter in the Central Library to be forwarded by the respective Head of the Department
• There are some online journals also that are accessible from library.
• The library presently subscribes more than 210 periodicals, including both journals and magazines and 10 daily newspapers.

Collection
At present, the Central Library has nearly 67,000 approx volumes of books, 1500 bound volumes of journals and 1900 CD-ROM and DVD-ROMs. About 2600+ current periodicals (including 2300+ online periodicals) are received regularly since 2009. A considerable part of the Library’s acquisition consists gifts from individuals and institutions, the largest book donation having been from Rev. Fr. Babu Beckers S.J. Late Prof. Kushal Kumar Sengupta et al.

Total no. library holdings: 68,000+ (As on June 30, 2011)

No. of titles: 45000+
No. of books in lending section: 46,000+
No. of books in reading room: 21,000+
No. of printed periodicals (Including both journals & magazines) subscribed: 233
No. of CD/DVD: 1942
No. of Reports: 177
No. of online databases subscribed: 2
No. of online journals under INFLIBNET-NLIST: 2000+
No. of e-books under INFLIBNET-NLIST: 50,000+
No. of online journals under DELNET: 5400+
No. of online journals under JSTOR: 3000+
No. of online journals hosted by Sage publications: 27
No. of online journals under NATURE: 2 (With four years back archive)
No. of daily newspapers taken: 16
No. of computers: 26

Library Staff

1. Fr. Maria Joseph, S.J. – Librarian
2. Mr. Sougata Chattopadhyay (SC) - M.Com, BLIS, B.Ed – Library Assistant
3. Mr. Clement Baptist (CB) – Library Clerk
4. Mr. Joydeep Biswas (JB) – Library Clerk
5. Mr. George Rozario (GR) – Library Clerk
6. Mr. Arup Sarkar (AS) - Library Attendant
7. Mr. Rajen Sarkar (RS) - Library Attendant
8. Mr. Subir Biswas (SB) - Library Bearer
9. Mr. Gobinda Chandra Nayek (GN) - Library Cleaner
10. Mr. Kinkor Mandal (KM) - Library security staff
11. Mr. Swapan Chakraborti (SCh) - Library security staff
12. Ms. Anjali Biswas (AB) - Library security staff
13. Ms. Jolly Biswas (JBs) - Library security staff

Library Hours

• Reading room/ General Reference/ Periodical section: 6.00 am to 7.30 pm (Except Sundays and college holidays)
• Lending section: 8.00 am to 7.00 pm
• Reprography section: 10.30 am to 5.00 pm

Membership
The membership of the Library is open to Fathers, teachers, research scholars, students and non-teaching staff of the College. The retired faculty members, staff members, alumni/nae members and passed out students of the college are also eligible for getting membership subject to approval of the college authority. The research scholars and students from outside and eminent persons of the society may also be considered for membership subject to approval of the college authority.

Borrowing Privileges of the Members
The book borrowing facility is open only for the Fathers, faculty members, current students and staff members of the college. A First-year Undergraduate student can borrow at most three books and all other students can borrow at most four books depending on the availability of the same in the library, at a time for seven days, which are further renewable at most twice in seven days slot each. A delay in return is charged by Rs.3/- (Rupees three only) per day per book.

How to Find Books from Library Catalogue
There is author/title/subject catalogue for books in English and other European languages. For Indian languages like Bengali and Hindi there are similar catalogues. In order to find out books in these languages a transliteration code should be followed to ensure instant retrieval of requisite information. The transliteration code is available in the library.

The main guide to locate book in the Library is the author-title-subject catalogue. In these catalogues the entries of the cards are arranged under the names of the authors/editors/translators/compilers/title and subject for every book in the library. Corporate bodies, societies, institutions, Govt. bodies are regarded as authors of the works published by them. All the card entries (authors/editors/translators/compilers/title/subject) in the Author catalogue are arranged in alphabetical order as in a dictionary. In the subject catalogue, the card entries are arranged under the subject-headings in alphabetical order for each book. Similarly, in a title catalogue, the card entries are arranged under the titles in alphabetical order for each book.

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system is used throughout to build up the call numbers of the books. The call numbers consist of two parts. The three-digit number represents the first part, which is the subject-indicator of the book. Also, an alphabetic combination represents the last part, which is the author- and title-indicator of the book. An outline of the Dewey Decimal Classification is given below. The broad disciplines indicated by the starting digits of the first parts of the call numbers along with the subjects covered under each discipline are summarized in Table 1. Also, the class numbers of some subjects are listed in Table 2 for the convenience of teachers and students, where the subject names are arranged in alphabetic order. A book is located on shelf by its call number [Class no. + Book no.] printed on the top left corner of the catalogue card. After having a thorough look on Table 1 and 2 you can promptly retrieve the book you require from the library shelves.

Table 1: The broad disciplines indicated by the starting digits of the call numbers

Table 2: The class numbers of some subjects

On-line Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)
The OPAC allows search by authors, title, subject and title keywords as well as through several other access points. You can search through “Simple search” and “Advance search” to locate a particular book in the library. To browse the comprehensive list of collection on a particular domain you can click on “Browse” button. At the “Browsing” screen you can go to “Database” panel to see the comprehensive list of both books and electronic materials, i.e. CDs and DVDs. Click on “Journals” button to find out the comprehensive list of journals and magazines.

Some points to be remembered:

• To start searching a particular book by author, type author’s SURNAME FIRST, then put a COMMA (,), then type a SINGLE SPACE and lastly type author’s first name and middle name.
• To start searching a particular book by title, put the articles (A), (AN), (THE) within first braquette ().
• To start searching by title’s single keyword, go to SIMPLE SEARCH.
• To start searching by title’s multiple keywords, go to ADVANCE SEARCH and insert appropriate Boolean connector AND/OR between two keywords.

Reading Room
The Central Library of the college has a well-equipped and spacious reading room with seating capacity of 250 (two hundred and fifty) people. The catalogue system of the library is housed in the reading room, including both computerized catalogue (OPAC-Online Public Access Catalogue) and card-catalogue cabinet. The reference, periodical and current awareness sections also function from reading room for reader’s convenience. Some rare collections of the college are displayed in the reading room.

Besides, there are 14 cubicles in the library, each with sitting capacity of six people and equipped with computer connected through LAN. The cubicles are specially meant for teachers, students engaged in project works and teacher-student discussions beyond class-hour.

Book Bank Facility
The book bank facility is available for the students belonging to non-creamy layer of the society. Besides regular library facilities, they can issue at most three books from book-bank at most for a full semester. The text books are mainly emphasized for this section, though very few common reference books may also be lent out.

Career Guidance Books
Books relating to different competitive examinations career/service and journals on current information, general knowledge and other documents are available for consultation in the Reading Room.

General Reference Section
The Ready-Reference Tools and books relating to general reference consultation are available in this section in the Reading Room, just adjacent to the left side of the Library main entrance. The following categories of Ready Reference Tools are generally available:

• Dictionary
• Encyclopedia
• Year book
• Almanac
• Handbook
• Directory
• Guide book etc

Reprography Services
The reprographic facilities are available in Central Library for the students and faculty members, at a very nominal rate of Rs.1/- per A4 size impression (for photocopy) and Rs.2/- only per A4 size page (for print out). One internet-facilitated computer is directly connected with the photocopy machine for taking print out of any online and also offline material as well. This section remains open from 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM on all working days.

Off-line Database Search
CD-ROM databases are available for use. A good number of CDs and DVDs are available for both borrowing and Reading Room also. Some useful reference tools are also available in CD-ROM/DVD-ROM like Encyclopedia Britannica etc.

New Arrivals Display
The newly added resources to library (books, journals, CDs et al) are displayed for the convenience of students and faculty members, so that they could be aware of latest state-of-the-art of the library. Any newly added item is set aside for exhibition for at least three days.

Book Reservation and Requisition
Students and faculty members can place requisition for a book that is not available in the library. The requisition should be given in the Demand Book available from the concerned library staffs at the Reading Room Counter and Lending Counter1. Also, students can reserve a particular book already available in library database on book demand slip available from Lending Counters (1) and (2). The students and teachers would be informed through SMS and e-mail after the reserved piece returned back on shelf.

Searching On-line Journals, Databases and Internet
Internet facility is available through all computers of the library, which are connected through Local Area Network (LAN). The library software LIBSYS functions through client-server mode of networking system. The library has a local server and one server computer stores entire bibliographic database of the entire library holdings, which is updated daily.
The online databases Prowess, hosted by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and www.indiastat.com are accessible from Central Library. Also, the union catalogue of Indian colleges and universities and a considerable number of e-journals are accessible through DELNET in Central Library.

Print journals and magazines currently available in the library
The list of print versions of different types of journals and magazines currently available in the Central Library is given below:

Searching On-line Journals through Inflibnet, JSTORE and Nature
We have also got privilege to be enlisted in scholarly e-resource consortia (N-LIST) hosted by Information and Library Network (Inflibnet) under UGC. In all, nearly 2000 journals and 50,000 e-books are available through this scheme covering all major areas of science, social science and humanities, which are accessible from Central Library. The steps for accessing the same are as follows:

1. Go to www.inflibnet.ac.in
2. Click on NLIST
3. Then Log on by the stipulated usernames & passwords that would be available to the concerned Heads of the Departments and Teachers-in-charge

The URLs for JSTOR and NATURE are: www.jstor.org  and www.nature.com respectively.

Rare Documents
The library of the college holds a golden treasury of very old and rare documents, due to donations of books to the library by the provincial governments and European missionaries during the last two centuries. This documentary heritage is continuously decaying with time towards extinction, which is our national cultural loss. There is an urgent need of proper conservation and preservation of documentary heritages of the college. A project on preservation and conservation of rare documents was undertaken by the college to prevent this loss with the full financial support from UNESCO, New Delhi; which was started on 12th December, 2006. Under the collaborative project, selected rare documents from the College library have been recovered, preserved and digitized. An exhibition of rare documents along with their digitized versions was also arranged in the College Premises on 3 March 2008. The oldest collection dates back to AD 1632. To conclude the project, a set of 4 DVDs containing some of the digitized documents and rare paintings was published. Selected rare documents are kept on display in the Reading Room on regular basis. 

Other Important Services
The college library has institutional membership at British Council Library, Kolkata. The inter-library-loan facility through DELNET is available now. Request for renewal of books and also any kind of suggestion(s) and/or request(s) can be sent to librarian@sxccal.edu for necessary action.

General Rules

1. Maintain strict silence in the Reading Room and other areas of the Central Library
2. Students from all disciplines must bring ID card and Library card when entering Central Library
3. DO NOT enter with your baggage, but deposit the same at the entrance counter
4. After borrowing a book from Lending Counter, one PRINTED GATE-PASS will be given to you. DO NOT FORGET to submit the same at Janitor’s Counter on leaving the library
5. After taking a book from Reading Room shelf, make it issued at the Reading Room Counter and collect the Reading Pass. DO NOT FORGET to submit the same at Janitor’s Counter on leaving the library
6. You will be allowed to take maximum THREE BOOKS at a time for study in the Reading Room
7. The books marked as “FOR READING ROOM ONLY” and periodicals (both journals and magazines) are meant for consultation WITHIN READING ROOM ONLY and strictly NOT TO BE LENT OUT
8. DO NOT make chaotic crowd in front of any counter, but stand systematically in queue
9. The book borrowed by the students should be returned on or before the stipulated date mentioned on date-slip
10. For delay in returning book students have to pay fine of an amount of Rs.3/- (Rupees three only) per day per book
11. The late fines are to be deposited at the SYNDICATE BANK COUNTER ONLY against the College Fees Book, BUT NOWHERE ELSE
12. The photocopy section is for LIBRARY BOOKS ONLY. The classnotes, outside papers and outside books are strictly NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED HERE
13. Do not scatter the pages of newspaper when reading
14. Check the condition of the book at the time of borrowing. If any mutilation found, report instantly the concerned library staff. Otherwise the borrower will be responsible for the damage
15. For renewal of books, students are asked to send their (1) LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP ID and (2) ACCESSION NO. of the book to be reissued to the following email-address: librarian@sxccal.edu. Please note that in case of RENEWAL of BOOKS you need not bring the book in the library.

16. Central Library is a NO-MOBILE ZONE. Keep your mobile in switched off mode.
17. DO NOT misplace books while selecting on the shelves. After consulting books DO NOT shuffle, but keep in PROPER PLACE.
18. You can use CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and/or Pendrive in the library computers, but ensure that the same is free from virus. Always scan your storage devices by Quickheal.
19. The Laptops and Palmtops are allowed in the library, but CHARGING of the same is NOT ALLOWED. Bring your devices in full charged mode
20. Scan the library notice boards regularly (Both inside and outside the library premise)
21. The library card is NOT TRANSFERRABLE

Central Library Blog
There is an online open forum for Central Library, http://sxccalcl.blogspot.com. You can share your thought and ideas in this forum.

Contact Us
You can contact the librarian by e-mail at librarian@sxccal.edu.
Library phone No.
2255-1251 (Librarian’s Office)
2255-1247 (Lending Counter)
2255-1241 (Library Gate)
2255-1255 (Reading Room Counter)
2255-1252 (Reprography section)

Library Facilities

Students' Lending Library

Besides standard textbooks the library contains books of literature and general interest. 

Suggestions for additions to the Library may be submitted through the clerk who keeps a special register for the purpose.

The Library is open every class day from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 12-30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.

Students are provided with Library Cards on which they enter the serial numbers of the desired books as per Authorized Card Index of the Library. The Library Card should then be dropped into the box near the Library.

Books will be issued from 11-30 to 1 p.m. and from 1-40 to 3-30 p.m. on presentation of the Identity Card. Returned books should be deposited with the clerk before 12 noon.

Students Reading Room

The Reading Room is open every weekday from 9-00 a.m. to 8-00 p.m. Opening hours may be modified on College Holidays.

Strict silence should be kept in the Reading Room. 
No book or magazine is to removed from the Reading Room, even for photocopying. 
Books are issued on presentation of the student's Identity Card which will remain with the clerk as long as the book is in use.

The Goethals Library & Research Centre 

The Goethals Indian Library & Research Centre, situated above the Mina Chapel, has some of the most valuable collections of books, periodicals, paintings, antiques and curios, which Archbishop Paul Goethals bequeathed to St. Xavier's when he was Archbishop of Calcutta [ 1886 - 1901 ]. The Library has a collection of approximately 18,800 book-plates, periodicals, journals and manuscripts.

The collection of rare books is classified into sixty-one categories. The sections range from Ancient Travels, Modern Indian History, Biographies, Folklore, Flora, Fauna, Mateorology, Classical Language and Literature, Archaeology, Architecture, Epigraphy, Education, Religion, Philosophy, Missions in India and abroad, law, Medicine, Anthropology, to Non-Indian Countries.

The Goethals Library's rare documents include the travels to India in the 16th and 17th centuries, Bengal Mission before and after 1800, documents, photos and archival material on St. Xavier's School and College, writings of Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya, Animanada and others. The Goethals Indian Library is truly a treasure trove of indological knowledge.

GILRC offers fellowships for research on monthly basis. Library is open from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm on weekdays. 

Website : www.goethals.org, Email : goethals@vanl.com, Director : Fr. Felix Raj. SJ.