Ms Sudha S Murthy
Sr. Librarian
17.6.1998.
The NTI library comes under specialised Health
Sciences libraries. Such special causes libraries have been set
up for major diseases like TB, cancer and malaria. These libraries
assist paramedics, medics, postgraduates, researchers, workers in
the field and the government in prevention and control of a particular
disease. NTI library was established from the day the institute
was setup.
In the beginning, the budget allotment was meager.
We were not procuring many books because of paucity of funds. We
had to depend on foreign sources. UNICEF and WHO helped in a big
way by donating several important documents.
I joined eight years after the NTI was born, in
1967. I must say all the directors have been encouraging the growth
and expansion of the library. All our faculty and staff also have
the same attitude and I am extremely happy it has been nourished
by them. I have started the archival centre here. I have kept first
copies of all the protocols, manuals, work instructions, papers
and other important documents like WHO quarterly reports and monitoring
reports in safe custody. I have also retained so many things which
people glance at and throw away: e.g., souvenirs, pamphlets, propaganda
material and annual reports. You will never know when, who and why
someone needs it. I have found all these have been made use of by
somebody. This may be one of the reasons why the NTI library is
referred to as something special.
We get trainees from all over India and from different
parts of the world. They have varied backgrounds and interests.
I make it a point to introduce them to the services available in
our library and guide them how to use it efficiently and quickly.
After repeated exposure they understand how to access the information
efficiently. After their training is over, they come back to tell
me: Madam, we never knew that the library had so much information
in such an organised fashion. You showed us the way how to access
it effectively. When we go back we will improve our own small libraries.
It is this sort of gratitude that gives me immense satisfaction.
I also give referral advice to non-professionals
or persons from different disciplines. I enquire about their own
libraries and guide them on using these. I advise them not to go
from library to library seeking information that is available under
their own roof. Knowledge of the science of library is not known
to most users.
The NTI library is quality based. Even though our
budget is limited, we exercise care to get the best quality informative
material. Our directors support us in this despite the costs. We
also have enough experience in accessing special interest documents
pertaining to our field from different libraries. We have inter-library
cooperation; using it I have collected more than a thousand rare
documents on TB from 1940 onwards. Some of them may not be available
anywhere else, even in the national library!
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