Objective and Functions

The primary objectives of INFLIBNET as envisaged in Memorandum of Association are:

• To promote and establish communication facilities to improve capability in information transfer and access, that provide support to scholarship, learning, research and academic pursuit through cooperation and involvement of agencies concerned.
• To establish INFLIBNET: Information and Library Network a computer communication network for linking libraries and information centres in universities, deemed to be universities, colleges, UGC information centres, institutions of national importance and R & D institutions, etc. avoiding duplication of efforts.
  1. to promote and implement computerization of operations and services in the libraries and information centres of the country, following a uniform standard;
  2. to evolve standards and uniform guidelines in techniques, methods, procedures, computer hardware and software, services and promote their adoption in actual practice by all libraries, in order to facilitate pooling, sharing and exchange of information towards optimal use of resources and facilities:
  3. to evolve a national network interconnecting various libraries and information centres in the country and to improve capability in information handling and service;
  4. to provide reliable access to document collection of libraries by creating on-line union catalogue of serials, theses/ dissertations, books, monographs and non-book materials (manuscripts, audio-visuals, computer data, multimedia, etc.) in various libraries in India:
  5. to provide access to bibliographic information sources with citations, abstracts, etc. through indigenously created databases of the Sectoral Information Centres of NISSAT, UGC Information Centres, City Networks and such others and by establishing gateways for on-line accessing of national and international databases held by national and international information networks and centres respectively;
  6. to develop new methods and techniques for archival of valuable information available as manuscripts and information documents in difference Indian languages, in the form of digital images using high density storage media;
  7. to optimize information resource utilization through shared cataloguing, inter-library loan service, catalogue production, collection development and thus avoiding duplication in acquisition to the extent possible;
  8. to enable the users dispersed all over the country, irrespective of location and distance, to have access to information regarding serials, theses/dissertation, books, monographic and non-book materials by locating the sources wherefrom available and to obtain it through the facilities of INFLIBNET and union catalogue of documents;
  9. to create databases of projects, institutions, specialists, etc. for providing on-line information service;
  10. to encourage co-operation among libraries, documentation centres and information centres in the country, so that the resources can be poled for the benefit of helping the weaker resource centres by stronger ones; and
  11. to train and develop human resources in the field of computerized library operations and networking to establish, manage and sustain INFLIBNET.
• To facilitate academic communication amongst scientist, engineers, social scientists, academics, faculties, researchers and students through electronic mail, file transfer, computer/audio/video conferencing, etc
• To undertake system design and studies in the field of communications, computer networking, information handling and data management;
• To establish appropriate control and monitoring system for the communication network and organize maintenance;
• To collaborate with institutions, libraries, information centres and other organizations in India and abroad in the field relevant to the objectives of the Centre;
• To promote R&D and develop necessary facilities and create technical positions for realizing the objectives of the Centre;
• To generate revenue by providing consultancies and information services; and
• To do all other such things as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the above objectives.