Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, will soon boast one of the biggest libraries of the country, equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Housed in an eight-storey building, the construction of which started in 2010, the library is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the institute's convocation ceremony next year after which it would be opened to students.
Spread across 25,000sqft, the centrally air-conditioned library building will be equipped with a number of CCTV cameras, including infrared, dome and bullet cameras, and an electromagnetic frequency-based security system.
The new library building, which is adjacent to the existing library building, has been built at a cost of Rs 115 crore with a capacity to store around two lakh books.
The building will boast of advanced facilities like remote controlled lighting, parking space for 60 vehicles, a cafeteria, eight elevators with a carrying capacity of 20 people in each, including one for the physically challenged, a massive reading area and generators.
Besides, there will be a small park in front of the building where students will be able to spend their leisure hours. The serpentine stairway will also boast a fountain at its centre.
Seven floors of the new library building will be able to accommodate at least 3,500 readers.Each floor will have 20 computer terminals. Students will be able to issue books by inserting their library cards into digital slots.
"The library building will have adequate fire safety arrangements. Safety drill and audit will be carried out from time to time," said IIT (ISM) Dhanbad librarian Partha De. "I am sure this library will be the tallest and most spacious one in the country, followed by the one at Aligarh Muslim University which is spread over 19,500 sqft."
The new library will be connected to the old library through a corridor.
"We have collected a wide variety of books, including e-books and e-journals," said De adding that the new library was conceptualised keeping in mind the increase in number of students and a demand for a digitally equipped reading room.
