Library

About the Library

The Library of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, is Kerala’s pioneering and most extensive Agricultural Education and Research Library. It supports the College’s teaching, research, and extension programmes.

Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the College Library houses a vast collection of resources, including books from national and international publishers, theses, national and international journals, magazines, online databases, statistical databases, e-resources, resource-sharing networks, plagiarism detection/content similarity tools, and other publications. These resources primarily cover agriculture and allied areas, enabling the academic and research community to access information with ease.

The entire library is automated with LAN connectivity through an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS). The round-the-clock Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and Institutional Repository facilitate searching and retrieving bibliographic details and library holdings.

In addition to its core functions, the College Library collects, organizes, and preserves resources in multiple formats. It offers PGS 501: Library and Information Services, providing practical exposure to accessing and utilizing academic resources. The entire library area is Wi-Fi enabled, with uninterrupted internet and power backup. An In/Out Management System tracks user entry and exit via ID/UPEN or QR code authentication. The students, research scholars, and faculty of the college are eligible to become members of the library.

Physical Facilities

• Total Area: 1060 m²
• Seating Capacity: 150 members
• Software: Open Source & Proprietary
• Content Similarity / Plagiarism Detection Tool: turnitin
• Integrated Library Management System: Koha 25.05.00
• Institutional Repository: DSpace 8
• OPAC, e-resources, and Institutional Repository: 24×7 access
• Surveillance Camera: 24×7 monitoring
• Working Hours: 9.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.

Organization & Sections

For functional convenience, the College Library is organized into different sections:

• Reference
• Stack (Maintenance)
• Circulation
• Kerala Government Book Bank Scheme
• Theses
• Current Periodicals and Journals
• Unbound Issues of Journals/Periodicals
• Bound Volumes of Journals/Periodicals
• Seminar Reports
• Kerala Agricultural University Collection
• ICAR Collection
• Alumni Association of College of Agriculture, Vellayani Collection
• Parent-Teachers Association Collection
• Special Collections
• Annual Reviews & Advances
• Civil Services and other Competitive Examinations Collection
• Malayalam Books
• Newspaper Reading
• Property Counter

Documents are available in an open-access environment. Classification follows the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Scheme, and cataloguing is done in MARC format through koha. Security is enhanced with CCTV surveillance.

Features of Learning Resources

The Library’s collection primarily covers agriculture and allied disciplines. Resources include:

• Textbooks
• Reference Books
• Book Bank Scheme Collections
• Civil Services and other Competitive Examination Books
• Annual Reviews & Advances
• P.G. and Ph.D. Theses
• Journals and Current Periodicals
• Bound Volumes of Journals/Periodicals
• Daily Newspapers

The collection is regularly updated with the latest editions. The Kerala Government Book Bank Scheme provides books specifically for SC students.

Learning Resources

Name of Resources	Total
Books	31937
Gratis Documents	2700
Kerala Govt. Book Bank Scheme	2237
P.G/Ph.D. Theses	2910
Seminar Reports	250
Volumes of Bound Journals/Periodicals	3424
Annual Report	70
Journals/ Current Periodicals	22
Daily Newspapers	5
PCs with OPAC Facility	5

e-Resources / Online Resources

The Library provides access to a wide range of IT-enabled resources and services, including e-journals, e-books, and databases. Access is enabled through IP authentication and remote access platforms, ensuring the timely availability of research and academic content.

Users are provided with sensitization programmes to promote effective use of e-resources. The college Library is enhancing the visibility of research output and provides access to the following e-resources:

Name	Description / Type
OPAC	Online Public Access Catalogue
ONOS Portal	One Nation One Subscription
CeRA	Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture
Science Direct	Full-text scientific database (Elsevier)
Indian Journals	Indian Journals database
Epubs of ICAR	Electronic Publications of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
Journal of Tropical Agriculture	Academic Journal
Economic & Political Weekly	Academic Journal / Magazine
Krishi Kosh	Digital Repository of Agricultural Knowledge
KAUTIR	Knowledge portal/resource (likely agricultural)
Shodhganga	A reservoir of Indian theses
Cambridge eBooks	eBooks from Cambridge University Press
Astral E-Books	Electronic Books
ASAP Global	Arts & Science e-resource/platform
IndiaStat	Statistical data resource
Turnitin	Antiplagiarism Web Tool
Drillbit-Extreme	Plagiarism Detection Software
CABI Digital Library	CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International) Library
Remote Access	Personal e-content organization/access platform
Union Catalog (Agricat 2.0)	Library/Resource Catalog
KALNET Catalog	Kerala Academic Library Network Catalog
DELNET	Developing Library Network

Glimpses of Services and Facilities

• Plagiarism Detection tool/service
• Institutional Repository (DSpace)
• In/Out Management
• Document Search & Retrieval
• Access to e-resources and e-journals
• CD-RoMs/DVDs Search
• Automated Circulation of Documents
• Research & Reference Support Tools
• Reference and Information Services
• Current Awareness Service (CAS)
• Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI)
• Information Display and Notification Services
• Reprographic, Scanning & Printing
• Orientation Programmes (for students/Researchers/Faculty)
• Workshops & Training Programmes
• Question Papers of Previous University Examinations
• Book Bank Schemes (KAU & Govt. for SC Students)
• Learning Resources (SC/ST students)
• Special Collections (Alumni, ICAR, KAU, PTA, etc.)
•  Reference Area & Researchers’ Corner
• Study Spaces, Newspaper Reading Area & Property Counter
• Drinking Water

Extension Services

The Library extends its facilities to external academic users and research Scholars. Extension activities include:

• Orientation Programmes (Online/Offline)
• Book Exhibitions & Festivals
• Information Desk
• Library Usage Awards
• Practical Experience / Internships for Library and Information Science Students et.al.

Professional Manpower

• Assistant Librarian (Head of Library)
• 1 Reference Assistant (Higher Grade)
• 2 Professional Assistants Gr. II (Library)

Contact

Dr. Naseer. A

Assistant Librarian

College of Agriculture, Vellayani

Thiruvananthapuram-695522, Kerala

E-mail: library.coav@kau.in

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1219-3157