NLIST in Provincialized Government Colleges of Assam: An Assessment

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the utilization of NLIST services within provincialised  colleges in Assam. A total of 17 colleges were randomly chosen for data collection. The questionnaire has been designed in a descriptive format, covering ICT infrastructure, authorities' support, reasons for opting for NLIST e-resources, challenges in seamless user services, and the frequency of significant efforts by college libraries. Personal interactions performed by the researcher following the distribution of the questionnaire among librarians of selected colleges. Findings revealed deficiencies in ICT infrastructure, slow internet speeds, and insufficient authority support regarding budget allocation and availability of skilled staff. The study identified lower costs of e-resources, NAAC evaluations, and the NEP 2020 as primary factors which are strong reason identified behind opting NLIST resources. Emphasizing the critical necessity for improved high-speed internet access to fully leverage e-resources, despite 70.57% of college librarians conducting awareness and training programs, 52.94% expressed the need for further orientation, workshops, and training sessions. It underscores the importance of awareness initiatives in Higher Education Institutes across Assam. To optimize the impact of the NLIST project, the study suggests conducting publicity and marketing campaigns aimed at college awareness to attract more institutions to benefit from the initiative. The research unveils a substantial gap in NLIST resource utilization in Assam's colleges, indicating the urgent need for corrective measures to match with those in other Indian states.