The Library has a well defined collection development policy and uses multi-prolonged strategies to develop and enrich its collection. It purchases published material on a regular basis by going through a variety of book selection tools. Its collection of institutional reports/ papers is developed primarily through networking at the local, regional, national and international levels. This is further strengthened by personal visits, contacts, and regular correspondence with various women’s organizations and research institutions on a regular basis. Along with these channels, the Library also receives relevant material as gifts from individual scholars/ researchers and organizations from time to time.
The thrust subject areas over the last few years have been Feminist theory/ feminism, Girl child, Child rights, Child labour, Rural women, New economic policy, Structural adjustment, Financial institutions and credit, Panchayati raj, Environment, Health, Violence against women, Customary rights of women of the Northeast, Local governance, Reproductive health, History, Politics, Communalism, Women’s reservation, Land Reforms, Employment, Empowerment, Disabilities, Poverty, Informal Sectors, Law, Human Rights, Women’s Status, Domestic Violence, Biographies, Education, Literature, Media, Religion and Women’s studies.
The collection is primarily in the English language. There has been a conscious effort in the recent years to all create an information base materials in Hindi. Presently a reasonable number of documents are available in the Library.
The Library collection is growing steadily in the form of both published and unpublished materials. The Library has a wide range of materials reflecting different forms - both physical and textual. The salient features of the collection are:
Reference Collection:
The Library has a very rich and organized reference collection out of which some sections are highlighted here:
Books/ Monographs:
The Library houses an impressive collection of books and monographs focusing on India and from India. However, there is also a sizable coverage of SAARC countries, and other developing and developed countries.
Institutional Papers:
A special feature of the Library is its collection of institutional papers and research reports of various women’s centres, Social Science research institutions, and development agencies working at local, regional, national and international levels.
Periodicals:
Over the past two decades, the Library has developed a vast collection of material in the form of Journals/ Newsletters/ Bulletins through subscription, gratis and exchange from all over India and overseas related to women and development issues. Presently the Library subscribes to 45 journals and receives 6 journals in exchange for the Centre’s journal “Indian Journal of Gender Studies”. The Library also receives over 400 newsletters/ bulletins gratis from various research and academic institutions, government agencies as well as women’s organizations from India and abroad. (List of Journals)
Conference Proceedings and Papers:
The Library has a unique collection of conference/ seminar papers and reports held at national, regional and international levels. Presently the collection of Conference documents are over 1400.
Acts/ Bills:
A good collection of Bills and Acts relating to women and other important issues is build up in the Library over the period of time.
Annual Reports:
Annual reports from voluntary organizations/ women’s organizations, research institutes and government agencies are also a part of the Library collection.
Newspaper Clippings:
A collection of clippings from 7 dailies on 75 subjects is maintained since 1986.
Brochures/ Pamphlets:
The Library also has a collection of brochures of organizations, libraries and documentation centres from India and abroad. Presently it contains over 600 brochures.
Book Lists/ Catalogues:
Institutional and trade booklists and catalogues from India and overseas are also available with the Library. These prove as valuable guides for the book selection process.
Audio-Visuals:
A sizable collection of Audio-visuals in the form of Video Cassettes, Audio Cassettes, Posters and CD-ROMs is being added on a regular basis.
E-Documents:
The Library recently initiated the collection of E-Documents since 2003. In this process, the electronic resources are being downloaded and are stored under various subject categories. Over 350 E-documents have been added into our digital collection.
