St Xavier’s 24x7 e-library opens to all Ahmedabad students

A visit to the library is not going to be only a day-time affair. Soon students pursuing higher education - like post graduate and
doctoral degrees - will also be able to visit an e-library at night as St Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad is coming up with an e-library by March 2012.

The e-library will be set up in its golden jubilee block which is going to be dedicated to a noted literary figure of Gujarat, Father Valles. Talking about the project, principal of St Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, Fr Vincent Braganza said that the idea of starting an e-library is to promote greater learning among students.

“The library, with a capacity of 100 seats to start with, will allow students from all colleges and institutes, apart from Xavier’s, to use the facility that will have all important journals, magazines and references for students of PhD and post graduation. As the library is going to operate 24x7, it will be open to outside students after 6:00 pm, up to 9:00 am,” Fr Braganza said and added that a team will be working out the fee structure.

He also said that the institute plans to increase the sitting capacity of the e-library to 300 in coming time. In 2005-06, when St. Xavier’s College celebrated its golden jubilee, it also initiated a project for construction of a golden jubilee block on its premises.

The construction of the block is now in its final stages of completion and the total cost, which is around Rs5 crore, has been borne by the college management itself. The ground floor and half of the first floor of the new building will house the e-library.