CHAPTER - 4
PROFILE OF LAW UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
4.0 Introduction
Since India go independence in 1947, the number of students seeking legal education has gone up tremendously. Legal education in India developed at two hierarchical levels, some schools of law of excellence at the top having first class facilities and admitting only the best, intellectually advanced, students on an all- India basis and at the other level, the ordinary law schools providing mass legal education. In the top schools to be known as National Law Schools, the emphasis should be on quality. These law schools can develop inter-disciplinary courses, develop the necessary professional skills and also develop research and offer new courses in law and development. These law schools should enjoy enough autonomy to experiment with new law courses and teaching methods. The rest of the law schools would have to cater to quantity, perhaps, to some extent, at the cost of quality.
The concept of a National Law School has been picked up by the Bar Council of India in the context of its statutory responsibility for maintaining standards in professional legal education under the Advocates Act, 1961. This brought about uniformity in the system of legal practitioners in the form of Advocates and provided for setting up to the Bar Council of India and State Bar Council in the States. Under clause (h) of sub Sec.7 of the Advocates Act, 1961 the Bar Council of India has power to fix a minimum academic standard as a precondition for the commencement of a study in law. Under clause (i) of sub –sec (1) of Sec.7 the Bar Council of India is also empowered to recognize Universities whose degree in law shall be taken as a qualification for enrolment as an advocate and for that purpose to visit and inspect Universities. The Act thus confers on the Bar Council power to prescribe standards of legal education and recognition of law degrees for enrolment of persons as Advocates. However, for promoting legal education and for laying down standards of legal education, the Universities and State Bar Councils must be effectively consulted. The University Grants Commission has in the course of time evinced interest in improving legal education and has taken various steps towards that end, through adequate
funding, creation of senior posts and other means. This idea has now fructified. The National Law School has been set up at Bangalore under the National Law School of India Act, 1986, enacted by the Karnataka Legislature.
The Institute also runs a few diploma courses in law subjects as a part of its continuing legal education programme. The Institute also arranges from time to time lectures by legal scholars, both Indian and foreign. The most significant part of the Institute’s activities is to maintain a law library which may become, in course of time, the best law library in India and which may serve as the nucleus for legal research by law scholars from far and wide, not only from India but also from abroad. The library is an extremely important part of the structure of the Institute. It is not possible for every University to develop a first class law library of its own owing to the scarcity of resources. There should therefore be at least one central law library in India comprehensive enough to serve the needs of research scholars in law. Because of their library some Universities allow research students to fulfill their residential requirements at the Institute.
India is a vast country occupying geographically the seventh place in the world, second place as per the population size and India’s higher education system is the third largest in the world. Before independence the country had only 27 Universities. Thus India today has 427 registered Universities, which include public (National, State owned and autonomous) and private universities. Out of these Universities only 16 Universities are Law Universities. The first law University setup in Bangalore was named the National Law School of India University (NLS). It was therefore for the first time that a law degree other than LLB or BL was granted in India. The next in line was National Law Institute University setup in Bhopal in 1997. It was followed by NALSAR university of Law in 1998.
Out of 16 Law Universities six Law Universities are south Indian Universities namely, the T. N. Dr. Ambedker Law University, A.P University of Law, National University of Advanced Legal Studies, NALSAR University of Law, National Law
4.1 The T.N Dr. Ambedker Law University Library
The T.N Dr. Ambedker Law University was established in the year 1997 in pursuance of Tamil Nadu Act No. 43 of 1977 is endowed with the authority to grant affiliation to Law Colleges in the State. The Law University is committed to the carese of providing quality legal education provides excellent platform for making innovative research in the field of law for the academicians, advocates, Judicial officers and Judeges. The Law University has introduced Ph.D research programme during the year 2002. This Law University including seven departments namely Department of Business Law, Department of Constitutional Law and Human Rights, Department of Intellectual Property Right, Department of International Law, Department of Environmental Law, Department of Criminal Law and Department of Human Rights and Duties Education center for Human Rights. This Law University has eight affiliated Law Colleges in Tamil Nadu State.
The T.N Dr. Ambedker Law University Library has 18, 869 books and is subscribing to 1023 National and International Journals. At present the library has books on various subjects like Information Technology, Cyber Laws, English, Political Science, etc. The library has received 1114 books from William E. Jagan, Lawyer 455 Taft, Glen Ellyn, Illionis 60137 Glen Ellyn, Ill-60137. The Library has a good collection of CD-ROMs and also subscribes to online legal Database.
Computerization of the T.N Dr. Ambedker Law University library was completed in 2010. The major areas where Automation applications are in progress are Acquisition, cataloguing, Circulation and Serial control facility. The major users of the library are 35 members of the teaching staff, 240 post graduate students, one research scholar and UG students. The Law University library has developed the databases of its holdings using the library software called ‘Koha’. The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) facility available in this database helps the library users to have access to the available documents in the library. Library users using this system can search for books of their interest and know about the availability of the books. In case the books have already been issued to other members they can be reserved.
4.2 A. P University of Law Library
The Government of Andhra Pradesh decided to establish a new Law University and as per the decision of the council of ministers at a meeting held on 30-06-2008 the Governor of Andhra Pradesh promulgated the Andhra Pradesh University ordinance, 2008 on 8th July 2008 and A.P University was established in the year 2009. The University came into existence with Vishakapatnam as the main Campus and two branches at Kadapa and Nizamabad. This University of Law is to be built on the traditional ethos of Andhra Pradesh and become a temple of learning. The Law University is a body corporate having perpetual succession. This University has been developed on par with other National Law Schools. A.P University of Law offers B.A., LLB, LLM, Ph.D, LLD and Diploma Cources.
A.P University of Law library functions on all days except Sundays and public holidays. The library is kept open between 9.00 am to 8.00 pm on all working days. Being a Law University library collection is highly important. It must cover all the areas of the subject to serve the users from different areas. The Law University library collection mainly consists of books, periodicals like Supreme Court Cases (SCC), Manpatra and already procured hard copies of All Indian Reports (AIR) back volumes from 1950, apart from other journals, Cd-Roms. Library collections are added to the Law University library with the prime importance of meeting of the academic and intellectual needs of users. The users of the Law University library constitute UG students, PG students, Research scholars, Teaching and Non teaching staff.
Computerization of A. P University of Law library was completed in 2010. As in the Dr. Ambedker University of Law Library the major areas where Automation applications are in progress are Acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and serial control facility. The Law University library has also developed the database of its holdings using the library software package ‘Koha’. The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) facility available in this database helps the library users to have access to the available documents in the library. Library users use this OPAC facility to search for
4.3 National University of Advanced Legal Studies Library
National University of Advanced Legal Studies was established by the State of Kerala by Act 27 of 2005 to be a national level institute of excellence in higher learning of law in the state. The University was established and managed by the Bar Council of Kerala and Bar council of Kerala trust NIALS was then the approved centre of the Cochin university of science and technology and recognized by the university. The Bar council of India has recommended 38 subjects for the 5 year LLB course. NUALS has developed an innovative style of imparting legal education, in keeping with the changing times and attitudes towards the study of law. The University offers B.A LLB and LLM. The Government of Kerala has allotted 2.5 acres of land and a permanent building on lease for housing the university. The Government has also allotted 10 acres of land on lease for 90 years near KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, at Kalamassers, in the outskirts of Kochi, for constructing the permanent campus for this University. Plans for construction are already underway. The construction of boundary walls has been completed. The University will be shifted to the new campus within a short period.
The Law School library has been an integral part of the academic endeavor in Law School. The curriculum and teaching methods of the Law School require both intensive and extensive use of the materials in the library. The library is being constantly enriched by the acquisition of latest books and journals keeping pace with changing times. Within a short period of three years the University has set up a good library. The University has set up good computers with unlimited Internet facility to students. All kinds of facilities are available in the computer section for the students including online search, printing facility etc.
The National University of Advanced Legal studies Library was automated in year 2009. The University library has developed the databases of its holdings using the software ‘Koha’ mentioned earlier. The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) facility available in this database helps the library users to have access to the available documents in the library. The major users of the library are UG students, PG students, Teaching and Non teaching staff.
4.4 NALSAR University of Law Library
NALSAR University of Law was established in 1998 under the National Academy of legal studies and Research University Act. The University recognized NALSAR under section 2(f) and 12(b) of the Act, 1956. The University has been giving importance to evolving and imparting comprehensive legal education at all levels to achieve excellence, organize advanced studies and promote research in all branches of law etc. The University campus is located in a 50 acre site abutting the Shameerpet Lake about 28 kms away from the city expansive, serene and open site on which the several building have come up. The main buildings on the campus include Administrative Block, Academic Block, Library, Computer centre, M.K Nambyar SAARC a state –of – the art moot court hall and a lecture hall with video conferencing facilities.
NALSAR University of Law Library started in the year 1998. It is a well-stocked library with latest books, periodicals and newspapers which offer a wide variety of subjects. The University library functions on all working days from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm and on Sundays and Government holidays the library is open from 10.00 am to 5.00pm. The users of the NALSAR University of Law Library consist of 25 members of teaching staff, 100 Post Graduate students, 450 UG students, ten full time research scholars and members of the non teaching staff. The University library was automated in the year 2005 and use the Library Automation software developed by VTLS company. The OPAC facility available in this database helps the library users to have access to the documents available in the library.
The computer network operates in both standalone and network environments. In standalone environment, the computer operates independently and in network environment, they are connected and monitored by the central server and individual computers as client nodes. The University library is working in a LAN environment and it has a Wi-Fi connection too.
campus is coming up on a sprawling 55 acres of beautiful landscape at Navanagar, Hubli. KSLU is plausibly the first institution, imparting higher education. It is the single largest federal Law University in the country affiliating more than 87 law colleges spread over the entire state of Karnataka. At present KSLU offers the 3 year LLB course, 5 year B.A., LLB, BBA., LLB and BBA., LLB (Hon’s) double degree integrated courses and LLM in Constitutional Law, Intellectual property rights, Business and Trade Law, Criminal Law and International Law. All these courses can be offered by any of the affiliated Law Colleges having required facilities. In addition the Ph.D and LLD courses are also offered on the main campus.
This University library has business hours from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm on working days, on public days public holidays and Sundays from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm. with the laudable objective of providing quality legal education even to the poorest of the poor- the common man’s ‘dream come true’. The computerization of University of Law library was completed in 2009. The major areas where Automation applications are in progress are Acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and serial control facility. The University library has developed the database of its holdings using the library software package ‘ARGGS’ and developed by ARGGS Pvt. Ltd. The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) facility available in this database helps the library users to have access to the documents available in the library. Library users use this OPAC facility to search for books of their interest and to know about the availability of books or issued to others members. The library is equipped with computers and Internet connection.
4.6 National Law School of India University Library
National Law School of India University was established on August 29, 1987 under the National Law School of India Act. The first batch of students joined on July 1st 1988 and the integrated five year B.A., LLB. (Hons’) course. The NLSIU started its courses in the premises of the central college, Bangalore University. The NLSIU moved to its own premises at the present to address in 1992. The National Law School of India University is located in Nagarbhavi, 10 kms from the Bangalore city railway station. The law school is spread over an 18 acre campus at the entrance to the Jnana Bharati campus from the Nagarbhavi end. The University is fully residential,
with complete residential facilities for the students and the staff. The campus had its first building in 1992 and today it has a main academic block, a distance education block, three Halls of Residence each for men and women, one post graduate women’s hostel, staff quarters and a well equipped training centre with residential facilities for participants in training programs.
The National Law School of India University Library has a collection of over 40,000 volumes covering a wide range of general and special subjects consisting of text books, reference books, back volumes of journals and reports etc., apart from legal periodicals. The library has adopted an open access system so as to facilitate readers to have easy access to the library resources. The library has also established links with other important libraries in and around Bangalore in order to provide inter-library access for the benefit of students and teachers of NLSIU. To assist the students and research scholars in locating literature as well as information in their areas of research, general reference, current awareness and computerized catalogue have been introduced.
The library has introduced computerized facilities for both housekeeping and information retrieval. The University Library has now a broad band width leased line connection to the internet; it is possible to have easy access to information directly from all available computerized data bases all over the world, not only in the field of law but also in other disciplines. Keeping in mind the vision to create an Elaw School, the University subscribes to many international online databases. The library was shifted to the new building on 27th August 2005. This ambitious dream of the law school from the inception has come true. The building has all the modern state-of-the-art gadgets with wi-fi internet connection and highly modernized Audio-Visual equipment with teleconferencing facility.
