Knowledge makes any one to be efficient in the day today endeavour. There are several means of acquiring knowledge. Books occupy a predominant role in imparting knowledge to anyone who read them.
Through maintenance of academic books, reference books, journals and periodicals in the main library of a campus and/or in the sub-libraries attached to faculty departments and study centers of a College or University, the students and faculties are provided an effective platform for enriching their knowledge.
Likewise staff working in an organization or government department need adequate study and reference materials that help them in their day today work. For this purpose, every such office maintains a small library section within the administrative set up of such organization or government department.
Since the ages, the public libraries in towns and districts provide the much needed knowledge to every citizen.
Thus library and sub libraries are being used as a powerful means to equip people with knowledge and information as well as satisfying their literary cravings.
Current scenario of library use
Regardless of the purpose of the use of library, very often a library user needs to physically visit the library premises or library book racks and spends an enormous amount of time to browse through the content index and other preface information of many relevant books to know as to which topic or subject head is covered in a particular book and makes a choice to read it or otherwise.
Similarly the user does not have any ready means to know the feedback from someone, who had already read that particular book in which the user is interested except a word of mouth.
As of now, none of the library or sub-library provides beforehand about the content of the books in a structured manner to the user about every book and quick search revealing the list of books that contain writings on a particular topic and recorded details of feedback of previous readers of a particular book.
It is a longing need of every library user to have the above said needed information in an automated and structured manner so that time and efforts of the users are saved and the real purpose of libraries is served.
What is PigeonDra?
Addressing the above need and to increase the effectiveness of library usage, we developed an off-the-shelf customizable software solution called ‘PigeonDra’.
This professional solution automates quick revealing of the content index details, topics available, feedback received and other preface information of a particular book at the touch of button in a structured manner facilitating every library user to save enormous time and efforts in knowing briefly about a book before actually taking it for reading.
Thus it is a reckoning tool for efficient search of cataloguing information about books maintained in Libraries or Sub-Libraries or Library Racks that are attached to Centers / Departments of Universities; Educational Institution and Government Offices
What PigeonDra can do?
It enables you to,
Have a ready reckoning database of all books
Automate individual department sub-library
Instantly peruse cataloguing information of books
Save time & efforts to know content index of a book
Instantly identify book content for a purposeful usage
Culling of books as per specific topics & subjects
Lay hands only on relevant books in the library
Search title/author/topic/branch/semester wise
Know online about books without visiting library
Enjoy and be comfortable online search of library
Who can use PigeonDra?
Every public library in a district or town
Every library in a University/College campus
Every sub-library in Department/Faculty centre
Every Government office that has a mini library
Every organization that has a library
Salient features of PigeonDra
A proprietary solution for a niche domain
Readily installable with typical modules
Cost effective implementation and roll out
Centrally deployable Client-Server architecture
Back end driven with inbuilt database
Front end interfaces with latest technologies
Fully tested, Technical and Functional wise
Versatile search capability with print option
User friendly menu navigation
Complementary to the existing library solution
Optionally web enabled online access possible
Privileged access for different type of users
USP of PigeonDra
By use of this solution, one can access the catalogue information of every relevant book available in the library/sub-library at the touch of button without physically visiting the library premises and the book racks in the departments.
Once such a cataloguing information about the relevant books are known through ‘PigeonDra’, then the user could lay hand only on those relevant books at the available location for a focused attention to use them.
This kind of automated process to cull out cataloguing information about a book and the feedback recorded by earlier readers etc will make the exercise more enjoyable and purposeful.
It provides a comprehensive and innovative search capability for the cataloguing information about books. This could be done title wise, author wise as well as other advance search with parameters of topic names, subject name etc
In respect of libraries in colleges/universities the book’s relevance to a branch of study and to particular semester etc could also be done allowing the students and faculties to identify the right books relevant to their specific choice of topics, branch of study
igeonDra is not a solution to replace any library management system already existing in the library but to work in consonance and complement with for better utilization of the library books in the university by the students, faculties and other users
In any University or College or Corporate or Government, the individual departments too purchase various books and maintain them in library rack for the benefit of their use. These books could be maintained and accounted properly in a cost effective manner.
It has interface for updating the information of every book with reference to,
The names of the topics available
A brief write up about the book
Its relevance to a particular branch of subject
All typical information relevant to book
The administrative problem or difficulty associated in managing the database of list of books in a particular department or center would stand automated and solved
PigeonDra introduce accountability with person’s incharge of sub libraries in the department or center for proper maintenance of books
PigeonDra ensures safe and proper custody of valuable reference books in spite of non formal lending transaction carried out in sub libraries
PigeonDra would be very handy to keep intact of proper handing over and taking over of the books and reference items available in sub libraries regardless of frequent change of incharge person of such sub libraries
PigeonDra has a feature to cross refer the books and reference items taken from main libraries and maintained in sub libraries
