Assessment of automated systems in ICFRE Institutes Libraries of India: Issues and challenges

The aim of the study is to assess the status and implementation of automated library systems and identify challenges encountered in automating forest libraries in India. The questionnaires were designed and pilot-tested. Data collection took place both offline and online. The statistical software Jamovi (version 2.4.11) and the spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel (version 2019) were the main tools for data presentation, tabulation, and analysis. The results show that the Forest Research Institute (FRI) has the most important collection of books and reading materials. In contrast, the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI) subscribes to the largest number (30) of Indian journals. FRI’s library is fully automated, while RFRI is partially automated. The Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI) and the Institute of Forest Productivity (IFP) have not been automated. FRI and RFRI use KOHA software for automation, with FRI using all automated library system modules while RFRI only uses cataloguing and circulation modules. The study highlights significant challenges these forest libraries face in automating, including a lack of funding, skilled IT staff, and library resources.