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SUMMARY
Kasetsart University Library was established in 1943. From its inception, the small library services the University faculty, students and staff as well as the Department of Agriculture's staff. In 1951 the library merged with the library of the Department of agriculture and was renamed "Central Library". The Library was a section under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives until 1957. Then it was transferred to the Office of University Affairs which oversaw all higher learning institutions. The Library gained faculty status in 1977.
Since 1980, the Kasetsart University Main Library has been serving as the national center of Thailand for the AGRIS and CARIS, the international information systems for agricultural science and technology of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and for the IBIC (International Buffalo Information Center) of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada. and a national coordinating center for agricultural information resources management under the National Information System of Thailand
The University Main Library together with its various branches has 504552 volumes of books in Library at Bangkhen, audiouisual 4864 titles and 95,677 microfiches and 38 (e- journal, e-book ) Database for services at the Main Library and subscribes to 2,025 periodical titles.
DETAIL HISTORY
Kasetsart University Library was established along with the
University in 1943. From its inception, the small library services the
University faculty, students and staff as well as the Department of
Agriculture's staff. In 1948, the library merged with the library of the Department
of agriculture and was renamed "Central Library", which later called
the “Bangkhen Central Library”.
Year 1951
International Collaborative Management Association (ICA) has sent Mrs. Marbelle Wright to
help organize the library. Her important mission was bringing the Library of
Congress Classification System (LC) to use in the Bangkhen
Central Library, which laid the foundation of this classification system here.
On the other hand, it could say that Bangkhen Central Library is a first
library in Thailand
using this system.
Year 1953
His Majesty the King Bhumipol
Adulyadej proceed to open a new Bangkhen Central
Library, which located behind “Plants
Building” on January 2
and has raised the Central Library as a Library Division.
Year 1965
Bangkhen Central Library has moved to address the high single 3 storey building
(behind where the three parents monument is located) with the total area of
1,638 square meters. The opening ceremony was on May 29, 1965 and named that
building as “Central Library”.
Year 1974 - 1975
Kasetsart University has received the budget from Bank loans for development
projects, Kasetsart University to construct the new Central Library
Building for both Bangkhen
and Kamphaengsaen campus. Library also has been developing information
resources, hardware as well as human resource development. In planning the
development have a key role. Besides Mrs. Daruna Somboonkul, the management who
had an important role in planning the development, there are Dr. Dorothy
Paker and Mr. J.R. Blanchard who also came to help in planning and
consulting the library development process during 9 April – 31 May, 1974. Dr. Dorothy Paker is the expert from Rockefeller foundation,
while Mr. J.R. Blanchard is the former director of Shields Library of
University of California, Davis,
USA (26
November - 24 February 1975).
Year 1975
Kasetsart University has provided capital
loans of World Bank for 6 months internship program. The library appointed Mrs.
Piboonsin
Wattanapong to get train on documents and journals and Mrs. Somboon
Saijamjan to get train on Information Resource Analysis at the University of California,
Davis, USA.
Year 1977
Central Library has been upgraded from a division to be Office of the
University Library, equivalent to the Faculty or Department of the University,
while Associate Director Daruna Somboonkul was the first
director of the Library. The organization divided into 5 departments, including
Administrative Office, Technical Work, Public Service, Journals & Documents
and Branch Library. In addition, the Central Library and Faculty Libraries were
managed by using “Centralization” method.
Year 1979
Construction of 2 new Library buildings (Bangkhen and Kamphaengsaen) was
completed. The budget for the Office of the University Library, Bangkhen campus
was 25 Million Baht, while the construction started in October 1979 then
completed in 1975 (total area of 6,700 square maters). And the budget for
Library at Kamphaengsaen campus was 12 Million Baht, while the construction
started in November 1975 then completed in 1979.
Year 1980
Move
library from Central Library building to the new building, names “Chuangkasetsilapakarn” Building or Kasetsart University Library
Old Building
that opens for service until present.
Assign by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a National
Agricultural Information
Center (Thai National
AGRIS Center)
on March 13, 1980 to act as a network of collaborative centers in International
Agricultural Information System (AGRIS-FAO), which funded by International
Development Research Center (IDRC). The responsibility is to collect any
information in agriculture and related fields and send an information index to
be published in journal index together with the index's information centers in
127 countries. The published was not only available in book format, but also
available by using modern technology such as CD-ROM and online.
Year 1981
International Development Research Center (IDRC) supported the Office of
University Library to set up International Buffalo Information Center (IBIC) to
serves as a research center that compiled the document associated with buffalo,
as well as published research to researchers and the general interest and focus
the service especially for the working buffalo (water buffalo or swamp
buffalo).
Year 1982
Start building a database of agriculture in Thailand by recording the data into
the computer at the computer center (The Office of Computer at the present)
Process agricultural
database from a computer to produce the Agriculture Bibliography Volume 1, No.1
(in 1982) published to agricultural agencies and organizations in Thailand.
Year 1985
Receive the first computer, with funding from the International Development
Research Center (IDRC). The model is IBM PC 80286, 10MB hard disk and 256KB
memory.
Year 1986
Library has been assigned to act as Information
Coordinating Center
in the area of Agricultural among their network, including all document center
libraries of division and department relating to agriculture, as well as
departments in academic institutions. The responsibility is to collect
information from various sources and represent the center of source media to
promote and disseminate information on agriculture and related fields.
Year 1991
Start the service on Agriculture Database of Thailand (Thai
AGRIS Database).
Year 1995
The budget approved for the automatic library system program “INNOPAC” to
create more effective database of library resources and be able to search for
remote information through the network, by purchased Cataloging and OPAC
modules, then later purchased additional modules such as Acquisition, Serials
Control and Circulation in fiscal year 1996.
Year 1996
Install the automatic library system of INNOPAC starting from the OPAC Catalog
Module and make use of training to those involved and responsible for Module
during July to November and start recording information resources into the
library database in August of the same year.
Service on “Searching for
information resource” is available through University Network “Nontri Network”
and internet network via Telnet starting on December 17.
Year 1997
Start using the magnetic tape to prevent the book lost. Places and links bar
code on books to prepare for the circulation service in March 1997.
Start using the
automatic library program to search for library resource (Acquisition Module)
in April.
Start the Serial Check
in September.
Install Web OPAC to
search for information through the Web Browser in September.
Start providing
information via the Library's home page, www.lib.ku.ac.th, which developed by the
Department of Educational Technology Services in December 1997.
Year 1998
Start using the
automatic library system for the circulation service on October 26, 1998.
Get approved on budget
for construction of the new building.
Year 2000
Start providing electronic journals and electronic databases on the network. The
first database available for service is “Science Direct”.
Year 2001
Kasetsart University Library by the National
Agricultural Information
Center (Thai National
AGRIS Center)
has been ranked as number 1 out of 10 AGRIS network centers, performing work
and activity to develop agricultural information of AGRIS/FAO.
Start the internet
service in cerebration of the 24th anniversary of the Library Foundation
Day (24th of May) to serve students and staff of the University by
providing total of 50 computers, where 30 computers purchased together with the
Office of Computer Services and additional of 20 computers purchased by the
Library.
Year 2004
Receive the construction budget for the new building by connected with the old
building and completed in February 2006.
Year 2006
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has opened a new
building called Kasetsart
University Learning
Center or KULC on May 19,
2006.
The new building, Kasetsart
University Learning Center (KULC) was firstly opened for service on June 5, 2006.
Her Royal Highness Princess
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has given the name for the new building as “Debaratana
Vidhayachote”, which means the glory building rich with knowledge like a
marvelous glass of god in October 2006.
Year 2007
Initiate the 24 hours service program that extended the service period to 24
hours during near exam period (first time on 5 September to 5 October) and also
open for service on Sunday.
Year 2008
Start using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology for circulation service
on June 5, 2008.
Bring Self-Check
Machine to use in the library on June 5, 2008.
Provide Laptop Loan Service,
allowing users to borrow laptop to use within the library on September 16, 2008.
Year 2009
Budget has been approved for 40 Million Baht for the renovation of the Old Building,
starting from March to December 2009.
Open
the Research Square,
Quit Reading zone service available especially for graduate students,
researchers, faculty and Staff of Kasetsart University on September 9, 2009.
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