Information Needs of Library Users of Selective Metallurgical Institutions in Jharkhand

Abstract

This paper highlights on the R&D information needs of scientists, engineers, managers and researchers in the field of metallurgy working in selective metallurgical institutions in Jharkhand, India. The study revealed that the R&D groups of these organisations used a variety of formal and informal information sources effectively in meeting their research information needs. Apart from literature search, the teams attend meetings, discussions, seminars, workshops and conferences as the major informal sources of acquiring knowledge, sharing experiences with their colleagues and experts and to establish professional contacts for exchange of knowledge. Government-funded organisations have a provision of regular budget to support their knowledge resources whereas public funded organisations are mostly project-based funding and fluctuates from time to time as also in the case of privately funded, which are mostly need-based. Similar is the case for document procurement services and knowledge sharing in all the three kinds of metallurgical organisations.