contacts

areas of operations

Documentation

CEDs Documentation, Reference and Library facilities cover seven physically distinct sections:

1. Clippings files

2. Reports

3. Journals

4. Newsletters

5. Library of Books

6. AV Documentation

7. Archives in Bangalore

To go along with the Strategic Planning exercise, the documentalists together with consultants and key board members, have been reviewing the documentation system, the classification system, information sources, and analyzing usage patterns.

We have also increased our number of subject categories from 733 to 741 categories during the year. This involved development and refinement of our Dalits and Human Rights files.1. Clippings Files: This is the most popular section in CED. A variety of people who are interested in informing themselves about social trends from a critical standpoint, such as students, teachers, campaigners, lobbyists and activists from several states in India, media personnel from the print media as well as others, use this facility extensively.

Unique to CED, this section represents contemporary history particularly of development and Human Rights. Some of our documentation particularly on issues of the eighties and nineties like Bhopal, Ayodhya, the opening of the economy, is only available at CED, and this collection has helped many an activist, writers in journals and academics.

2. Reports: Reports are of particular significance as they are mainly authored by NGOs, and Government, containing policy, analysis, situation exposes on the critical issues of the day. While books have a longer turn around time, reports are the next best windows to contemporary affairs, especially in the non-formal sectors where NGOs are active. Reports in the Bombay centre now number 6410, and in Bangalore, 3995.

3. Journals: Constitute the next level of information, mainly aimed at the more serious or long-term researcher. They also constitute the better analytical information of use to activists, campaigners, NGOs etc.

Journals kept in Bombay: 46

Journals kept in Bangalore: 27

Journals kept in both Bombay & Bangalore: 18

Users are regularly accessing analytical material through the computerized index.

4. Newsletters: This contains a total of 171 newsletters from NGOs and action groups, which are maintained as non-indexed archives in Bangalore. Since documenting the small items would be very tedious, they are being maintained as a record of NGO activities for the more specialized researcher/historian. A few selected newsletter articles are passed on to the clippings files.

5. Library: The Library section has been directly hit by the slow-down in funding. Yet CED has literally earned some of the books added to our collection through the publication distribution system which gives us access to books at lower costs.

The total number of books in Bombay is now 6995 and more than 400 books have been sent to the archive due to lack of space in the Bombay centre. In Bangalore there are now 3449.

6. AV Documentation: Videos especially documentaries on different issues are important vehicles of dissemination and help reach out to newer audiences. New Acquisitions have been more or less static due to fund constraints. CDs are a new addition.

7. Archives in Bangalore: Since space is a major constraint in our Bombay premises, and most of the documentation particularly the clippings and reports, is unique and invaluable, we have set up the archives in Bangalore and have started shifting old material there.