Unhindered Knowledge in Legal Studies: The Evolving Role of the School of Law’s Library
Introduction
The School of Law’s library plays a pivotal role in ensuring unhindered access to knowledge, which is vital for advancing legal education and research. By embracing digital resources, open-access databases, and modern research tools, the library supports students and faculty in accessing comprehensive legal information without barriers. Its evolving role extends beyond traditional book collections, offering dynamic platforms for collaborative learning and research. Additionally, the library’s integration of technology fosters inclusivity and accessibility for all learners. Ultimately, it serves as a cornerstone for cultivating a well-informed, justice-driven legal community.
Expanding Resources: The Evolving Role of the School of Law Library at The NorthCap University
While nothing is as indispensable as knowledge and education for achieving the erudition and proficiency required by academicians and humanity alike, The NorthCap University has established a library encompassing various academic and educational resources, including books, e-books, journals, e-journals, and newspapers. This serves as a requisite for enhancing the knowledge and thought processes of the academic fraternity and students worldwide. The unwavering endeavour of the library at the School of Law, The NorthCap University, Gurugram, ensures that no one is deprived of the means to seek essential knowledge necessary for the excellence expected of academicians, faculty members, and students.
Adapting to Change: Remote Access and Digital Resources
Our university, therefore, has taken up the role of the library and its various resources very seriously, especially in a time like this, when students and faculty cannot visit the campus physically to seek knowledge.[1] An extensively formulated conceptual decision was made by the university to support students and faculty whereby remote access to all library resources was made available to all, This not only helped the regular conduction of online classes but also helped the students prepare projects, conduct academic research, and prepare for various examinations. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the scope and need for technological advancements, techniques, and innovations to cope with uncertainties, which has been exquisitely adopted by our university in the form of online classes, an e-library, and e-resources.
Collaborating with Leading Publishers: Access to Global Legal Databases
Our library has collaborated with leading publishers in the legal field, such as Scc Online, Westlaw, Manupatra, Thomson Reuters, etc., to provide a collection of e-books and e-journals, which are accessible through different browsers, desktops, tablets, apps and smartphones. It is an ideal solution for the new generation of professionals, academicians, and students needing mobility, convenience, and speed, especially in times when our movements are substantially restricted. Our university ensures, through the said ‘Digital Library’ (being the name propagated for the aforementioned e-resources/e-library being provided by our university), that nothing impedes the desire to seek knowledge. The ‘Digital Library’ ensures that one can access all academic resources and books without any glitches from any remote location, even while being away from the institute. It has been demonstrated with utter conviction that the e-library and e-resources of any academic institution are the determining factors for the overall growth and development of its teachers, students, scholars, and academicians. Libraries around the world are facing varied circumstances, ranging from broadly maintaining full services to complete closure.
Promoting Digital Literacy: Empowering Users with Training and Support
Our School of Law library has been working hard to provide access to collections and services remotely by promoting its digital services and constantly endeavouring to encourage students across the university to read more online.[2] Not all users are familiar with digital tools; as a result, new training materials and sessions were provided by many database companies to help users make the most of these possibilities. After learning lessons from COVID-19, it is still crucial to remind ourselves of the importance of information, be it academic or otherwise, and for that purpose, the role of libraries and librarians in organising and disseminating information becomes pivotal, even if done through technological advancements and innovations of this era.
Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Legal Education through Knowledge Accessibility
Knowing the information dissemination mechanisms of different media and having an efficient information dissemination plan as a pre-warning for such pandemic situations play a very important role in reducing losses and ensuring the safety of all associated with the institute. Therefore, it is no wonder that we, at the School of Law, NorthCap University – one of the best colleges in Haryana – have provided various online databases accessible outside the university as well. Hence, the university continues to evolve as the library remains a crucial enabler of informed, equitable access to justice and legal understanding. Its commitment to breaking down barriers to information will continue to shape the future of legal education.
Authored By
Dr. Unanza Gulzar
Associate Professor, School of Law
The NorthCap University
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