The documentation centre at the National Law School of India University is set up to help students and other researchers relate to the information not just as a set of facts but as issues that are complex and dynamic. The purpose of documentation and dissemination of information is to be able to challenge official and 'mainstream'sources, to probe politically neglected areas and highlight subjects that receive little academically attention.
The documentation centre at the National Law School of India University was started with a broad goal of strengthening the research centres and being strengthened by them. It meant that the centre occupies a special niche, in that while the library served the general information needs of the students and faculty – the documentation centre focuses more on specific research and projects; therefore it does not to duplicate the library.
The Documentation centre in terms of scope of activities offers research and information backstopping for the research centres. This links it organically to the ongoing studies at the various centres The Documentation centre in terms of scope of activities offers research and information backstopping for the research centres. This links it organically to the ongoing studies at the various centres. Right now the centres that use our services the most remain Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), Centre for Environmental Law Education, Research and Advocacy (CEERA), Centre for the Study of Casteism, Communalism and Law (CSCCL), the material on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Centre for Women and Law (CWL) to some extent.
The material on Labour Legislation and Labour Issues are also referred to quite often
Types of material available at the docCentre:
Reports: From UN agencies, Govts. NGOs, Surveys, Commissions,
Booklets: NGOs, - on a particular aspect of an issue or introductory
material
Loose articles: These are often photocopied from various journals,
books, newspapers etc
Mimeos: Unpublished articles this is material that has generated from the
Centres itself or from other friends, contacts etc.
Journals
Student projects: A selection of the projects that the students have
submitted as part requirement for the course.
Modules Training Material: These are again a valuable source for the
centres in designing their own training session as well as for activists who are working on the issue
Annual Reports (Of NGOs, other bodies)
Newsletters
Reading Material (Compilation): these are mostly put together by the
faculty for the students and therefore represent a collection that
has a specific purpose
Newspaper clippings
Electronic Material including
(email briefs, email listings, electronic articles internet downloads, CDs)
Case Files
Audio/Video material
Users:
Students, (LLB, LLM, distant education programme students and other law and non-law students), Faculty, researchers, Lawyers, and Social activists. Studetns and researchers form the biggest chunk of users .
Activities:
Reference facilities: The centre is open to public as a reference centre. You are welcome to come here, browse and photocopy material
Electronic queries and phone queries (From distant users) The centre also caters to distant users by responding to their queries and information needs. Copies of documents - printed and electronic - can be sent to users who cannot visit us.
Reading lists and other services: On requests as well as periodically on its own the docCentre plans to come up with reading lists and even bibliographies. Please await our bibliographies on Juvenile Justice and Child Sexual Abuse.
Research The docCentre is also involved with some research projects. These include
Girls and Juvenile Justice System(outline)
Right to Information (Outline)
The documentation officer was also commissioned to write a paper for United Nations Development Programmme on Women and Law. This paper will form part of a report that will be published shortly (Click here to for the full report Wrong Arm of the Law). Besides this there have been a couple of articles that the documentation officer has written.
Research support: On particular issues that researchers are closely involved with the docCentre is more proactive and systematically attempts to acquire material from a variety of sources especially non-traditional and lesser known ones. Example of this include issues of caste and race; women and law; and affirmative action.
Teaching: The documentation officer also undertook the teaching of a full course in Research Methodology for the masters level students (LLM Isy Year)
(Course Outline)
Teaching support: The docCentre is also a place from where some faculty members draw on to enhance their reading material .
The docCentre follows a classification that it has evolved itself as its emphasis is on issues and not subjects (i.e. children, women etc and not sociology, political science etc).Also since it is linked with the researchers this needs to reflect the research needs. The principle of library science, however are followed while this is done.
Click on the following classifications for the reports:
Children
Caste and Communalism
Development and globalisation
Environment
Human Rights
Labour
WTO
Alternative Globalisation from a gender perspective
Women and Law
Contacts:
Ms. Rohini T, Documentation Assistant
doccentre@nls.ac.in