Introduction
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) is the premier Postgraduate Medical Institution of the country. It bears the heritage to Institute of Postgraduate Medical Research (IPGMR) which was established in December 1965. In the year 1998, the Government upgraded the IPGMR into a Medical University through an Act passed by the National Parliament of Bangladesh. The view was to develop human resources for health, the national health care services and overseas employment by imparting graduate medical education and training in various fields of medical sciences. It also aims at promoting research appropriate to the development of healthcare services and medical science as a whole.
This University has a well equipped modern academic library known as BSMMU Central Library situated at Block # A, comprises of 22,000 sft in 4th and 5th floor. The library can accommodate over 750 users at a time in its well-furnished reading area.
Library Manpower
At present 12 (twelve) officers and 17 (seventeen) staffs are working in 03 (three) shifts in the library.
Library Rules
| a) | Users of the library have to collect his/her Library Card. No one is allowed to use the library facilities without his/her own valid library card. |
| b) | Members of the general library is allowed to use only the reading area and Reference Section of the library. A separate membership card (digital) has to be collected to use Digital Library. Although for the members of Digital Library no other card is needed to use the other section of the library. Both type of cards are machine readable at the time of entry and exit. |
| c) | Smoking, chatting in loud, noise and uproar or any other activities that creates disturbance for other users are prohibited inside the library premises to keep a quiet environment of library. Librarian can stop any activities of that kind immediately. |
| d) | If anyone other than teachers, doctors, students, office-staffs of this University wants to use the library must need permission of the Librarian. |
| e) | No food and drinks are allowed inside the library. |
Membership Card of the Library
| a) | A notice will be published stating fees and charges to collect a library card at the beginning of every academic session (January – December and July – June). |
| b) | Membership Fee can be deposited in Pubali Bank, Shahbag Avenue Branch. |
| c) | Users’ must apply using printed form at the beginning of each session. |
| d) | A filled up application form recommended by Head of the Department including 02 copies of p.p. size color-photo and BMDC Certificate (both attested) of the applicant has to be submitted. |
| e) | Librarian can cancel any membership card due to specific reason. |
Digital Library
| a) | Digital Library of BSMMU has a notable collection of the digital form books/journals of texts and references, audio-videos. |
| b) | Teachers, students and officers of this university are entitled to use the digital library. They have to collect proximity/membership card in order to use Digital Library. |
| c) | Only digital/online books/journals and electronic documents can be used in the Digital Library. Any sort of group discussion or conventional books are not allowed. |
| d) | Members of Digital Library may collect printout of digital/online materils by paying fixed charges. |
| e) | The Digital Library also supports full-text of more than 40,000 electronic journal’s using HINARI, AGORA, OARE, GOALI and ARDI databases. Through University Local Area Network all departments has access to the Central Library. |
| f) | In the Digital Library more than 60 computers are used for browsing internet. |
Reference Section
| a) | Books/study materials will not be issued from the Reference Section. |
| b) | No one is allowed to get inside the reference section with his/her personal books, bag, file, folder or anything of this kind. |
| c) | Users of the library will be responsible if any book/ study material of reference section is damaged [i.e : tearing page of a book, scratching on the page etc.] by the users’. In these cases up to twice of the price can be fined for damaging local books/study materials and three times of the price for imported item. |
Photocopy / Scan Service
Photocopy scan service is provided for the members of the library according to demand with payment.
Liberation War Corner
| a) | Framed Photograph of `Father of the nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sayed Nazrul Islam acting President of the provisional government of Bangladesh at the period of liberation war in 1971, Prime Minister Taj Uddin Ahmed, Finance Minister M. Mansur Ali, Home Minister A H M Qamaruzzaman, General M.A.G. Osmani, Commander in Chief in Liberation War, the 7 Beer-Sreshtha of the war, is being displayed with due respect. Besides these, photograph of surrender of Pakistani armed forces lead by Niazi is also being displayed as a historical evidence. |
| b) | Members of the general library is allowed to use only the reading area and Reference Section of the library. A separate membership card (digital) has to be collected to use Digital Library. Although for the members of Digital Library no other card is needed to use the other section of the library. Both type of cards are machine readable at the time of entry and exit. |
| c) | A list with particulars, their photographs and used utensils of the martyrs of great liberation war who were the teachers, students, office staffs of different medical colleges including then IPGMR is preserved in this corner. |
| d) | Liberation War Corner is open for all the members who has a valid library card irrespective of general or digital. |
| e) | No item/material will be issued from this corner. |
| f) | No one is allowed to visit the `Liberation War Corner’ with his/her personal books, bag, file, folder and anything of this kind. |
Audio-Visual Section
| a) | Audio and video, films, documentaries related to medical education are preserved in audio-visual section. |
| b) | Anyone with a general or digital membership card can use the audio-visual section. No other card will be issued for the purpose. |
| c) | No one is allowed to get inside the `Audio-Visual Section’ with his/her personal books, bag, file, folder and anything of this kind. |
Working Hour
| a) | General Section of the library is open from 8:00 am to 9:45 pm, Reference Section from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and the Digital Section of the library is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in weekdays. |
| b) | Collection and Resources |
| c) | The library book collection consists of over 26907 volumes of books covering the subject areas of health, research, the practice of medicine, related biomedical and allied health care disciplines, nursing, clinical and educational needs of its clients. |
| d) | The journal collection consists of 5308 volumes of Bound Journals arranged alphabetically on the shelves. The Library has been receiving a large number of titles of periodicals and other publications every year. |
| e) | Reference collection can only be used within the library. It consists mainly of encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, world almanac, manual, WHO and other organizational reports etc., is housed in the 5th floor west site of the library. |
| f) | BSMMU Publications and Thesis such as research reports, thesis/dissertations are also shelved separately in the 4th floor Book Stack Area. |
| g) | This library is the depository library of the World Health Organization (WHO) has more than 1000 copies of publications. |
| h) | Other resources include maps, atlases, CDs/DVDs, tapes and audio-visual material are kept in the Journal and Reference Section on the 5th floor. |
Library Management System
All collection of the Central Library is possible to search by library management software system which is named as System of Library and Information Management "SLIM".
Information Services
The main task of the library is to satisfy its readers by rendering need oriented services. The Library provides various types of services such as: reading, reference, Selection Dissemination of Information service (SDI), reader's guidance, referral services, audio-visual and Internet facilities to all users.
BSMMU Central Library
Block-A, 4th & 5th floor, Shahbag,
Dhaka-1000, Banglagesh.
Contact No. 02-9667524, 02-55165760-94/ 4445
E-mail : library@bsmmu.edu.bd