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Introduction: Tribhuvan University Central Library (TUCL) established in 1959 A.D., is the largest library in Nepal in terms of space, collection, service, staff, library members, equipments and its activities. At present the library has over 3,00,000 volumes of books including 550 rare unique manuscripts, 7,000 rare books and other archival materials. The library has 34,269 back issues of 1,557 general and research periodicals in English and Nepali. Journals published from Nepal are arranged separately in the Nepali journal collection.. Those collections have been rendering service to the University students, faculty members, government officials, foreign diplomatic missions and general public. It has also started modern information service i.e. computerized catalogue (OPAC), Internet, Online journals, CD-ROMs, scanning, e-resources etc. The library has started microfilming of rare books and journal for their preservation. It is also academic resource centre for Nepal. The library is trying to modernize and develop itself as one of the best libraries in Nepal.
Special Collections: The library has following general and special collections.
Archive Collection 7. Rare Book Collection Audio Visual Collection 8. Reference Collection General Collection 9. Research Journal Collection Microfilm Collection 10. Singh Collection Nepal Collection 11. Text Book Collection Nepali Journal Collection 12. United Nations Depositary Collection Depositary Collections: TUCL has been the depository for United Nations (UN) publications and its agencies since 1965. The library is also depository library for 16 International Organizations. Following are some of the International Organizations from where we have been receiving documents regularly. - The World Bank - Asian Productivity Organization - International Food Policy Research Institute - International Monetary Fund - International Labour Organization - UNESCO, ESCAP, FAO, UNICEF, WHO, UNCTAD, UNFPA, WTU, IAHS
INASP/PERI: The library is the National Co-coordinating Agency of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) for the Implementation of Scientific publication of the Program for Enhancement of Research Information (PERI) which provide access to more than 25,000 scholarly journals full text to the Nepalese scholars, scientists and other users free of cost. More than 200 institutions and organizations of Nepal have registered to have access to PERI resources.
NepJOL: NepJOL is one of the most important activities of INASP/PERI program. Its main objective is to make accessible the Nepali scientific journals through web worldwide. Before the implementation of the programs different activities like selection of the journals, commitments for inclusion within NepJOL, workshops, journal uploading onto NepJOL website are being preformed by the library. Electronic publications of Nepalese journals are formed at: http://journals.sfu.ca/Nepal
Nepalese National Bibliography:
TUCL is compiling the Nepalese National Bibliography (NNB) since 1981. Nepal Research Center, Conducted and sponsored by Germany has supported TUCL in compiling NNB. So far library has published nine issues from 1981-1999.
ISBN Agency:
TUCL is the National Agency for issuing International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to Nepalese publications. It has provided ISBN to more than 11,000 Nepalese publications since the ISBN system began in 2000.
Constituent Assembly Corner (CAC) : TUCL established a Constituent Assembly Corner (CAC) on November 2006. It is a well known fact that election of Constituent Assembly is a national agenda. It is a historical event happening in Nepal. TUCL thought how the library can help in the historical agenda of the nation. Certainly the library has some documents on CA. They are collected and organized in a separate room. At the moment the collection includes more than hundred volumes of books in English and Nepali, articles published in journals and newspaper, magazines etc. The library received 15 volumes of books on Constituent Assembly from American Centre, Kathmandu. More then 1000 visitors have been using the collection. Many of them have expressed their opinion on CA and its establishment at TUCL. All interested on CA are welcome to use CAC.
Exhibitions
Display of books written by Dr. Harkha Gurung The library displayed 27 volumes of books, journals, thesis, reports written by Dr. Harkha Gurung from Nov. 12-19, 2006. Dr.Gurung was a geographer, social anthropologist, economist, player etc. He died on Taplejung helicopter of Sri Airline's accident with 24 on board included Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation, other senior officials of Ministry and Foreign Mission on 17th Sept., 2006.
Khulla Dhoka Exhibition from 23 Feb to 23 March, 2007: Tribhuvan University Central Library organized an exhibition of the painted wooden doors "Khulla Dhoka" and also the poems written by eminent poets of Nepal. The wooden doors are prepared by the artists of Nepal. Khulla Dhoka is an invocation to open doors. Doors are opened to all social communities like religious, political, disabled, gay people, the army, police, refugees etc. There are 41 painted wooden doors and 31 poems written in the plastic coated paper hangings. The first door project was conducted early in 1983 in Australia by Terry Davis, the principal of the Yuendumu School to provide context for the religious heritage. Hundred Doors Project was implemented in Belgium in Oct. 2004. Over 100 children participated in the program. The door was interpreted as geographic territory where students could come together to share ideas as common space. The exhibition materials are received from the Siddhartha Art Gallery through Mr. Ratna Mani Nepal and Mr. Sanjeev Upreti. Donation of Books by the Ambassador of Japan by Mr. Hsutomu Hiraoka to Tribhuvan University Central Library:
Ambassador of Japan Mr. Hsutomu Hiraoka donated 71 volumes of books worth Yen 500 to TUCL under its Library Support Program on 14th March, 2007. These books were on various aspects of Japan i. e. history, culture, economics, politics, library science. In this book handover ceremony Ambassador Mr. Hiraoka expressed his hope that the books would be much help to the professors and the students of the University as well as to researchers in general. Chief Librarian, Mr. Krishna Mani Bhandary, on behalf of TUCL extended heartfelt thanks to the Japan Foundation and the Government of Japan saying that the books would help to enrich the collection of books on Japan at the Japan Study Centre. The ceremony was also followed by a lecture on "Japan-Nepal Historical Relations through Buddhism and Sanskrit "by Mr. Michihiro Narita, Lecturer of Japanese history at the campus of International language of Tribhuvan University. He highlighted the influence of Sanskrit and Lichhivi script on the Japanese language and stated that further research on culture of each others country will help to promote understanding between the two countries and their people.
The landmark of New York; a photographic exhibition: Tribhuvan University Central Library and American Center of the Embassy of the United States of America in Nepal jointly organized a photographic exhibition of the landmarks of New York; an illustrated record of the city's historical buildings by Barabaralee Diamonstein- Spiel Vogel, Chair, Historic landmark preservation Center from April 13 to May 3, 2007 to mark 40th anniversary of the passage of the New York city landmarks law. 81 black and white framed photographic with descriptive explanatory texts about each landmark are displayed. Each text described the cultural, historical and architectural significance of each site. The US Ambassador to Nepal James F. Moriarty inaugurated the photographic exhibition. On the program the US Ambassador extended wishes of peace, prosperity and democracy on the occasion of the Nepalese New Year. He said libraries are indeed the key foundation of democracy. Chief Librarian, Krishna Mani Bhandary appreciated the US government's support for equipping the library with books and journals. He requested the Ambassador to draw his attention in human resource development in the field of library and information science.
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Nepal Universities 
