Central Library and Publishing Center

The Central Library and Publishing Center at University of Birjand is a core academic unit dedicated to supporting the teaching, learning, and research activities of the university community. Based on its strategic plans, the library is pursuing a comprehensive transformation to meet the modern needs of its students and faculty.

The goals of library can be summarized in the following key areas:

1. Modernization and Digital Transformation: The library is focused on moving into the digital age by launching a comprehensive digital library for 24/7 access, implementing smart technologies to enhance user experience, integrating all information databases for seamless searching, and establishing an online store to broaden the reach of the university's publications.
2. Advanced Support for Research and Education: A primary goal is to provide high-level support to the academic community. This includes establishing a scientometrics unit to analyze research output, offering specialized information and research consulting, enhancing the information literacy skills of students and faculty, and transforming the library from a book repository into a dynamic and collaborative learning center.
3. Quality Assurance and Standardization: To ensure excellence, the library plans to scientifically evaluate the quality of its services, implement national and international standards in its operations, develop clear and transparent policies and regulations, and invest in the professional development and empowerment of its librarians.
4. Fostering Scholarly Communication and Publishing: The library aims to be an active partner in the creation of knowledge by supporting authors and academic journals within the university, helping to accredit and ensure the quality of these publications, and expanding access to information through regional scientific collaborations.
5. Sustainability and Social Responsibility: The library demonstrates a commitment to broader responsibilities through its ‘Green Library’ initiative, which aims to promote environmentally friendly and sustainable operations.

The Circulation Desk

The Circulation Desk at University of Birjand’s Central Library and Publishing Center manages a collection of over 154,255 Persian and 23,594 foreign language books. Users can utilize the Simorgh software to search the library's holdings, as well as to renew and reserve materials. In addition to handling book loans, returns, membership registration, and account clearances, the section assists patrons with resource discovery, processes purchase requests for new acquisitions, and performs regular collection maintenance, including shelf-reading, weeding outdated materials, and repairing damaged books.

Technical Services Section (Resource Organization)

It is responsible for organizing all library resources to make them easily discoverable in the library's software system. This involves cataloging and classifying books in various languages according to international standards, like the Library of Congress system. The team creates new records and also imports and edits existing data from major sources like the national libraries of Iran and the U.S.

After cataloging, the section physically processes each item, adding stamps, spine labels, barcodes, and security tags, before sending it to the main library sections. Additionally, the section manages the collection by acquiring new materials and weeding old ones, and collaborates with the Department of Information Science to train student interns.

Information Services Section

The Information Services Section at the Central Library meets the informational needs of its patrons with a total of 86 computer workstations, which are divided into two separate halls.

Information Services Hall 1 This hall aims to facilitate user access to online databases and provide expert guidance. Equipped with 66 computer systems, it is available to users during regular office hours throughout the week. The services provided in this section include:

• Managing the website for the Central Library and Publishing Center.
• Training and guiding users on how to use various databases, such as GIGALib, Noormags, Magiran, and Civilica.
• Assisting users with the registration and use of the Hamanandjoo plagiarism detection system.
• Administering the Tolimo English proficiency test.

Information Services Hall 2 The most important objectives and activities of this hall are hosting training workshops and conducting practical computer lab sessions for university courses.

Reference and Theses Section

The activities of this section cover the following three areas:

• Reference Books This collection includes books and resources designed for retrieving specific, limited information and are not available for loan. Various types of reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, thesauruses, and other reference works are available in this section. The collection at the Central Library and Publishing Center includes 7,793 volumes of Persian reference books and 2,034 volumes of English reference books.
• Periodicals (Journals) To meet the research needs of users, the library's periodicals are maintained in a separate collection. This includes over 602 titles of Persian academic journals and 257 titles of non-Persian academic journals. The collection is organized into two parts: current donated journals and the journal archive. Users can search for journal titles through the library's software (Simorgh).
• Theses and Dissertations The collection holds 5,646 Persian theses and dissertations and 160 non-Persian theses in print format. Additionally, there are 5,489 digital theses and dissertations covering the various fields and disciplines at University of Birjand. Research projects conducted at the university (currently 624 completed projects) are also available for viewing and use.

The print versions of theses and research projects cannot be checked out. Users may visit the section in person to view the text and make copies. As per a resolution by the University's Graduate Studies Council, effective September 11, 2018, the library no longer accepts print copies or CDs of theses and dissertations. Instead, students are required to upload a single, complete file of their thesis/dissertation, including the signed defense report and intellectual property forms, to the “Pouya” system.
Duties:

• Training and guiding users on how to use reference books, theses, and articles from print journals.
• Performing routine library tasks such as shelf-reading, weeding outdated resources, binding damaged books, and other periodic activities.
• Providing a Virtual Reference Desk (link to guide).
• Processing and preparing current donated journals for the collection.
• Providing photocopies of articles as requested by users.
• Collecting and registering the information for theses and dissertations from graduate students.
• Collecting and registering the information for undergraduate projects from Art students.
• Handling the library clearance process for graduate students' accounts.
• Offering photocopying services for theses and dissertations in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

Birjand Studies Section

Given the rich historical and cultural heritage of Birjand and its legacy of producing notable figures and intellectuals, such as Dr. Badiozzaman Forouzanfar, Professor Hassan Ganji, Seyyed Gholamreza Saeidi, and Dr. Gholamhossein Shokouhi, we were motivated to establish the Birjand Studies Section within the Central Library and Information Center. The goal is to familiarize students and users with both the scholarly works produced by figures from the region and the academic works written about Birjand county.

Section for the Visually Impaired

To facilitate access for our visually impaired students, the Section for the Visually Impaired was inaugurated and launched in the Central Library and Information Center in May 2018. It is currently equipped with facilities such as an audio library, Braille embossing software (software that converts Word files to Braille), and the Navid and Takjaz software packages.

The Navid software suite includes six programs:

• Braille and Audio Editor: An editor based on MS Word with both Braille and text-to-speech output.
• Dictionary: Four complete dictionaries (English-Persian, Persian-English, English-English, and Persian-Persian).
• Braille and Audio E-Library: Contains the full text of 2,200 Persian electronic books.
• Personal Organizer and Calendar: For storing information such as names, phone numbers, appointments, etc., based on the Persian solar calendar.
• Qur’an Application: The complete text of the Quran with Braille output, Arabic audio, and spoken translations in Persian and English.
• Chess Game: A chess game with both Braille and audio output.

The Acquisitions Section

The Acquisitions Section is responsible for the library’s collection development. Its main role is to identify, select, and purchase necessary resources, including books, journals, and databases in various languages to meet the needs of faculty, students, and researchers.

The section’s key activities include managing the entire procurement process from ordering to final payment, handling donated materials, troubleshooting access issues for online databases, processing lost or weeded books, and informing the university community about new library acquisitions.