Balbharati goes online

To beat annual shortage, Balbharati goes online
Starting June, the textbooks for Std I to VIII will be available in PDF format on the website www.balbharati.in free of cost : Deepti Khera mirrorfeedback@indiatimes.com
To tackle perennial shortage of its textbooks, Balbharati has decided to upload them on its web site (www.balbharati.in) in the PDF format. Starting from June the textbooks, for Std I to VIII, will be available online free of cost.
The PDF files will contain all the illustrations and exercises that the textbooks have. Balbharati has now been printing textbooks for nearly 55 years. An official from Balbharati, which also serves the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, said, “Each year Balbharati prints more than six crore textbooks. With such a huge amount of print orders, there is a possibility of a time lag. In order to avoid shortages, that would cause hardships to students, we have decided to take this move.”
Priyanka Verma, a student studying in Std VI, said, “Last year, I enquired at all the local stores, but my math book was just not in stock. It was only a month after school started that I got the book. Till then I managed on photocopies.” Priyanka isn’t alone. Shimin Patel, parent of a Std VII student, had to go to the extent of writing to officials at Balbharati officials to get the science book for her daughter, as all the nearby stored were out of stock. Former Director of Balbharati Vasant Kalpande, whose idea it was to go online with the textbooks, said, “Students will no longer have to hunt for textbooks. We hope to start upload most books from the start of this academic year itself.”
He added, “Some Marathi medium textbooks for Std I and II have already been uploaded.”
Chairperson of Maharashtra’s Education Board Ujwala Patil also approved of the move, saying, “Students can now heave a sigh of relief.” Currently, Balbharati prints more than six crore textbooks every year
Source: Mumbai Mirror dated 9 May 2011

Alternatives to Photoshop

Fotoflexer.com
A free online image editing software. You can add animation to your photos, cut a person out of the background, crop, resize, and lots more! There is even a neat feature for creating posters! A great little tool for basic image editing techniques.
Gimp.org
An open source image manipulation program. Great tool for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring.
Inkscape.org"
An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format."
Pixlr.com
For photoediting

SMS e-library to show live surgeries

JAIPUR: Now, the resident surgeons would be able to see live surgeries performed by eminent doctors from the operation theatres (OT) of Sawai Man Singh Hospital as the surgery department has developed an e-library on the premises.
HoD of the surgery department Dinesh Jindal said, "We want to connect our e-library with our OT, this would help our students to study various kind of surgeries watching them live." The newly developed e-library has books on surgery written by notable doctors, journals and videos of surgeries. "Videos are important as they help in imparting practical knowledge to the students. We are trying to bring more videos of surgeries performed in prominent hospitals like AIIMS." The surgery department plans to connect its e-library with other hospitals so that the resident doctors could see the live convention on latest technologies organised in other hospitals. "There would be a code, which the other hospitals would provide us. Through that code we would be able to see the convention live on surgeries organised in the other hospitals," he said. The e-library has computers and also projectors, where around 40 resident doctors could access the library at a time.
SMS hospital superintendent LC Sharma said that the e-library could be used for saving records of operations, could be used in future for reference of the cases. He said the authorities plan to open such e-libraries in other departments too.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/SMS-e-library-to-show-live-surgeries/articleshow/8130272.cms

A Harmonium of 22 Shruti

http://www.22shruti.com/

Indian music is composed using Shadaja, 4 types of Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, 4 Dhaivat and 4 Nishads making a total of 22 Shruti. A novel idea of a Harmonium with these 22 Shruti is the brainchild of Dr. Vidyadhar Oak. Videos depicting this concept and for a more explanation, visit the site.

Courtesy: Vivek Mehetre, Web Jagat, Loksatta dated 27/04/2011

Listen to kids' stories by kids

www.smories.com

A site which takes you on a roller-coaster of stories told by kids and for kids. A must-see for all the children in this summer vacation.

Rich Kid Smart Kid

Rich Kid Smart Kid (RKSK) is the youth initiative of The Rich Dad Company – seeking to increase the financial literacy of the next generation of future entrepreneurs. By utilizing games as a means to teach challenging subjects like finance, business and investing, we are training a fresh, new group of business owners and creative thinkers who will become their community's leaders. The Rich Dad mission is one of education and empowerment. Knowledge is power. The Rich Dad Company is committed to improving the awareness of and opportunities for improved financial literacy for adults and children around the world.
Source: http://www.richkidsmartkid.com/about.html

Reminder to staff for returning books

This is a gentle request to all the staff members to return all the text-books borrowed by them latest by 30th. April, 2011 for the benefit of students. They may although renew the reference books.

Borrowal duration for books will be 15 days

Starting from April 30, 2011, the home-issue duration for books will be 15 days.

Congratulations to Book-Mark Contest Winners!

The Central Library and the Library Advisory Committee have announced the winners for the Book Mark Making Contest. Come and have a look at the winning book-marks on the notice board. The winners are as follows:
First place: Melinda Gomes
Second place: Aaron D'souza
Third place: Kinjal Shah and Nidhi Panchal

Free Access to superb GALE resources

In celebration of National Library Week, you will have FREE access to superb Gale resources listed below from April 10th - April 24th. Access the products below or add the access widget to your homepage: Gale NewsVault — The definitive cross-searching experience for exploring Gale's historical newspaper and periodical collections — with access to more than 10 million digitized pages. Global Issues in Context — Empower your users with the tools they need to understand today's world issues from a truly global perspective. GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) — From the green-collar economy to questions of energy and resource management, GREENR is the foremost online reference portal for sustainability and environmental studies. Powerspeak Languages — The perfect language learning resource teaches users how to immerse into cultural authenticity. New languages include ESL Mandarin, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Korean. Science in Context — From global warming to space exploration, students are drawn into the subject by integrating pure information with today's headlines and videos — showing how scientific disciplines relate to real-world issues. Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive — The largest, most ambitious collection devoted to the study of slavery. In its entirety, it will consist of more than 5 million cross-searchable pages. Part I: Debates over Slavery & Abolition available now.

Source: http://www.gale.cengage.com/NLW/, Accessed on 13/04/2011

ProQuest Celebrates National Library Week with Free Resources

Company asks Facebook friends why libraries rock and opens access to popular databases April 10 through 16 ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 11, 2011 - ProQuest, an information firm central to research, is celebrating National Library Week (April 10-16) by giving libraries new opportunities to market their rich online database services to their communities and giving citizens a chance to share their love of libraries on the company’s Facebook page. ProQuest will provide free internet access to a variety of popular resources found exclusively through library web sites. ProQuest has also created new web icons, banners, and a screensaver to help libraries highlight the online research databases available through their websites year-round. "Libraries have a wealth of unique, online resources that address all sorts of questions challenging their communities. Whether people are building a family tree or completing a homework assignment, their library can help, and it's open 24/7 through any internet connection," said Lynda James-Gilboe, ProQuest senior vice-president of marketing and customer care. "National Library Week is a perfect opportunity to take a look at the reliable information that's available online through the library." During National Library Week, ProQuest will open databases that support some of the most common information questions posed to libraries. Resources for genealogy, history, general reference, and homework help will be open at www.proquest.com/go/celebrate. Among the resources are patron favorites such as ebrary's Public Library Complete and School Collection, ProQuest African American Heritage, ProQuest Civil War Era, CultureGrams, eLibrary, SIRS Issues Researcher, and SIRS Discoverer. All of the databases are filled with carefully selected content that passes ProQuest's high standards for quality and reliability. None include advertising. April 11-15, ProQuest is gathering comments from Facebook friends, asking them to fill in the blank in "My library rocks because...?" The company will post a short video each day on Facebook, asking a question about libraries. Fans are encouraged to respond to the question in the comments section. To enter, users "Like" ProQuest on Facebook at www.facebook.com/proquest, then click the Sweepstakes tab, and fill out the entry form for a chance to win one of five $50 Amazon.com gift cards or a grand prize of an iPad 2. All libraries are encouraged to add www.proquest.com/go/celebrate to their web sites during National Library Week. Free marketing resources are available at www.proquest.com/go/nlwaccess. ProQuest's celebration of National Library Week is rooted in its longstanding support of libraries and librarianship. ProQuest's outreach and advocacy efforts extend deep into the library community. Among its varied programs are tools and services that help librarians connect with their communities, free database access and scholarship support for library students, and sponsorship of a range of awards that recognize outstanding library school educators and honor local efforts to protect intellectual freedom. In 2009, ProQuest initiated the Library Volunteer Program, which organized volunteer efforts to support Washtenaw County (MI) libraries and community groups. The Library Volunteer Program will kick off its third year this spring. ProQuest is also a corporate member and premier partner to numerous library organizations including the American Library Association's short list of Library Champions, corporate membership in the Urban Libraries Council, a sponsor of the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, as well as many others. Involvement with these organizations is part of ProQuest's commitment to the role of libraries as cornerstones of healthy, informed communities. Source http://www.proquest.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/11/20110411.shtml

Birthday Book Program

SFIT LIBRARY INVITES YOU TO ……CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH A BOOK Be a part of the new “Birthday Book” program, which starts this year! We would like to give you an opportunity to make a personal contribution to our central library in honour of your own birthday or of your beloved ones. You may purchase a NEW book of your choice to place in the library. You are requested to write your name on the first page of the gifted book. So, start your birthday celebrations by helping us grow the library collection. You may choose a book from the “Wish List” available at the Central Library. Remember that this gift is not mandatory at all, but at the same time, you would be sharing your world of thoughts and books with the fraternity.

World Book and Copyright Day Celebrations

World Book and Copyright Day on April 23

SCOPE

By celebrating this Day throughout the world, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. ORIGIN April 23: A symbolic date for world literature for on this date and in the same year of 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia where on 23 April, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold. The success of the World Book and Copyright Day will depend primarily on the support received from all parties concerned (authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions) and by all those who feel motivated to work together in this world celebration of books and authors.

(Source: http://portal.unesco.org, accessed on 05/04/2011)

ACTIVITIES PLANNED AT SFIT In view of the aforementioned, the Central Library and the Library Advisory Committee invite you to be part of any / all of the below mentioned events: 1) Book-Mark making contest: Make a catchy book-mark (a marker made using paper to enable a reader to trace back the page he / she were reading) and drop it in the box kept in the library before 18/04/2011. 2) Your Dream Library: Draw a picture of your dream SFIT Library and drop it in the box kept in the library before 20/04/2011. 3) Cover page design: Design a cover page for the Library e-newsletter which is brought out every six months & drop it in the box kept in the library before 18/04/2011. The previous newsletters may be accessed on the library webpage. 4) Book Crossword: Test your knowledge of book names by solving this cross-word. Register for this event before 18/04/2011. Contact Ms. Namrata Mankad (Room No. 505) or the Library. The event will be held on 20th. April, 2011 between 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm. 5) Author Puzzle: Search for the names of the authors in this puzzle. Register for this event before 18/04/2011. Contact Ms. Namrata Mankad (Room No. 505) or the Library. The event will be held on 20th. April, 2011 between 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm. 6) Donate a book on your birthday: This would be an on-going program; the details of which are given overleaf. For staff: If you are participating in the Book Crossword or Author Puzzle, kindly put a tick against the space provided against your name in the signature list which will be circulated.

Overdue Fines

The Central Library at SFIT imposes fines on overdue items. These fines are designed to ensure prompt and timely return of library items and give everybody a reasonable chance to access the items. We do not want anybody to stop making use of the Library because of its fine structure. Please do not hesitate to come up to us if you have problems related to lost books and /or overdue books.
We have always encouraged the practice of informing us at your earliest in case of any matters pertaining to the library.
Nonetheless, the fine structure is given below:
Rupee 1/- per day for the first five days (inclusive of the due date stamped on the date slip)
Rupees 3/- per day for the next ten days
Rupees 10/- per day for the following days

Overdues amounting to more than rupees one hundred should be paid by a A/C Payee cheque drawn in favour of "St. Francis Institute of Technology" in "The Catholic Syrian Bank", Borivali (W), which is just opposite the institute and the deposit slip be submitted to the Library, against which your library cards will be released.
The above practice will be followed with effect from 25th March, 2011.

New books in the Central Library

Hi,
Following new books have been added:
Introduction to Evolutionary Computing / A.E. Eiben and J.E. Smith - 03 copies
Distributed Operating Systems: Concepts and Design / Pradeep Sinha - 10 copies
Healthcare Information Management Systems: cases, strategies and solutions / Ball Marion, Charlotte Weaver and Joan Kiel - 01 copy (REFERENCE ONLY)

SFIT Library Quiz 3

Library Quiz - March 2011: The quiz will be live for the period 03/03/2011 to 31/03/2011.
Click on the link below to answer the quiz.
SFIT Library Think Tank

International Women's Day

International Women's Day 2011 Theme

Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organisations, governments and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

THEME: So while many people may think there is one global theme each year, this is not always correct. It is completely up to each country and group as to what appropriate theme they select.

Below are some of the global United Nation themes used for International Women's Day to date:

- 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women
- 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
- 2006: Women in decision-making
- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
- 1998: Women and Human Rights
- 1997: Women at the Peace Table
- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
- 1975: First IWD celebrated by the United Nations

Reference Source: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme/ (Accessed on 08/03/2011)

Marathi Bhasha Diwas Photos

We celebrated "Marathi Bhasha Diwas" on 28th. February, 2011 in our Institute.
Marathi Bhasha Diwas is celebrated on 27th. February every year as it is the birthday of the legendary poet V.V. Shirwadkar, popularly known as Kusumagraj. This year marks the centenary of the birth anniversary of the poet.

In 1989, poet Kusumagraj was honoured with the Dnyanpeeth Award, the topmost award for literature instituted by the Government of India, for his contribution to Marathi literature. He was only the second Marathi litterateur after V. S. Khandekar to receive this award. He served as the President of the first International Marathi Parishad (Convention) in 1989.
Kusumagraj’s contribution to Marathi literature and his love for the language prompted the International Marathi Convention to dedicate his birthday, 27th February, as the Marathi Language Day. The idea behind observing this day is to create awareness and pride about Marathi culture and its roots, apart from encouraging research and development of the language.

The Marathi Abhimaan Geet composed by Shri. Kaushal Inamdar also completed a year in the month of February this year. This very song is sung by 105 singers, accompanied by 356 co-singers. The video for the song follows this post.

A slant to English Language

www.engrish.com

www.tinyurl.com/funnyeng

A board on a road, next to the University of Mumbai was for a long time displaying "UNIVERCITY". It was corrected soon after an evening newspaper reported the mistake. Many labels in Japan bear English names, which are sometimes mis-spelt, creating a humorous havoc. Such incidences are housed on the above websites. Go forward and have some fun!

Book Exhibition Photos