ASRB ICAR Library (Technical Assistant) Recruitment: Syllabus & Exam Pattern PDF Download

1General Knowledge

The questions in this section will be aimed at testing the candidates’ general awareness of their surroundings and their understanding of its application in society. Questions will also cover current events and everyday observations and experiences from a scientific perspective, as may be expected from an individual with a graduate-level education.

The examination will include questions relating to India and its neighbouring countries, particularly in the areas of:

• History
• Culture
• Geography
• Economics
• General Policies
• Scientific Research

2General English

This section will assess candidates’ ability to understand correct English, their fundamental comprehension and writing abilities, etc.

3Quantitative Aptitude

Questions will be designed to test the candidate’s ability to use numbers appropriately and understand numerical relationships. The examination will include questions relating to the computation of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, and relationships between numbers.

Arithmetic

• Percentages
• Ratio and Proportion
• Square Roots
• Averages
• Interest
• Profit and Loss
• Discount
• Partnership Business
• Mixture and Alligation
• Time and Distance
• Time and Work

Algebra and Geometry

• Basic Algebraic Identities of School Algebra
• Elementary Surds
• Graphs of Linear Equations
• Triangles and their different types of centres
• Congruence and Similarity of Triangles
• Circles and their Chords
• Tangents
• Angles subtended by Chords of a Circle
• Common Tangents to two or more Circles

Mensuration

• Triangles
• Quadrilaterals
• Regular Polygons
• Circles
• Right Prisms
• Right Circular Cylinders
• Right Circular Cones
• Spheres
• Hemispheres
• Rectangular Parallelepipeds (Cuboids)
• Regular Right Pyramids with Triangular or Square Bases

Trigonometry and Statistics

• Trigonometric Ratios
• Measurement of Angles in Degrees and Radians
• Standard Trigonometric Identities
• Complementary Angles
• Heights and Distances
• Histograms
• Frequency Polygons
• Bar Diagrams
• Pie Charts

Unit 1Library and Society

• Historical development of libraries in India.
• Committees and commissions constituted for libraries in India.
• Concept, functions and objectives of a library.
• Five Laws of Library Science.
• Types of libraries: Academic (school, college and university), public and special libraries.
• Role of libraries in modern society.
• Professional ethics and library associations (for example, ILA, ALA, IFLA, IASLIC, AALDI, etc.).
• National and international organisations: UGC, RRRLF (Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation) and UNESCO.
• Library legislation.
• Press and Registration of Books Act.
• Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act.

Unit 2Knowledge Organisation

• Organisation of knowledge/information.
• Methods of formation of subjects.
• Classification schemes: Colon Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and Universal Decimal Classification (UDC).
• Cataloguing codes: AACR-II (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules) and CCC (Classified Catalogue Code).
• Rules and principles of cataloguing.
• Types of cataloguing: Dictionary Catalogue and Classified Catalogue.
• Subject heading lists (for example, Chain Indexing, Sears List of Subject Headings and Library of Congress Subject Headings).
• CCF and MARC.
• Indexing systems and techniques: pre-coordinate and post-coordinate indexing, etc.
• Standards for exchange and communication of bibliographic information: ISO 2709, Z39.50 and Z39.71.
• Metadata standards: Dublin Core, MARC 21, etc.

Unit 3Library and Information Management

• Organisation of libraries and staff structure.
• Acquisition of library resources: print and e-resources.
• Tools and principles of book selection.
• Technical processing.
• Circulation services and serial control.
• Maintenance, stock verification and binding.
• Budgeting and record keeping.
• Marketing of library products and services.
• Conservation and preservation.
• Risks to library materials and control measures.
• Total Quality Management (TQM).
• Gradual development of services of libraries and information centres.

Unit 4Reference and Information Services

• Concept, definitions and types of reference services: ready reference and long-range reference service.
• CAS (Current Awareness Services).
• SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information Service).
• Types of reference sources: primary, secondary and tertiary.
• Reference sources: dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks, directories, almanacs, standards and bibliographies.
• Electronic information resources.
• Online information resources.
• Open access resources (repositories, periodicals and databases).
• Evaluation of reference sources and web resources.

Unit 5Information Technology in Libraries

• Computer technology: hardware, software, storage devices, input and output devices.
• System and application software.
• Programming languages.
• Telecommunication.
• Computer networks and their types.
• Internet protocols and standards.
• Data security.
• Network security.
• Data mining.
• Data harvesting.
• Big Data.

Unit 6Library Automation

• Library automation: concept, definition and its use in libraries.
• Library management software (for example, KOHA, SOUL and other software).
• Barcode, QR Code, DOI and RFID technology.
• Internet and web resources for libraries.
• Digital libraries and institutional repositories (for example, NDLI, NDLTD, e-ShodhSindhu and Krishikosh).
• Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin, Urkund, etc.).
• Cloud computing.
• Web 2.0 and 3.0 – Library 2.0.
• Digital preservation.

Unit 7Library Networks and Resource Sharing

• Concept and importance of library networks.
• Major library networks in India: INFLIBNET, DELNET, NICNET, ERNET, etc.
• International information systems and networks: INIS, AGRIS, MEDLARS, BIOSIS, ERIC, INSPEC and Patent Information System (PIS), etc.
• Sharing of library resources.
• Library consortia (for example, CeRA, e-ShodhSindhu, N-LIST, etc.).
• PM-ONOS (One Nation One Subscription).

Unit 8Research Methodology

• Research concepts and definitions.
• Types of research.
• Research design.
• Research methods: historical, descriptive, case study, survey, comparative and experimental.
• Statistical methods.
• Bibliometrics.
• Scientometrics.
• Webometrics.