COMSTECH Inter Library Resource Network Service

Coordinator General decided to use the existing resources of the OIC region by inviting important libraries to participate in COMSTECH Inter-Library Resource Network Programme.  Under this programme a Library that is a member of this Network is required to provide free re-prints of articles requested by an individual or organization from a member state, as well as bear the costs of postage.  In return each member Library benefits by having free access to the photocopies of articles from any of the journals held by other Libraries in the Network, thereby providing a wealth of scientific information to library users across the OIC region.

As the initial response was rather encouraging therefore the Coordinator General entrusted the COMSTECH Secretariat with the task of setting up an in-house facility to commence the massive task of collecting the list of journal holdings from the member libraries and preparing the document in the form of a hardcopy as well as its electronic version to be made available on line.

COMSTECH has made available journal holdings of forty-seven libraries from thirteen member states including People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Malaysia, Kingdom of Morocco, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Senegal, Syrian Arab Republic, and Republic of Turkey.

This massive database, launched in March 2001, now lists 30,187 journals.

The main objective of COMSTECH Inter-Library Resource Network Service is to make the scientific journal holdings of major OIC libraries accessible via free photocopy service that is to the scientific community of the OIC region.  The aim is to benefit from the existing resources of the OIC region and organize the library resources to permit its collective utilization by a larger section of the OIC research community.