In the year 2021, the Library purchased 26 new books and procured the e-book version of ICAC Cotton Databook. The Library also procured the e-book series of Advances in Agronomy 2021 thus adding to its existing e-book collection. 25 Hindi books were procured. The Library also subscribed to 12 Indian Journals. Off-campus activation was done for all e­ books and journals for scientists, taking into account the Covid situation. Annual Report and CICR Newsletter was distributed to ICAR Institutesand dignitaries.

• The Library started a monthly documentation service from August 2021 to highlight the worldwide ongoing research and development in Cotton science by the name “Gleanings in Cotton Research”. Five issues of this publication were compiled and e-mailed to all scientists.
• Library has developed computerized bibliographic database on Cotton to provide comprehensive and updated information on cotton. About 5400 bibliographic references along with abstracts have been stored in it. Based on this bibliographic database the Library publishes a current awareness bulletin namely “COTTON RESEARCH ABSTRACTS”. The Bulletin is circulated to all the scientists of the Institute and to all AICCIP Centers in India. In the reported period, two issues of COTTON RESEARCH ABSTRACTS (V35, January – December 2021) were published and circulated.
• Articles appearing in newspapers on Cotton are digitally scanned and the copy is emailed to all scientists for information. A collection of all news items appearing in 2020 was compiled and published by the name “CICR in News 2020”.
• The Library is actively participating in the e-Journal Consortium by responding regularly through E-mails and thus also receiving updates. More than 2000 on-line journals on agriculture and crop science are made available over the network through this consortium. Library provides E­ Reference Service by virtue of which, important information vital for research such as, alerts, bulletins, articles and circulars received by the Library in electronic format are immediately circulated to all scientists by sending regular E­ mails.
• Four User Terminals installed in the Library have facilitated the library users to access the databases uploaded in the Library Server. Users can also access the Internet on these terminals. Similarly, the entire catalog of the library has been downloaded on these terminals for ease of use.
• The Web OPAC version of the Library software SLIM21 was updated and by using this Library Application Software, the entire catalogue of holdings of the Library (books and bound volumes) is available on all terminals within the Institute. By its virtue, the entire holdings and the catalogue of the Library are visible on the LAN terminals within the Institute by clicking on the following link. Library Catalogue Web-OPAC Link http://cicrslim/w27/