SAARC Documentation Centre

The SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC) was a regional centre of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the intergovernmental organization established to promote cooperation among South Asian states. Based in New Delhi, India, the centre functioned as a shared documentation and information resource for the association and its member countries. It was intended to support access to regional knowledge and cooperation in library and information management rather than operate as a consumer-facing commercial brand. The centre was housed on the campus of the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) in New Delhi. Its documented activities included professional training and regional workshops for library and information specialists. In December 2011, it conducted a five-day training programme on Koha, an open-source library automation system, in New Delhi. It also organized a five-day SAARC workshop on Library 2.0 in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 12 to 16 December 2011. The Library 2.0 workshop brought together 24 participants from SAARC member states and addressed contemporary approaches to library services and information technologies. SDC formed part of the wider network of specialized SAARC regional institutions and centres. Its role was administrative, informational, and capacity-building: it supported documentation exchange and professional development connected with regional cooperation. Available reference material does not establish a precise founding year, a separate commercial ownership structure, a detailed catalogue of paid products, or a list of permanent executives. At the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in 2014, SAARC decided to close three regional centres, including the SAARC Documentation Centre. The other centres named in the closure decision were the SAARC Information Centre in Kathmandu and the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre in Islamabad. The closure ended SDC's institutional operation. Because the available material does not provide a precise effective closure date or a detailed account of the centre's assets and successor arrangements, those details remain unspecified.

The SAARC Documentation Centre was established as one of the specialized regional centres associated with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Its institutional purpose was to strengthen documentation, information exchange, and professional capacity across the SAARC region. Unlike a conventional commercial brand, SDC was an intergovernmental resource centre whose relevance came from its place within the SAARC institutional network. The centre was located in New Delhi, India, and was housed on the campus of the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources. Its work focused on library and information services and on facilitating professional interaction among specialists from SAARC member states. Publicly documented information does not specify the exact founding date, the original founding agreement, or a complete chronology of its staffing and programmes. Two activities recorded for 2011 illustrate the centre's operational role. From 5 to 10 December, SDC conducted a five-day training programme in New Delhi on Koha, an open-source library automation software platform. Later that month, from 12 to 16 December, it organized a SAARC workshop on Library 2.0 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The workshop included 24 participants from SAARC countries and addressed the use of newer digital and participatory approaches in library work. These programmes positioned SDC as a regional capacity-building institution rather than merely a repository. The centre's operating life ended as part of a restructuring decision taken by SAARC at its 18th Summit in Kathmandu in 2014. SAARC decided to close three regional centres: the SAARC Information Centre in Kathmandu, the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre in Islamabad, and the SAARC Documentation Centre in New Delhi. The available reference material identifies SDC as closed but does not give a precise implementation date, a successor organization, or detailed information about the disposition of its collections and services. It is therefore best understood as a defunct former SAARC documentation and information centre.

• 2014

  Closure decision at the 18th SAARC Summit

  [1]SAARC Documentation Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu approved the closure of SDC and two other regional centres.

• 2011

  Koha library automation training

  [1]SAARC Documentation Centreen.wikipedia.org

  SDC held a five-day training programme on Koha, an open-source library automation system, in New Delhi from 5 to 10 December.

• 2011

  Library 2.0 workshop in Kathmandu

  [1]SAARC Documentation Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre organized a five-day SAARC Workshop on Library 2.0 in Kathmandu from 12 to 16 December, with 24 participants from SAARC member states.

A regional, intergovernmental information and professional-development centre supporting documentation cooperation among SAARC member states.

• Regional information support

  Documentation and information services

  SDC's core institutional offering was regional documentation and information support for SAARC-related cooperation. Public references do not provide a complete catalogue of databases, publications, or access procedures, but identify the centre as a documentation and information hub serving the association and its member states.

• Professional training · 2011

  Koha library automation training

  A five-day training programme held in New Delhi in December 2011 introduced participants to Koha, an open-source platform for library automation. The programme reflected SDC's capacity-building role in library and information management across the SAARC region.

• Regional workshop · 2011

  SAARC Workshop on Library 2.0

  This five-day workshop took place in Kathmandu from 12 to 16 December 2011. It brought together 24 participants from SAARC member states to examine Library 2.0 concepts and contemporary approaches to library services and information technology.

• 2011SAARC Workshop on Library 2.0

  Nepal · SAARC member states

  SDC convened a regional professional workshop in Kathmandu focused on Library 2.0 and involving 24 participants from SAARC member states.

  Outcome. The workshop provided a documented forum for regional exchange on modern library practices and information services.

  Source

• 2014

  SAARC closure of three regional centresStrategy

  Background

  At the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu, the organization reviewed its network of regional centres.

  Action taken

  SAARC decided to close the SAARC Documentation Centre, the SAARC Information Centre, and the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre.

  Aftermath

  SDC became defunct. Publicly available reference material does not specify the exact implementation date or identify a successor institution.

  Source

1. 1SAARC Documentation Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SAARC Documentation Centre websitesdc.gov.in