In a bid to prevent Covid-19 infections through books, the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong has developed a book sanitisation machine.
A team of innovators of the department of Biomedical engineering and the department of basic sciences and social sciences of NEHU invented the book sanitising machine.
“This sanitising machine functions in an auto-controlled mode to sanitise all kinds of reading materials without causing any kind of damage to the material,” Dr Aseem Sinha, one of the innovators told reporters.
He said it is a composite machine using ultraviolet (uv) rays and heat technology to sanitise books.
According to Sinha, the machine can sanitise up to 150 books in one cycle of about 45 minutes at a cost of 20 paise per book.
The sanitising machine was launched by NEHU vice-chancellor SK Srivastava at the university on Wednesday.
VC Srivastava said hailed the initiative of the team and said that such a machine was a fantastic fusion of library, a place to provide knowledge and the School of Technology, the place to convert that knowledge into the means for social benefit.
He also came out with the acronym ”ABSCoM” for the machine.
Library staffers are being trained up to operate the machine.
NEHU Librarian in-charge F R Sumer said the device was felt necessary, about two months ago to manage the handling of the books.
The idea behind inventing this machine is to ensure a Covid-free environment in the University library for safe use of the books under circulation, Sumer added.
