Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 17:16:41 +0530 From: VYASAMOORTHY /IKP/HYD <Vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com> Dear Friends: Prafulla's Suggestions have profound intent. However the question is always "who will bell the cat?" (Who will pay for the expenses involved?) I have some suggestions in this respect. To have a good database of Indian librarians, why not use the existing librarians directory in www.infolibrarian.com ? OR you may try Inflibnets Experts Database as well. The latter is academic librarians oriented; Inflibnet database's Data Entry Form is far too detailed and this might deter many from adding their own data. Infolibrarian is for ALL librarians. Every librarian, big or small, may be persuaded to enter his details here. It so happens that only Juniors enter their data in such databases. Seniors are too proud to lend their names to be included. To obviate this problem each institute/library may request one of the colleagues to enter all library professionals names into this infolibrarian directory. We have a number of sources for details of librarians like INFLIBNET, INFOLIBRARIAN. ILA, IASLIC, SIS, ALSD, BONET, CALIBNET etc Let us not proliferate more directories that are difficult to keep updated. Let us strengthen just one (ANY ONE) and make it a BIG success. Library Science Schools can ask their students to take up projects of 'mass population' of such databases. For instance some student in SNDT or Mysore University can say collect details of all librarians in Mumbai or Mysore and enter say a substantial part of it into infolibrarian database. Here teamwork mught help large scale data entry. SHe will get project credit from the library school. And the directory would serve him later on in his/her professional life as well. Incidentally the SNDT had (has?) website with a directory of suppliers of Library Requisites -- If this is up and updated our friends like Usha Kumari of Bangalore need not ask FORUM members for sources regarding Electronic display Boards (and hoping for some answer!). Are some Library Schools listening? *Dr.P.Vyasamoorthy, Advisor, Virtual Information Centre *ICICI Knowledge Park, Turkapalli Village, Shameerpet Mandal, RR District, Hyderabad 500078 INDIA *Ph: +91(40) 2348 0053; Fax:+91(40) 2348 0007 Ph. Res: +91(40) 2784 6631 *Website: http://www.vic-ikp.info and http://www.iciciknowledgepark.com