Re: [LIS-Forum] Re: [nmlis]Abscence of recognition to Librarians -- inactivity of Library Association

17 Jan 2005

      Dear All,

A timely message from Mr Vijayakumar indeed!

Formulation of a National Code of Ethics and Professional Practice 
for LIS professionals should be AGENDA ITEM NO. 1 in our efforts 
to regain the lost glory of our profession and get the recognition 
which we deserve.

Let us hope that all our national library associations (ILA, IASLIC, 
SIS, MLAI, etc.) would join hands and draft a Common Statement of 
Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Practice for Indian LIS 
professionals. The CILIP Ethical Principles and Code of

Professional Practice for Library and Information

Professionals (United Kingdom) could form the basis for the Indian 
document. The clauses in it would take care of the corruption and 
politcisation that have plagued and sapped the vitality of Indian 
librarianship in recent years.

Let us hope that at least from April 1, 2005 (forthcoming financial 
year), all Indian libraries would adopt this code to regain the lost 
glory of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan's period.

In addition, we need to have a national watchdog body consisting of 
representatives from all national association to look complaints of 
violation of this Code and take necessary action against the 
violaters. In course of time, we need to have a body something like 
the Medical Council of India. Till such a body is formed, let us have 
an Ombudsman Committee comprising of eminent, knowledgeable, 
LIS professionals, who are widely respected for their integrity and 
professional excellence.

AGENDA ITEM NO.2

LET US AVOID ELECTIONS TO LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

We witness thousands of rupees being spent on the conduct of 
elections (regd. post for ballot papers, printing, posting of 
membership list, etc.). This is an avoidable expenditure. Can't we 
devise a simple system:

Let only those professionals who are seriously interested in 
contributing for the enrichment of the LIS profession stand for 
election as office bearers. No more teams and reluctant horses! Let 
us try to arrive at a consensus and have unanimous choices. In case 
this is not possible during any particular year, then give their profiles 
in one of the issues of the newsletter. Ask all members to vote 
through a simple post card. Let every member put his signature as 
well as thumb impression on the post card he posts. This may take 
care of bogus voting.

AGENDA ITEM NO.3

Let us have a national body (consisting of eminent, knowledgeable, 
empathetic representatives from national level library associations) 
which provides rules/regulations, guidelines governing pay scales, 
recruitement methods, promotions to all needy Indian LIS 
professionals. Let this body be entrusted with the task of protecting 
the interests of the LIS professionals workign at all levels in all types 
of libraries, not just those of the top level librarians.

AGENDA ITEM NO.4

Let us put a <bold>full stop to sponsorship </bold>of library events 
(conferences/seminars, etc.) by publishers/booksellers. Why 
should some publisher pay for our lunch/dinner at a conference?

Let the Indian LIS profession support itself through publication of 
scholarly, research-based publications/directories/yearbooks/annual 
reviews, etc.

Can we have during 2005 a joint conference of all Indian national 
associations where 

--Indian LIS professionals from all types of libraries (public, 
academic, special, etc.) meet to chalk out collaborative efforts.

--we could articulate the single, united voice of Indian librarianship to 
the rest of the world.

--we declare our commitment to professional excellence, honesty, 
objectivity,  and fair treatment towards  all our users.

Let us have a national debate on these issues and do something 
concrete to stem the rot.

Thank you

Sincerely

T.V. Prafulla Chandra

Senior Editor

Date sent:      	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:15:47 -0800 (PST)</color>

From:           	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>JK Vijayakumar <</color>

<bold>Subject:        	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Re: [LIS-Forum] Re: [nmlis]Abscence of recognition to Librarians --</bold></color>

<bold>	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>inactivity of Library Association</bold></color>

To:             	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>"Prof. N. Laxman Rao." <,</color>

       	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Rangashri Kishore <,</color>

       	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Vasumathi Sriganesh <, iaslic@vsnl.net,</color>

       	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in</color>

Copies to:      <color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>	</color>

<underline><color><param>0000,8000,0000</param>[ Double-click this line for list subscription options ]</underline></color> 

1. The Top 10 Reasons to Be a Librarian

http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/selectedarticles/top10reasons.htm

2. Librarianship as a Profession

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/tutorials/professionalism/lib.html

3.Dinosaur or Phoenix!: The Profession of

Librarianship

http://anulib.anu.edu.au/about/steele/dinosaur.html

4. CILIP Ethical Principles and Code of

Professional Practice for Library and Information

Professionals

http://www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/ethics/

5. Korean Library Association Code of Ethics for

Librarians

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/klacode.htm

6.Code of Ethics for Information Professionals

in Portugal

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/badcode.htm

7.

Sri Lanka Library Association Code of

Professional Conduct and Ethics

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/sllacode.htm

8. Persatuan Pustakawan Malaysia (Librarians

Association of Malaysia)Code of ethics

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/lamcode.htm

9.Japan Library Association Code of Ethics for

Librarians

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/jlacode.htm

10.Jamaica Library Association Code of Ethics

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/jamlacode.htm

11.Code of Ethics of Czech Librarians 

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/czlacode.htm

12.The Code of Ethics of Slovenian Librarians

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/slacode.htm

13................................. (India)....

--- "Prof. N. Laxman Rao." <

wrote:

<color><param>7F00,0000,0000</param>> hi
...
I appreciate the anguih of Mrs Rangashri, i
...
think she hould not get
...
excited about the lapses from the associations
...
and professionals. after
...
all many things matter, such as environment,
...
training, traditions--what
...
not.
...

...
I will appreciate Mrs. rangashri , if she can
...
also send communications
...
through egroup, to enable to share her ideas
...
and knowledge. let us join
...
our hands to make our professiona great. let us
...
not fight but learn from
...
the past and improve ourselves in terms of
...
productivity and image.
...
please do not accuse any one, we all ae
...
responsible for everry thing as we
...
are also part of the profession.
...
thanks
...
laxman rao
...

...

...
--- Rangashri Kishore <
...
wrote:
...
...
Dear Vasumathi,
...
...
...
...
I sincerely appreciate your efforts to
...
highlight the issues concerning
...
...
Librarians.
...
...
You have rightly pointed out the serious
...
lapses in our professional
...
...
attitude. Very few are actually thinking in
...
this direction. I would like
...
...
to introduce myself,
...
...
I belong to a family of Librarians! I am the
...
third generation who
...
...
followed this line and I am proud to be in
...
this line. I have found
...
...
during my experience of working in various
...
Libraries of repute it is
...
...
just not sufficient to remain within the
...
sphere of Librarianship alone
...
...
..it is important to realize that we have the
...
skills that can be applied
...
...
for enriching all other professionals. For
...
example, I have tried to use
...
...
training Mentally ill patients in
...
Librarianship which has helped them in
...
...
getting employed in school Libraries. I was
...
instrumental in setting up
...
...
homes for mentally challenged in India and I
...
realized that as a
...
...
significant part of their rehabilitation
...
Library skills can be applied
...
...
-which I found very successful and
...
satisfying. One has to walk that
...
...
extra mile to get recognition in our field.
...
...
...
...
I thus received three International Awards..
...
...
...
...
FIRST ASIAN WINNER OF ASCLA EXCEPTIONAL
...
SERVICE AWARD FOR THE YEAR 1999
...
...
FROM ALA.
...
...
...
</color>http://archive.ala.org/ascla/awards_recent.html#1999

<color><param>7F00,0000,0000</param>> >
...
...
LEARNINGTIMES INNOVATIVE INFORMATION SERVICES
...
AWARD FOR THE YEAR 2003
...
...
FROM USA. ( Two Indian Librarians one myself
...
and the other is Kaushik
...
...
Purohit of Reliance Industries..Jamnagar was
...
confered along with 6 other
...
...
Librarians from all over the world..that too
...
we had the honour of
...
...
sharing this with Hillary Clinton)
...
...
http://www.libraryconference.com/awards.shtml
...
...
...
...
IFLA/ALP IN 1996 FOR MY WORK ON LIBRARY AND
...
INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR
...
...
LITERACY EFFORTS FOR WOMEN IN BANGKOK.
...
...
...
...
Having won all these accolades it is a shame
...
that no Library
...
...
Associations in India ever approached me to
...
know more about it so that
...
...
others in our profession can get motivated
...
although this was widely
...
...
publicised in Newspapers in 1999. None ever
...
came forward to support my
...
...
efforts for these causes. I had to personally
...
apporach and be a self
...
...
advocate for all the achievements. Come to
...
think of it that someone in
...
...
US is able to confer these awards to persons
...
working in India while in
...
...
our own country people hardly realize the
...
value of this profession.
...
...
...
...
These are my views and I welcome people to
...
comments.
...
...
...
...
With warm regards,
...
...
Rangashri Kishore
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Vasumathi Sriganesh < wrote:
...
...
Dear friends
...
...
...
...
There are many sides to this:
...
...
...
...
There is no question that we are one of the
...
most under-rated breed of
...
...
professionals. In a country that has had Dr.
...
SRR, it is an irony that
...
...
the maximum percentage of population would
...
not have heard of the need
...
...
for a professional degree to be a librarian -
...
let alone anything else.
...
...
...
...
Having said that - what have we done about it
...
ourselves?
...
...
...
...
a) Have we pushed up our own standards? I am
...
sorry to say that a
...
...
majority of librarians are unable to
...
communicate well, or market
...
...
themselves well
...
...
...
...
b) Do we market our profession to school and
...
college children? How many
...
...
of us would encourage our children to take up
...
the same profession?
...
...
Most young people tell me that when they were
...
in college they hardly
...
...
used a library - they then accidentally heard
...
about Lib Sc and joined
...
...
the course
...
...
...
...
c) Majority of our conferences have papers of
...
no real value - they are
...
...
accepted because we need participants, and
...
participants will get a TA/DA
...
...
only if their papers are accepted, so we
...
accept papers. Most speakers
...
...
have no sense of time - they overshoot, they
...
"read" the paper and do not
...
...
"present" it, very often there is nothing
...
new.
...
...
Many participants do not attend all sessions
...
- more time is spent
...
...
sight-seeing. How many actually go back and
...
implement something new in
...
...
their library?
...
...
...
...
d) How many of us have attempted to show our
...
organizations that they the
...
...
library is a terribly important entity? And
...
that the collection is being
...
...
used to the best?
...
...
...
...
I am sure there are a million more questions
...
that can be added. Like
...
...
Prof Laxman Rao, I do not aim to hurt any
...
individual. I will blame
...
...
myself too.
...
...
It is a vicious circle. We are unable to
...
prove ourselves, so we are
...
...
badly positioned and paid. Thus we cannot
...
attract the best talent, and
...
...
when we dont get the best, we do not prove
...
ourselves.
...
...
...
...
Where do we break this circle?
...
...
...
...
For a start, can all of us do something in
...
our own sphere and control?
...
...
Go BEYOND what we are paid for, do our best
...
for our organizations and
...
...
readers - not expecting immediate rewards? If
...
we can get something for
...
...
ourselves - great - if not - can we work hard
...
and sow the seeds for the
...
...
future generations? And can we improve at
...
things like conferences? If we
...
...
can say YES, to at least some of these, only
...
then we have some hope.
...
...
...
...
It would be very good, if we can have some
...
ideas coming in as to how we
...
...
can tackle all this positively!
...
...
...
...
Regards
...
...
...
...
Vasumathi Sriganesh
...
...
Director, QMed Services Pvt. Ltd.
...
...
A-3, Shubham Centre, Cardinal Gracious Road
...
...
Chakala, Andheri East, Mumbai 400099, India
...
</color>=== message truncated ===

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