Dear All: Prof N Laxman Rao, President of IATLIS had been instrumental in the establishment of a full-fledged computer laboratory in the Dept of LIS, Osmania University--a unique achievement in the University which hardly a couple of depts could achieve. The facilities that are available can support national-level training programmes adequately. He had visualised and executed the whole project with a rare sense of vision and missionary zeal to develop LIS manpower well-exposed to ICTs. The good work of Prof Laxman Rao was continued by Dr S Sudarshan Rao, Gen Secy, IATLIS who strengthened and provided adequate accommodation to the computer laboratory. I earnestly appeal to Prof Laxman Rao garu and to Dr Sudarshan Rao garu to provide leadership to the Bulletin Board for Indian LI Community by accepting it one of the activities of IATLIS and based in the DLIS, Osmania University. We will all provide all the necessary voluntary support and cooperation in the management of the Bulletin Board. This bulletin board would serve as a real life laboratory for Indian LIS education programmes. Our mission is to have a SINGLE WINDOW INFORMATION SERVICE FOR ALL, where every query would be answered within 24 hours. This would at one stroke break the institutional barriers in the free flow of information and offer a national level virtual reference service to the common persons. We will ensure participation of all librarians (public, university, special, etc., LIS teachers, LIS students, subject experts) in the group from all parts of India. The goal is to have at least one LIS professional from every district in India. We will provide to the user a single point to post his query. The responses will come from the entire Indian LIS professional community. We would be able to know within 24 hours where a particular book/journal/article is available in an Indian library. It would also encourage resource sharing and library donations. The general public will have a single point where they can post their message indicating the books they wish to donate. This communication would reach all libraries in India and they can respond expressing their willingness to accept the donation. In this manner, the right book reaches the right library, where it is likely to be used. The libraries/Dept of LIS which are in need of support (in terms of book donations, equipment, etc.) can also post their requests. The Indian LIS professionals, particularly the younger ones, have been losing confidence in the system that they can work honestly and prosper in the LIS profession. An overwhelming number of them are just stagnating with no promotions. More importantly, the joy of providing LI services is being lost. We need to celebrate LI services once again so that every common person in India has easy access to LI services. More than information and factual knowledge, I say with all emphasis, it is the values, philosophy of library service which my teachers of LIS at the Osmania Unversity have imbibed in us (students) that enabled us to survive in this profession and prosper. The affection, consideration, concern and support provided by them at all times (during the study period and afterwards) is unforgetable. It is no exaggeration to say that behind every dedicated and sincere LIS professional there are great LIS teachers who inspired and educated them to excel in their profession. I hope the Indian LIS teaching fraternity would act the harbinger of metamorphosis in Indian LIS services through effective use of ICTs. We can take up this bulletin board of Indian LI community as a pilot project for one year and test its feasibility. Thank you Sincerely T.V. Prafulla Chandra Senior Editor
Dr Sukhdev Singh wrote: Dear Friends,
The Bulletin Board for Indian Library and Information Community i.e. IndLibra, has received a good response. I was not expecting this kind of response. Now this is the point where the community spirit is required. I fully understand that single person can not take the community to the desired position. I therefore want to transfer the ownership and responsibility to a voluntary group. Let us call this group as Voluntary Group for IndLibra or VGI for short. This Voluntary Group for IndLibra would be the sole owner of IndLibra and would be looking after IndLibra Discussions (http://indlibra.myforum.net/) and would also be putting and managing content of the related website of the IndLibra (http://in.geocities.com/indlibra/). The User Id and Password would be disclosed to this group and it would symbolise the end of my indivitual responsibility and ownership.
Please come forward and give your Names at the email indlibra@yahoo.co.in .
I am expecting people like Prof. Shalini, Dr. Rajashekar, Dr Vyasamoorthy, T.V. Prafulla Chandra and others to come forward. If it is successful, then IndLibra can purchase its own space on some web host instead of depending upon free-service providers like myforum and geocities.
There please come forward in large numbers and give your Names at the email indlibra@yahoo.co.in .
Regards Sukhdev Singh
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