Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 18:44:59 +0530 From: Jagtar Singh <jagtar.kindu@gmail.com> *Library Should be the Second Home of Library Users* Presiding over the Valedictory Function of the three-day National Workshop on Quality Indicators and Best Practices for Academic Libraries, organized by the Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala during 04-06 March 2008, Dr. G.S. Kang, Dean, Faculty of Education and Information Sciences, Punjabi University Patiala underlined the need for providing quality resources and services in college and university libraries. He also said that libraries are integral parts of any academic institution; hence they should strive to provide value-added library services. Speaking on this occasion, the Guest of Honour Mr. Mohammad Ahsan Tahami, President of the Punjab Branch of Pakistan Library Association, said that the workshop has provided an opportunity to him develop professional relationship with India and other South Asian countries. He further said that in this era of rapid change and obsolescence, continuous professional education and training is essential to come up to the expectations of library users. Such workshops provide an opportunity to the Library and Information Professionals (LIPs) to share their experiences, expertise, and professional problems. This workshop has been a great success and I congratulate the organizers. Prof. Jagtar Singh, the Workshop Coordinator, said that in this workshop about 100 LIPs from India and Pakistan have interacted very seriously to identify quality indicators and best practices for academic libraries. This workshop was conceived with the objectives of (a) sensitizing the stakeholders about quality issues in libraries, (b) updating them with the latest in library and information work; (c) exchanging experience, expertise, and issues facing the profession; (d) developing partnerships; (e) managing feedback from the professionals; (f) identifying quality indicators and best practices; and (g) finding out possibility of establishing a federation of library association for South Asian countries. The workshop was organized into eight technical sessions which included the inaugural, valedictory, and open session, besides five technical sessions. Though there was tremendous response to this workshop, yet only top 25 presentations could be made in five technical sessions. These included presentations from the experts, such as Dr HK Kaul, Director, DELNET on ICT Literacy for* *library educators and practitioners; Prof. RL Raina, Director, Lal Bahdur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi on University-Industry partnership; Dr Harish Chandra, Librarian, IIT Madras on Quality indicators and best practices in the digital context; Dr. CR Karisiddappa, President, Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science on Quality indicators for college libraries; Dr. DV Singh, Senior Vice President, Indian Library Association on change management; Dr M. Koganuramath, Librarian, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai on managing learning resources in academic libraries; Dr W. Senewiratne, Librarian, Open University of Sri Lanka on Criteria for Quality Assurance; Prof MP Satija of Guru Nanak Ddev University (GNDU) on Knowledge organization; Prof. IV Malhan on NAAC accreditation and academic libraries; SK Arora of Indira Gandhi National Open University on Quality management for open and distance learners; Prof. Manorama Srinath from Madras University on TQM in academic libraries; Mr PV Rao of MG state Institute of Public Administartion Punjab, Chandigarh on Open source software for empowerment of information poor; Dr HS Chopra of GNDU on Impact of ICTs on academic libraries; Prof. Jagtar Singh on Quality collection development in academic libraries; Dr Trishanjit Kaur on Quality in context of library users; Dr HPS Kalra on Quality indicators for information services; Kuvir Kaur and Dr. Kulwinder Singh on Copyright concerns for academic libraries; and Mr Kadsam Mashroowala of National Institute of Fashion technology (NIFT) Resource Centre, Gandhinagar on Best practices at NIFT Resource Centre. Earlier, while inaugurating this workshop organized by the Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala on 4 March 2008, Prof. R.G. Prasher, Former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Sagar University, Sagar forcefully concerned that Academic Libraries should not be starved of funds and quality manpower. Mr. M. Moni, Deputy Director General of National Informatics Centre (NIC), Govt. of India, said in his keynote address that ICT must be used to spread education and support library outreach, particularly in the rural areas. Mrs. Kalpana Dasgupta, Library Advisor, National Knowledge Commission (NKC), informed the workshop participants about the recommendations of NKC to facilitate access to quality information at grassroots level. Mr. DV Singh, Senior Vice President of Indian Library Association stressed upon developing learning resources in local languages and promoting quality consciousness among the LIPs for strategic professional learning and change management. Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University said in his presidential address that library should be a second home for the library users. He further said that from the next financial year, special grant will be made available to the Punjabi University Library to preserve valuable manuscripts and make it a model university library. Delegates at the workshop represented various institutions such as National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), New Delhi; National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Resource Centre, Gandhinagar; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai; MG State Institute of Public Administration, Punjab, Chandigarh; various management institutions; and Jammu, Guru Nanak Dev, Panjab, Kurukshetra, and Delhi universities. The workshop was also represented from cross section of library networks and associations at international, national, and local levels, e.g. from International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, (IFLA), International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), Developing Library Network (DELNET), Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), Pakistan Library Association (PLA), Indian Library Association (ILA), Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science (IATLIS), Confederation of Library Associations of North India (COLANI), Punjab Library Association (PLA), Haryana Library Association (HLA), Chandigarh Librarians Association (CLA), and Punjab Govt. College Librarians Association (GCLA). Various facets of academic libraries were discussed in the context of quality issues from the broader context of quality in academic libraries, changing context and change management, quality criteria, TQM, users perspectives, industry expectations and best practices, collection development, processing, preservation, dissemination and use, information services, digital context and the impact of ICTs, open source software, resource sharing and library networks, LIS education, research and training, open and distance education, etc. Mrs. Jaspal Kaur, Chairperson, COLANI and General Secretary, CLA; and Mr Kuldip Singh, Librarian, Government College, Tanda represented the delegates of the workshop in echoing their concerns regarding need for balancing theory and practice through more such workshops, conferences, seminars, and refresher courses. They also suggested that for future such programmes, recent developments and trends, practical demonstrations and library visits should respectively be arranged. Authors, presenters, delegates and dignitaries at the workshop said in one voice that LIPs should focus on strategic professional learning and quality assurance for staying ahead of change and competition in the emerging knowledge society. -- Dr. Jagtar Singh, Workshop Coordinator & Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala Pin - 147 002 (India) & Standing Committee Member, IFLA Information Technology Section Email: jagtar.kindu@gmail.com Tel: +91 (0)175 304 6179 (Work) +91 (0)175 228 2727 (Home) Fax: +91 (0)175 228 3073