Dear LIS Professionals, Karnataka State Library Association (KALA) had organized 'new members' meet' recently in Bangalore. Following is the brief report on the event. Ananda Byrappa General Secretary, Karnataka State Library Association (KALA) http://www.kalaonline.com ________________________________________________________________________ A refreshing welcome to new members by Karnataka State Library Association Young, fresh and eager faces, matching smiles on older faces....this was the refreshing scene at the new members gathering at the National Centre for Science Information (NCSI) in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Campus on Friday, February 6th 2009. The evening's programme had been well orchestrated by the Karnataka State Library Association (KALA) core team and that certainly paid dividends in the enthusiasm and keen involvement shown by the large gathering present there. The main speakers were Prof. V.G. Talwar, recently appointed Vice Chancellor of Mysore University and Mr.N.V. Satyanarayana, Director of Informatics India Ltd. Both have had an amazing trajectory of growth in the profession; Prof. Talwar reaching the highest pinnacle in the academic arena while Mr. Satyanarayana has achieved it in the applications to the business world. However, the most significant characteristic of each one of them is their humility combined with hard work and discipline, which became apparent to all as they spoke. Their talks were truly an invaluable learning for all professionals in the field and so it was for young and old as we listened to their inspiring presentations that memorable evening. Prof. Talwar succinctly covered the essential and vital signs that every librarian must possess.. His compact and concise package touched upon the qualities of leadership, discipline, hard work and above all a smiling friendly face that users can relate to. The skills of communication, the ability to use language articulately and the need for a belief in oneself were also highlighted by him. In addition, he said, each one of us must become a PRO and even acquire marketing and managerial skills to best serve the user and the institution. He ended by wishing KALA all success in their future programmes for the professionals and friends of the library. Mr. Satyanarayana congratulated the marketing techniques of the young KALA team which had set goals and reached them. He appreciated their acumen in setting time targets because without that, plans remain as dreams and never touch reality. He exhorted the young librarians to go in for an image makeover since the work that they do is sometimes high-jacked by other IT professionals and they rise much faster than library professionals. Therefore it is vital that librarians take stock of their assets and present themselves in a more attractive package! One question he posed had us all thinking. What is the advantage that a library has over Google or any online information service? The answer was a revelation. Physical space! This is a very crucial aspect because users can actually meet, discuss and come up with many other possibilities for social and cultural interaction by using this real space.He also reminded us that as librarians we do have a strong feeling of connectivity. As he said, no other group of professionals seems to have such a vibrant system of group gatherings. Therefore it is up to us to make use of this strength in the best possible way. Anand Byrappa, the indefatigable Secretary of KALA introduced the speakers and described some of the activities of the Association including the creation of the website. The President, Prof. Ravichandra Rao welcomed the gathering and shared the many exciting plans that KALA has for the next few months. He also told the members to expect only email communication in future! The Vice-President, Mr. Francis Jayakanth rounded off the excellent evening with a well-worded vote of thanks. ___________________________________________________________ Report Compiled by: Mrs. Usha Mukunda, Vice President, KALA -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.