Dear professionals,
After seeing several recent mails on LIS schools and their product
capability, I feel, let us not focus on praise or abuse of any specific LIS
school. Each school operates on its own strength and weakness. Parent body also
contributes to such situations. We can focus our discussion on theme-based
rather than any specific school-based. The school based discussions will lead
to throwing mud on each other which, finds a tragic end.
The current theme is how best LIS schools equip their students
in compatible with current trends without loosing basic philosophy of library
science.
The curriculum need to be on par with current trends and at
the same it needs to differentiate from other IT curriculum by its unique
courses.
The current trends in technology are wikis, open sources,
blogs, podcasts, web classifications, digitization, webpage design and hosting,
storing devices, methods of providing access to information resources, mobile
technology etc…
1. How best LIS schools can deliver these know-how to
prospective librarians?,
2. what are basic requirements and expertise required
to impart this knowledge?
3. what government and universities should do to provide
such environment/opportunity?
4. what is expected from students? What are the basic or
minimum skills they should possess?
5. If UGC is insisting on uniform syllabus, how best the
authorities could be convinced about incorporating latest techniques in the
curriculum?,
6. The rate of obsolescence is very high in IT products and
services, how best we can address this threat
7. conferences/seminars/discussions at national and regional
level would bring teachers and practitioners together on one platform and participants’
wholehearted participation in such discussions might bring meaningful outcomes.
Proactive role by LIS associations and schools would bring fruitful results. This
benefits both the parties (teachers and students)
We can amend or modify the above themes with our
experiences.
Manjunath
__________________________
Dr. Manjunatha K
Librarian
T.A. Pai Management Institute
Manipal - 576 104
Udupi Dist.,
Ph: +91-0820-2573551(Off),
2575161(Res)
manjunath@mail.tapmi.org
manju_tapmi@yahoo.com
__________________________