Dear Friends, While congratulating Dr.Jagtar Singh, I disagree with some of my professional friends regarding the apprehension expressed by them - whether or not a LIS faculty member should handle the job as a librarian or would be able to handle both the jobs, as a teacher and as a librarian. In fact, earlier, the HOD was also incharge of the library and worked as university librarian. Some time, in late 1980's, this practice was discontinued and department was separated from the library for the reasons best known to those who argued against such practice and favoured the bifurcation/ separation. HOD of LIS dept also heading the library is still an ongoing practice in most of the university libraries in Maharashtra. We must also congratulates all the university librarians of Maharasthra who are heading the both. In my personal opinion LIS teachers also need to head the library or need to work in the library for the following reasons : 1. Presently the interaction between teachers and working librarians is very minimal or very poor. Therefore, all the LIS teachers should handle one of the sections in the the library, on rotation basis, at least for 2 years. Such practice, would enchance interactions. 2. Such a practice of teaching and doing the library work, will create awareness about the practical problems faced by practicing library professionals. 3. Would enable them to blend theory and practice. 4. would enable them to make suitable/appropriate chages in the syllabus and to implement it too . 5. Such a practice would give impetus to students to work in their library and also would give them better understanding of the library routine work before they take up a job. 6. Most important- such a practice would motivate LIS faculty members to spend more time in the library and to interact with the library members - students, research scholars and faculty members of other dept. 7. Library professionals working in the library, with suitable qualifications, will also get opportunity to teach and there by would justify their status as TEACHERS. 8. Would mitigate the descrimination - Teaching and non-teaching members, at least in the university system. Teaching and working in the library can be done on rotation basis. When both the teachers and working librarians have same/ equal qualifications then why descrimination or preventing librarians from teaching ? 9. Working librarians, in such case, can also guide PhD students, which at present is not possible in some of the universities ( As per the latest guidelines ). There is some ambiguity regarding librarians guiding phd students. Pl correct me if I am wrong. 10. In some of the university libraries, librarian post has been kept vacant for a long time. Is not preferable for a LIS faculty member to take charge of the library instead of keeping it vacant or giving room for some non-library professional heading the library ? thanks, Dr.G.K.Manjunath Chief Librarian Indira Gandhi Inst of Development Research Film City Road Santosh Nagar Goregaon(East ) MUMBAI - 400 065 India Phone: 022-28416528 email: gkm@igidr.ac.in On Tue, 5 Apr 2016, Koteswara Rao Mamidi wrote:
Dear friends,
Nowadays, we notice that LIS faculty members are taking additional responsibility of heading the library also, which in my opinion is not good for our profession, and it also raises many questions. First, they should know that when there are so many university librarian's posts are vacant, and at the same time many qualified LIS professionals are not getting top jobs, how can someone do this?. Will the LIS faculty allow the librarian/Dy librarian to be the head of the department or guide students for their research? I have come across many cases of such 'isolation' of Library officers from the department although both are equally qualified in the subject domain. Second, the librarian's job is a full-time job and it is doubtful how a faculty member can devote his/her time in the library? can we say that they have enough time to spare after taking classes and guiding research? or they spend very little time in the library administration? For whatever reasons this 'encroachment' of someone Else's domain of work is not healthy; after all both the librarian and the teacher belongs to the same profession. I think even if the faculty member says 'no' to such requests for the VC, heaven will not fall on him/her but, it will enable the university administration to fill up the post soon. I do not mean to hurt anyone but, given the fact that only a very small percentage of LIS professionals engaged in teaching, we should expect that every one should have equal opportunity in our profession.
Dr. M. Koteswara Rao Retd. librarian, UoH
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2016 22:43:33 +0530 From: khushpreet.singh@gmail.com To: LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in; india-lis@infoserv.inist.fr; lisert-india@googlegroups.com Subject: [LIS-Forum] Congratulations to Dr. Jagtar Singh
Respected Sir
Hearty congratulations to Dr. Jagtar Singh, Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala for taking charge as head of University Library. Respected Sir, in your able guidance the university library will achieve new heights.
Regards Khushpreet Singh
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