In response to the letter published I just want to supplement something with it. The letter revealed the fact. In the last of the conversation (between Respected , Privileged Lecturer & Clerk Librarian) was absolutely correct. In colleges in West Bengal the condition is unbearble. In the said conversation, librarian said they enjoy 30 days E.L. But here in West Bengal,we the college librarians are suffering silently and living like a invertebrate. Here we have 14 days C.L. & 15 days E.L.We are Non-vacational staff. However we have been recruited through the College Sevice Commission with the same eligibility like lecturers. Gradually we have become the laughing stock of our lecturer colleagues.No Recess. No vacation.No service rules.No leave rule.You can treated like anything and which is more pathetic is that other non-teaching staff in the library they are having 30 days E.L. It is more surprising fact is that a post (Librarian) has been created and being recruited through college service commission without any service rule/leave rule. So the motive behind it is quite understandable.

On the other side a lecturer in a college in west bengal get-

14 days C.L.

15 days E.L. (Upto 7 years of their service)

52 days off days/lib day for their study & research

45 days Summer Recess ( hardly 7-10 days Univ. exam duty and admission duty and not for all lecturers)

30 days (approx.) puja vacation

7 Days Winter Recess

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Total---153 days (leaving 10 days in summer recess)

Approximately - 5 months 1 week

+ 2 years FIP leave + Sabbatical Leave + 1 year Study leave (extendable) + Special study leave

 

Thus from the above we can say that lecturers are getting salary of 12 months by working only 7 months where as Librarians are getting salary of 12 months by working 11 months. It is inexplicable step-motherly discrimination. It must be changed to sustain our profession.

 

In the Recent time, UGC pay review committee recommended many things for the lecturer except the real parity of librarians with the lecturers.UGC and all the state govt. are ignoring our real issues intentionally and they expect us to perform only without any academic freedom.It is injustice. I can remember before some days one of our friends in the lis-forum was looking for the precedence where a librarian has been santioned a FIP leave. It is so unfortunate.My dear friend, no academic freedom for us. Its not our domain. We are Librarians-clerk. Our Senior Colleagues in our profession says that it is our ideal and duty to serve like servant.

May I ask all of you, particulraly the library key persons in various policy making bodies in the state and centre -when will we get the justice? Do you feel our real problem or Do you represent us properly in the close door meeting? I doubt you don't because you fear you may loose your post/portfolio.

Though many of our organizations including AIFUCTO and IALA , IASLIC has demanded the right thing i.e., Redesignation of Librarian. If it is not achieved we will be suffering forever and the future will not forgive us. Everone of us will have to face the future . It is inevitable. Change is coming every where . I dream change will be here also.

Salary is very important matter. But I think liberty,freedom and above all respect is more important. New generation librarians (with respect to all of our seniors) want to change but the system is not allowing them to make any change.They want freedom . They want respect. They want parity in every respect. They neither want to be a dignified clerk nor a mere book keeper.They want open air where librarian and librarianship will be taken seriously. 

A possible remedy to improve the situation could be:

 

 

I strongly believe change will come and it will come very soon.

 

with best wishes to you all.