New subject: Promoting reading habits

29 Apr 2008

      "Librarians work for the mankind"? Forgive me to sound churlish. This
textbook comments appear me like rubbing salt to every practicing
librarians' open wound. Librarains in the real work situation in most of
the institutions in our counrty-whether public or private-have no larger
profile than submitting with all docility at their command to the
directives or sweet wishes or whims of the governing
committee/Principal/Professors/Directors/Vice-Chancellors, etc. I
haven't come across any Public or Academic librarian who feel empowered
enough to acquire books with a view to cultivating best "Value system",
without being in perpetual trepidation of having her/his choices being
qestioned. Librarians in our contry may become effective instrunments in
the development of an Information literate society provided the
significance of libraries as an agent of social transformation is
understood by those who are holding the reins of authority and power.
Moreover, while seized with the issue of "Information literacy" we
should also think of the usefulness of the long forgotten techniques
used in library extension services. The true literacy is not really
course book based. It is to banish the darknness of ignorance from our
minds and to enable us to acuire various forms of competencies that
should empower us to be engaged in the contemporary society beneficially
for all.
Regards. 
TANWIR

-----Original Message-----
From: lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
[mailto:lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in] On Behalf Of Sukhdev Singh
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 1:50 PM
To: Smita Chandra; lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
Cc: binu david
Subject: Re: [LIS-Forum] Promoting reading habits

Are we just teachers? Or our responsibility goes beyond that?

I thought, it just the teachers who "force" their "pupils" to learn
whatever is prescribed in their syllabus. A teacher transfers a domain
of knowledge to its pupils. S/he deals with one generation (25 years
equals to a generation). Fine, I have no objection to this. It is
his/her duty. The roles are well defined; the person standing in the
class knows the best.

Now there is something called social "value system". Conflicts between
generations start from here. Call it "Generation Gap" if you like.
Here the older generation always feel that their value system is better
and more right than that of younger generation. The young feels just the
opposite.

I am with the younger generation. I feel the younger generation is
always right because they know better. After all they are born after
25 years. During these 25 years, the sum total of mankind knowledge gets
added up (Quiz - How many times?). And Technology?  How much does it
change in 25 years?

While a teacher (not a researcher) merely transfers the existing known
domain knowledge to its pupil, a librarian has more challenging task -
s/he builds the knowledge base.  S/he acquires the best knowledge
produced and recorded; organizes; makes it findable and usable.
Librarian does not work for a Generation. Librarian does not work for
Money. Librarian does not subscribe to any particular Ideology.
Librarian does not work for a particular Society or Community.
Librarian WORKS FOR MANKIND. Libraries collectively form the MEMORY of
MANKIND.

Now coming to philosophy of Library Science. I wonder whether we all
have grown beyond Ranganathan. More of us are talking in terms of THIRD
LAW (Every Book Its Reader - the promotional aspect) while ignoring the
SECOND LAW (Every Reader his/her Book - the collection development
aspect). As already hinted in my previous mail, priority should be
according to the order of the Laws. For me the FIRST LAW (Books are for
use) comes first, so I talk of Open Access. Collection development comes
second and promotion comes third.

I am very happy that few of us actually pinpointed the root cause. It is
the strict adhere to "numerical" and "magic numbers" prescribed by
accrediting bodies.

Recently, I was invited at CMC Vellore <
http://www.cochrane-sacn.org/symposium2008/workshops.html > to chair a
session. There I got an opportunity to look to one poster. It was
co-authored by Dr. R. R. Pathak, Depratment of Pharmacology, C U Shah
Medical College, Surendranagar GUJARAT - 363001  and Sheikh, Rizwan, the
Senior Librarian there.

I talked at length to Dr. Pathak during his poster presentation. His
views are important to me. He is a PG Student of Pharmacology and a
Library User. I requested a copy of the poster, which he sent me through
email later (I can forward the same to whoever desires, or better if
Rizwan is here and listening, I request him to make his presentation in
lis-forum)

What does this poster say? It bursts the MCI's Library Norms and Magic
Numbers. He shows how a private college can fill up "magic numbers"
with books and journals that students would never need. He goes ahead
with high pitch, which I don't like to circulate over here.

So you cannot have Second Law violated and then expect Librarian to
operate the Third Law.

So Build Your Collection to the Needs of your User. Don't impose your
own Value - System on the User.

User Knows the Best.

--Sukhdev Singh, NIC.

On Fri, Apr 25, 2008 at 10:32 AM, Smita Chandra 
wrote:
...
Sorry am back once again...
The problem indeed lies somewhere else. Reading habits do not evolve 
over-night, but it is a long process having its roots in human beings 
as kids. Curiosity will no doubt drive anyone to read anything of 
his/her interest no matter where it is. But if we are talking of 
'reading' for the sake of inner development and a more mature level of
...
understanding and a mature society in-turn, then it is the whole wide 
spectrum of 'reading habit' that comes into picture. There are n-book 
clubs of different trusts/ organizations however there is a deficiency
...
of a library, librarian, a school library, a public library (pls lets 
leave the BCL and USIS out of our 'Indian' list), or a library 
association in India involved directly or indirectly  in such  a 
process. (This bring to mind a question I have been pondering, is 
there any association at all between the National Book Trust of India 
and our libraries, lets say our National Library ?...pls can someone 
clarify ? )
There are some public libraries in the US, that hand out gift baskets 
containing books to 'expectant mothers' to read them out to their
unborn !
..sounds familiar to our culture too...oh yes thats also Abhimanyu 
from Mahabharat !!! So it is at THIS BASIC level that we have YET TO 
BEGIN working towards. Else we are all aware of the parallel education
...
system in our country, of the rote system of learning in schools, of 
...  are these the reason why school kids so shy away from their 
library periods ? Is there any study between such dynamic relations 
/interactions related also to school libraries / national association 
in this ? If yes, then has that been out forward to the varied boards 
on education set up time and again to bring reforms to the school 
syllabus and learning methodology. We see examples here being pointed 
from US, are people in such committees aware of the role a library has
...
in developing lets say 'reading habit' here ? Are there any librarians
...
or representatives of library associations ? What about the role of
libraries in developing reading habits for the special kids ?
Regards,
Smita--
Smita Chandra
Librarian
Indian Institute of Geomagnetism
New Mumbai
Sukhdev Singh  wrote:
But aren't we trying to reinvent the Wheel?
Let us go back to our science.
Read and Understand the Second Law:
Better Buy a Copy and keep it on your table. I don't have to tell you 
the title. http://dlist.sir.arizona.edu/1220/
Also remember the Second Law comes Before Third Law.
The problem lies somewhere else. Poor students!! Always at receiving
end!!.
One question? Who told them to read SMSes?
Second Question? Who told them to Google?
Answer = IF SOMETHING IS USEFUL, IT WILL BE USED!!
So if the Library collection is useful, it will be used. Put your 
useful books in Seven Locks, people will still ask for it. Don't you 
observe it daily in your library?
Sorry, the problem lies somewhere else.
Do you still want to know the problem?
--Sukhdev Singh, NIC.
On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 8:32 AM, Parinita Samant wrote:
...
Dear All,
This could be a very interesting point for discussion, as promoting 
reading habits will always be an important topic for all librarians.
Could we professionals work together on this forum and try to list 
out all possibilities for increased readership in libraries?
Thanks & Regards
Parinita Samant
Hexaware Technologies Ltd
Mahape, Navi Mumbai 400710
67919595 - Xt- 9707
"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that 
is all" -Oscar Wilde
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
[mailto:lis-forum-bounces@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in] On Behalf Of binu 
david
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 3:13 PM
To: lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
Subject: [LIS-Forum] Promoting reading habits
Dear Friends
I am a Librarian with a self financing engineering college(only
BTech/BE) in Kerala. Our library subscribes to around 80 print 
periodicals in the area of engineering and allied subjects. To 
promote reading habits of periodicals among students and faculty we 
have taken initiate like user education, current awareness etc.
But the response to these initiatives are meagre. Yearly we are 
spending around 2 lakh on periodicals. So i need some valuable 
suggestions from my colleague's in promoting reading habits of our 
periodicals in optimum.
Hope soon I will receive a lot of suggestion from you people.
Thanking you
Sincerely
Binu David
Librarian
N J College of Engineering
Pothandi
Palghat
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Re: [LIS-Forum] Promoting reading habits

T. Shahab

Sukhdev Singh

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