Subject: PIL on Neglect of Library and Appointment of Library Staff all over India

To: Indian Library Association Considering the Historicity of Librariesand library services to the community, the ILA should file a PIL in Supreme Courtand here is a small write on the reason for such an act. As aLife Member of ILA for more than 40 years in standing and as President ofKarnataka State Library Association, I am making this proposal to ILA. As all of us know that the Library has been becoming the most neglectedinstitution under the policies of the Government both at the Central and Statelevel. It is well known that several commissions on education and others have emphasized therole of library and about 21 states of India have public library legislationand many of these Library acts have mandated to provide public library servicesto the citizens and some of them are also levying Library Cess. Most theUniversities in the country are without bare minimum qualified library staff and some of them are being managed by Only oneprofessionals wherein their earlier strength was anywhere between 20-60. IITsand Institutions of national importance, many public libraries in the countryare without staff. In the country there are nearly 200+Universities offering LIS education from Certificate to Doctorate levels,Thousands of youngsters are passing out of these valued Institutions which have a history of nearly 75 years instanding. They also are working without adequate teaching faculty and some ofthem on the threshold of closing. In comparison in the west and also in manydeveloping nations from Africa and South East Asia except India, Library andlibrary profession is regarded as one of the essential services. Despite application of ICT in Libraryoperations and services many libraries in the west are appoint specialists indifferent areas of application of ICT in libraries to make library servicesmore effective and fruitful. Considering such and all other aspects thereis a very strong case to file a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court to enlighten thegovernments both Central and State to take immediate action on improving thelibrary situations all over the country as the libraries since ages are considered asinstitutions to cater to the public needs of education, learning, teaching,research and for the leisure time activity. IndianLibrary Association being a national professionalbody should consult the concerned in this regard and go for filing a PIL and also seek the Parliament to bringa WHITE PAPER on all aspects of library situationsand condition. There is a concrete example of United Kingdom which brought outa White Paper in the 1960s to reorganize entire library scenario in the country Yours Prof. A.Y.AsundiFormer Professor and Chairman of LISCell : 9980815468
participants (1)
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Ashok Asundi