Dear Professionals, This question in the subject of this posting is haunting me for quite some time. If we see the realities and status of LIS professionals, especially in our country I feel like endorsing this statement, although it hearts me a lot. Like our LIS, even the Space Science is interdisciplinary in nature and borrows principles and practices from other disciplines like Physics, Mechanical/Electronic/Computer Science…Engineering, Chemistry, Materials, Astronomy, etc. But see the status enjoyed by Space Scientists. We say that Library itself is like a University, a knowledge hub and so on. But many academic and research administrators undermine the relevancy of Library especially in the context of digital environment. Many University Librarian posts are vacant for decades in our country. In spite of having masters degree with NET/SLET library professionals are being paid a meager amount of 10 -20 K for temporary Project Assistants/Assistant Librarians as against >32 K for Guest Lecturers at universities. Many special libraries from national institutes like CSIR have Scientists-in-charge. While there is no dearth of jobs for LIS Professionals, good number of engineering colleges still pay only 8-10 K for a fresher and at the most 15 K for professionals with 3-5 years experience and most of them are not given any scale prescribed, many a times even to the Librarian. Few degree colleges treat Librarians as clerks. More than >50% PU Colleges have not appointed librarians and there is no surprise if we don’t find a library, except 1-2 cupboards of books in some colleges. While I don’t generalize the statement, I feel that to some extent we too are responsible for this situation. Many of us not only fail to equip ourselves with the required skill set to serve better in e-Resources era, but we don’t take the traditional service seriously and maintain library properly. Same is the case with many LIS teachers too. Inevitably we, the teachers and practicing librarians need to compliment each other’s activities like in Medical profession. I don’t understand why librarians should not lead major/minor projects awarded by UGC? It would be nice if the project team consists of both teachers and librarians, enabling the outcome or the product for implementation for bettering the services. Why not 62 years for superannuation of qualified university/college library staff? A good number of Departments of LIS in few countries have been either closed or converted as Schools of Information, etc. If we consider the recent announcement of an important event by an LIS Department towards commemoration of its Golden Jubilee as a clue, I think we in India also have started our journey in this direction. We invite speakers for thisthree day event only from disciplines like Management, Computer Science and Law with very less or no representation of LIS Professionals, giving a feeling that the host department too could not produce even one teacher or practicing librarian during its existence for 50 years, fit to be invited as speaker for this event. Yes, while I accept that we need to learn a lot from experts from other disciplines, let us not undermine our LIS profession. Unlike many other countries, DL initiatives especially at Institutional level in India are lead by LIS Professionals. Probably better understanding among LIS teachers and practiceners with consorted effort can bring laurels to our profession and negating the heading of this Lis-forum posting. Regards, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dr. I.R.N. Goudar - Adjunct Professor, Mangalore University - Visiting Professor Cum Library Adviser, Bangalore University - Ex. Visiting Professor Cum Library Adviser, UoM, Mysore - Ex. Scientist 'G' and Head, ICAST, NAL, Bangalore - Ex. Dy Librarian, IITM, Chennai - Ex. Scientist (Information), IICT, Hyderabad - Fulbright Scholar, Univ. of Michigan and Columbia Univ, USA (1995-96) - British Council Scholar (1982-83) E-mail: goudarishwar@gmail.com Tel: 080-23215510 Mob: 91+9611165781 (If not reachable pl try land line) -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.