Dear Professional, I am happy to see the posting by Sri Kodandaram, an enthusiastic LIS professional, coming out with his response to the issue discussed at a recently concluded Golden Jubilee Summit organized by the Department of Library and Information Science (MyDLIS), University of Mysore, Mysore. Naturally as a youngster, the ‘Identity crisis of LIS profession’ drew his attention the most. Let me also dive into the issue and try to swim in the waters. ‘Identity of LIS profession’ is not new issue for discussion. But let us not bring-in here the social status of the profession in comparison with other professions. I am of the opinion that librarians have their identity of their own. What I mean by this is the society is well aware off the kind of job that we do. Our goal is defined. We select, organize, and manage information sources so that we can then help others to find the knowledge that they seek. We have been doing these in more or less standardized way for more than a century now. We are one among a very few professions to have well-defined by-and-large universally accepted procedures. Whether the ‘identity issue’ has become a ‘crisis’ is a matter of contention and that is why it was kept as a debate point for the panel. Are we losing the identity due to some extraneous factors? Technology is being seen as a main offender. Google, for example, is doing the crux of the librarians’ job as for as digital information resources are concerned. What happens to our role? Whether our identity is in stake? These are the questions that need to be answered to youngsters. Kodandaram raises issue related to quality of LIS output and tried to correlate it with the aptitude of the students about the course. While I tend to agree with him, I would also tend to think that the Indian education is more job-market oriented than aptitude oriented. As long as there is no increase in the job-market for LIS is concerned, the situation likely to continue. There has been always a discussion about the imbalance between market demand and production of LIS professionals. There is a feeling that universities are producing more than what market really requires. The universities have their own social agenda – education and research to as many people as possible. Open universities in particular meet more vehemently the societal obligation for higher education to many than their traditional counterparts and thus producing a large number of professionals. There is no difference of opinion that the quality of education should be the top most concern for the universities. The above are my random thoughts. With regards, On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 4:43 PM, Anil K Tyagi wrote:

Dear Ram Harsha,

I appreciate wholeheartedly your views on the subject. You have weaved your thoughts well and put your vision in a decent way. I used to discuss about library education with my colleagues occasionally and many times thought about it. This is the time we should REVISIT LIBRARIANSHIP. Library and Information Science is a subject of Social Science, Humanities of Natural Science had been a topic of debate.

Some of our esteemed colleagues say that Masters of Library & Information Science is equivalent to Masters of Science in Physics, Chemistry, etc. Does not look it like a joke. One more interesting thing about librarians that they are IT experts among librarians but librarians among IT experts. These were few of my thoughts. However, we ourselves are responsible for all this crises. We keep opening library schools/departments where university library as well as department is managed by one or two professional. We need to look into all these aspects.

With regards

*Dr Anil K Tyagi* Scientist 'G' ISSA, DRDO Delhi-110054 www.baapbeta.com

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On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 10:26 AM, Ram Harsha wrote:

...

Before saying about the topic i taken first of all i would like to devotedly pass on my good wishes to MyDlis and Milan for their successful prevail over the programme meet & greet and as well as the international conference on Information Unbounded: the past, the present, and the future of Information Sciences. These three days programme has given me an immense pleasure to get comprehensive dulcet memories by mingling with elite professionals and the alumni of DLIS. So, I am heart fully indebted to the organizer for having all of us gathered under a single umbrella.

In this forum, I would like to share some of the great reminiscences i could get in the conference. This conference had some panel discussions which was very informative and instructive to a young professional like me to improve our profession. Polemics in the discussions were very much interesting and pleasing for me but amongst the topics discussed by panelists INDENTITY CRISIS tempted me a lot. So, uncontrolling myself i have decided to talk quite a lot about it on this forum.

*IDENTITY CRISIS* when this theme/topic raised most of the participants have become emotional and started talking that all librarians are facing this issue in the society and we are not being respected like other professionals such as doctor and engineer are respected and some said that we are not notable in the world. For this talk one of the panelists has replied that the reason behind this identity crisis is the number of library professionals are produced more than what is required and another panelist suggested that to overcome this issue the number of students should be reduced in BLIS/MLISc. Now firstly my polemic over their opinions, suggestions and as well as the burning topic identity crisis in library professional is “our course Library And Information Science is not the STANDARDIZED one”. Secondly students are not the genuine aspirants of being librarian they join LIS courses just because either they couldn’t get seat in their desired subject (i. e. MSc/MBA/MA) which they have applied to or by influence of their parents/guardians or they may join it thinking that taking degree in LIS course is much easier than other subjects. Because of these kinds of occurrences our course is going to be an ill fated one and unfortunately poor qualitative librarians are produced by all dept of LIS in India.

What I didn’t like most is one of the participant suddenly stood up and made a proclamation that LIBRARIANS ARE KING MAKERS it seemed to be very funny for me because just by providing users a books on engineering and science we are not creating any engineers or doctors in the society and one thing I would like to make very much clear to that participant that the same book can be read by many user some may get first rank , some may just pass, some may be failed and go unemployed so librarians are not creating/responsible for unemployment in the society. Hence librarians shouldn’t be compared with other professionals like doctor and engineer because their line of study is completely different and complex than LIS degree. See if anybody wants to become a doctor or engineer he must possess science knowledge in 12th standard/ Pre University Course later they have to pass in CET then only they will get a seat to study BE/MBBS but in our subject that is LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE it is not like that, anybody can join and pass it easily without hard work and i also feel a student failed in English subject can pass this LIS in a first attempt that too in English medium with first class. From this I can infer that there are no standards or limitations to posses LIS degree. Just by doing 1 or 2 years course we become LIBRARIAN and compare ourselves with doctors and engineers.

Dear professionals please don’t think I am underestimating our profession I am just not happy with the mode of our course. My intention is just to tell that only the real aspirants has to become librarian we shouldn’t entertain everyone to become librarian just by opening 1 year or 2 years courses. If one wants to become librarian he must possess LIS knowledge in 12th standard itself followed by bachelor degree in LIS and Masters in LIS. Method of LIS Course has to be meliorated in this way.

Universities are there to form a student’s future but no University is bothered about what kind of students they are producing. Especially distance education Universities are spoiling student’s career. They are creating a mess in the society. I believe students are not becoming educated but they are just going qualified unemployed it brought me confusion that whether the “Universities are really educating or entertaining the students”.

For this I beseech each and every one of our professors, leaders, presidents, secretaries of all Associations, Networks and all LIS Departments dare to come forward and reform our course otherwise we will have to face a biggest problem in future.

If I have said anything incorrectly I kindly request all professionals to guide me and make me a sensible professional. Your comments, critics and suggestions are wholeheartedly welcome.

With regards

Kodandarama

Temporary Assistant Librarian

University Library, University of Mysore, Mysore.

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