Full Story available at http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050116/cth1.htm#12 Best librarian award for Veena, Sreekumar Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 15 The board of trustees of Satinder Kaur Ramdev Memorial Trust for Advancement of Librarianship (SATKAL) and the British Library today gave away the best librarian awards in three categories. The awards were presented at a special function organised at Government Museum Auditorium, Sector 10. Prof G.S. Randhawa, former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, inaugurated the function and gave away the awards. While Veena Chawla, Director, American Information Centre, New Delhi, bagged the SATKAL Woman Librarian Award for this year, the Young Librarian Award went to the versatile M.G. Sreekumar, currently Librarian and Head, Development of Digital Libraries at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode. A mathematics graduate from the University of Kerala, Sreekumar pursued his Bachelors in Library and Information Science from the University of Kerala. The recipient of Fulbright award in 1996, Sreekumar went to study at the University of Maryland at College Park and at the National Library of Medicine, USA. A vibrant professional, Sreekumar has been instrumental in the creation of a sound digital system at IIMK, Kozhikode. He now leads several national level research projects in library and information science, and information technology areas. Recently Sreekumar has successfully created an E-learning platform for doctors and the medical fraternity in India, funded by the WHO office in New Delhi. The National Librarian award was presented to Dr E Rama Reddy, Founder Librarian of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Library, University of Hyderabad, who has to his credit several best librarian awards. He is also considered among the best library automation experts in India. Well attended and organised, the function saw valuable suggestions from experts in the field of library sciences. The vote of thanks was extended by Mr Sushant Banerjee, Organising Secretary, SATKAL. -------------------------- Another Full story available at http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050116/cth1.htm#11 Future of library science not bright Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service, Chandigarh, January 15 If statistics are to be believed, the future of library and information science does not appear to be very bright in India. Rough estimates suggest that out of 1,000 libraries, not more than 10 were fully automated in this age of technology. And worse, of the 30,000 librarians that come out of the plethora of library schools in India, few are trained well enough to be recruited without being sent for a re-training. This and much more plagues the discipline which has evolved in other parts of the world. While Singapore leads the world in public library system which is just a decade old, UK spends exorbitantly in reviewing the functioning of its National Library which fetches it a huge revenue. In a recently commissioned review of the National Library, UK, independent consultants reported that against every pound that the British Government spent on the National Library, the library gave it back 4.4 times more money! In India, however, the libraries are low on priority when resource allocation is decided. The reasons, experts attending the annual function of SATKAL (Satinder Kaur Ramdev Memorial Trust for Advancement of Librarianship) and The British Library, Chandigarh, held at Government Museum auditorium today, say are many. �The most significant is failure to catch up with the most basic of systems, including the public library system. The state of public libraries is sorry, even the librarians which our universities produce know very little about high quality services. Our courses are outdated, our consolidation of technology poor,� said Mr P. Jayarajan, eminent librarian and former Head, Library and Information Services, British Council India who was present at the function which also witnessed a panel discussion on the required changes in library science syllabi. Among the panelists were Prof H.R, Chopra, Head, Library Science Department, PU, Mr A.R. Sethi, Head Librarian, PU Library. K.C. Ramola, Librarian, Centre-State Library and Ms Devinder Kaur, Librarian, Punjabi University, Patiala. Dissecting the scenario of library and information services in India, Mr Jayarajan, who is now working on retrospective conversion and library automation at prestigious libraries like the Nehru Memorial Library, said, �We have been wasting time. In the 1980s we talked about library automation but not more than 10 Indian libraries are automated; in the1990s we talked about library networks, but I cannot list a single credible network expect DELNET; now are talking about digital libraries but that is not the answer. We must become user friendly by offering high quality services. We must also target non users. Traditional methods are fine but computers have to come in, whether or not public libraries like it�. Another challenge, the expert said, was from new age media like TV, Internet, choices of news channels, upmarket book shops, distribution centres that bring you any book you want. �In such a scenario, we need to change our curriculum, impart library skills to ensure that we churn out fine talent and not mass graduates,� he said adding that the profile of a librarian must be improved by honouring the profession in the first place. President Abdul Kalam a great library user --------------------------------- Eminent librarian Mr P. Jayarajan took the occasion to tell the audience about President Abdul Kalam�s love for libraries. He recalled, �When the President was working at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, he was a frequent library user. So much so that he would not leave the library even after everyone had gone. The library management had to give him a duplicate key for easy access�. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com