Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:41:00 -0400 From: anjrao Dear sir kindly announce the following workshop events yours sincerely Janardhana Rao A N Librarian M S Ramiah institute of Management Bangalore-54 Email:msriml@rediff.com National Workshop on �Library and Information Services (LIS) for Quality Higher Education A one-day national workshop on �LIS for Quality Higher Education� was jointly organized by the NAAC and the M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Management (MSRIM), Bangalore on May 21, 2005. The MSRIM was the venue. Welcoming the participants to the workshop, Prof. Balachander of MSRIM underlined the need for good academic libraries in the higher education context. During his inaugural address, Prof. V.S. Prasad, Director, NAAC used the occasion to recall his association with the good libraries and librarians in the past and said that for a �learner�, librarian can be the best friend on an educational campus. In any field, limitations were always there but so were opportunities, he felt. The objective of the librarian should always be �total user satisfaction�. Prof. L. M. Patnaik, I.I.Sc, Bangalore, in his Presidential address, said that unlike in past when information sources were scarce, after the advent of internet, the present is characterized by information abundance; one of the key roles of the librarian was to pin-point the user to the appropriate information source and help conserve time and energy of the user. The workshop consisted of five sessions, including the last session earmarked for discussion and feedback. Mr. Anil Gowda of MSRIM made a presentation on �Accreditation and Certification: An Overview of NAAC, NBA and ISO Processes�. Explaining the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act upon) Model for quality, he said that identifying problems correctly is the first step towards quality improvement. During his session on �ISO Certification and Academic Libraries�, Dr. Harish Chandra, Chief Librarian, IIT, Chennai emphasized that library functioning ought to be user-focused. He said that librarian was not just a custodian of books, as may have been the case till recently, but had evolved as an interpreter of thought contents. Pointing out that the IIT, Chennai had a separate website for e-books, he stressed the need for academic libraries to have a vision. Conceding that the �hybrid libraries� will always remain, as only then would the LIS be truly satisfactory, he said �customer satisfaction� and �customer confidence� should continue to guide the library agenda. After mentioning the impressive fact that the consultancy services of his Institute had touched the Rs.30 crore mark, he elaborated on the benefits of ISO Certification for academic libraries and explained the effect measures like �users writing the librarian�s CR�, and �ISO Certification� have had on their library system. Dr. C.R. Karisiddappa, Karnataka University, Dharwad, dealing with �Quality Indicators for LIS: Parameters of NAAC� said that no quality higher education was possible without quality LIS. Dr. Pichappan, Annamalai University explained �e-Learning and Digital Library Practices in enhancing the quality of LIS�. He asserted that quality of research and quality of higher education were inseparably linked. Explaining the technology developments in the library field, he hoped that e-learning would possibly neutralize brain-drain. During the course of the day, Balani Infotech and SSG Systems Ltd. made presentations on �e-Resources� and �Integrated Digital Library and Library Management� respectively. In her valedictory address, Dr. Mariamma Verghese, Senior Education Consultant, NAAC expressed the need for enhancing the use of library as the most crucial learning resource and the need to be in step with the technology of the times for providing good library service. The workshop was hugely attended. About 60 senior library professionals from all over the country and the academic staff of MSRIM and the NAAC participated. The event was coordinated by Mr. Janardhan Rao of MSRIM and Dr. Srinivasa Raghavan of NAAC.