Dear All,

Dr Shahab has raised a very pertinent issue. Librarians were appointed, given all the responsibilities and not provided with necessary enabling environments. So libraries are tend to fail in delivering the services normally.

Why does this happen?

Many librarians are happy with confining themselves to some routine duties and not interested to think, plan and implement library development and services. Some others are incapable of functioning as a professional librarians due to

This is a very bad situation.

The book selection is considered to be a domain of some experts and librarian is considered not capable of proper book selection. The selection of books should be in tune with the information needs of the users. Book selection can be done without the deeper knowledge of the subject or reading seriously, if you know the criteria to evaluate a book based on the quality consideration of the

Dear Colleagues, I think this issue was already debated in many forums in India and abroad with very little outcome. Dr. Saheb can search and see the literature on this topic. We have to make a clear distinction between the duties of a librarian vis-a-vis his his role in the book selection process. I do not agree that all librarians have the necessary subject expertise to select books that are being bought by the library. Yes, to some extent the librarian can make a choice with regard to some general and reference books. There are many cases of librarians who do not know the difference between an electronic chip (IC) and and Internal cumbustion engine (IC)?. With many of our professional colleagues coming from arts, humanities and social science background, it would be certainly difficult to select science books. If our critics say that the librarian is all-in-all of knowledge, they are wrong. Since LIS admission is open to people with any subject; but the recruitment of LIS professional is definitely based on subject background, such as engineers, doctors, scientists-biology, materials science, optics, etc. So, let us be a generalist and not a specialist (of many things?) With regard to bying duplicate copies of books recommended by the faculty, I think we have to have a procedure (like we do) to avoid buying duplicate copy of a book even if the faculty recommends. In all fair means the faculty should be given the right to select and recommend books of their choice. The librarian may help the book selection process in giving the necessary feedback in terms of collection defficiencies, cost considerations, discounts and budgetary allocation to the concerned departments and faculty. I sincerely feel that we should not encroach on the 'domain' of the faculty for various reasons cited by our colleague. There are many things a knowledgeble librarian can do to improve the book collection and provide the required services to the users. Dr. M. Koteswara Rao Librarian University of Hyderabad their poor exposure and lack of interest. Other capable and innovative librarians do not get the luxury of a supportive and enabling environment for their professional work. Very few institutions provide reasonable environment for library development. publisher, book reviews and even the citation statistics, if one is a capable librarian. On the other hand teachers, having doctorate degrees etc and incapable of making a good selection for the library, are provided with the right to selection based on the knowledge that they are experts and librarians are ignorant. We need to change this situation for which the library professional associations should raise this issue, promote the concept and should show good results at least in some institutions where librarians can build a better collection, if provided with a free hand. Unless the librarian is supported with facilities like men money, materials , methods etc, they cannot go ahead reasonably in proper library development.

In this age of interdisciplinary studies, proper book selection require very

Librarian should develop that knowledge by becoming a generalist, rather than a specialist. Library schools should work as a breeding ground of such new breed of library professionals.

Regards,

K Rajasekharan Librarian, Kerala Institute of Local Administration(KILA) Mulagunnathukavu, Thrissur - 680581 , India

Original Message Subject: [LIS-Forum] Seeking discussion on problems with a balance BOOK SELECTION POLICY & PROCEDURE From: T. Shahab

Dear Memberss,

Through the popular LIS-Forum for exchanging professional ideas, I wish to engage the valuable attention of the practicing librarians to the ever increasing problem of breach in librarians' domain by faculty members in light of the shrinking role of librarians in determining the policy and procedures involving many of the library activities, particularly the collection development through BOOK SELECTION. In some libraries that I know, the Acquisition Dept. has been turned into just like a clearance house; the

good understanding of the main subjects in general and their inter- relationships. librarian is not consulted on matters of Book selection; even the budgeted amount under the Central library has to be used on the authorization of the Vice-chancellor or one of his/ her nominees. Book suppliers will directly contact the faculty members get the books recommended and pass-on the recommended lists to the Acquisition Dept. for necessary followups. Some times, two or more departments may recommend the same title, and the librarian being unaware of the reason, has only to meekly put his/her signature. Even in matters of acquiring multiple copies of the already purchased books (on students' demand), the hands of a librarian is bound. A Librarian being in close touch with the students is always approached by them with their requests on different library related matters, but the librarian is most of the cases is unable to make any firm committment for a facility or extension of services to the students. This change in power dynamics in Universities is making the job of a librarian a very unsavoury one; most librarians are feeling dejected and

professionally emasculated. Please, take the above write-up as a point of discussion. Feel free to express your considered opinion on this matter of great importance.

Regards. Dr. T. SHAHAB

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