FUNDING FOR A LIBRARY SCHOOL: A PROPOSAL

A few suggestions for generating funds for a library school are given below. Professionals are requested to go through them and give their comments. I have an open mind. Let there be a debate.
Prof Krishan Kumar

Funding is crucial . An excellent library school will be in a better position to get financial support. A few suggestions for generating funds are given below:
(i) The faculty may prepare sound proposals to get funding from their parent body, University Grants Commission and other institutions for the library school,
(ii) The faculty may take projects and consultancy to generate funds,
(iii) The school may organize training programmes for teachers and librarians . The money saved may be transferred to the school.
(iv) The alumni may be approached to contribute in different ways, to establish scholarships, fellowships, chair (professorship in LIS); purchase of equipment, furniture, books, journals etc; for extension of the building; even the present faculty or past faculty can contribute in various ways. When the first computer laboratory was established at Dept of Library and Information Science(University of Delhi) in 1998, money for infrastructure, printer and internet was contributed by the faculty and students. Alumni association can play an important part. It may hold a gala night, to collect funds from alumni and others. They can approach philanthropists and various organizations. Great institutions like Harvard University, University of Oxford , MIT , etc have been build up mainly through support from them. Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management have used this resource with great advantage. Even a library school or library or laboratory of the school can be named after the name of an individual or organization.
(v) Attract students from neighbouring countries, who may be charged higher fee and a certain percentage of this can go to the library school
(vi) Publication programme (journal, reports, proceedings of conferences, seminars etc) can generate fund. It can also give prestige to the school and its faculty.

Working for getting funding from various sources is a continuous process. Total faculty must be involved for chalking out plans and implementing them with passion. Annual budget of the school must be prepared thoughtfully, with an aim to get additional funding from the parent body or University Grants Commission. The case must based on sound arguments along with supporting data. Visiting team from the University Grants Commission have an open mind, if they can be convinced , they are quite often helpful.
A document prepared carefully based on sound logic and supporting data can do the trick. We must learn the art of communication and use the tricks of the trade involved in such a venture. We can learn from the experience of others. Studying how great institutions are build up, can be useful in this context.

FINISHING SCHOOLS : A PROPOSAL

Need for Finishing Schools
There is a need for finishing schools that turn out employable librarians. The idea is to give grooming to products turned out by library schools so that they can be turned into a persons ready to work on the professional jobs. Such a programme may last for two months, immediately after they have taken their final MLISc examination and also submitted their dissertation/project report. The obectives of the programme are:
(i) to inculcate work culture ( he gains finer points regarding work culture, how carry out the job as a professional, how to be disciplined, reaching office in time, not to abstain from duty without proper permission etc)
(ii)to develop communication and behavioural skills( how to develop personality and traits required for developing social interaction, to idea being to develop leadership qualities) especially as a team worker.
(iii) to develop technical analytical skills by working on a project
(iv) to learn the technical skills on the job , learning by doing
There programme may consist of lectures, seminars, workshops and hands –on experience.
There are large number of such programmes that are being run successfully. One such programme is the Executive Finishing School,
Managed byGloria Starr, the leading expert.( http://www.gloriastarr.com/executive-finishing-school.htm) These can give us ideas and information about how finishing schools for librarians can be designed and operated.

INFORMATION SCHOOL

In 2004, Department of Library and Information Science , University of Madras, was renamed Department of Information Science, as the first of its kind. Master of Library and Information Science course was replaced by ‘Master of Science’ in Information Science ( that is M Sc (Information Science) ) from the academic session 2004-2005. The words denoting traditional discipline , “Library Science” have been completely dropped from the name of the department as well as from the name of the degree being awarded. However, in the curriculum, many topics belonging to the discipline of “Library Science” have been retained, though the emphasis is heavily on information science. The question arises, why “ Library Science” has dropped from the name of the library school. The idea may be that information science as a subject of study has higher prestige than Library Science. The fields like computer science and management studies claim that information science belongs to their fold. In view of this position, will they accept Madras School of information within their fold ? I have my own doubts. The students will be in a disadvantageous position for jobs in libraries because most of the library administrators would think that they have not been trained for library positions. Besides, if a student with M Sc in information science applies for admission to a Ph D programme of another library school, then he my get rejected on the ground that his degree falls outside the purview of library science. Those who pass out from this library school may at some stage protest that they did not get enough knowledge and slills to take up jobs in libraries. Will library schools in the country accept this school in their fold willingly. Their would be some notes of dissent. A school by whatever name, it may called but the basic idea should be to improve quality of education and produce excellent products that are readily lapped by the employers. We need employable products and nothing less. Only time will tell how the library profession including librarians and library faculty perceive the products coming out from this school of information science. Let us keep our fingers crossed. In USA, a movement of information schools was started about a decade back with great hopes. This movement has faded now. The library profession and the products coming out from these schools are not too happy with information science schools.

MLISc COURSE CONTENT- A PROPOSAL

COURSE CONTENT: A PROPOSAL

A two-year integrated programme(semester system) leading to a degree of Master of Library and Informtion Science is proposed . The curriculum is completed in two years and if the student leaves after first year, then he gets knowledge which is incomplete that does not prepare him adequately for the profession. This curriculum is planned in way that the second year is complementary to the first year. Taken together they complete a whole . It has been designed so that there is no duplication of topics as far as possible. If we want to produce world-class professionals, then we should follow such an approach. Being two year programme, only those will join it, who are really serious to serve the library profession( as a practising librarian or researcher or teacher in library science). This will end proliferation of library schools and ill equipped products. The course content is given below: Core coursesThese are compulsory courses:First year Information, communication and societyInformation processing and organization (theory)Information processing and organization (practice)Information sources and communication media Information servicesInformation and communication technology: Basics (this will also cover elementary knowledge of programming languages such as PASCAL, C, C++, java etc)Information and communication technology: ApplicationProject: documentation list and literature survey Second year Information systems (national and international systems- NISSAT, NASSDOC, DESIDOC, INIS, AGRIS, MEDLARS, MEDLINE, INSPEC etc)Information technology and systems designStorage and retrieval of recorded knowledgePlanning and management of library and information centresPlanning and management of information systemsLibrary automation (planning, criteria for choosing applications software, criteria for choosing hardware, implementation, after implementation; overview of available applications softwares) Networking and internet technology(networking-concepts, topologies, types-LAN, MAN, WAN ; hypertext, hypermedia, multimedia; Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN), open systems, interconnection(OSI);networks such as ERNET, NICNET,DELNET, JANET, BLAISE, OCLC, INFLIBNET; Internet- components, services, web browsers and search engines)Research methods including statistical methods ElectivesA student may choose any two of the following courses: Industrial library systemHealth science library systemPublic library systemAcademic library systemBusiness library systemResearch and technical library systemLaw library systemArchival records librarianshipPreservation and conservation of library materialsInformatics, bibliometrics and scientometricsInformation system and services for R&DManagement Information systemsInformation systems and services for planning Environmental information systems and servicesApplication of artificial intelligence to library and information scienceTechnical report writing (introduction; features; types; target groups; functions of an editor; editorial tools and editorial process) Dissertation/ project reportNote: The dissertation/ project work, must include directed field work.It will enable students to apply the theoretical knowledge of concepts and practices learned in the course work. They will carry out professional-level work under the formal guidance from a qualified supervisor/mentor. Students typically will get involved into tasks and projects that constitute professional-level (beginning professional level) work. In addition, fieldwork will provide learning opportunity for students. He will gain practical experience. He will be able to achieve networking in the profession, by interacting and through communication with library professionals. This way, he will also develop a professional identity and self-awareness. Directed field work tasks usually involve skills and knowledge that the student has already begun to learn in the teaching programme but has not enough mastery over these. One project of this nature, for example may be online services provided under “ask librarian” site of a university library. WORKSHOPS A workshop is an educational seminar that emphasizes interaction and exchange of information among a usually small number of participants. The participants may vary from 10 to 20. There should be a series of workshops for students. Some are compulsory and he can choose any four of the optional workshops. Each workshop may be of one day or two days, depending upon amount of information to be imparted to the students. The number of students to be admitted to a workshop is restricted to 25. Every two student should get one computer. The workshop should be conducted in a computer laboratory. One LCD should be, made available to the instructor. The teacher from the library school may conduct the workshop. In case, no teacher has expertise on the topic, then an outsider may be invited and paid for the purpose. He can be a working librarian or a teacher of library and information science or any other expert. At the end of workshop, the student will be assessed on the basis of assignments/project/multiple choice questions etc. Cumpulsory or Core workshops Citation using a particular style accepted by the library schoolDesigning of databases using MS AccessDesigning of spreadsheet using MS ExcelStatistical analysis using SPSSFlow charts and diagrams based on MS Visio ProPresentation of a research paper using MS WordPresentation of a research paper using Power pointHow and where to find information on L&IS, with special reference to Internet resourcesUse of open source softwares:(a) Linux,(b) My SQL data base, KOHA, D-Space, GDLS (Digital Library Software)How to build a digital libraryDesigning of web sitesBlogging (online communication phenomenon) Optional WorkshopsA student can choose any four of the following workshops: Records management (inventory, classification, retention scheduling, storing and protecting; managing electronic records, records management software, imaging systems etc)Advanced web searchesCopyrightDesigning information products and servicesContent management (creation, capture, delivery, customization and management of content) (the scope being to cover web publishing and also publishing to multichannel outputs, such as paper, web and wireless)Information architecture (it is the process of organizing online information so that it is clear, meaningful, meeting the needs of its website users)Information audit and mappingManaging electronic recordsIPR
Digital Preservation
Digitisation
Open Access
E-Learning

INDIAN CENTURY IN LIBRARY AND INFORMSATION SCIENCE
Some people have projected that twenty-first century is going to be India’s century. According to Wikipedia, “The Indian Century is a term used to describe the growing power of India in the 21st century. It has become a more prominent feature amongst the speeches of the key government leaders, commercial and media commentators of India in the last year. The concept of the Indian century is based on the capacity of India becoming the biggest economy of the 21st century.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Century) (accessed on Aug 20, 2007)If twenty-first century is going to be Indian century, why can not it be Indian century in the field of library and information science. Our fundamentals are strong as laid down by late Dr S R Ranganathan. Library schools are moving forward, charting new territories. Libraries are getting a new lease of life. The recommendations of National Knowledge Commission and the resolve of Government of India to implement these, so that India emerges as a knowledge-based society at the earliest, is certainly a pointer in this direction. Let us be optimistic. Let us work with passion, clear thinking, firm determination, with goals and mission in our mind. Nothing is impossible.

QUALITY OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES

Quality of library and information science education determines to a large extent the quality of library and information services available to their customers. Therefore, library education must be given the greatest attention that it deserves.

CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

The environment in which a library professional has to work is changing fast. The emergence of information resources in electronic format in the late 1980s and, especially, the advent and dominance of the Internet in the 1990s has led to new and welcome emphasis on giving prominence to the wants of library users. Some professionals consider the development of global electronic access to information as a threat to the very future of the physical library, but others regard it as an opportunity to rethink, redefine and to reshape, library services based on needs of their users, in a fast-changing information environment. The digital libraries are beginning to predominate the scene. Traditional library professionals are feeling lost in the new world of digital libraries. They are also feeling a sense of identity crisis. In this changing information environment, the library schools are required to develop a kind of education to equip the graduates with skills needed to help customers to use not only libraries but also information sources in different forms and formats. They must be educated as ‘informtion empowerment specialist’ rather than mere experts in ‘bibliographic instruction’. Library schools must accept these challenges to train professionals who can compete with professionals at the international level.