CHANGING PARADIGMS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INDIA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION

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1 e-library Science Research Journal ISSN : Research Papers Impact Factor : (UIF) CHANGING PARADIGMS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INDIA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION Vilas G. Jadhav Documentation Officer, Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, Pune. Abstract : This paper traces the current scenario of higher education and library and information science education in the context of globalization. This also describes the different patterns and levels of LIS education, as well as the research programmes and trainings being offered by various universities, in India. Provides an overview of the institutions providing present LIS courses at various levels through regular courses and distance mode. Emphasizes the need for having innovative approaches for reforming LIS education. Discusses the problems and emerging issues affecting the status of LIS education and suggests ways to solve these problems and the approaches to prepare the LIS professionals to face the growing challenges of the job market. KEYWORDS : LIS Education, Globalization, Higher Education, LIS Professionals. INTRODUCTION: The new challenge before the country at the beginning of the twenty first century is to become a developed society by the year 2020, which requires that not only a vibrant economy driven by knowledge has to be ushered in soon. In age of globalization the profile of libraries and information centers is changing, so do the role of librarians. Library professional's role has now expanded to solve every possible information problem through best possible manner in a given situation. Besides the knowledge of technical processes and tools, time management, collaborative work on networks, relationship management for better user services, cooperation with colleagues, image management, fund raising, technology selection and up gradation are also getting importance in the work performance of library professionals. The changing work performance requirements in libraries and information centers also profoundly influence the competencies and skills desired from library professionals. Today's library professional is required to be search engine guru, effective net worker, service coordinator, information evaluator and marketer, keen innovator, prompt learner, information counselor and team worker. Several Indian LIS schools by and large are not preparing their students for such roles, desired competencies and skills. Therefore they require revamping their facilities, reviewing their educational programs, preparing their faculty, and building a curriculum with a difference that may match the needs of knowledge society. 2. HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA Education aims to impart knowledge and makes good citizens. The higher education in India has grown in a remarkable way, particularly in the post-independence period, to become one of the largest systems of its kind in the world. Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is an important umbrella rganization for the universities in India. Universities Handbook (AIU, 2006) by AIU gives the figure that India has 354 university level organizations among which 279 are AIU members. Of these, 172 are conventional universities (including 33 institutions for specialized studies in disciplines), 37 institutions provide in agriculture, 16 in health sciences, 38 in engineering and technology, 1 in journalism, 5 in law and 10 are open universities. 3. HISTORY OF LIS EDUCATION IN INDIA LIS education is being imparted in India since as early as 1911 when the first Library School was started in Baroda, in 1

2 the state of Maharashtra with the direct royal patronage of Sayaji Rao Gakawd II. In 1915, it gained the first-time university patronage under the umbrella of Punjab University. Starting from Certificate and Diploma Courses, Indian universities gradually started offering Bachelor's and then Master's Degree in LIS. The first PhD in LIS was awarded to Dr. D B Krishna Rao in 1958 by the University of Delhi. India is gradually emerging as a key player in the LIS education scenario as is evident from the fact that more than 85 universities in India offer Master Degree in LIS whereas over 50 Indian universities have provision for guiding Ph D Scholars. Parallel to this, we have institutes like National Institute for Science Communications and Information Resources (formerly, Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre), Documentation Research Training Centre, National Centre for Science Information, International School of Information Management (Mysore) are imparting specialized training for breeding the generation 2K information scientists. As a third wave, there are the Distance Education Courses run by the National Open Universities started with the effort of Indira Gandhi National Open University which has started Bachelor's Degree in 1989 and Master's Degree in State Open Universities like Netaji Subhas Open University (West Bengal) and various general universities quickly follow suit to offer a gamut of LIS courses in the distance mode. 4. LIS EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION Of late, globalization has been the key concept of the 1990s, instrumental in understanding the changes that include a wide range of Economical, political and technological spares of the life at local, national and global levels. Globalization has brought several changes in the education system. The impact of globalization is immense as education influences the human life to a greater extent. In other words, the world as a whole is passing through a knowledge revolution and therefore, a country without high quality education system will find difficult to benefit from the global knowledge based economy and remain in global-isolation. Over a period of globalization, LIS has grown and developed into a full-fledged discipline; courses are being imparted by university departments, institutions, library associations and specialized institutions. The LIS education aims at providing trained manpower to manage different types of libraries, information and documentation centres which, over a period of time have undergone changes in terms of needs, functions, types and range of services offered, as well as tools and techniques being used when offering the services. Application of information and communication technologies has revolutionized the whole concept of libraries, the system of information storage and retrieval and ways to access the information. In the globalized era Library and Information Science has always been a field concerned with the education of future librarians, and, like many professions, with the integration of research with practice in the field and in the classroom. 5. PRESENT COURSES AVAILABLE IN LIS IN INDIA 5.1 Certificate Courses Certificate courses are mainly conducted by library associations; however, some departments in universities and affiliated colleges are also conducting this course. The duration of the course varies from few months to one academic year. The courses aim to train the students for semi-professional or junior level jobs after high school or senior secondary education. 5.2 Undergraduate Diploma Courses The Diploma courses are conducted at two levels that are undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Undergraduate courses are conducted by women polytechnics as a two-year course after higher secondary or intermediate. It prepares students to be junior librarian and hold library assistant positions. 5.3 Postgraduate (PG) Diploma Courses PG courses in some selected LIS areas of specialization are offered at the university level as a one-year course after the Bachelor of Library and Information Science programme. At present, only three universities and one deemed university are offering these programmes. They are a) University of Kerala, PG Diploma in Information Technology; b) University of Mysore, Post MLIS Diploma in Library Automation; c) Gandhigram Rural Institute, PG Diploma in Archives & Documentation Management; and d) University of Hyderabad, PG Diploma in Library Automation and Networking. 5.4 Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS) This is a one-year degree course conducted by universities after students graduate with a basic degree. However, in some colleges, Library Science is offered as an optional subject at the Bachelor of Arts level. For this, the students opt for Library Science as one of the optional paper, along with other optional papers in social sciences or the humanities. Students passing with this option would be considered at par with other degrees. Bachelor's degree prepares students for professional positions in college and university libraries or as a school librarian. At present, 120 Indian universities are offering BLIS. 5.5 Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) It is a post-graduate course offered after BLIS. Presently, a total of 99 universities are offering MLIS, 21of them are offering two-year integrated course directly after BLIS. Many of the universities, which were initially offering BLIS and 2

3 MLIS courses, have now switched over to a two-year integrated course. The North East Hill University (NEHU) was the first University to start the course in 1986, followed by the University of Madras in In 1989, Madras also started MLIS through distance education. 5.6 Associateship in Information Science Since 1964, the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) New Delhi has been offering a twoyear programme in documentation, which in 1977 the programme was renamed as Associateship in Information Science (AIS). On the 30th September 2002, INSDOC merged with the National Institute of Science Communication (NISCOM) and was renamed the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). The qualification for admission to the NISCAIR's programme is a master's degree in any subject or a BLibSc /BLIS with three years library experience. The Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC), established in 1962 in Bangalore, is also awarding AIS. Admission requirement to DRTC is a bachelor's degree in library science or a master's degree in any subject with a minimum of two years library experience. 5.7 Advanced Training Course in Information Systems Management and Technology This one-year advanced training course in Information Systems Management and Technology is provided by the National Centre for Science Information (NCSI), an autonomous organisation under University Grants Commission (UGC) located at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. 5.8 Other Specialised Programmes The Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centers (IASLIC) and the National Archives of India offers specialized courses. IASLIC offers a one-year diploma programme in special librarianship and the National Archives of India offers a one-year diploma programme in archives and related subjects. Tata Institute of Socal Sciences, Mumbai also started Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Library and Information Management PGDLIM (e-learning Course) from this year. 5.9 M.Phil in Library & Information Science This is a research programme offered by university departments after one's completion of MLIS. The University of Delhi started this programme in 1978, followed by many other universities such as Andhra, Tirupati, Annamalai, Vikram (Ujjain), and Gulbarga. At present there are 16 universities (Table1) offering this programme. The basic requirement for admission is similar in all the universities but the duration of the course may vary Ph.D. Programme This is an advanced level research programme being offered after the completion of MLIS or M.Phil degree in library science. Today, 64 universities in India are providing facilities for the Ph.D programme. The general qualification for admission is MLIS. However, LIS teachers and librarians in lecturer's scale are exempted from this requirement D.Litt. Programme Two universities, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Utkal University, Bhubaneswar offers D.Litt. programme in library science. So far only one D.Litt. degree had been awarded in India since 1992 by Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, to Dr D.B.Shukla on the topic 'The work and impact of a pioneer in library and information science: a critical study of the works of Prithvi Nath Kaula'(Kumar, 1998, p.8) Distance Education in LIS Initially the Distance Education schools were much frowned upon but later many of them (especially Indira Gandhi National Open University) gained a pride of position with their constantly changing quality study modules (course materials) prepared by the crème of the LIS fraternity and also for arranging classes by the best faculties and providing very good lab facilities. This flexible mode is especially suitable for those who already have a connection with the LIS job scenario directly or indirectly 6. EMERGING ISSUES IN THE PRESENT SCENARIO 6.1 Reforms in LIS Education: Over a period of time LIS education undergone lot many changes. It needs reform to face challenges of preparing innovative approaches and manpower for hi-tech academic and research institutions on one hand and on the other hand knowledge workers are required for millions of illiterate people for whom getting access to printed information means nothing, but having access to spoken word and getting meaning out of it is important. Presently the Indian library schools are 3

4 struggling to provide knowledge workers to serve the needs of latter category of people who also need information. Collaboration with government departments such as agriculture extension, village health visitors for some joint projects can help to render right kind of outreach services for information dissemination. 6.2 E-learning in LIS Education: The e-learning has emerged as an additional medium for imparting education in many disciplines to overcome the constraint of physical capacity associated with the traditional classroom methods. For a vast developing country like India, this provides an immense opportunity to provide even higher education to remote places besides extending the library services through networking. 6.3 Market Oriented LIS Education: LIS schools should plan ahead of times and develop education programs that quickly respond to market needs. Current LIS education models in India focus on the functionality of document procurement, document organization, document supply, database development and the Internet search assistance. The new knowledge resource based models are looking for information professionals who can quickly provide problem solving information indicating useful new ideas. Such models should focus on unabated supply of refined, reliable and need based information for continuous learning and preparing and motivating imaginative minds for most appropriately and competitively doing the assigned jobs. 6.4 Updated in Syllabus: The LIS curricula must empower the present and future professional potential to meet the societal information needs in a timely manner without any bottlenecks. Many LIS schools have not updated their syllabus since long time, which require to be updated. 6.5 Research & Development in LIS: The trend of research in LIS must be changed; it should be focused on development of new information products and services as well as improvement of existing practices. Encouraging joint research programs, we should leverage advantages from co-lateral disciplines such as e-publishing, information technology, data mining, sociology, psychology, management sciences, etc, in the interest of growth of our own profession and enriching our own educational programs. Adequate balance and priorities in LIS research must be set. 6.6 Provision of Internship Program: There is a deep need for more practical orientation and learning by doing provisions in the present courses of study. More hands on experience are essential and as the students gain knowledge and acquire skills, they may be asked to handle challenging situations. This is possible if some provision of internship is kept at all the library schools 6.7 Need of Re-skilling: There is a massive need for re-skilling the existing Indian library and information manpower. This canlis schools therefore must expand their role for providing need-based continuing education for working professionals so that they may remain competitive in their jobs. LIS faculty should continuously work to evolve better curriculum delivery methods so that students may find the courses of study interesting, amusing and engaging. Faculty should also continuously develop and structure curricula in a way that may encourage learning, more learning and still more learning. 6.8 Qualified Faculty: LIS schools in India are not able to adequately respond to emerging information scenario created by the electronic publishing and dynamics of the knowledge society. Because of lack of adequate faculty strength several library schools are letting the courses go on as they are going on. The course revisions if any are undertaken with some patches here and there, whereas the present courses are required to be completely redefined and recasted keeping in view the contemporary information systems, global technological developments and local needs. 6.9 Quality Improvement: It is worthwhile to improve quality instead of increasing quantity in LIS education. Such a change is associated with the curriculum, the infrastructure and the staff for quality improvement in LIS education. With this type of changes proper and perfect content/subject enrichment, teaching technologies, personal development, team work and the like would be obtained. 4

5 7. CONCLUSION: Globalization recommends a creation of 'global village' by means of unhindered trade flows, capital flows and technological flows across national frontiers. 21st century has brought several changes in the LIS education and profession to attain the status of a full-fledged discipline in India. However, it has low recognition and has not been regarded at par with other well-known professions. LIS professionals still face an identity crisis due to perceived lack of sophistication attached with this profession. National bodies such as ILA, IATLIS and IASLIC should give serious thinking to find the timely solutions for the problems prevailing today. There should be a National Accreditation Body to apply rigorous parameters before granting accreditation to a library school. This will help to establish quality control in LIS schools. Attention should focus on the adoption of relevant and up-to-date curricula, high quality faculty, willing students and good infrastructure in needed in every school. This is necessary to improve the quality of the products, creating better job opportunities for graduates and raising the social status of the LIS profession. REFERENCES: 1.Association of Indian Universities Handbook on Library and Information Science, New Delhi: Association of Indian Universities. 2.Chakraborty, Susmita (2009) LIS education in India: an appraisal of the parity between the syllabus and the market demands. Presented at the World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Council23-27 August 2009, Milan, Italy [Available at: 3.Singh, S.P. (2003) Library and information science education in India: Issues and trends. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, Vol.8, no.2,pp Mahapatra, G. (2006). LIS education in India: Emerging paradigms, challenges and propositions in the digital era. Presented at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Library & Information Education & Practice 2006 (A-LIEP 2006), Singapore, 3-6 April Malhan, I.V. (2009) Challenges and problems of library and information education in India: an emerging knowledge society and developing nation of Asia. Presented at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Library & Information Education & Practice, 2009, [Avilable at: 6.University Grants Commission (India) UGC model curriculum: Library and Information Science. (Chairman: C R Karisiddappa). New Delhi: University Grants Commission. Vilas G. Jadhav Documentation Officer,Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, Pune. 5