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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2005

Jay Bhatt and Maitrayee Ghosh

Aims to report on the 26th IATUL Annual Conference.

567

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to report on the 26th IATUL Annual Conference.

Design/methodology/approach

The conference focused on three major themes: infrastructure, people and global innovation initiatives, which are summarised.

Findings

This conference addressed many important and relevant issues to science and technological universities worldwide. Collaboration, partnership and further discussion not only within IATUL membership but with members of other organizations such as IFLA can further enhance the mission information dissemination of technological libraries. The conference highlighted several important issues that the information professionals worldwide need to continue to think, reflect and develop strategies to practically implement them for the benefit to not only to the information producing and disseminating organizations but the society as a whole.

Originality/value

This conference provided ample opportunities to network with information experts in a variety of specialty areas such as Open Access Initiative, Scholarly communication, Digital Libraries and Information Literacy, etc. The networking opportunities provided further opportunities to collaborate and in the process create future opportunities to enhance mission of technological libraries to fulfill information needs of their researchers and scientists in the most efficient ways. The value gained is enormous and recommend future dialogs and interaction by IATUL with other organizations such as IFLA.

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 22 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2006

Maitrayee Ghosh

Library associations in India have been playing an important role in conveying useful messages and guidelines for library development, acting in this transitional era as meeting…

1630

Abstract

Purpose

Library associations in India have been playing an important role in conveying useful messages and guidelines for library development, acting in this transitional era as meeting places for professionals, helping them exchange opinions and promoting free access to information while also facing a series of structural, political, cultural and financial challenges. Despite this scale of involvement, there has been relatively little analysis of the characteristics and services Indian library associations provide, how these can be enlarged and how associations should manage the entire professional community. This paper seeks to fill that gap.

Design/methodology/approach

An attempt is made to comprehend the present status of membership based library associations in India and the range of structural, political, cultural and financial challenges which they face through SWOT analysis together with a review of the literature, websites and ephemeral material such as minutes, annual reports, newsletters and memoranda.

Findings

That there is an immediate need for restructuring these associations in pursuit of a new working model which would involve functioning in close partnership with other groups; the associations need to be stronger financially and have more impact in pursuing and meeting the objectives and goals of the members of association. To this end, an Indian Institute of Library and Information Science should be established on the pattern of the Indian Institute of Technologies.

Practical implications

The focus of this paper is on the practical aspects of making professional associations function more successfully.

Originality/value

Recommendations are made for carefully planned public relations programs to be carried out by leveraging convergence technologies which could guarantee the long‐term success of library associations.

Details

Library Review, vol. 55 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

Maitrayee Ghosh

The current situation of Indian public libraries has been viewed by some as follows: the public library system in India is condemned to remain peripheral to the actual information…

5321

Abstract

Purpose

The current situation of Indian public libraries has been viewed by some as follows: the public library system in India is condemned to remain peripheral to the actual information needs of the masses; that it is in a depressed state, and serves as little more than a warehouse of recreational reading materials, a majority of which are in regional languages. This paper suggests possible remedies on how to transform the situation, and details new technological developments which are already showing the potential to change public libraries in rural India for the better.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive account of the contemporary situation in India with regard to public libraries, digital technologies and development possibilities, using official statistics and the LIS literature.

Findings

The challenges that face public libraries in India are listed and a vision for their future based on the concept of “ICT for development” is sketched out.

Research limitations/implications

It is difficult to get an overall view of this topic: authorized statistics on public libraries in India as a whole are not collected, because these libraries are the responsibility of a variety of agencies who, for various reasons, never disclose such information on a national scale.

Practical implications

The author details new technological developments, the practical outcome of which would in particular facilitate the establishment of digital library services in rural India.

Originality/value

This paper provides a useful overview of a library scenario on which aggregated statistical data is hard to find; and, from this summary of the present situation, goes on to suggest possible ways to transform the “digital divide” into “digital opportunities”.

Details

Library Review, vol. 54 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Keywords

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