EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR INFORMATION EMPOWERMENT SPECIALISTS IN THE NETWORKED SOCIETY: AN INDIAN EXPERIENCE

1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR INFORMATION EMPOWERMENT SPECIALISTS IN THE NETWORKED SOCIETY: AN INDIAN EXPERIENCE BY PROF. C R KARISIDDAPPA PRESIDENT (INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION) PROFESSOR, CHAIRMAN & UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN KARNATAK UNIVERSITY DHARWAD – 580 003 INDIA

2. CONTENTS • INTRODUCTION • NEED FOR ENHANCING COMPETENCIES • INDIAN EFFORTS • PHASES OF CHANGE • EMPHASIS ON PRACTICE • INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH • BLENDING TRADITION WITH TECHNOLOGY • INFLUENCE OF OTHER DISCIPLINES • NEW APPLICATIONS • MODULAR APPROACH • CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION • Profession is in search of identity • Sufficiently endeavoured to Partner in Societal & Economic Transformation • To adopt & adapt contemporary Technology Innovations • Many convergent factors have influenced the profession • In this context structuring a dynamic curriculum for manpower development is a complex task • This has been a consistent concern of Lib & Inf. Schools • Exercise to review the status of Lib & Inf. Sc.Education is on the anvil

4. LISC (UK) recommended to review the future manpower training requirements for Lib & Inf. work • Persistent efforts are made in the task of development of education & research in Lib & Inf. Sc. globally • Experts opined that now the schools of library & Inf. studies are not playing the role they might be expected to play in the emerging Information Society • There is a need to review the developments which have taken place in teaching & research and also need for enhancing competencies

5. Human resources is the most valuable resource • It enables the identification, selection, development & control of other physical & intellectual resources • Any plan-sectoral or over all should give emphasis to development of manpower with appropriate professional knowledge & skills • In this fast changing world, there are new demands & influences on Lib & Inf. Centers - educating & training for Lib & Inf. work has focused upon recordable information, & knowledge, & services & technologies to facilitate its management & use • Started with apprenticeship mode to formal degree programmes

6. FUTURE LIBRARY AND INFO PROFESSIONALS ARE EXPECTED TO ASSIST THE USERS: • by providing them with careful and well organized information, specially in electronic form • by providing information which has been evaluated & repackaged to meet their needs precisely • by facilitating their use of both technology & information, so that information professionals can play a significant part in a “Learning Society” Task of Lib & Inf. Sc. teachers to impart education which transfers professional skills of acquiring & using inf. in networked society

7. Indian Efforts : • India has to play a significant role in education training • Countrywide exercise made to articulate knowledge which could be packed in Lib & Inf. Sc. education & training curriculum, with help of experts • Well defined modules presented before the forum of chairpersons of the Board of Studies in different universities • Has facilitated the debate & enabled to develop a viable curriculum beating the balance between traditional & modern practices, skills & techniques

8. Phases of Changes :(Phase One : 1960-70) Three factors enhanced professional status & increased employment opportunities, viz., • Enactment of Library Legislation • UGC assistance to College & University Libraries • Documentation work & services Library legislation enhanced employment opportunities for qualified library professionals in Public Libraries. UGC initiated review on working of university & college libraries & status of library science education in 1950’s & 1960’s

9. Librarians in academic Libraries given equal status on par with teachers in educational sectors • Emergence of new area of study - Documentation • National Laboratories established under CSIR • Establishment of INSDOC in 1952 • From mid 1970s emphasis on inf. component & to the facets of inf. collection, storage & retrieval aspects • Decade of 70’s important as it brought changes in nomenclature from library science to library & inf. Science

10. Global attention due to internationalization of information & also due to involvement of inter-governmental agencies like UNESCO, UNIDO & FAO in information handling activities • Establishment of international cooperative systems like INIS, AGRIS & DEVSIS under UNISIST • Shifted the emphasis of library & information profession from national level to that of international level • Establishment of Data Banks, Information Analysis Centres and Translation Centres marked the beginning of new milestone in global view of information activities • Emphasized that library manpower development programmes and education programmes have to be remodelled to suit the needs of contemporary requirements

11. (Phase Two : 1980’s) • Began with advent of microcomputers in libraries in mid 1980’s • Brought in shift in professional approach from information oriented services to user oriented services • Adoption of new storage technology in the form of optical media and this created a greater impact • Computer & communication technology revolutionized the subject to highly reckonable field of an international status & a field to be called Information Science and Technology

12. Emphasis on Practice • In Indian context – issue of relationship between theory and practice not properly addressed • Library schools are drowning in theory but not giving enough exposure to practice • Dilemma lies in the choice between teaching knowledge & skills needed to meet immediate needs of employers or instilling principles which can expand skills & knowledge base as career develops

13. Inter-disciplinary Approach • In western countries some schools have merged with different disciplines like information management & technology information studies & mass communication to meet the challenge of managing complex & diverse new environment. • Need to commit to life-long learning from established practitioners as circumstances demand greater professional & technical awareness • Only systematic continuing education provides method of combating professional obsolence as it is a real & ever present danger • On the lines of schools in western countries, introduction of new programmes to be seen as reflecting pull & push effect of recognition, increasing need for professional workforce to match growth & significance of information industry expanding higher education system to provide appropriate workforce • Schools have began to diversify their portfolio of courses, with programmes intended to serve needs of publishing & communication industries

14. Blending Tradition with Technology • Scenario of library & information centres, & services provided by them, undergoing a transformation due to emergence of new media • Information needs of user community taking place due to need based adoption of IT • Work in libraries necessitated to make appropriate changes in library and information science syllabus for various levels of education • Factors invite serious attention of departments of library & information science who produce manpower for managing library and information centers • Till recently more emphasis on teaching of traditional subject, but teaching with emphasis on IT & practical aspects of library automation received little attention in the syllabus

15. Library & information scientists have expressed that : • library and information science professionals should possess skills to harness IT tools & techniques • hence responsibility of library and information science schools - to bring radical change in syllabus by incorporating theoretical & practical aspects of automaton & networking • Library Science can claim a distinguished position on its own philosophical & classification components • To ensure due recognition of the profession, proper weightage to the components in library & information science courses necessary • Library & information science based on sound philosophical base & strong theoretical & technical roots, without ignoring the roots to harmonize them with recent developments

16. Influence of other Disciplines • library and information science showed its affinity towards application of other fields to improve professional performance • Ranganathan infused scientific method in the field that marked the first change from librarianship to library science • Emergence of information society has extended horizon of information science field to the study of socio-political & economic aspects of information • Major disciplines are a part of library & information science curriculum like Management Science, Information Technology, Statistics, Linguistics & Psychology • Transition shift from agriculture to industrial base, to an economy based on information technology, influenced governmental policies & directed to production and distribution of information

17. These factors have contributed to emergence of new areas – Information Science, Information Society & Information Technology, with common denominator - Information • Emergence of electronic media opened up new avenues & also made to rethink on manpower development programmes • Inf. professionals to turn their attention to “Content Creation & Development” referred by Inf. Technology Task Force of Government of India, as new requirements in context of development of library networks

18. Information Industry has 3 components : • Information Content Industry • Information Delivery Industry • Information Processing Industry

19. Information Content Industry primarily concerned with developing products for Web & on-line environment • Information Delivery Industry consists of creation & management of telecommunication networks through which Information is transferred & delivered • Information Processing Industry consists of products of hardware & software • Information Content sector accounts for nearly half of the Information Industry & is still growing

20. New Applications are based on • The three fold transformation, Viz • Objective of preserving recorded human knowledge • Adopting the motto that knowledge is for use • Providing global access to information

21. The profession has adopted contemporary societal, economic, technological & educational changes in its applications • It has been enabled to acquire capabilities of adopting them in teaching due to imminent application in practice • In modern economy importance of information has increased & calls for better use of existing services & continuous improvement of information service to meet the explicit & implicit needs

22. Computers are found successful in processing & retrieval of information • Impact of Internet on library & information services & concept of digital and virtual Libraries are recognized as nascent fields of study • Hence need for examining adequacy & appropriateness of present curricula

23. Modular Approach • an approach to help departments to adopt a curriculum suitably has to be seriously considered • Crux of this paper revolves round a Modular Approach in formulation of model curriculum • Important Features are; • Course objectives • Unitwise course contents • Special note on practical component • Learning outcome of each module • Also optimum hours of teaching programme has to be included • In 1982 Yang in UNESCO report proposed a Modular Approach to curriculum for information studies

24. UGC Curriculum Report emphasizes on “ Cafeteria Approach” and introduction of choice based credit system : Module 1 : Foundation of Library and Information Science Module 2 : Knowledge Organization, Information Processing & Retrieval Module 3 : Information sources, Products & Services Module 4 : Management of Library & Information Centers/Institutions Module 5 : Information Technology Basics & Applications Module 6 : Research Methods & Statistical Technology Module 7 : (Electives) Information Systems

25. Conclusion • Need for rejuvenating LIS courses in India in light of the happenings in international area • Education & training programmes in library and information science must make provision to prepare professionals to assume proactive role in coping with new technology & information explosion • Designed course contents should concentrate in making professionals as change agents, facilitators and guides with suitable & strong information empowerment

26. KARNATAK UNIVERSITY This is where I work!

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