Module 1

Library and Information Science Profession: Trends & Issues

Vanita Khanchandani
Assistant Librarian (SS), IIT Delhi

Learning Outcomes
After completing this module, you will be able to:
 Understand LIS as profession;
 Developments of LIS education in India;
 Committees and Commissions set up by Government of India and UGC; and
 Various issues faced by LIS profession.

1. LIS as a Profession
The primary purpose of LIS profession is to provide access to information to the right user
at the right time at a right place in the right manner.
Librarianship is considered as a profession, as it possesses the following basic
characteristics:
 A body of knowledge imparted in LIS schools;
 Intensive training and continued practice to gain mastery over the skills for knowledge
organisation and retrieval;
 Oriented towards service to the society;
 Associations to bind the professionals;
 Standard terminology and practices; and
 Code of ethics.

2. How LIS Profession is transforming?

 There is a profound change in the theory and practice of LIS profession over the
years.
 The concept of librarianship has been changing according to the demands of the
society and the bewildering growth of information and communication technology.
 Now, the “custodian librarian” has grown into a “knowledge manager” and a
“digital librarian”.
3. Historical Background of LIS Education
The history of Library and information science education in India is now century old. India
has witnessed a steady growth in LIS education. The information and communication
technology has impacted LIS education all round the world. The LIS discipline is growing
in a way to serve the society in a better way.
The history of LIS education in India can be divided into two eras, i.e., pre-independence
and post-independence era.
The foundation of library education in India may be considered to datesback in 1911 when
W.A. Borden, a disciple of Melvil Dewey, was invited by Sayaji Rao Gaekwad II to
develop the state library system.
In 1915, another disciple of Dewey, Asa Don Dickinson was appointed as the librarian of
Punjab University, Lahore and started three months course.
After these two great efforts, professional associations started providing courses on library
science education. The first such course was started by Andhra Desa Library Association
in 1920, then by Madras Library Association (MALA) in 1929, by Bengal Library
Association in 1937.
Before independence, there were only five universities providing diploma courses in library
science. These were: Andhra University (1935), Madras University (1937), Banaras Hindu
University (1941), University of Bombay (1943) and University of Calcutta (1945). Out of
these five universities, two diploma courses were started due to the great efforts of Dr. S.R.
Ranganathan.
After independence, new schools, colleges, universities and research institutions were
opened to cater the educational needs of the country, and the need for qualified library
personnel was felt. As a result, number of library science schools were increased. Aligarh
Muslim University was the first to start B.Lib. course in the country.
Dr. Ranganathan also moved from Banaras Hindu University to University of Delhi.
University of Delhi started first diploma course in 1947 and then started Masters in Library
Science in 1951. The first Ph.D. in LIS was awarded to D B Krishna Rao in 1957 under Dr.
S. R. Ranganathan. M.Phil. was started in 1972 in University of Delhi.

4. Courses Offered in LIS in General

I. Library Science as a subject in Class XI and XII
II. Certificate Courses (CLIS): It is a six month or one year course offered by library
associations, universities, and some colleges. The course is offered after secondary
or senior secondary.
III. Diploma in Library and Information Science (DLIS): Diploma courses are
provided at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Some women
polytechnics provide two year undergraduate diploma courses.
 Post-graduate diploma courses are provided by the following:
a. Gandhigram Rural Institute (Diploma in Archives and Documentation
Management);
b. University of Hyderabad (Diploma in Library Automation and Networking);
c. IGNOU (Diploma in Library Automation and Networking);
d. University of Kerala (Diploma in Information Technology);
e. University of Mysore (Post-MLIS Diploma Course on Library Automation);
f. Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (Diploma course in Health Science
Librarianship); and
g. Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (Diploma in Digital Library and Data
Management)
IV. Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS): It is a one year course
provided after graduation by the universities.
V. 3 Years B.A. /B.Sc. (Hons.) in LIS: It is a three year honours course provided by
Calcutta University.
VI. B.A. (Subsidiary): Library and Information subjects are integrated as subsidiary
subject in B.A. curriculum. Aligarh Muslim University was the to provide the
course in 1986.
VII. Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS): It is a one year course after
BLIS.
VIII. 2 Years Integrated MLIS: It is an integrated course combining (BLIS+MLIS)
provided after graduation. University of Calcutta started in 1974, North-Eastern Hill
University (NEHU) started the course in 1986 and Maharishi Dayanand University,
Rohtak (Haryana) is also providing the course.
IX. Master’s Degree (MSc) in Information Science: It is a two year course offered
by Madras University and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University,
Lucknow.
X. Five Year Integrated Course: An integrated course in library and information
science is provided by three universities after senior secondary in India:
XI. Annamalai University, Calcutta University, and Guru Ghasidas Viswavidyala.
XII. M.Phil (Master of Philosophy): It is a research degree course provided after
MLIS. It is one/two year duration course.
XIII. Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy): It is provided after MLIS or M.Phil. It is the highest
level research degree provided by the universities. It is provided as full time or part
time course.
XIV. Associateship in Information Science: INSDOC, Indian National Scientific
Documentation Centre (Presently NISCAIR, National Institute of Science
Communication and Information Resources) started two-year programme in
documentation which was renamed as Associateship in Information Science in
1977. Qualification needed to pursue the programme was master’s degree in any
subject or BLIS with three year experience in library. The last batch which was
admitted to the course was in 2010-2012. After that, the course has been closed due
to the policy of the institute.
XV. DRTC (Documentation Research and Training Centre) was providing the same
course, but now its name has been changed to M.S. in Library and Information
Science and the qualification requires to pursue the course is three year’s bachelor
degree in any discipline.

5. Committees and Commissions by Govt. of India

Advisory Committee for Libraries (1957): Also called as K. P. Sinha Committee, the
committee gave its report in 1958. The main recommendations of the committee are:
to set up an expert committee for the re-organization of the syllabus, teaching methods
and examination in prevailing diploma courses;
to provide financial assistance to universities by UGC for establishing full-fledged
library and information science teaching departments, and
the teachers in library and information science should have same terms and conditions
as in other departments.

National Policy on Library and Information System (1986): In 1985, Government of

India set up Committee (CONPOLIS) with Prof. D.P. Chattopadhyaya as its Chairman. It
submitted its report in 1986. It was further assessed by Empowered Committee in 1988. Its
recommendations were examined by Working Group which gave its report in 1993. Its
recommendations are for Public Library system in India.
National Knowledge Commission (2005) was constituted on 13th June 2005 with a time-
frame of three years from 2nd October 2005 to 2nd October 2008. The report was named as
“Libraries as Gateways to Knowledge.”
National Mission on Libraries (2012), a high level committee was set up by Ministry of
Culture, Government of India in 2012 in pursuance of National Knowledge Commission’s
recommendations. The National Mission on Libraries was launched on February 3, 2014,
by the then President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. The NML has set up four working
groups which have formulated the scheme for upgrading the libraries. The main component
of NML is the creation of NVLI (National Virtual Library of India).

6. Committees and Commissions by UGC

Library Committee (1957) was chaired by Dr. S R Ranganathan to look into the
functioning of academic libraries. The committee recommended that the university
departments should offer professional courses leading to bachelor’s degree, master’s
degree and Ph.D. degree and convert all diploma courses into degree courses.
Review Committee on Library Science Education (1965) was again chaired by Dr. S R
Ranganathan. This committee was set up for the improvement of standard of LIS education.
The committee recommended the syllabus of bachelor and master level courses. It gave
 recommendation about faculty-student ratio and formation of independent library science
departments.
Curriculum Development Committees (1990 & 2001): UGC set up two curriculum
development committees. The first was in 1990 chaired by Prof. P N Kaula. Second was in
2001 headed by Dr. C R Karisiddappa. Both committees framed the syllabus to bring
standardization in LIS education in India. The second curriculum committee laid emphasis
on two-year integrated master’s degree course and its implementation.

7. Challenges & Lacuna in Lis Education in India

In India, LIS education is more than 100 years old. We have achieved many echelons, but
many have to be achieved. There are many challenges and lacuna which need to be
discussed. These are:
I. Nomenclature of LIS Schools: LIS schools have been given different names. The
nomenclature is not uniform. These are:
 Department of Library Science and Documentation
 Department of Information Science
 Department of Library and Information Science
 Faculty of Library and Information Science
 Department of Information Science
 Department of Library and Information Management
 School of Library and Information Science

II. Affiliation to Faculty of LIS Schools: There is lot of variation found in affiliation to
the faculties. Most of the LIS departments are affiliated to Faculty of Arts and some
under Faculty of Social Sciences. The variation is:
 Faculty of Arts
 Faculty of Social Sciences
 Faculty of Sciences
 School of Information Science & Technology
 School of Social Sciences
 Faculty of Arts & Languages
 Faculty of Humanities
 School of Media & Communication

III. Accreditation: For uniformity and standardization of the education accreditation body
is essential. In LIS education no such apex regulatory body is there in the country
whereas for other courses such as law (bar council), medical courses (medical council),
technical education (All India Council for Technical Education) and education
(National Council for Teacher Education) are there. In UK, all LIS schools are
accredited by CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

IV. Mushrooming growth of LIS Education and mismatch between the demand and
supply: When our country got independence, at that time only five universities were
 offering library science courses but today 155 universities are offering different
courses. There is no check and balance in the emergence of LIS schools. Proliferation
of LIS schools without having proper infrastructure facilities and teachers has created
huge unemployment (i.e. the demand of LIS professionals is not proportionate to the
supply made by the LIS Schools in India) in the profession.
V. Inadequate Faculty Strength and non-uniformity in the Scales: There is no proper
teacher-student ratios in the LIS schools. Moreover, in self-financing or private
institutions, no proper permanent faculty is there. They are just commercial ventures.
There is also disparity found in the scales and retirement age of the teachers.

VI. Lack of Infrastructure Facilities: In many LIS schools, there is lack of well-equipped
IT labs. According to UGC, CDCs, there should be proper computer facilities along
with library software should be available to the students. Proper library facilities having
reference books, list of subject headings, classification schemes, cataloguing codes are
not available in many LIS schools.

VII. Curriculum Revision: Many universities are following old LIS syllabi. They are not
updated accordingly to the undergoing changes in the society. The last curriculum
development committee was set up by UGC in 2001. After that, no such revision was
implemented. There is huge disparity in LIS curriculum of the universities. In 2011,
UGC has implemented CBCS (Choice Based Credit System) for all undergraduate
courses except for library and information science. “The CBCS is an internationally
acknowledged instructional pattern developed to suit the needs of the students and to
enable them to keep pace with the developments in higher education across the globe.
The genesis of the CBCS is traced to ‘Cafeteria system,’ in vogue in the West.” It is
based on transfer of credits for a course. Presently, 14 universities have taken their own
initiative to implement the CBCS curriculum for the LIS courses.

VIII. Selection Criteria and Intake of the Students: Library and Information Science is
not a popular course among the students. Though LIS education is more than 100 years
old in our country, yet the students come in this profession just by chance, not by choice.
Due to less popularity, this profession is unable to get the best brains. To get best, LIS
schools should conduct aptitude test for selecting the students like other courses.
Nevertheless, the intake in a course should also be monitored. It should be based on the
available faculty and infrastructure and IT (information technology) facilities. Only
those courses become popular among the students in which employment opportunities
are better so to make course popular; we must take the students accordingly.

8. Recent Emerging Trends in LIS Education

I. Teaching of Traditional Techniques: Less emphasis on the teaching of traditional
subjects like classification and cataloguing is given by the LIS schools1. Their form of
teaching is also getting change. These days there is more emphasis on the teaching of
library softwares and ICT (Information and Communication Technology).
 II. Five Year Integrated Course: An integrated course in library and information science
is provided by three universities after senior secondary in India:
Annamalai University, Calcutta University, and Guru Ghasidas Viswavidyala.

III. CBCS Curricula: Many universities in our country have presently formulated
curricula based on CBCS pattern, and others are in the process of it.

IV. MOOCs: There is an emergence of different MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
in the LIS education which are available on library and information science on Swayam
platform in India.

V. Online Refresher Course in Library and Information Science: Now, Online

Refresher Course in Library and Information Science is made available on Swayam
platform under ARPIT (Annual Refresher Program in Teaching) for the faculty of LIS
discipline and LIS professionals. This course is valid under CAS (Career Advancement
Scheme).

VI. Conferences & Seminars: There is increase in number of conferences and seminars
organized on various themes in library and information science profession.

VII. In LIS profession use of ICT and Disruptive technologies has increased by
providing various products and services, etc.

9. Suggestions
a) Full-fledge LIS departments should be there.
b) National level Accreditation body should be formed to bring uniformity in the
nomenclature and curricula.
c) Proper faculty should be appointed.
d) Proper infrastructure, libraries and IT labs should be maintained.
e) In-service trainings should be provided both to teachers and professionals.
f) Continuous revision of curriculum should be done keeping in mind the changes in the
society.
g) Emphasis on practical education should be given.
h) The mismatch between education and the job requirements should be overcome, etc.

10. Conclusion
LIS profession has undergone metamorphosis due to technological changes. To go along
the changes, LIS education needs to be revamp. All LIS departments and professional
associations across the country should come together to bring the uniform standardization
in the LIS education according to the present needs.
References
K. Kumar & Sharma, J. (2009). Library and Information Science in India. Delhi: Har
Anand Publications.
Mittal, R.L. (2007). Library Administration: Theory and Practice. Delhi: Ess Ess
publication.
National Knowledge Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aicte-
india.org/downloads/nkc.pdf
Ramesha, B. & Babu, R. (2007). Trends, Challenges and future of library and information
science education in India. DESIDOC Bulletin of Information Technology, 27(5), 17-24.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/djlit.27.5.136
S. Kumar, Jain, K. B., & Shah, L. (2013). Education and training for medical librarianship
in India. IFLA WLIC 2013, (pp. 1-7). Retrieved from http://library.ifla.org/194/1/197-
kumar-en.pdf
Singh, S. (2003, Dec). Library and Information Education in India: Issues and Trends.
Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science, 8(2), 1-17. Retrieved from
http://umijms.um.edu.my/filebank/published_article/1932/262.pdf
Yadav, A. K., & Gohain, R. R. (2015, Dec). Growth and Development of LIS Education in
India. SRELS Journal of Information Management, 52(6), 403-414.
doi:10.17821/srels/2015/v52i6/84316
Ms. Vanita Khanchandani
Assistant Librarian, IIT Delhi

1
After completing this module, you will be able to:
 Understand LIS as profession;

 Developments of LIS education in India;

 Committees and Commissions set up by Government of India and

UGC;
 Various issues faced by LIS profession

2
The primary purpose of LIS profession is to provide access to information
to the right user at the right time at a right place in the right manner.

Librarianship is considered as a profession, as it possesses the following

basic characteristics:

 A body of knowledge imparted in LIS schools;

 Intensive training and continued practice to gain mastery over the skills
for knowledge organisation and retrieval;
 Oriented towards service to the society;
 Associations to bind the professionals;
 Standard terminology and practices; and
 Code of ethics.

3
 There is a profound change in the theory and practice of LIS
profession over the years.

 The concept of librarianship has been changing according to the

demands of the society and the bewildering growth of
information and communication technology.

 Now, the “custodian librarian” has grown into a “knowledge

manager” and a “digital librarian”.

4
 The history of Library and information science education in India is now century old.
India has witnessed a steady growth in LIS education. The information and
communication technology has impacted LIS education all round the world. The LIS
discipline is growing in a way to serve the society in a better way.

 The history of LIS education in India can be divided into two eras, i.e., pre-
independence and post-independence era.

 The foundation of library education in India may be considered to datesback in 1911

when W.A. Borden, a disciple of Melvil Dewey, was invited by Sayaji Rao Gaekwad II to
develop the state library system.

 In 1915, another disciple of Dewey, Asa Don Dickinson was appointed as the librarian of
Punjab University, Lahore and started three months course.

 After these two great efforts, professional associations started providing courses on
library science education. The first such course was started by Andhra Desa Library
Association in 1920, then by Madras Library Association (MALA) in 1929, by Bengal
Library Association in 1937.
5
 Before independence, there were only five universities providing diploma courses in
library science. These were: Andhra University (1935), Madras University (1937),
Banaras Hindu University (1941), University of Bombay (1943) and University of
Calcutta (1945). Out of these five universities, two diploma courses were started due to
the great efforts of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan.

 After independence, new schools, colleges, universities and research institutions were
opened to cater the educational needs of the country, and the need for qualified library
personnel was felt. As a result, number of library science schools were increased.
Aligarh Muslim University was the first to start B.Lib. course in the country.

 Dr. Ranganathan also moved from Banaras Hindu University to University of Delhi.
University of Delhi started first diploma course in 1947 and then started Masters in
Library Science in 1951. The first Ph.D. in LIS was awarded to D B Krishna Rao in 1957
under Dr. S. R. Ranganathan. M.Phil. was started in 1972 in University of Delhi.

6
 Library Science as a subject in Class XI and XII
 Certificate Courses (CLIS): It is a six month or one year course offered by library
associations, universities, and some colleges. The course is offered after secondary or
senior secondary.
 Diploma in Library and Information Science (DLIS): Diploma courses are provided at
both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Some women polytechnics provide two
year undergraduate diploma courses.
 Post-graduate diploma courses are provided by the following:
 Gandhigram Rural Institute (Diploma in Archives and Documentation Management);
 University of Hyderabad (Diploma in Library Automation and Networking);
 IGNOU (Diploma in Library Automation and Networking);
 University of Kerala (Diploma in Information Technology);
 University of Mysore (Post-MLIS Diploma Course on Library Automation);
 Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (Diploma course in Health Science
Librarianship); and
 Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (Diploma in Digital Library and Data
Management)
7
 Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS): It is a one year course provided
after graduation by the universities.
 3 Years B.A./B.Sc. (Hons.) in LIS: It is a three year honours course provided by
Calcutta University.
 B.A. (Subsidiary) : Library and Information subjects are integrated as subsidiary
subject in B.A. curriculum. Aligarh Muslim University was the to provide the course
in 1986.
 Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS): It is a one year course after BLIS.
 2 Years Integrated MLIS: It is an integrated course combining (BLIS+MLIS) provided
after graduation. University of Calcutta started in 1974, North-Eastern Hill
University (NEHU) started the course in 1986 and Maharishi Dayanand University,
Rohtak (Haryana) is also providing the course.
 Master’s Degree (MSc) in Information Science: It is a two year course offered by
Madras University and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow.
 Five Year Integrated Course: An integrated course in library and information science
is provided by three universities after senior secondary in India:
 Annamalai University, Calcutta University, and Guru Ghasidas Viswavidyala.


8
 M.Phil (Master of Philosophy): It is a research degree course
provided after MLIS. It is one/two year duration course.

 Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy): It is provided after MLIS or M.Phil.

It is the highest level research degree provided by the
universities. It is provided as full time or part time course.

 D.Litt: It is a post-doctoral degree. Dr. B.B. Shukla was awarded

D.Litt. by Utkal University, Bhubaneswar in 1992. Another D.Litt.
was awarded by Mohamed Taher by B.R. Ambedkar University,
Agra in 1999. Currently, in 2012 Dr. Amjad Ali was awarded
D.Litt. by Sambalpur University, Orissa.

9
 Associateship in Information Science: INSDOC, Indian National Scientific
Documentation Centre (Presently NISCAIR, National Institute of Science
Communication and Information Resources) started two-year programme in
documentation which was renamed as Associateship in Information Science in 1977.
Qualification needed to pursue the programme was master’s degree in any subject
or BLIS with three year experience in library. The last batch which was admitted to
the course was in 2010-2012. After that, the course has been closed due to the
policy of the institute.

 DRTC (Documentation Research and Training Centre) was providing the same
course, but now its name has been changed to M.S. in Library and Information
Science and the qualification requires to pursue the course is three year’s bachelor
degree in any discipline.

10
Advisory Committee for Libraries (1957): Also called as K. P. Sinha Committee, the committee gave its
report in 1958. The main recommendations of the committee are:
 to set up an expert committee for the re-organization of the syllabus, teaching methods and
examination in prevailing diploma courses;
 to provide financial assistance to universities by UGC for establishing full-fledged library and
information science teaching departments, and
 the teachers in library and information science should have same terms and conditions as in other
departments.

 National Policy on Library and Information System (1986): In 1985, Government of India set up
Committee (CONPOLIS) with Prof. D.P. Chattopadhyaya as its Chairman. It submitted its report in 1986.
It was further assessed by Empowered Committee in 1988. Its recommendations were examined by
Working Group which gave its report in 1993. Its recommendations are for Public Library system in
India.
 National Knowledge Commission (2005) was constituted on 13th June 2005 with a time-frame of three
years from 2nd October 2005 to 2nd October 2008. The report was named as “Libraries as Gateways to
Knowledge.”
 National Mission on Libraries (2012), a high level committee was set up by Ministry of Culture,
Government of India in 2012 in pursuance of National Knowledge Commission’s recommendations. The
National Mission on Libraries was launched on February 3, 2014, by the then President of India, Mr.
Pranab Mukherjee. The NML has set up four working groups which have formulated the scheme for
upgrading the libraries. The main component of NML is the creation of NVLI (National Virtual Library of
India).

11
 Library Committee (1957) was chaired by Dr. S R Ranganathan to look into the
functioning of academic libraries. The committee recommended that the university
departments should offer professional courses leading to bachelor’s degree, master’s
degree and Ph.D. degree and convert all diploma courses into degree courses.

 Review Committee on Library Science Education (1965) was again chaired by Dr. S R
Ranganathan. This committee was set up for the improvement of standard of LIS
education. The committee recommended the syllabus of bachelor and master level
courses. It gave recommendation about faculty-student ratio and formation of
independent library science departments.

 Curriculum Development Committees (1990 & 2001): UGC set up two curriculum
development committees. The first was in 1990 chaired by Prof. P N Kaula. Second was
in 2001 headed by Dr. C R Karisiddappa. Both committees framed the syllabus to bring
standardization in LIS education in India. The second curriculum committee laid
emphasis on two-year integrated master’s degree course and its implementation.

12
 In India, LIS education is more than 100 years old. We have achieved many echelons,
but many have to be achieved. There are many challenges and lacuna which need to
be discussed. These are:

Nomenclature of LIS Schools: LIS schools have been given different names. The
nomenclature is not uniform. These are:
 Department of Library Science and Documentation

 Department of Information Science

 Department of Library and Information Science

 Faculty of Library and Information Science

 Department of Information Science

 Department of Library and Information Management

 School of Library and Information Science

13
Affiliation to Faculty of LIS Schools: There is lot of variation found in affiliation to the faculties.
Most of the LIS departments are affiliated to Faculty of Arts and some under Faculty of Social
Sciences. The variation is:
 Faculty of Arts
 Faculty of Social Sciences
 Faculty of Sciences
 School of Information Science & Technology
 School of Social Sciences
 Faculty of Arts & Languages
 Faculty of Humanities
 School of Media & Communication

 Accreditation: For uniformity and standardization of the education accreditation body is

essential. In LIS education no such apex regulatory body is there in the country whereas for
other courses such as law (bar council), medical courses (medical council), technical
education (All India Council for Technical Education) and education (National Council for
Teacher Education) are there. In UK, all LIS schools are accredited by CILIP (Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

14
 Mushrooming growth of LIS Education and mismatch between the demand and
supply: When our country got independence, at that time only five universities
were offering library science courses but today 155 universities are offering
different courses. There is no check and balance in the emergence of LIS
schools. Proliferation of LIS schools without having proper infrastructure
facilities and teachers has created huge unemployment (i.e. the demand of LIS
professionals is not proportionate to the supply made by the LIS Schools in
India) in the profession.

 Inadequate Faculty Strength and non-uniformity in the Scales: There is no

proper teacher-student ratios in the LIS schools. Moreover, in self-financing or
private institutions, no proper permanent faculty is there. They are just
commercial ventures. There is also disparity found in the scales and retirement
age of the teachers.

 Lack of Infrastructure Facilities: In many LIS schools, there is lack of well-

equipped IT labs. According to UGC, CDCs, there should be proper computer
facilities along with library software should be available to the students. Proper
library facilities having reference books, list of subject headings, classification
schemes, cataloguing codes are not available in many LIS schools.
15
 Curriculum Revision: Many universities are following old LIS syllabi. They are not updated accordingly to
the undergoing changes in the society. The last curriculum development committee was set up by UGC
in 2001. After that, no such revision was implemented. There is huge disparity in LIS curriculum of the
universities. In 2011, UGC has implemented CBCS (Choice Based Credit System) for all undergraduate
courses except for library and information science. “The CBCS is an internationally acknowledged
instructional pattern developed to suit the needs of the students and to enable them to keep pace with
the developments in higher education across the globe. The genesis of the CBCS is traced to ‘Cafeteria
system,’ in vogue in the West.” It is based on transfer of credits for a course. Presently, 14 universities
have taken their own initiative to implement the CBCS curriculum for the LIS courses.

 Selection Criteria and Intake of the Students: Library and Information Science is not a popular course
among the students. Though LIS education is more than 100 years old in our country, yet the students
come in this profession just by chance, not by choice. Due to less popularity, this profession is unable to
get the best brains. To get best, LIS schools should conduct aptitude test for selecting the students like
other courses. Nevertheless, the intake in a course should also be monitored. It should be based on the
available faculty and infrastructure and IT (information technology) facilities. Only those courses become
popular among the students in which employment opportunities are better so to make course popular;
we must take the students accordingly.

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 Teaching of Traditional Techniques: Less emphasis on the teaching of traditional subjects like classification
and cataloguing is given by the LIS schools1. Their form of teaching is also getting change. These days there
is more emphasis on the teaching of library softwares and ICT (Information and Communication
Technology).

 Five Year Integrated Course: An integrated course in library and information science is provided by three
universities after senior secondary in India:
 Annamalai University, Calcutta University, and Guru Ghasidas Viswavidyala.

 CBCS Curricula: Many universities in our country have presently formulated curricula based on CBCS pattern,
and others are in the process of it.

 MOOCs: There is an emergence of different MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in the LIS education
which are available on library and information science on Swayam platform in India14.

 Online Refresher Course in Library and Information Science: Now, Online Refresher Course in Library and
Information Science is made available on Swayam platform under ARPIT (Annual Refresher Program in
Teaching) for the faculty of LIS discipline and LIS professionals. This course is valid under CAS (Career
Advancement Scheme) .

 Conferences & Seminars: There is increase in number of conferences and seminars organized on various
themes in library and information science profession.

 In LIS profession use of ICT and Disruptive technologies has increased by providing various products and
services, etc.

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 Full-fledge LIS departments should be there.
 National level Accreditation body should be formed to bring
uniformity in the nomenclature and curricula.
 Proper faculty should be appointed.
 Proper infrastructure, libraries and IT labs should be maintained.
 In-service trainings should be provided both to teachers and
professionals.
 Continuous revision of curriculum should be done keeping in mind
the changes in the society.
 Emphasis on practical education should be given.
 The mismatch between education and the job requirements should
be overcome, etc.
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 LIS profession has undergone metamorphosis due to
technological changes.

 To go along the changes, LIS education needs to be revamp.

 All LIS departments and professional associations across the

country should come together to bring the uniform
standardization in the LIS education according to the present
needs.

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K. Kumar & Sharma, J. (2009). Library and Information Science in India. Delhi: Har Anand Publications.

Mittal, R.L. (2007). Library Administration: Theory and Practice. Delhi: Ess Ess publication.

National Knowledge Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aicte-india.org/downloads/nkc.pdf

Ramesha, B. & Babu, R. (2007). Trends, Challenges and future of library and information science education in India. DESIDOC
Bulletin of Information Technology, 27(5), 17-24. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/djlit.27.5.136

S. Kumar, Jain, K. B., & Shah, L. (2013). Education and training for medical librarianship in India. IFLA WLIC 2013, (pp. 1-7).
Retrieved from http://library.ifla.org/194/1/197-kumar-en.pdf

Singh, S. (2003, Dec). Library and Information Education in India: Issues and Trends. Malaysian Journal of Library and
Information Science, 8(2), 1-17. Retrieved from http://umijms.um.edu.my/filebank/published_article/1932/262.pdf

Yadav, A. K., & Gohain, R. R. (2015, Dec). Growth and Development of LIS Education in India. SRELS Journal of Information
Management, 52(6), 403-414. doi:10.17821/srels/2015/v52i6/84316

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