Srinagar, Mar 15: Experts on Tuesday urged the library professionals to gear up to meet new challenges posed by the “ever-changing and expanding” fields of libraries and the internet resources.
 Addressing inaugural session of a 3-day seminar at the Kashmir University, Dr Usha Munshi, a library science expert from New Delhi, said: “The role of libraries and library professionals is changing and exponentially expanding. Therefore, the library professionals will have to act as good mediators between the users and the resources available online or otherwise,” she said.
 Dr Munshi, from the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, referred to the concept of “culture of openness” in library systems.
 “The concept means that you are committed to generate, preserve and disseminate resources, with widest dissemination as the mission in mind,” she told a gathering of academics, officials and students at KU’s Gandhi Bhawan.
 The three-day seminar Web Resources in Social Science Research is organized by the University’s Department of Library and Information Sciences, in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research and UGC’s Academic Staff College.
 Munshi, in her hour-long Powerpoint Presentation, asserted that institutions must collaborate with other libraries for better web-resources. “It is only through collaboration that you can have good resources and sources,” she said while praising the KU’s “user-interaction” system.
 The seminar was presided over by KU’s acting vice-chancellor, Prof M A Sofi. 
 “The potential of new web-enabling technology and online availability of resources is no doubt significant, yet there is no substitute to hard-work and commitment at the personal level of the user,” he said, adding, “We got to have that tryst and passion for knowledge first before we use this new technology, which is a handy tool in accessing resources.”
 Prof Sofi said “Social networking can be as useful to science and to other fields like social science.”
 In his address, Prof I V Melhan, said the internet was “constantly evolving and exponentially growing.”
 “Google alone will digitalize 1.5 million books in next two years while China has digitalized all their books, and 60 percent of the work has already been done in this regard,” he said, adding, “Likewise similar initiatives are being taken by India and other countries. The UGC now has also sought E-thesis if you do Ph.D.”
 He said the web has enhanced the visibility of social science research, and also enhanced the cross-disciplinary approach to it,” Prof Melhan, the guest of honour, said.
 He referred to the “generational gap” between the young and old library professionals. “So in future we can see a good blend of dynamism, wisdom and experience with regard to the field,” he said.
 In his welcome address, Head, Department of Library and Information Sciences (DLIS), Prof SM Shafi, said web-resources are emerging with tremendous velocity, especially in the field of science and technology.
 “And these have made significant inroads in Social Sciences and Humanities as well,” he said, adding, “The past decade has witnessed new tools of creation, dissemination, discovery, collaboration and participation which are leading to change in learning and working style of readers and scholars equally.”
 Dr Sameer Gul, Assistant Professor at DLIS coordinated the seminar. Assistant Professors at DLIS, Nadeem Akhtar Khan and Shabir Ahmad conducted the proceedings and delivered vote of thanks, respectively.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST