Modern Library Practice Lessons from Indian Context
1. Achievers’ Colloquium 2012
Modern Library practice:
Lessons Learned from Indian Context
T. Ramanan
Sr. Assistant Librarian
Main Library
Eastern University, Sri Lanka
2. Presentation Content
• Automation – Open-Source Software
• Digital Librarianship
• Institutional Repositories
• Preservation and Conservation
• Personnel Effectiveness
• Library visits – best practices
• Conclusion
3. Introduction
• Advanced Certificate in Modern Library Practices – NITTTR/
Chennai
• 22candidates - selected from 16 (Bhutan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji,
Ghana, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• Indian library education system, Library Automation through
open-source software, Application of ICT in librarianship, Digital
library management, Web resources, Library networks, Web
page design, Collection development techniques, Total Quality
Management, Meta data and MARC 21 for Library database
creation, Bar Code Technology, Preservation of Library
Resources, and Soft Skills
• Teaching methodology included formal classroom lectures,
group discussions and presentations, hands-on, demonstrations,
and library visits.
4. Introduction…
• Special focus had been given to the following
topics:
– Library Automation using Open Source Software,
– Digital Library using Open Source Software, and
– Web Page Design for Library
• Libraries visited:
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Library, Madras
• University of Madras Library
• British Council Library, Chennai
• Anna University Library – MIT Campus
• Anna Centenary Library
• Tamil Nadu Archives
• Tamil Nadu Museum, and
• Connemara Public Library
5.
6. Automation: Using Open-Source Software
• OSS – source code –available to modify, operate and
redistribute.
• OSS – operating on Linux OS – Server seldom hangs
(advantageous)
• Multi-users & multi-tasking
• OSS – secured – frequently looked up by many
programmers at a time.
• F(L)OSS – Free (Libre) & Open-Source Software. e.g.
KOHA, NewGenLib, Evergreen, OpenBiblio, PMB
• Organizations for OSS – Open Courseware
Consortium, Sun Microsystems, Inc., School Forge,
etc.
7. Open-Source vs Proprietary
• Cost-effectiveness, secured, availability of source-
code, open standard, better quality control, vendor
independence, legally free, easy to evaluate,
localization.
• Free Software Foundation (FSF) – Richard Stallman
Traditional Approach (Brook’s Law) Open-Source Approach (Linux Law)
•Hierarchy •Network
•Experts •Peers (no difference)
•Teams •Communities
•Cathedral •Bazaar
•Perfection •Improvements
•Construction •Evolution
8. Digitization
• Objectives, types of materials, facilities –
factors to be concerned.
• Format – need to keep on changing – because
the it changes in time – current format
becomes obsolete.
• Open-sources – could be utilized (e.g.
Greenstone)
• Benefits - increase the usage potential of
resources, preservation purpose, image of
library service
10. Greenstone – Digital Library Software
• DL – built on Internet or CD ROM
• Open-source
• Multi-ligual & supported by UNESCO
• Knowledge Management/ Content management
– access to internal information assets
• Multiple platform support – Windows, Linux,
Mac.
• Additional plug-ins – downloaded from the web
or found in the s/w itself
11. Webpage – Showcase of Services
• Information marketing
• Need – demand, content, resource formats,
and mentality
• Elements – body, list, color, images, font,
tables, etc.
• FrontPage, Dreamweaver CS2, Flash, etc.
12. Preservation & Conservation
• Conservation: process to reduce the rate of
decay, to prolong the life of concerned objects.
• Duplicative conservation – digitization,
microfilming, reprographic means, photographs
• Preventive conservation – pest control, proper
storage, better housekeeping management
• Curative conservation – washing, cleaning, de-
acidification, encapsulation, lamination,
fumigation, binding & filing
• New techniques – learnt – Chiffon lamination,
reversible lamination methods, Japanese tissue
(Kozogami).
13.
14. Personal Effectiveness
• IQ, EQ & RQ – influence on inter-personal
communication, technological competence and
psychological aspects of the service.
• Development of soft-skills of library
professionals
• Stress Management
• SWOT analysis
• Frequent appraisals
19. Acknowledgements
• I record my sincere gratitude to Sri Lanka Library
Association for the nomination.
• The Indian Fellowship was sponsored by Ministry of
External Affairs, Government of India (under Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation – ITEC) and
Ministry of Finance, Government of India (under
Technical Cooperation Scheme of Colombo Plan – TCS)
• National Institute of Technical Teacher Training and
Research (NITTTR), Chennai, for two months in the latter
part of year 2011.
• Eastern University of Sri Lanka & Library – for the
support & granting leave.
