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Will library exist in future

Dear professionals, I often came across with this argue in work place if library will still exist in future, its said librarian is not required anymore in computer age and in digital. Everything in online and accessible from home with no space consuming. Its hard to debate on this topic. Just sharing here.

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Permalink Reply by Bijender Kumar on August 5, 2014 at 21:46

Dear all
In my opinion technology is changing very fast ,physical form of libraries are also changing. But in India we have manpower, resources, and technology but our mentality is different ( Our govt is not taking it seriously) so we are twenty years behind the European countries . The reason is that we believe in the real things instead of the virtual .The other reason is that one get more enjoyment in reading the newspaper/book insted of reading it on the screen. So it will take time in India to shift from real to virtual world.
Bijender Kumar

Permalink Reply by Digambar Bhaurao Waghmare on August 5, 2014 at 22:39

Yes I agree with you also our country's most of population living in village, rural area there is time to reach modern technology or development, it is 100& true that even after 60 or more years independance our country could not provide basic infrastructure like road, Electricity, bridge in the most of tribal , rural & others  area in our country 

Permalink Reply by Abilash Achuthan on August 5, 2014 at 22:06
Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on August 6, 2014 at 0:24

Dear Ms. Rebecca Lalhilimpuii

Thanks for your post and your concern about the existence  of the Libraries in future.

It is a bare fact that Libraries are on the trend of becoming Virtual!! With the advent of e-materials and Cyber Technologies, Libraries are gradually becoming Cybraries!! In this regards, one incident came into my mind.

On April 1984 during an Indo-Swedish Convention at ICMR Head Quarters at New Delhi, a question was asked how many of the participants feel they are Information Scientists!! Many among us (including me, of course!!) raised tour hands and on the second question How many of the participants feel they are Librarians? and only a few hands were raised. Then Prof. Ganesh Bhattacharya, the then Director of the DRTC, who was one among the participants told that there is a trend of shifting of  the profession from the concept of Librarianship; but whatever we do, are admittedly, the jobs rendered by a Librarian!! Me presumably being the youngest participant, very meekly asked Prof. Bhattacharya during tea time, Sir,  is it a fact that the profession is on the verge of changing? If it is so, what we need to do to remain in this profession? Prof. Bhattacharya replied with a smile "Boy; Don't get upset, in legal terminology, the language of Terms of References may change but in reality, in the core, the idea will remain unchanged."

I have seen the profession from inside for last three decades from that discussion, and elapsed the most transitional phase in the profession of shifting from the age of hard copies to cyber materials, but at the dusk of my professional career, as I understand, the idea will not change.  and my thoughts seem more concrete as I just read an article in the Economic & Political Weekly, July  26, issue in the POSTSCRIPT section a write up by Alaka Malwade Basu.( I deliberately did not provide the links as this issue can be read by anybody  for next few days at least; so those who are willing to read it, they MUST take the toil ) This will brighten up your hopes  that the Libraries will exist.  As I have seen in the west and advanced Countries they were used to have access to cyber media and computers long before us. But there, new branches of Libraries are being opened on regular basis. Admittedly, their cocept of Libraries , especially Public Libraries and those in our Country are extremely different!! I appreciate Sri Bharat Kumar Gehelot's comments  and as I understand, the place where people can go for reading and get resources of Knowledge & information will  stay may be not in the name of the Library  as Prof. Bhattacharya's comments, the language or words of the Terms of References may change but in the core, the Idea will exist.

Well, of course with havoc mushrooming of  Institutions giving Degrees of Librarianship and ever increasing trend of excessive production rates of M.Phil or Ph.D s of virtually no merit, naturally there will be huge unemployment of so called Qualified Librarians  (However, admittedly, many of them may manage job through manipulations leaving behind really competent individuals!!)

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta 

Permalink Reply by Dr. N K Pachauri on August 6, 2014 at 5:07

Thanks .........

Permalink Reply by RAJEEV KUMAR SINHA on August 6, 2014 at 17:39

Mr. B K Gehlot is right and I agree with him. there is no doubt library has a bright past and I believe for same future. I know that  at present library is suffering due to recession and technologies which is not use properly in all type of library. our associations and politics are also responsible but we will wait good day is coming 

R. k sinha  

Permalink Reply by Vinay Prabhakar Mishra on August 6, 2014 at 21:31

Dear Professional.

I think library will exist in future but more possibly the form of library will be change. And change is the rule of nature. We library professional also should have to change according to time and situation. Our teaching and syllabus should be change immediately . Library professional should have to more IT expert. There are lot of space to modernization in library and there are requirement of IT expert library professional. It is the role of information professional to provide right information to right person at right time and this and for this work there are need to information professional. It is time to library professional to change themselves to librarian to information officer and as a information intermediary. Artificial intelligence and should be implemented. I think very few library in India provide SDI service.

Permalink Reply by Siddu on August 6, 2014 at 21:57

Dear all,

It is said "Change is the only thing that is permanent in life." OR. "Change is the only Constant". Libraries are no exception to this rule.  Libraries are also changing, infact, evolving.  There will be a transition from physical to virtual form. And, as rightly said by someone above, there will be change in the terminologies we use and also there will be change in the way we serve the users. But, the basic principles, philosophy and essence of the library will ever remain the same. This is what I feel.

Truly,

~ Siddu.

Permalink Reply by Mohammad Shamim Afzal on August 7, 2014 at 18:33

Yes, libraries will exist in various formats but the existence of library personnel is doubtful.Its becoming highly automated and digitised. Users are educated enough to serve themselves!

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