Assignment Code: BLI-221/AST/TMA/2021-22

Course Code: BLI-221

Assignment Name: Library, Information and Society

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Note: Answer all questions.

I). Answer the following questions in not more than 500 words each. (4X10=40 Marks)

Q1) State the characteristics of a profession. Discuss the contradicting views of authors justifying LIS as a profession and not as a profession. (10)

Ans) Several agencies conducted a more thorough investigation and discovered particular elements that define a profession.

According to Martin, must possess the following characteristics:

1. A collection of highly specialised, difficult knowledge;

2. Practice that is founded on information that is vital to the customer and society;

3. Because of her/his expertise, the practitioner must have the community's respect.

4. A professional association is required to organise the profession.

5. It should have a formal code of ethics that is enforced;

6. Evidence of formal training or education in the body of knowledge associated with the profession should be provided.

7. The right to test that knowledge and its application must be granted to an organised association or other recognised body.

8. The client's and public's interests must take precedence over the practitioner's immediate interests.

9. Individuals or a group must pay the practitioner of the profession directly for her or his services.

10. Admission to practise and the right to continue practising must be the responsibility of, and under the direct authority of, society.

LIS is not a Profession

For a long time, it was debatable whether librarianship should be considered a vocation. One viewpoint is that it is not a profession; rather, it is thought to exist somewhere between a profession and a vocation. Medical and legal professions are centuries old and have thus been regarded as professions since the dawn of time, but this is not the case with librarianship. Social scientists have voiced a variety of views on librarianship as a vocation. There are individuals who disagree with library services' professionalism. For the following reasons, Lancour does not believe librarianship to be a profession.

1. It is not supported by the community.

2. The services of librarians are not as important as those of doctors. When approached for service, the majority of library personnel, both professionals and non-professionals, hide behind the stacks. They are unable to boldly serve society in order to earn their reputation.

3. They don't have any real power over the clients.

LIS is a Profession

A librarian is a person who preserves humanity's cultural and intellectual history and operates as a communication agent from the point of information generation to the point of usage. In the chain of information flow, his services are essential. Librarians have accepted professional status as a goal based on the following characteristics, according to Robert D Leigh:

1. "They are associated with knowledge, which in modern society is the primary source of occupational prestige.

2. They are, at least in some ways, service-oriented rather than self-interested.

3. Professional associations for librarians and information specialists exist (state and national).

4. They receive their education at professional schools that are affiliated with universities.

5. hey have an ethics code."

The education for librarianship at the middle and upper levels takes two years at the post-graduate level. The concept that it is a profession is supported by the teaching of various theoretical components and extensive skill training. S. R. Ranganathan made a significant contribution to the growth of the library profession in India by creating standard nomenclature, theoretical concepts, LIS education ranging from certificate to doctoral level, and promoting specialisation and standardised methods. His contributions have had a significant impact on India's library profession. "Librarianship is a great career," says Ranganathan. "Seeing the dawn of joy on the faces of readers who were aided in their hunt for the appropriate knowledge at the right moment" brings a librarian joy.

Q2) Describe the activities and services of DELNET. (10)

Ans) DELNET became a registered body in 1992, but it has been in operation since 1988. DELNET was formerly known as the Delhi Library Network before being renamed the Developing Library Network. DELNET's headquarters are in New Delhi.

Activities

The activities of DELNET are as follows:

The Developing Library Network (DELNET) was created in 1988 with funding from NISSAT and registered as a society in 1992 at the India International Centre Library in Delhi. It was founded with the primary objective of exchanging resources among its member libraries, and it was previously known as the Delhi Library Network.

DELNET's main objectives are to promote resource sharing among member libraries by collecting, storing, and disseminating data, as well as to provide academics and researchers with networked services to help them with their research.

Its objectives are to collect, store, and transfer data, as well as to provide computerised services to users, to coordinate efforts for suitable collection development, and to reduce duplication whenever possible.

Services

Online Interlibrary Loan: DELNET member libraries can request a document via the DELNET server's interlibrary loan service, and the document is couriered to the asking library. This service requires an annual subscription from the member library.

DELNET features a referral centre where participating libraries can get help with their research.

DELNET provides member libraries and information centres with online access to many databases.

1. The Union Catalogue of Books (UCB) contains around 7160 million records that can be searched by author, title, or subject.

2. Union List of Current Periodicals — This database includes periodicals from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It covers 35,990 publications.

3. The Union Catalogue of Journals lists 20,235 periodicals with library holding data.

4. Periodical Articles Database - It has 9,22,042 records that may be searched by author, title, subject, and periodical name.

5. CD-ROM Database Is a 6,000-record database of CD-ROMs available in member libraries.

6. There are 6,000 records in the Union List of Video Recordings.

7. There are 1,025 records in the Union List of Sound Recordings.

8. List of Newspapers in Union The database provides information on the newspapers, including title, editor's name, published from, E-mail address, and the INTERNET edition's Web URL if one is available on the WWW.

9. There are 70,293 records in the Database of Theses and Dissertations.

10. There are 1613 records in the e-book database.

DELNET collaborates with NIC on a monthly training programme on topics such as Web page design, Internet search tactics, and other resources. It also offers training in Machine Readable Cataloguing and bibliographic standards such as MARC21. Workshops, Conferences, and Lectures: The National Convention on Library and Information Networking (NACLIN) is a DELNET-sponsored annual conference held around the country. DELNET also hosts seminars and lectures in different regions of the country and overseas on a regular basis.

DELNET publishes a newsletter called 'DELNET Newsletter' to keep professionals informed about DELNET's activities.

DELNET has played a key role in disseminating awareness of international standards and how to use them in libraries, particularly Marc 21. It has recently been promoting open-source software and teaching its use through training programmes in KOHA and D-Space.

Q3) Describe the role of UGC in the development of libraries and information services. (10)

Ans) The UGC serves as a critical link between the federal and state governments, as well as higher education institutions. In addition to providing money to universities and colleges, the UGC advises the union and state governments on steps that are necessary to strengthen university education. It has also built and formed a number of libraries/information centers/study centres, as well as committees, to provide quality education and service in the field of library and information activities. Here are a few examples:

Financial Assistance to University and College Libraries

Every five-year plan period, subsidies are allocated for other infrastructure amenities such as library buildings, furniture, and equipment. It also established a 'book bank' programme in colleges and universities, which provided 'grants to purchase multiple copies of expensive textbooks recommended in all fields.' The goal of this programme was to give textbooks for home study to poor, needy, and worthy students on a long-term basis for a modest deposit. UGC support for this scheme is no longer available.

Curriculum Development Committee on Library and Information Science

In 1990, the UGC established the CDC on Library and Information Science to reform the study programmes. In its recommendations, the group outlined requirements for LIS institutions, including admission policies, student and teacher strength, instructional technique, teaching aids, and information technology application, among other things. It also established a committee called the UGC Panel in Library and Information Science to recommend reforms to be made in LIS education and training.

Establishment of National Information Centres

The goal of creating National Information Centres in specialised areas is to facilitate access to information and give bibliographic assistance to instructors and researchers in those professions. Three such centres have been built, with computer databases developed to provide reference and information services, as well as documentation and current awareness services.

Establishment of INFLIBNET

As an initiative of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCA) Pune, the UGC developed an Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Program with headquarters in Ahmedabad in April 1991. The INFLIBNET Program intends to construct a national network of libraries and information centres in higher education institutions like as universities, colleges, research and development institutions, and national organisations such as the CSIR, ICMR, ICSSR, ICAR, DOE, and others.

INFLBNET is a library and bibliographical information centre computer communication network. It is a cooperative network programme for pooling, sharing, and optimising library and information centre resources, facilities, and services in the university system and the R&D complex. It gives students, academies, and researchers access to information by providing a variety of information and documentation services.

Modernisation of University Libraries

Recent advances in information and communication technology, as well as their utility, have compelled university libraries to computerise their services and connect to various network programmes such as INFLIBNET in order to provide users with a fast, efficient, and reliable computerised information service. During the 1994-95 and 1995-96 fiscal years, the UGC gave special financial assistance to central university libraries (2 crore rupees) and university libraries established before independence (50 lakh rupees) to update library facilities. The primary goal was to computerise library operations and connect them to the INFLIBNET application.

National Review Committee on University and College Libraries

The goal of forming such a committee is to examine how Rs. 2 crores and Rs. 50 lakhs in grants to central universities and state university libraries were spent. Second, produce a status report on university and college libraries in India, and third, prepare a future strategic plan/guideline to ensure that these university and college libraries run smoothly.

Q4) Discuss the role of UNESCO in promoting library and information activities in India. (10)

Ans) The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's constitution, signed on November 16, 1945, entered into force on November 4, 1946, after being ratified by 20 countries, including India. UNESCO now serves as a think tank and a standard-setter for developing universal agreements on rising ethical challenges. It also functions as a hub for information and knowledge dissemination and sharing, as well as assisting Member States in developing their human and institutional capacity in a variety of disciplines. UNESCO encourages national and local governments to invest in and promote the growth of public libraries. Information, literacy, education, and culture should all be central to public library services:

1. Developing and reinforcing early reading habits in children;

2. At all levels, supporting both individual and self-directed education as well as formal education;

3. Providing chances for individual creative growth;

4. Stimulating children's and young people's imaginations and creativity;

5. Promoting cultural awareness, enjoyment of the arts, scientific breakthroughs, and innovations;

6. Providing access to all forms of performing arts culture;

7. Promoting intercultural conversation and respect for cultural variety;

8. Keeping the oral heritage alive;

9. Providing individuals with access to a variety of community information;

10. Providing local businesses, associations, and interest groups with proper information services;

11. assisting in the development of information literacy and computer literacy;

12. Supporting and engaging in reading events and programmes for people of all ages, as well as starting new ones if necessary.

The following are key school library services that are critical to the development of reading, information literacy, teaching, learning, and culture:

1. Supporting and promoting educational goals indicated in the mission and curriculum of the institution;

2. Developing and maintaining in youngsters a lifelong habit and enjoyment of reading and learning, as well as the use of libraries;

3. Providing chances for knowledge, comprehension, inventiveness, and enjoyment through experiences in creating and using information;

4. Supporting all students in learning and practising skills for evaluating and using information in any shape, format, or medium, as well as awareness to community communication modalities;

5. Providing learners with access to local, regional, national, and international resources and opportunities that expose them to a variety of ideas, experiences, and perspectives;

6. Organizing events that promote cultural and social sensitivity and awareness;

7. Working with students, teachers, administrators, and parents to realise the school's objective; advocating for intellectual freedom and access to information as fundamental to effective and responsible citizenship and democratic engagement.

8. Promoting reading and the school library's resources and services to the entire school community and beyond.

Activities

UNESCO seeks to assist individuals and organisations in enhancing their access to information and knowledge. It aims to establish an environment that encourages the free flow of information. It prioritises universal access to information. It establishes standards, raises awareness, and develops management tools to strengthen libraries in order to ensure universal access to knowledge.

Archives: Archives are crucial components in enhancing information availability for the general public as well as specialised organisations. UNESCO has contributed to the strengthening of various types of services since its inception.

The evolution of information technology, particularly the Internet, networking, cooperation, and digitisation, has changed the roles of acquiring, storing, and sharing information and knowledge significantly. UNESCO devotes special attention to developing countries in order to ensure that they do not fall behind in technical advancements. UNESCO's Records and Archives Management Programme - RAMP intends to achieve the following goals in the field of archives:

1. "Assisting Member States in the establishment of efficient records and archives management infrastructures by standardisation, archival legislation, training, and improving infrastructure (buildings and equipment); promoting international debates on key archival issues."

II). Answer the following questions in not more than 250 words each. (6X5=30Marks)

Q1) Discuss in brief the role of RRRLF in modernisation of libraries. (5)

Ans) The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation was founded in 1972 to honour the birth of Raja Rammohun Roy, India's father of modern renaissance. It happened to fall on the silver jubilee of India's independence, as well as the International Book Year. To commemorate the three events, the Indian government decided to establish a library foundation that would serve as a nodal institution for the development and promotion of public library services throughout the country. It was, however, a fitting tribute to the great pioneer of Indian renaissance, who has fought throughout his life to eradicate ignorance, occultism, and prejudice from the minds of his countrymen by establishing a nodal institution in his name to monitor the development and promotion of public libraries, one of the most important instruments of lifelong education, across the country, particularly in remote rural areas. A committee was formed by the Indian government, chaired by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, with the goal of bringing the programme to fruition.

Prof. Nurul Hasan, the then-Union Education Minister, played a key role in this direction. Finally, the Foundation was established on July 22, 1972, and it has been forty years since RRRLF has been working to achieve its mission of developing and promoting public library services in the country. As a result, there is adequate opportunity to review and assess how successful the Foundation has been in accomplishing its goal, as well as the inadequacies and roadblocks that stand in the way of attaining its goals and objectives.

RRRLF has participated in a number of promotional events aimed at improving the quality of library services. Aside from hosting numerous seminars and conferences, it was instrumental in the development of the National Library and Information System Policy.

Q2) What is resource sharing? Discuss its need. (5)

Ans) The term "resource sharing" refers to the sharing of library resources among participating libraries based on the idea of cooperation. This applies to document sharing, labour sharing, service sharing, space sharing, and equipment sharing. A word used to denote a coordinated effort by libraries and information centres to share materials and services in order to provide each other with resources that would otherwise be unavailable to a single institution. It's an attempt to make specialised, expensive, or simply not-owned resources available beyond the confines of a single organisation. Resource sharing refers to the ability to access or remotely access existing resources in a computing system across several administrative domains.

Need of Resource Sharing

Resource sharing requires to reach an agreement on:

1. What kind of material do you want to share?

2. Policy on acquisition, policy on circulation

3. For bibliographic control, the production of a union catalogue with consistency and standardisation is required.

4. Cataloguing in collaboration and keeping up-to-date catalogues, for example.

Documents, which are the stock in trade at libraries, are plentiful. Their rate of growth is so rapid that it is referred to as explosion. In comparison to 2011, book production is predicted to have increased by 6% in 2012. They're available in a number of different formats. These documents are available through a variety of routes, which adds to the difficulty of obtaining them. The cost of documentation is increasing. Prices for periodicals are rising, with a 6% increase reported in 2013. Previously, price increases were limited to science, technology, and medicine publications, but they have recently spread to other fields such as humanities and education. These publications' prices are in US dollars. The expanding dollar-to-rupee exchange rate has a negative impact on India's library purchasing power.

Q3) Explain the role of libraries in facilitating and supporting learning. (5)

Ans) The importance of resource organisation grew. Along with the principles of collection, organisation of knowledge access, and the needs of the individual user, the perception that the library was a social institution that played a role in society's organisation was strengthened. This is a progressive viewpoint, as it sees the public library as a tool for spreading literacy and a love of learning.

A library's current model is relatively straightforward. The library serves as a conduit for users to access the massive volumes of published and unpublished knowledge that are available. The majority of libraries place a high value on their ability to facilitate and assist learning. The challenge for libraries is to provide a variety of services that assist lifelong learners who choose to learn in any of the various modes available, and most likely in a personal mix of them all. As a result, librarians in most sectors have a significant barrier in expanding their direct involvement in the delivery of learning. In reality, understanding pedagogical concepts will aid librarians in better planning and delivering services, as well as explaining the relevance and necessity of libraries. One point must be stressed: libraries are, at their core, service organisations.

They aim to benefit people of all ages and backgrounds with what they do. They are plainly in the business of assisting their users in the development of knowledge and comprehension. Whether on a global or local scale, services and knowledge are at the heart of community development. Businesses may differentiate themselves from their competition by providing knowledge-based services and continuously improving the quality of such services. Libraries, on the other hand, do not conduct business. They are unique and must advance in the twenty-first century by empowering themselves to satisfy society's evolving needs.

Q4) Discuss the issues and problems in designing a code of ethics for librarians. (5)

Ans) Aside from the challenges of developing an acceptable ethical code for professionals, there are a slew of other issues and dilemmas that arise when it comes to professional ethics. Here are a few examples:

1. In society, the library and information profession has a positive image.

2. There are several professional organisations;

3. Authority in place, with procedures for disciplinary action if ethical ideals enshrined in ethical standards are violated;

4. The profession's expanding dimensions; the profession's consequent ambiguous condition;

5. Professional work of high quality;

6. Specialists from different areas and occupations are being brought in.

Professional Image

Librarians are a group of specialists within their parent organisation, and their autonomous image does not receive the attention it deserves in the public eye. In the case of Indian public libraries, there has never been any outstanding accomplishment or achievement that has improved the country's professional reputation.

Professional Bodies

The following are the optimal conditions for effective disciplinary action in cases of ethical code violations:

1. Only one national occupational association should exist.

2. Only one basic national code of ethics should exist.

3. Acceptance or renewal of membership should be contingent on subscriptions to the code.

4. Membership in the occupational association should be required for practising licences.

Authority in Implementation

Even if there is a central professional authority, it is not always practicable to punish anybody who breaks professional ethical rules. These ethical rules are not legally binding.

Expanding Dimensions

In the last quarter of the twentieth century, the scope of professional activity has increased to unprecedented levels. The traditional and traditional functions of a library have changed dramatically. New abilities are needed in library and information work, and these individuals will be recruited from outside the field.

Professional Quality

The current emphasis on quality assurance has been a major source of anxiety for individuals involved in all human activities. Consumer societies have long asserted their right to quality in everything they buy and have sought legal protection in consumer courts to ensure that quality is maintained.

New Entrants

People with various educational and professional backgrounds and qualifications are drawn to library and information activities: People with varying levels of professional experience are migrating to the library and information industries, bringing with them differing levels of conviction, faith, world views, and political influences.

Q5) Explain the functions and activities of an information broker. (5)

Ans) Data and information brokers ensure that data and information be obtained promptly and reliably in a firm, while also highlighting any gaps. They're also known as data brokers, and they work in both the private and public sectors, similar to archivists or librarians. However, the expectations on brokers' working pace and the tools they utilise have increased as a result of the ever-changing data landscape.

An information broker is a person or a company that, on demand, seeks to answer queries from all accessible sources and is in the business of making money. The axial concept underpins broking: information for payment. In the case of libraries, information is offered, but the user is not charged. The contrast between information that is freely available and information that is free must be understood.

Brokers provide the following services:

1. Briefing or on-the-spot instruction.

2. Information repackaging is a term used to describe the process of repackaging

3. Market research and analysis are two terms that are used interchangeably.

4. Recruitment of personnel.

5. Service of press cutting.

6. Seminars and seminars are held on a regular basis.

Information brokers are known for their quick and effective service. These information institutions, which are mostly staffed by persons with library credentials, conduct literature searches, retrieve documents, and distribute them. These businesses might not be a danger to libraries. In fact, they augment them by meeting requirements and expectations that public libraries are unable to meet by providing specialised and pricey services to commercial, professional, and other users who can pay them.

Q6) Discuss in brief the objectives and services of CALIBNET. (5)

Ans) CALIBNET was founded to address the difficulties of the country's eastern region, particularly West Bengal. The organization's main goal is to create and improve access to available library and information resources in West Bengal.

Objectives

The main objective is supported by other objectives like given below:

1. Providing remote online access to Calcutta libraries' holding data and other specialised databases.

2. Using its information centre concept, it provides electronic access to globally available information.

Services

Software Development: Two pieces of software for assisting library activities have been produced through extensive in-house research and development.

1. Sanjukta: The software gives you a lot of options and freedom when it comes to creating records, organising data, and searching for it.

2. Parapar: It translates data from different formats to ISO2709 format, which may then be loaded into CALIBNET's central database.

Currently Available Content: Confile Service: Confile is a content service that is now available. It includes around 20,000 journals from a variety of fields. It saves money on journal subscriptions for the library and decreases the drain on valuable foreign exchange resources.

Caliborder is a document delivery service that provides the complete text of any article, as well as patents, on demand.

Selective Information Dissemination: The ConAlert service is designed to provide up-to-date and customised bibliographic information. The keywords are used to generate a user profile. The user receives notification of the document's arrival or availability. The user's workstation is also where the on-demand document is delivered.

CALIBNET's Institutional Resources Development Services help institutes establish libraries. It also aids and advises in the automation of libraries and the construction of databases and electronic resources. It offers a wide range of training programmes and customised courses tailored to the demands of individual institutions.