AKRUTI CITYGOLD INSTITUTE
_________________________________
Library
May 12, 2008
Mr.Venkata Kesavan
Chief Manager,
Times Archives and Knowledge Centre,
Bennet Coleman and Co Ltd, Times of India Building,
Email : venkata.kesavan@timesgroup.com
Dear Mr.Venkat,
Subject : BOSLA LECTURE / ELECTION
Warm Greetings!
It was indeed my pleasure to meet you at TISS on 10th May 2008. Your lecture was informative and timely. Most of us (librarians) unnecessarily think that it is a waste to talk about profession, professionalism and future of the profession. It will be too late if we continue to think that such discussions and deliveries are a fancy and time pass. Unfortunately even the senior colleagues many a times tend to think in the same way. We un knowlingly think that these are the topics which are meant only for those people who are to address valedictories at Seminars and Conferences.
The topic of Profession, Professionalism as you must have realized is a serious research enterprise. It is a research enterprise addressed seriously by Economists, Historians, Sociologists , Political Scientists and Philosophers. We the librarians have to come out of our shells and realize the importance this literature which is ample. This kind of studies as must have realized are known popularly by such terms as : Professiology, Sociology of Professions and Works. The studies in this regard fit into an age old Research Model which encompass models like Functionalism, Conflict, Evolution and Power. There are lots of such studies addressing Engineers, Doctors, Nurses, Teaching and so on. Unfortunately the librarians are rarely addressed by these researchers. Works of Dr.Chopra, Dr.Anand, P.K.Jayswal may be mentioned here.
In a passing way, if I am right you said……………… “……. Times have changes, LIS Professors still continue to teach age old papers like Classification, Cataloguing etc…….. Here I would like to add : For any profession to flourish and bloom into their full being they need :
Ø A core knowledge base
Ø A core value base
Ø A core service base
Ø A core identity
Can we stand upright on our own comfortably by mechanically, technically and technologically fit by moving away from our central issues listed above…..? It is at this moment a loud thinking and proposition. Is it not possible to imbibe the best of contemporary developments not leaving our central base and values visualized by Prof.Ranganathan?
This has been my topic of groping for the last more than 10 years or so. I could not stop writing this letter to you……mainly because of my background. Thanks for sensitizing me once on the issues dearer to my long study and research in this regard. I am shortly to register my self for Ph.D in LIS on the themes listed above. I wish you will respond to my letter and share your concerns in this regard. It is my pleasure to find a professional colleague who has concerns dearer to me. Enclosed as an attachment is one of my papers published in this regard.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Rajashekhar
Librarian
My Blog/Website : http://indialibrarian.blogspot.com/
___________________________
Library, Akruti Citygold Institute: email address : lotus5673@yahoo.co.in
_________________________________
Library
May 12, 2008
Mr.Venkata Kesavan
Chief Manager,
Times Archives and Knowledge Centre,
Bennet Coleman and Co Ltd, Times of India Building,
Email : venkata.kesavan@timesgroup.com
Dear Mr.Venkat,
Subject : BOSLA LECTURE / ELECTION
Warm Greetings!
It was indeed my pleasure to meet you at TISS on 10th May 2008. Your lecture was informative and timely. Most of us (librarians) unnecessarily think that it is a waste to talk about profession, professionalism and future of the profession. It will be too late if we continue to think that such discussions and deliveries are a fancy and time pass. Unfortunately even the senior colleagues many a times tend to think in the same way. We un knowlingly think that these are the topics which are meant only for those people who are to address valedictories at Seminars and Conferences.
The topic of Profession, Professionalism as you must have realized is a serious research enterprise. It is a research enterprise addressed seriously by Economists, Historians, Sociologists , Political Scientists and Philosophers. We the librarians have to come out of our shells and realize the importance this literature which is ample. This kind of studies as must have realized are known popularly by such terms as : Professiology, Sociology of Professions and Works. The studies in this regard fit into an age old Research Model which encompass models like Functionalism, Conflict, Evolution and Power. There are lots of such studies addressing Engineers, Doctors, Nurses, Teaching and so on. Unfortunately the librarians are rarely addressed by these researchers. Works of Dr.Chopra, Dr.Anand, P.K.Jayswal may be mentioned here.
In a passing way, if I am right you said……………… “……. Times have changes, LIS Professors still continue to teach age old papers like Classification, Cataloguing etc…….. Here I would like to add : For any profession to flourish and bloom into their full being they need :
Ø A core knowledge base
Ø A core value base
Ø A core service base
Ø A core identity
Can we stand upright on our own comfortably by mechanically, technically and technologically fit by moving away from our central issues listed above…..? It is at this moment a loud thinking and proposition. Is it not possible to imbibe the best of contemporary developments not leaving our central base and values visualized by Prof.Ranganathan?
This has been my topic of groping for the last more than 10 years or so. I could not stop writing this letter to you……mainly because of my background. Thanks for sensitizing me once on the issues dearer to my long study and research in this regard. I am shortly to register my self for Ph.D in LIS on the themes listed above. I wish you will respond to my letter and share your concerns in this regard. It is my pleasure to find a professional colleague who has concerns dearer to me. Enclosed as an attachment is one of my papers published in this regard.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Rajashekhar
Librarian
My Blog/Website : http://indialibrarian.blogspot.com/
___________________________
Library, Akruti Citygold Institute: email address : lotus5673@yahoo.co.in
