The Seminar organizer

Kolkata, although rich in culture, tradition and progressive views, still has the Raj overtones through several architectures and monuments, as reminiscent of three centuries of colonial rule. The city is the workplace of four Nobelists so far. The University of Calcutta, one of the oldest of the three modern universities in our country, is located in its seven campuses in the city. Its central campus is situated in College Street, famous as publishing and printing hub in the city.

The Librarianship Training Department started its journey with a Diploma of Library Training Programme in 1945, with an intake capacity of 15 graduate employed students. The department was renamed as Department of Library Science in 1959 and from the academic session 1969-70, the ‘Diploma’ was replaced by Post Graduate Degree of Bachelor of Library Science (BLibSc), later in 1998, the department was renamed as Department of Library and Information Science and the course was renamed as Bachelor of Library & Information Science (BLIS). The Masters Degree course was introduced in the department in 1973, which is a two years full time day course. The course was renamed as Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) in 1998, which has been converted to a 4-semester system in the year 2009. The Ph D programme in this department was initiated in 1982, and an M Phil Course, the first in its kind in West Bengal, has been introduced in the year 2003. 

The Outlook of the Seminar

It is unquestioned that serious changes are taking place for several decades now, in library and information service arena all over the world. Technology is affecting the provision of information, by making it easier for people to access necessary information. Programmes for Library and Information Science (LIS) education have vis-à-vis to respond to the need of the modern India.

What are the changes that LIS education need to cope with? Is it evident that LIS education must be restructured to reflect the realities of changes, employability pattern, teaching-learning system, research requirements etc? What should be the essential components of LIS curriculum? How can LIS programmes respond to new and ever changing demands, adjust the programmes suitably, and develop new research and training activities to fit a radically changing knowledge based society? Are we currently preparing our students for the claim of our society?  How can LIS education provide nformation professionals (including librarians) with the necessary knowledge and training, to enable them to offer appropriate services? How are the LIS research findings sufficiently mounting and how these findings are reflected in the library services? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this two-day national seminar.

We expect the presence of experts and specialists from all parts of our great country and from different walks of academic and professional life to grace the occasion with their thought provoking deliberations and help us focus the vision of LIS education for contemporary India. 

The Focus of the Seminar

The seminar will focus on four main sub-themes:

1. Structure of present LIS programmes and possible future restructuring

1.1 Areas and topics of study in LIS curricula

2. Employability of present LIS courses and future potentialities

2.1 Relationship of skill requirements for employment and LIS programmes

3. Teaching-learning process in LIS

      3.1 Methods, techniques and technicalities

4. LIS research

4.1 Recent development and growth of LIS knowledge and operational activities

4.2 Implication of research findings on library services

Accepted full papers or extended abstracts will appear in the pre seminar publication.

Submission of Papers

Papers in English language are invited on the above theme and sub-themes for the presentation during the seminar. Authors are requested to prepare a full paper not exceeding 3000 words with an abstract of 250 words in MS WORD/Open Office format in A4 size (single column and 1.5 spaces) with a soft copy on CD/DVD and send it to the Joint Secretaries. The paper alternatively can be e-mailed as an attachment at culisseminar2010@gmail.com within the stipulated period. Contributors are requested to follow the APA Style Manual for bibliographic references. Submitted papers will be peer-reviewed and the contributors will be notified of the outcome by the date mentioned below.

The Seminar is Targeted for

The seminar will comprise of invitee key-note addresses by eminent persons in the field and contributed papers by the authors. The intended outcome is to gather the knowledge and opinion of the participants towards the vision of the LIS education and relevant aspects fit to the Indian condition in the beginning of the present millennium. It is aimed to achieve the goal through:

• Invitee key note lectures
• Contributed papers
• Discussions

Who Should Attend the Seminar?

LIS teachers in different LIS programs, scholars, LIS professionals, practitioners and scientists; thinkers in LIS field and also the students of different LIS programs from India and abroad can attend this national seminar.

Seminar Registration Fee includes

Seminar registration fee includes pre-seminar publication, seminar kit and other documents.

Accommodation

Accommodation for maximum two nights to the delegates from practically long distance places, on proper intimation made on or before 5.03.2010, will be provided.

Mode of Payment of Registration Fee

All fees should be paid through DD in favour of “LIS Eduvision, DLIS, CU” payable at Kolkata and must be reached within the stipulated date.

Seminar Venue

The seminar venue is Ashutosh Shiksha Prangan (College Street Campus), 87/1, College Street, Kolkata-700 073. 

Weather History

Average maximum and minimum temperatures during the seminar time are expected 320C and 22OC respectively. The average humidity during the middle of March is 65.