Dr. D. Mukhopadhyay
Library is a social institution which evolved to the present stage and status from the socio-cultural horizon of the ancient past and ancient civilization. Libraries have been contributing high value to the humanity. Libraries play a significant role as the vehicle of carrying culture from one age to other in civil society in progressive manner. Library is a temple where reading community, people and society at large come into meaningful contact . Library is one of the major constituents of education and cultural habit generating and delivery system of the society. It is created in order to support and strengthen academic values of the institutions of which it is part and parcel. A Library is an essential ornament of a University. It is difficult to imagine existence of a University without a time-honoured and sophisticated library. It plays a significant role in inculcating academic values and integrating University with the society. Indian modern education system owes much to the British Education system and whatever library culture was in pre-colonization era was further strengthened by the British educationists in our country.
Effective mode of functioning and degree of efficiency of a library is the fundamental identity of excellence of University education system. Many Universities do have a separate dedicated building for housing the library and the architectural beauty of library is used as a the landmark of the quality and importance that remain attached to education. Performance and efficiency with which a library functions is used as one of the parameters for awarding grades by different ranking agencies like the NAAC, NIRF and other governmental agencies and they judge the efficiency and effectiveness of the academic institutions with the quality of library services provided by the University libraries. National Library of the country is situated in Kolkata and it is the house of crores of books and manuscripts of different ages. It is housed in a magnificent building which was in use as the residence of the British Rulers prior to independence. Intellectual inputs come from the libraries. But the traditional concept of library is under stake and future of the University libraries is bleak and the revolutionary change promoted by information technology is going to grab the very existence of library. As on date, as has been mentioned somewhere else of this write up that a library houses books and other intellectual inputs in a magnificent building which commonly known as the Library Building or University Library or Central Library Building . Now , Information technology becomes a threat to very existence of library building and everything can be digitized and the library does not need to have a dedicated building. In one way, it is users’ friendly and economic under the contemporary influence of ICT which is meant to bring about a structural changes in the library service delivery system. On the other hand it is to destroy the reading habit of the learners from the physical form of the books. Library environment itself is conducive to promote the comfortable reading and writing habits of the learners. But under the age of ICTs, someone can have access to the world of intellectual resources through internet from any place across the globe. This is definitely a boon of science and technology but it costs the socio-cultural growth of intellectualism. In simplicity, the revolution in the sphere of information and communication technologies has started to bring about structural changes in library culture of Universities.
The fundamental objective of invention is to use the blessings of science and technology for creative purpose and not to destroy anything. There has been merciless use of ICTs in library management across the globe and wave of the same has reached India too. The books and other intellectual objects are brought out on electronic formats in majority cases barring few cases where additionally print format is available . The advantage of electronic format is time saving in meeting the requirements of the users within a second and endless waiting for arrival of books and journals from distant places has been over with advent and uses of ICts and everybody would agree to this convenience that is accrued by information technology. Again question arises at what cost ? Obviously library service is available at very low recurring costs but it destroys library culture that enrich the learners in many aspects. It is bound to create a socio-cultural crisis. The author of this write up is not against the use of science and technology in bringing about speed and efficiency in library service delivery system but it should be limited to that extent only or both the digital format as well as physical format may be available simultaneously . This is the middle path. Digitization to the extent of cent percent is not advisable. Reading habit s of people is generated by seeing the varieties of books and journals on a particular subject and it is the same thing as appetite of a person arises by seeing varieties of delicious food . Nothing is permanent but change which is constant. The society progresses with the continuous research and developmental support in any field and field of library service delivery system cannot be an exception. Today is the age of digital revolution because of manifestations of its advantages and the impact of digital revolution on library management is noteworthy and transparently visible everywhere across the globe. But we should take the help of science and technology to the extent it is useful to the society and not at random at every sphere of socio-cultural formats and activities.
It is now high time to decide and redefine the role of libraries under the digital age. It is imperative to decide the extent to which information technology’s influence would control the day to day functioning of the University libraries. Mechanization is desirable but not essential in every aspect of library culture. Now it is challenge before the decision makers as to what extent traditional library culture should be preserved and to what extent it would function under the influential control of digitization. Library is the bridge between the society and the University. Many people who do not pursue any formal research or degree earning education of the society visit University library and it helps in developing reading habits of the people by and large. Library culture enhances learning habits of the readers. In University reading room, it may not be out of place to mention that many people read together and become social and this tenet shall be absent from digital library system whose ultimate destination is isolation. Physical format of library develops writing habit of the learners also. Digital library would kill that habit. Now a days, letter writing on different social occasions has been back seated by the advent of electronic mailing system. Letters of many great personalities are major constituents of literature and arts in any society but that habit has evaporated and no literature or arts can be had based on the letters of the those great thinkers, philosophers and great personalities. It is therefore mentioned here that physical format of University library is essential and desirable and digital library is not the substitute of physical library. Let us use the science and technology as much as required and not at random which is against the socio-cultural existence of mankind. Library is knowledge resource centre and physical format is an effective tool for knowledge dissemination. Let science and culture and arts exist in harmony and science should not be threat to humanity and arts at all.
(The author is Professor of Management, School of Business, Faculty of Management, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, India)
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