NE convention on Building Participatory Library Services in Digital Era begins

GANGTOK, 01 Mar: The 8th Convention of Promotion of Library Automation and Networking in North-East Region [PLANNER 2012] started here at Sikkim Manipal University auditorium, 5th Mile, today.
The three-day convention on the theme “Building Participatory Library Services in Digital Era” is being organized by Sikkim University in collaboration with INFLIBNET Centre, an IUC of UGC, Ahmedabad.
This convention is a forum for LIS professionals to discuss and interact on the new challenges and dynamism for re-defining the library and information services to meet the demands of the end users in digital era.
In his inaugural address, Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mahendra P Lama spoke on the six most critical challenges to the libraries of today. He mentioned that the most serious challenge was to conserve traditions and inject modern resources in the library resources. He added that to make libraries inter-disciplinary in both its collections and management and to make the library a friendly, accessible and affordable store house of knowledge, wisdom, detached thinking, broader understanding and canons of public power and democratic living are also important. How modern libraries mobilize and harness the decay in the institutional cultures and inculcate reading habits among youth are some challenges before today’s libraries, he added.  
Prof Lama expressed his hope that the programme will deliberate and achieve the same. He further congratulated the INFLIBNET team and delegates for introducing the huge exercise of bringing a technical discourse, digitization and knowledge sharing to an open public discourse in this part of the country.
“The success of this programme lies in convincing the masses in this region in terms of appreciation and knowledge, attracting them to the beautiful and far coveted world of information and knowledge and imbibing reading habit among the younger generation,” he stressed.
While speaking about the convention, Director of Information and Library Network Centre, Ahmedabad, Dr Jagdish Arora, higlighted the theme and sub-themes of the convention. He encouraged the delegates to actively participate in the convention and deliberate and provide suggestions to take the convention to a fruitful end.
In his keynote address, Adjunct Professor and Former Director of Rajasthan University Library, Dr Pawan Gupta briefly spoke on the crucial role of the librarian in the present global world and stressed on the need to change with the present needs and scenario. He further spoke on the different aspects of the library.
Prof AS Chandel from the Department of Library and Information Science, North Eastern Hill University stated that due to modern technology, search engines and other factors influenced the library and there are lots of challenges and needs to be taken up. He mentioned that there is the need of inputs at different levels to deal with these challenges and needs.
Prof Chandel stated that there is need to attract users and to make them dependent on the library by fully convincing them about the benefits of a library.
The inaugural function started with the welcome address by PLANNER 2012 organizing secretary, Dr Tamal Kumar Guha and concluded with the vote of thanks by PLANNER 2012 convener, Ashok Kumar Rai.