Guest Editor-in-Chief

Dr. V. Uma

(Dy.Librarian, IGM Library, University of Hyderabad, Telengana State, India, Emails: vulib@uohyd.ernet.in (O) umav4966@gmail.com (P))

Guest Editor-in-Chief

Dr. V. J. Suseela

 ( Dy.Librarian, IGM Library, University of Hyderabad, Telengana State, India, Emails: vjslib@uohyd.ernet.in (O) vjsuseela@gmail.com (P))

Special Issue Board Members:

Prof. S. Sudarshana Rao, Emeritus Fellow, Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Dr. N. Varatharajan, University Librarian, Indira Gandhi Memorial Library, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

Purpose: A library has an important place in higher education and in the field of research & development. Books alone do not make a library; similarly a good library building with a few staff members is also not enough to ensure the successful working of a library. The success of a library depends to a large extent on qualified and well-trained library staff capable of fulfilling the objectives of the library. In other words, professionally competent library manpower can only run and administer a modern library to provide effective and efficient information services to its users. 

Human Resource development in LIS occupies an important role while planning the necessary infrastructure facilities for the development of the library.  In the digital era the human resources need to sharpen to tune up to the increasing technology, mounting facilities and services. The demand and supply of man power needs to revamp in the light of technological applications in libraries. Knowing the in house computerized operations is not enough to satisfy the growing information needs and the applications that are offered by vendors that force the librarians to learn these techniques to adopt in their libraries. To sharpen their knowledge and cope with the other libraries it is necessary to evaluate the present services of the libraries and try to increase the services and satisfy the information needs of the users. While on one side librarian has to attend workshops and training programs and at the same time the personal career advancement also forms the other side wherein if the employee is satisfied with the job, knowing the technicalities his personal advancement will motivate him to concentrate and thereby increase the output. As Rangathan said” the trinity of Readers, Staff and Documents are related at any moment of time. Training, Motivation & theories that deal with HRD & HRP in LIS work together to achieve the parent organization’s objectives.

In the digital era the job assignments have changed. The job title based on the jobs to be performed by each category of staff members based on their qualifications and experience are important. What are the jobs to be performed and what type of personnel are required to perform the duties need to decided.  The impact of UGC guidelines issued from time to time on libraries has posed several doubts and functioning of the librarians. The college librarians and university Assistant Librarians though equal in position the University Assistant Librarian has more resources and services and hold higher responsibility. Every University follows their own norms and there is no uniformity in application UGC guidelines. Different interpretation by the HR department of the Institution leading to frustration and lack of efficiency. Different specifications, pay scales and designation in public, Academic and special libraries. Different states have different implementation of UGC guidelines by designating them on par with faculty. No uniform policies. Hence the importance of Manpower requirements or HRD in LIS.