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Permalink Reply by Munesh Kumar on March 1, 2015 at 19:33

Dear Sir, 
Ganesh Upadhayay

This is really a logical question from HR point of view in management. The job & work get change according to the institution. I think as per my knowledge, one should confirm from the competent authority of institute/organization to get the appropriate answer regarding the job allocation, role and responsibility of employees at different level. 

Please wait till appropriate answer, this is my observation toward this question...

Thanks...

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Permalink Reply by Rasan on March 2, 2015 at 17:57

Hi,

It is a temporary in-charge post deputed by the administration for library staff.

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on March 3, 2015 at 23:46

Dear Sri Ganesh Upadhyay,

Thanks for your mail and for addressing yet another critical issue detrimental for the professionals and the profession as well. In many institutes, especially in academic institutions often academic staff are made de facto in charge of the library.  It so happens because the management does not want to recruit or fill up the posts of Chief Librarian and to keep their hold in the Library activities.  Some times ago, in a Central University in West Bengal, some academic staff form a foreign Language Department (It was alleged that they had no student in that department!!) was made in-Charge of the library over & above the head of a Deputy University Librarian!! The academic community often indulge into such activities apparently in order to (A) keep their hold on the function of the Library while all the professional activities are done by the professional staff & (B) to keep vigil on financial activities of the Library (towards purchase of books/ subscription of periodicals etc. etc.) It is needless to say that in most cases the situations worsens. Because a non professional can never become more competent than a seasoned professional. ( I have deliberately highlighted the word seasoned because a Deputy University Librarian often possess a high academic Degree and several years of experience of progressively responsible positions) The reason is very simple, since the Library professionals are miniscule (both in number & power)  in comparison to the academic staff their voices are mostly unheard.

However, there are exceptions too. Many institutions and specially their heads or Directors provide ample responsibility and autonomy to their Librarians even though they are quite young both in age & experience and junior in professional status & pay scales!! This outlook often helps in making of a good professional in future years.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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Permalink Reply by DR. ANIL SINGH on March 4, 2015 at 18:30

This issue was raised by me one year back (referred below). Many fellow colleagues gave their opinion at that time. But still this practice continuing.......

Is there any need of non-professional in-charge in Libraries?

• Posted by DR. ANIL SINGH on March 2, 2014 at 13:36 in Discussion / News / Article
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Dear Friends,

 

In few past years trend has been rising to appoint non-professional head/in-charge of libraries in-spite of having Group ‘A’ library professionals in the organization. Like Prof-in-charge, scientists-in-charge, officer-in-charge etc and this practice can be seen in universities, autonomous bodies, scientific & research organization or in any other institutions of national importance.

It has been seen that if the library is managed by Assistant Librarian (in the pay scale of PB3: 15600-39100 + AGP 6000) or by Deputy Librarian (in the pay scale of   PB3: 15600-39100 + AGP 8000 or Rs.37,400 - 67,000 + AGP 9000) than there will be Prof-in-charge or Officer-in-charge who is non-professional to supervise these professional staff which is ridiculous. Even now in some institutions, Prof-in-charge has been appointed in-spite of having Librarian of PB4: 37,400 - 67,000 + AGP 10,000.

 

Let us have a look on the pay scales of civil administrative staff. SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) who is in the pay scale of PB3: 15600-39100 + GP 5400 is overall in-charge of whole Tehsil, whereas District Collector or DM whose pay scales are generally in between PB3: 15600-39100 + GP6600, GP 7600 or PB4: 37,400 - 67,000 + GP8700 (based on the length of service) is administrative head of whole district. Joint Secretaries in the Union Ministries are in the pay scale of 37,400 - 67,000 + GP10000 who plays an important role in policy making.

 

If these officers can work independently, than why not library professional which are getting more pay scales than these administrative staff? Such type of practice demoralises the library professionals and gives the message in society that library professional are inefficient in managing the library independently. It also underestimates the importance of Librarians.

 

Besides having a library committee and its Chairman to supervise and guidance, is there any relevance of non-professional in-charge in Libraries? Feedback and comments are welcome.

 

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on March 6, 2015 at 7:53

Dear Dr. Singh,

I understand your point.

But I beg to differ you on the aspects of pay scales.

Pay scales, as I believe do not necessarily speak about the competence of an individual.

It may appear bitter yet true but as I personally believe competence is irrespective of pay scales. I have seen many excellent Library professionals in top grade Research Libraries in comparatively much lower pay scales far more competent than many of their co-professionals who, by the sheer grace of UGC's rules, enjoy Rs.9000/- GP.

The incumbents of Administrative Cadres you have referred to seems (to me) to be a different genre of people!! I very much doubt that if 10000 of our co-professionals appear in such competitive  examinations even 1% can become successful!! 

I hope that you will agree with me that among so many of the so called Ph.Ds how many have altogether 10 full papers as a single author in any four journals of standing in their life time!!.

I am not speaking of LIS only. I regularly come across M.Phil & Ph.D. students but I hardly found many among them competent for doing "RESEARCH", On the other hand I have seen many individuals working in NGOs as research support staff with sound knowledge.

The deployment of Teacher-In-Charge is an entirely different story as I see it from my points of views. It is what can be called sort of ethnographic hegemony of a certain genre of people!! Librarians, because of their miniscule numbers, are by and large subjected to jealousy and disrespect not only from the Office staff and Academic Staff but from their co-professionals as well! In academia when one academic staff becomes successful to get a project of a fair amount, their co-professionals hails it with loud talks  but if a Librarian becomes successful to to get a project of even a more higher amount, s/he is criticized as s/he is more interested to do Outside jobs leaving behind his/her own for which he/she is getting salary!!

A couple of years ago one young person came to me to consult for a project from a particular U.N. organization where I was associated. I suggested certain tit bits and helped the individual in re-framing the project proposal and nothing more. When the individual got the project, not only the principal or academic staff of his/her institution, even his/her Co-professionals were aggrieved & told me that it was me who made it possible for him/her!! But honestly speaking, I might have done less than 5% of the job!!

I have narrated this incident to explain the situation in which a Librarian works.

Librarians in some research or higher education organizations having a decent budget are often seen with great suspicion and many of the people including his/her nearest colleagues  are almost certain that s/he is getting bribes/ commissions from the vendors!!

The Academic staff often break library rules and extremely hate to explain it before a petty Librarian and if there remains a Professor-in-Charge, such irregularities are often overlooked.

I personally feel these are the reasons behind imposing a teacher-in-charge over a library professional.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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