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Permalink Reply by Babu RT on September 10, 2014 at 17:10

Since our MLISc is equal to scientific study, we can change the designation of Librarian, Asst Librarian, Deputy Librarian as Scientist, Assistant Scientist, Deputy scientist in colleges respectively

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Permalink Reply by Beeresh on September 10, 2014 at 17:29

ThanX for your interesting response Babu sir..

Yes U r right sir But in academic sector no one treat like that. So i think, when UGC and AICTE make a strong amendment through giving fancy term as per changing our role in present day, then only we might have strong recognition in the society like other profession.

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Permalink Reply by Dr.L.M.Khan on September 10, 2014 at 18:28

Dear Professional 

Name is not a matter and could not change the status of our job profile. If we are serious to change the anomalies comes our profession.   

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Permalink Reply by anand gupta on September 10, 2014 at 19:16

Dear friends ,
I am happy to note that as an young Library Professional we have suggested some new abbreviation like IRO and IRC. It would have been better if you have provided the full meaning of the abbreviation.

Thanking You.
Anand Gupta,
Library Trainee BHU.

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Permalink Reply by Beeresh on September 10, 2014 at 19:20

Dear Khan Sir,

k i'll come to your point, in corporate sectors also the status of job profile is same. it does not matter about anomalies. Just we need strong recognition in the society as per changing our role. don't mind, am not arguing. :)

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on September 11, 2014 at 0:49

Dear Sri Beeresh,

Thanks for your post and for expressing your opinion without any reservation. You know that Scientists working at Research Institutes with Designation of Scientist B/C/D etc. (according to rank) when joins institutes like IITs or AIIMS, their designations are changed as Lecturer, Sr. Lecturer etc. etc (or Asst. Professors; Assoc. Professors etc) Like wise, in the Corporate sectors they have their unique CORPORATE CULTURE. (I shall certainly talk about it afterwards). Besides, in real life what difference will they make (except of course for young people, such designations might be having some  good impact in marriage market!!)  

I saw Sri Babu RT's opinion too. But as my experience is concerned, many mainstream Scientists in certain Research establishments (I am not naming them as many of you know it)  are shifted to Libraries or KNOWLEDGE RESOURCE CENTREs but except a few majority of them are, what is called in Banking Terminology "Non Performing Assets" of the institutes!! And after joining the Libraries too few of them have done any sort of Scientific work! I am not against such nomenclatures but my point is if tomorrow the National Library of India is renamed as The National Knowledge Resource Centre of India whether its activities and functioning will be changed overnight? or if in an academic institute the designations are changed to Asst. Scientist, Deputy Scientist etc. whether the individuals will be treated with more respect by their academic Colleagues or even the office staff or whether their social status will be elevated substantially overnight ?? 

On the contrary, as my experience taught me, in real terms, the individuals will be subjected to more dejection and mockery from their colleagues.

Besides, as I have seen from my experience, a capable professional is always receives respect from his/her colleagues be it an Academic or a Research Institute.

A Competent, Knowledgeable and enterprising Library professional is liked by both Colleagues and Authority. Societal recognition is however an entirely different phenomenon. Still, however, if one gets appreciation from his/her colleagues & peers, little by little that trickles down to social environment as well. Admittedly, it takes longer period than that of a Scientist or a College /University Lecturer, but it does. More importantly, if you get respect, importance & recognition from your colleagues, your peers and friends & peers of your Academic/Scientific Colleagues working in other organizations, it is not a small achievement, even it helps a lot in one's professional career. So, mere change in designation does not hold good for a long period if one's performance is not good.

Many years ago  I got a job in the R&D section of a renowned Corporate house. I saw the people(,ale) working in the posts similar to LDCs in Govt offices wearing Suits with Tye ( I must confess here that I am in no way demeaning LDCs. in Govt. offices) and they were virtually shocked to see me with an ordinary pant shirt.

Similarly, I got a job in a Diplomatic Mission Library  where the male Library Assistants and even the Trainees  were wearing Suits & Tyes. So  you see, it differs from place to place. Here in my office I often wear Chappals and wear shirts without tugging them inside the trousers! but it was unimaginable when I worked abroad for some time!! So you see, it all depends on place & the environmental rituals. So when in Rome do as the Romans do. Isn't it!

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta.

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Permalink Reply by Beeresh on September 14, 2014 at 22:03

Respected Siddhrth Sir... Really very thankful to you for your kind response.
although as young professionals we are not satisfied. in your reply u have mentioned as follwing;
("of course for young people, such designations might be having some good impact in marriage market!!")
So i think, might be impact beyond it. and one more thing, in changing era we people know about such concepts like web designing, softwares, Big Data Analysis and some other IT factors which were not in the scope of librarianship earlier. So Librarianship changed into LISc. but the designation didn't.
Here only the intention, when people heard like, am working as a Engineer or a Doctor or a Lecturer and whatever automatically, the people will respect themselves even they are not a prompt worker in their respective field But in regarding Librarian, simply they will neglecting in any context. So, i think, if we have modern touch to our designation that will change our exposure.
what you people say professional friends??? :)

Thanks & Regards

Beeresh

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on September 15, 2014 at 1:13

Dear Sri Beeresh,

Many thanks for your post and raising some important questions. But let me first clarify my statement about designation & marriage market. We know that in Colleges the scale of pay of Asst. Professors & Librarians or in the Universities the pay scales of Asst. Professors & Asst. Librarians are same while in many instances Library people have double masters' Degrees but for matrimonial purposes by and large, Asst. Professors are always preferred over their Librarian colleagues. That is why I made the comment (in a funny way of course!!) that change in designation may brighten the matrimonial prospects. What I tried to emphasize is the issue of social recognition which the Library professionals lack though officially they are equal to teaching staff. Never-the-less at the concluding part of your present post you too have corroborated the fact albeit in different words!!

Now coming to the second part of your statement what you have mentioned is true and absolute true. But there are two counter points as well; the first is whether the employers have asked for such skills? and more importantly whether there are scopes of applying such skills in real life? It is often observed that people with M.Phil & even Ph.d are taking jobs in school Libraries. Is there any practical reason to change the designation of School Librarians to Research Scientists? I admit that the employed person/s can do miraculous jobs  but whether they require to do such sophisticated jobs? does the employers advertised for such skills? A couple of months ago, we had advertised for a Library attendant where many M.Phils were applicants. We needed people to place books in the racks and get the books from stack room on the basis of Call No. Thats all. If a person with M.Lib & M.Phil joins to that post how can s/he expect that his/her salary or designation be changed at par his/her qualification? The employer never asked for M.Phil Degrees. In Colleges apart from doing OPAC related jobs what more is expected out of a Librarian on an average? Earlier in many CSIR laboratories Clinicians were employed as Researchers but they were not paid the NPA (Non Practicing Allowances) which they ordinarily get in Government jobs. Their mandate was clear, you have come to do research and in our Laboratories we do not distinguish between Clinical & Non-Clinical Scientists. So you see that such issues are rather complicated. Never-the less, the degrees the LIS people gets to day are from the Department of Library Science which are often under the faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and the Ph.Ds awarded to LIS professionals too are from NON-Scientific faculties (like faculty of Humanities/Social Sciences etc. etc.) . So technically speaking how unilaterally one can demand change of designation overnight. But I sincerely hope that with time, the nomenclatures of the Departments will change, and with the changing nature of the jobs the concept of Libraries will change so also its nomenclature and one day may come when a cataloguer of to day will be called database administrator. But we have to wait for those days.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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