Changing role of the Education Institute Librarian

 

 The outbreak of the coronavirus is a major crisis facing the post-World War II world. The crisis has affected all aspects of human life. The discovery of antibiotics for this disease has created a confidence. But to prevent the disease, the only option now is to take preventive measures. Therefore, efforts are being made in all countries to control the disease, depending on the policy of lockdown. The uncertainty created by this situation has created an atmosphere of fear around the world.

 Corona has also created unique challenges in the educational sector and has forced not just students but also policymakers and service providers including the librarians to adapt and adopt technology as a viable and valuable option to ensure fulfillment of the educational needs of the stakeholders and in overcoming various hurdles in this pandemic time.  The need for the library sectors to find a suitable mode of operation during times where the new norm was the confinement of patrons alike, combined with rigorous social distancing measures in the libraries.  Under the new circumstances, the libraries’ role had to be reshaped in a completely digital operation space which is very different from providing a set of digital services; in fact, this requires redesigning the services in a process called digital transformation. This brought forward plenty of questions that do not have trivial and easy answers:

   

 What kind of resources can be successfully transferred into the digital environment?

  How exactly to do this?

  How to optimize the use of physical and digital resources which already exist?

  What kind of new digital resources are needed for patrons this time?

  How to develop resources which support the patrons best – rather than waste their time?

This challenge is outcomes in pandemic time.

.Academic libraries were also closed during the lockdown to prevent corona virus infection, with fears of corona infection persisting everywhere. The incidence of infection has not completely decreased. Now slowly the market started, the shops started. And libraries are starting up too.

Even the librarians of the library are aware of this and are ready to be cautious. The libraries have also provided distinguishing, sanitizer etc.

 

Changing Role of the Library at IGBS:

🔰          IGBS library is developing  its platform as a digital library 

🔰      IGBS library has started to collect free resources including books, articles, and other items from world libraries, and has also started collection of useful reading material for students.

🔰          IGBS library has initiated to put the list of websites and organizations offering free access of online books on a variety of topics.

🔰      The library has updated links from time to time and shared home university developed contents  for the students

🔰      IGBS library has also purchased subject-wise e-books and related study materials for students to help in their studies.

🔰         In order to update the general knowledge, library has purchased journals, magazines which are all available on library websites.

🔰         The library has shared eBook links which are available under syllabus through its library platform.

🔰          IGBS library has started a blog service to develop reading and writing habit among the  students in pandemic time

The only way to recover from the epidemic is to turn the mindset of the youth at home by making the digital reading material available to them. We, at IGBS library are working in this positive direction continuously.

  Blog By 

Mr. Santosh Dagade.

Librarian

Indira Global Business School, Pune.