Dear Sir,
In this regard, I would like to put forth few of my views regarding the above subject.
1. we don't have any doubts about the functioning of ILA. Yes, we all know it is active and working for the betterment of profession. But, when the sixth pay commission has send it's proposal and MHRD publish it. Then many of our senior library professionals come forward with the anomalies in the sixth pay circular. They have posted it via various online forums and some of them were also sent to our associations and UGC too. But, none of them were considered by the UGC committee. One of the issue was regarding the appointment rules of Deputy Librarian and non-requirement of Ph.D. degree for that post. That time, we expect our national level association shall come forward to help those library professionals regarding the matter. I dont know whether ILA has made some representations regarding that. But the main issue I want to put forth is maybe ILA was trying to represent but there may be a communication gap. I think ILA should communicate, whatever they are doing or trying to do for the profession via LISFORUM, NMLIS, MLOSC etc. so that it can bridge the information divide between the association and lis professionals all over.
2. We all know, the 'status of librarian' has been the subject of discussion and has been discussed on various platforms from decades and we thank ILA for achieving the payscale parity for librarians along with other teachers. But there are few other question's in my mind regarding the status of Librarians. They are,
a) The person who's holding a strong position in University, a professor status, permanent member of senate and so many other notable holding at university level is socially called as "Librarian"(University Librarian). This position need 18 years experience at librarian at college level or 13 years experience at Assistant Librarian at University level and offcourse Research and other criteria's also.
b) The person who's working in a College library as head of library department is also called as a "Librarian". This position now need PG in library and Information Science with NET/SET/SLET or Ph.D.
c) The person who's working in a Public Library at A, B, C, D level as a main person in the library mostly having no rights in decision making regards library is also called as "Librarian"(Public Librarian). Needs SSC / HSC / Graduate with 3 month library training certificate / C.Lib / B.lib.
d) UGC has given library professionals parity in payscale, but in status they are still the "other academic staff" and not the "teaching staff" in the Institution.
e) In state Maharashtra, Librarians are included in the definition of Teacher in University Act. In other few states, they are not included. In forthcoming Maharashtra Public University Act, University Librarian has be mentioned as "Director, Knowledge Resource Centre", other designation's are not being changed.
f) In Maharashtra, Government has recently accepted the demand of librarians to became a principal of college and a GR's has been published in this regard. But in other state librarians are still struggling to be a principal.
g) In Andhra Pradesh(confirm) and Karnataka(not confirm), Government College Librarians and University level Library Professionals has been designated as Professor in Library and Information Science, Associate Professor in LIS, Assistant Professor in LIS. I have the circular of Andhra Pradesh with me.
In this regard, can we expect from our association to create a draft of unique designations and get it sanctioned from UGC and MHRD(if needed) so that the library professionals can get some unique and respectable identity in their institutions and well as social life.
3. There is one more important point which we found in Maharashtra and dont know about what other state library professionals are facing. Though, Librarians are included in the definition of teachers in Maharashtra, but whenever some Government Resolution or Circular is passed regarding the college teachers, the librarians has to struggle and convince the Government to publish a separate GR for them as the Director of Education refuses the proposal of librarians b'coz of the word "Librarian" was not there in the earlier GR,Circular. This situation is faced recently when the circular on the increment in retirement age of college and university teachers is published by Government of Maharashtra. It is found that except 6th Pay, the library professionals have to struggle every time to get the benefits given to college teachers by the government, and the government also publish a separate GR for the librarians.
4. Some College Library Professionals in Maharashtra are being considered as a teaching faculty and their names are included in Teaching Muster, but in 60% institute's their names are put in non-teaching muster. In some colleges, where library professional's name is included in the teaching muster, it is written at the bottom of the muster even after the teachers junior to him. Though, there is a circular of Joint Director Office, Nagpur(Maharashtra) in this regard, some institutes refuses to accept as they think that circular as region bounded for Nagpur region only.
5. To contest for the senate elections or to become a research guide(3 years teaching experience required after Ph.D.) is still a hard task for librarians as the statutes and laws ask "Teaching Experience" for these post and Librarians are kept out of it just because his working experience is not considered as teaching experience.
6. The CAS facilities available for library professionals differs from other teachers post and they are also not included in 10% post for professors in the Institute.
As library professionals in Andhra Pradesh are being called Assistant P, Associate P and Professor, they might not be facing this problem.
I would like to request our association to look into this matter and frame some innovative guidelines at national level, so that the library professionals would not have to face problems mentioned above and also have a following suggestions.
1. The issues which are being handled by ILA in past, the issues which are under discussions with UGC and the future issues to be taken by the ILA shall be communicated either through the ILA's website or through online forums or both.
2. The Association should make a call and accept grievance's and suggestions from the library professionals and if they are of national level should try to carry forward them and communicate all about the status of that problems. ILA can start online help forum regarding this matter.
3. The Association should publish all the GR's and Circulars regarding librarians on their website so that the library professionals who's facing the problem will get benefited.
4. The Association should formulate unique designation's (Probably Assistant Professors, Associate Professor, Professor in LIS) for all library professional around the country and get it sanctioned from UGC(& MHRD), so that the benefits given to college teachers will automatically be transferred to library professionals without any problem. Also, there is a need to change the required qualification for senate member, research guide and other equivalent designations where "teaching experience" is need, "Experience" shall be considered instead of "Teaching experience" for these posts.
5. The Association shall try to bring parity in CAS facilities available for library professionals with other teachers post and attempts can also be made to include Library Professionals in 10% post for professors.
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