ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries D ecem ber 1985 / 633 L ib r a r y s e r v ic e s a n d n a t i o n a l d e v e lo p m e n t B y W illia m S h e h W o n g Asian Librarian University o f Illinois, Urbana A n in te rv ie w w ith G irja K u m a r, President o f th e Indian L ib ra ry Association. I n April 1985, I interv iew ed G irja K u m a r, c u r re n t presid en t of th e I n d ia n L ib ra ry Association, in his resid ence on th e c a m p u s of th e J a w a h a r la l N eh ru U niversity, N ew D elh i. Because h e w as still university lib ra ria n a t t h a t tim e, o u r in te r v ie w w a s la r g e l y c o n cern ed w ith acad em ic li b r a r i e s . T w o m o n t h s la te r, im m ed ia tely after his re tire m e n t from th e J a w a h a rla l N eh ru U n i v e r s ity , P ro fe s s o r K u m a r w a s a p p o i n t e d c h a i r m a n of t h e G o v e r n i n g B o a r d o f t h e Girja K u m a r D elhi P ublic L ib ra ry . I th e n c o m m u n ic a te d to h im readdressing m y questions to include a b ro a d e r spectrum in lib rarian sh ip . H e w as very kind to give m e a p ro m p t an d com plete response. I feel t h a t th e views of Professor K u m a r a re re p resentative of those from th e T h ird W o rld c o u n tries. If o u r assum ption is t h a t lib ra ry services play a key ro le in n a ti o n a l d e v e lo p m e n t a n d social change, th e voice of a lead in g lib ra ria n from In d ia should not be ignored. I am , therefore, h a p p y to share one of th e m ost enjoyable fruits of m y recent trip to In d ia w ith m y colleagues. In te rv ie w e r: W h a t are th e m ost im p o rta n t a n d pressing issues a n d problem s in lib ra ry services in y o u r country? K u m a r : T h e areas of p rim e concern to lib ra ry services in In d ia are th e sam e as those concerning th e c o u n try as a w hole: a) m o d ern izatio n , b) u n i versalization of ed u catio n , a n d c) th e tim e-b o u n d d e v e lo p m e n ta l pro cess. L ib r a r ie s h a v e th u s to fu n ctio n as an in stru m e n t of socioeconomic devel o p m e n t in com ing years. T h e special areas of con cern to libraries are as follows: a) in fo rm atio n m a n a g e m e n t , b) i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y , c) in fo rm a tio n b e h a v io r, a n d d) in fo rm a tio n use. L a rg e r em phasis needs to be given to th e largely n e glected areas of p u b lic libraries, school libraries a n d lib ra ry services for th e h a n d ic a p p e d . Interviewer: As presid en t of ILA , please define th e role IL A w ill p lay a n d p ro g ram s IL A w ill spon sor in th e next five years or so. K u m a r : T h e I n d ia n L ib r a r y A ssociation has p la y e d a m a rg in a l role so fa r in th e schem e of things. I t should establish its credibility by p ro v id ing leadership a) th ro u g h co o rd in atio n w ith ag en cies concerned w ith n atio n al policy in th e country, b) by active involvem ent in decision-m aking a t lo cal, state a n d n a tio n a l levels, c) by b u ild in g a fed eral 634 / C& L News structure for library organizations in the coun try, d) by coordinating relations with user groups, the book publishing industry, booksellers and gov ernmental agencies, e) by initiating programs of continuing education and research, as well as f) by building contacts with international agencies and national organizations of other countries. Priority should be given to a) the development of public li braries, b) introduction of the latest information technology, c) introduction of user education, d) encouragement of user study programs, and e) the development of information networks at local, state and national levels. Interviewer: You were a top administrator in university and research libraries, and now you are overseeing the governing board of a major public library. W hat is the relationship between the aca demic and public libraries in India?1 K um ar: Surprising as it may seem, there has hardly been any interaction between academic and public libraries. Public libraries (mostly run by lo cal authorities and financed by State G overn ments) are considered the poor cousins of academic libraries (financed entirely or substantially by the University Grants Commission). In spite of its handicaps, the public library system is socially more relevant than the academic library system. Having been involved in running a large aca demic library, largely a frustrating experience, I find that the academic library system is becoming socially irrelevant with the passage of time. The gap between the information needs of a largely in ept user group and the information stored in li braries is widening. There is need for new thinking whereby academic and public library systems be come intensely socially relevant and are required to work jointly through legislative action. There is ob viously also a need for enunciating the national in formation and library policy in the near future. Interviewer: W hat are your views on interna tional library cooperation, especially between In dia and the United States? Kumar: International library cooperation be tween the United States and India is most desirable, 1All universities in India are public (Centre or State) institutions, with the President of India as their Visitor. The Prime Minister serves as C han cellor for some Centre Universities, and the Gover nor is Chancellor for all state Universities in his or her state. The chief administrator of the University is the Vice-Chancellor. The University Library is usually administered by the University Library Committee, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, with the University Librarian as its Secretary. In this ad ministrative structure, a library decision or policy which has been approved by the University Li brary Committee is final. It clears ways for the University Librarian to run a library smoothly. However, on the negative side, an innovative li brary administrator may have difficulties in mak ing major policy changes under such a rigid bu but it has to be on the basis of equality. Some American librarians and teachers of library science tend to view it as a one-way relationship. The transfer of technology from the United States, to put it in the widest terms possible, is a subject of most immediate concern in this country. It has to be based on strict quid pro quo. American librarianship can benefit from the work done in In dia at a conceptual level at best, especially in areas explored in great depth by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan and his close associates. I feel greatly disappointed at the lack of response received from American librarians to our invita tion to participate in the International Conference on Ranganathan’s Philosophy (held in New Delhi, November 11-14,1985) considering the fact that at least 20 other countries have declared their inten tion to participate.2 The future program of cooperation between the two countries should be implemented through the establishment of a joint working group, constitut ing representatives of the Indian Library Associa tion and the American Library Association. The provision of facilities for library education in the United States for young Indian librarians and information scientists, exchange of teachers and librarians over extended periods of time, hold ing of joint seminars and round tables, sponsoring of research programs and provision of consulting services are areas of priority interest. The services of Indian librarians, teachers of library science and information scientists living in the United States would be especially helpful. Interviewer: W hat are your research interests? W hat areas of research are critically needed in your country? Kumar: I published an important study on the philosophy of user education in 1983. It went largely unnoticed in the United States. Recently I wrote on the same subject in R Q . 4 intend to pur sue the same field by conducting advanced re- 2The theme of the international conference is “Ranganathan’s Philosophy: Assessment, Impact, and Relevance.” It is organized by the Indian Li b ra ry Association, co-sponsored by th e In d ia Council for C ultural Relations and the Sarada R anganathan Endow m ent for Library Science, reaucratic svstem. and was held in New Delhi November 11-14,1985. For more information, contact the Indian Library Association at the following address: A/40-41, Flat No. 201, Ansal Buildings, Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi 110009, India. 3Philosophy of User Education was w ritten jointly by his younger brother, Krishan Kumar, chairman and professor of the Department of Li brary and Information Science at tne University of Delhi and published by Vikas Publishing C o., New Delhi, in 1983. Ginja Kumar’s publications include 7 books, 3 edited volumes, and 11 chapters or pa pers contributed to edited works. 4Girja Kumar, “Learning Theories, Democracy a n d User E d u c a t i o n ,” R Q 24 (Spring 1985): 255-58. “I u sed to shudder w h en patrons req u ested inform ation o n a p roceed in gs paper.” “Now I Reach for ISTP ®and ISSHP®” N ow you too can get easy access to indi individual papers presented in them. And the vidual papers published in conference main entries display proceedings in a con proceedings … with the Index to Scientific &te nts-page format—ideal for easy scanning. Technical Proceedings® and the Index to Each entry provides the full bibliographic Social Sciences & Humanities Proceedings®. information you need. Each year, ISTP indexes over 120,000 individ Why not make these valuable indexes part ual papers, and ISSHP nearly 20,000. Over of your library’s reference collection? A yearly 70% of this material is not indexed in the subscription to ISTP is $725, and to ISSHP is Science Citation Index® or in the Social $525. Sciences Citation Index®. For more information—and to receive your Since the proceedings literature is generally FREE sample issue of ISTP or ISSHP—just the first place where early research results fill out and mail the coupon below. Or call us appear, you’ll find ISTP and ISSHP useful for toll-free 800-523-1850, extension 1371. bibliographic verification, retrospective Remember, no literature search is complete searches—even for current awareness! Any without checking the proceedings in ISTP or of six access points quickly lead you to com ISSHP. plete descriptions of proceedings and the Please send me a free sample issue of the index I’ve checked below. I understand there is no cost or obligation. □ Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings* □ Index to Social Sciences & Humanities Proceedings® monthly issue quarterly issue Name/Title _________________________________________________________________________ Organization/Department_______________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________________ City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State/Province_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ZIP/Postal Code___________________ Country_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Telephone_______________________________________ iSi® Institute for Scientific I n f o r m a t i o n ® © 1 9 8 5 I S I Customer Services Department, 3501 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 1 2 - 3 9 6 7 636 / C&RL News search on information behavior through user stud ies. My interests are, however, not confined to the narrow field of library and information science. I propose to undertake a study of the academic and intellectual elite in India soon. The areas for advanced research in India in the coming years are likely to be as follows: a) informa tion management, b) user education, c) user stud ies, d) subject indexing, and e) a public libraries system. Interview er’s note: The keen interests in re search and publication seem to be a tradition in In dian academic librarianship. The record which Professor Kumar has produced so far is impressive and he has still been productive after his retire ment. Other librarians I met are also very active in research and publishing. Professor A nand P. Srivastava, librarian of the University of Delhi Li brary System, whose duties in administration and management are probably the heaviest among aca demic librarians in the country, has been publish ing one monograph dealing with a subject disci pline bibliography and research methods every year. Another younger colleague, H. K. Kaul, li brarian of the India International Centre in New Delhi, had shown me half a dozen of his published works on Indian literature, and bibliographic and travel guides to particular regions. The most pro lific author I have ever met is Attar Chand, refer ence librarian of the Chinese and Japanese Studies Library at the University of Delhi. As the two-time winner of the President of India’s prize in writing, he has published 56 non-fiction books and 20 bibli ographies as well as some 25,000 essays and articles that have appeared in newspapers and magazines over a period of 30 years. ■ ■ News from the Field Acquisitions • Harvard University, Cambridge, Massac setts, has acquired two collections of note. The uni versity library has received the first installment of a gift of Urdu books from Pakistani President Zia ul- Haqq. The gift was made on behalf of the people of Pakistan in recognition of the contributions made by Harvard Professor Annemarie Schimmel to the study of Urdu literature and Indo-Muslim culture. The books that comprise the first installment of the gift include a 13-volume set of the Urdu journal Nugush, devoted to the study of the prophet Mu hammad. The remaining installment of the gift will be selected with Professor Schimmel’s ap proval. The university’s Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library has acquired a collection of more than 175 books relating to Beethoven. The collection was the gift of the university’s Fanny Peabody Professor of Mu sic Emeritus Elliott Forbes. The books formed Forbes’ working collection, and enhance what is already a considerable collection of works about the composer available in the university’s music li brary. • Louisiana State University’s Hill Memorial brary, Baton Rouge, has received the senate and personal papers of U.S. Senator Russell B. Long (D-LA). The collection contains m ore th a n 740,000 item s, in c lu d in g correspondence, speeches, press releases, photos, and other political hu L memorabilia. The papers were a gift from Long, who will retire in 1986 after 38 years in the Senate. In addition to the papers of the senator, the gift in cludes valuable materials regarding the political career and death of Long’s father, Huey P. Long, who was assassinated in 1935. The elder Long had been governor of Louisiana and, at the time of his death, a member of the U.S. Senate. The collection includes the only three known copies of the coro ner’s report of the death of Carl Weiss, Long’s re puted assassin, who was killed by Long’s body guards after the assassination. • The United Theological Seminary Librar Dayton, Ohio, has received the collections of two prominent American church historians, Sidney E. Mead and Paul H. Eller. The Mead collection re flects Mead’s special interest in church history as it relates to the intellectual, social and cultural his tory of America, while the Eller collection con cerns the former Evangelical Church and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. • The University of Missouri, Columbia braries has acquired the Anthony C. DeBellis Col lection of Italian Literature. The collection con tains the work of distinguished poets, historians, i scholars and philosophers in contemporary edi tions from the 16th to the 19th century. The collec tion, a gift from the Friends of the University Li b ra rie s, is n am ed for a form er professor of Romance languages at the university. • The University of Texas at Austin acquire y, Li d