Management of College Libraries in Mizoram

INTRODUCTION

Management is practiced since the beginning of human civilization and governance. An organization is a set of people working together to achieve common goals.

ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science define Library Management as the process of Co-coordinating total resources of an organization towards the accomplishment of the desired goods of that organization through the execution of group inter-related functions such as planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. Library is a non-profit making institution. So it is necessary that financing be managed properly. General principles of management are applicable to library management.

Library is the most important part of a college. It requires huge cost to provide full information support to the teaching and learning process in the college. The quality of education is linked with the library and it is the information collected and disseminated that determines the quality of teaching learning process. For its effectiveness, a college library requires adequate number of staff and sufficient fund to meet its real objectives.

Libraries in Mizoram were under the Education Department until the department was trifurcated into School Education, Higher and Technical Education and Art and Culture Departments in 1989. Since then, Art and Culture Department had taken over Public Libraries and College Libraries by Higher and Technical Education Department and as such Director became head of the departments. Colleges, at the time of its establishment, are supposed to start f functioning of a library automatically. As the Principal is the head of the college, all responsibilities for the administration of the college library rest on him. Some colleges have a library committee and separate library buildings, but some do not.

Finance is an important factor in collection development. For the steady growth of collection, a library requires adequate fund for purchase of materials. In college libraries, regular acquisition of materials is compulsory due to its necessity in teaching learning process. In Mizoram, the state government has approved fees to be followed by all the colleges under its jurisdiction and fixed Rs. 300/- as library fee per student for one academic session. The state government is not having any separate library budget; and therefore, the primary source of finance is student‘s library fees. The other sources of fund of college libraries in Mizoram are : Sale proceeds of dailies, weeklies and UGC grants are not allotted annually so that regular acquisition is very difficult.

For functioning efficiently, a library requires qualified, able and energetic employees. A college library requires professional as well as non-professional employs. But, library staff in Mizoram colleges is very few in numbers in comparison to other academic libraries of other Indian States but are of hardworking and dynamic in their services. Some of the college libraries are managed by one library staff whereas some have one or two staff. Out of 25 (twenty five) college libraries, affiliated in MSU 19 libraries are look after by qualified librarian, but some are designated as Dy. Librarian, Library Assistant and some are managed by a The state government of Mizoram has adopted the UGC Revision of Pay Scales for college teachers and other measures with effect from 1986 and thereafter, college librarians are also given this scale of pay and now 16 (sixteen) college librarians are getting their pay as per UGC revision of pay. Actually, this opportunity could happen only because of the opening of the Department of Library and Information Science in Mizoram University in 2002. Since then 12 (twelve) working college library staffs have been qualified for the post of college librarian from this department. Out of 12, 9 are getting their pay as per UGC revision of pay and other 3 are under process.

Good Library Services are greatly decided on the collection available in the library. Every college should have a basic collection comprising reference books, textbooks, light reading materials and materials suitable for various competitive and entrance examinations. All these materials have to be updated regularly to corresponding to the changes of syllabus. The existing collection in Mizoram today is not encouraging. Most of the libraries have below 10000 books in their collections. There are only three-four libraries having 20000 books in their collection.

It is assumed that every college library in the state has to follow a book selection policy, strictly to make use of the available budget profitably and to meet maximum requirements of the readers. As a part of the policy, the college library has constituted book selection committee. But some of the college libraries in the State do not constitute a committee for this purpose.

A library collection can be organized subject wise based on decimal class numbers (DDC). Decimal class numbering and its filling are easy and simple. Collections of some college libraries are fully or partly unclassified.

A college library requires some sort of a catalogue to assist the users for identifying, and locating their required documents. Card catalogue is popular among college libraries in Mizoram.

Accessibility to library collection is a serious factor which decide the extend of use of materials. A library

The library collects and maintains copies of prescribed textbooks in sufficient numbers to reduce the problem. Stock verification is conducted during vacation period. Damaged books are cared properly. Some college libraries bind and keep important periodical publications but some do not in Mizoram.

The user community of a college library includes student‘s teachers and non-teaching staff. It is found that the number of students using the library collection is decreasing day by day due to the spoon-feeding system of education followed in colleges.

The quality and variety of services offered in a library greatly decide the extent of use of their library collection. A college library is expected to offer the following services - 1) Circulation service 2) Reference service 3) Current awareness service 4) Bibliographic service 5) Reprographic service 6) Inter library loan service Some college libraries offer the first three mentioned services in Mizoram. The number of books allowed to students teachers and staff vary from library to library. Usually the period of books borrowed is 15 days for students and 30 days for teachers.

Library resource sharing in digital form or networking has been functioning excellently in other developed countries and the other States of India since long back. In Mizoram computerization and automation activities has been started after a few years of the present millenium. Lack of qualified information handling staff, imbalance for college fund and inadequate fund allocation for the development of library in present Govt. Hrangbana College, which started computerized library in Mizoram with the help of SOUL software and is well equipped with the help of INFLIBNET financial support. Moreover Govt. Aizawl North College,

change the scenario of information world and computerization of libraries are under process. Other colleges undertaking steps for computerization of library. Department of Library and Information Science, Mizoram University plays and important role to train the College librarian professionally. They organized national level workshop and seminar to strengthen the experience of library automation and application of ICT in Libraries for College Librarian in Mizoram. The department reserve 5 (Five) seats for deputed library staff in the course of MLISc in every academic session.. More than 10 (Ten) college library staff have passed out this two - years integrated courses and enjoy the status of UGC guideline. The personal ability experiences enhanced by Mizoram University Department create Mizoram College Library to attain an ICT environment in the digital era.

Our libraries in Mizoram are facing many problems to its effectiveness. They are more or less the same to college libraries also in Mizoram. The problems are inadequate number of library staff, in balanced collection, inadequate finance, lack of sufficient space. These problems need be taken seriously by the college library authorities. The state government considers the problems of college librarians seriously and an attempt is being made for implementing the need of the college libraries.

Ngurtinkhuma, R.K. (2006). College Library scenario in Mizoram : PLANNER; INFLIBNET. Kumar, P.S. G. (2003) Management of Library and Information Centers. New Delhi : B.R. Publishing Corporation. Directorate of Census Operation Mizoram (2011). Census of India; Mizoram Final Population Data Sheet Basic Figures at a Glance. p1. Hassan, Kamal. (1971). Degree College Libraries in Himachal Pradesh: Annals of Libraries in Himachal Pradesh : Annals of Library and Information Science. Vol. 26. Anand, J.K. (1983). Academic Status of University and College Libraries in India; A Retrospective Study. ILA, Vol-14. Dhiman, Anil. K and Sinha, Surej. C. (2002) Academic Libraries, New Delhi: Ess Ess Publication. Isaac, K.A. (1978). What are College Libraries and what they can eb, New Frontiers in Education V8 (3) July Sept. (p4). Farook (1997). College Library Manual. Calicut.

Sr. College Librarian Govt. J. Thankima College zohmaacc@gmail.com