Revise eligibility at govt institutes: Librarian body
Kurukshetra, June 22
Raising the long-pending issue of reclassification and revision of qualification for the posts of senior librarians at government colleges and district libraries in the state, the Haryana Library Association has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini through Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies Subhash Sudha.
Association president Rupesh Gaur said, “As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, the qualification for the post of a librarian, an academic post with UGC scale, requires a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences with a minimum score of 55 per cent and NET or PhD. These qualifications have been fully implemented for librarians in the government-aided private colleges but not in government colleges of the state. This discrepancy is causing significant hardships for highly qualified candidates who face administrative barriers, despite possessing the necessary qualifications.”
“As per the Haryana Education College Grade Service Rules, 1986, the qualification for the position of senior librarian is a graduate (second division) with second division in Master of Library Sciences or MA/MSc/MCom with second division Diploma in Library Science. This outdated requirement has hindered the recruitment of competent professionals, leading to a shortage of qualified staff in Haryana’s government college libraries and district libraries. It is a blatant disregard of the UGC rules at the hands of the state authorities. It is pertinent to mention here that there has been no direct recruitment for the position of a librarian/senior librarian in these institutions for the past four decades,” he added.
The association stressed that without qualified leadership, the efficiency of these institutions was severely compromised. The transition from traditional to digital libraries necessitated a skilled workforce to meet the information needs. Hence, appointing professionally trained individuals is the need of the hour.
Despite multiple requests and the matter being under consideration by the government, necessary amendments have not been made. The association urged the state government to amend the service rules of 1986 and align the qualifications for the post of librarian/senior librarian as per the UGC norms.
Dr Gaur said, “Furthermore, the situation is similar in the state’s government schools, where libraries exist but have never had appointments of qualified librarians according to set standards.” He also said, “In schools, students only find dusty books in the name of library classes, which is failing to instil a love for reading in them, affecting their overall development.”
The association urged the government to expedite the process of updating the necessary qualifications for the posts of senior librarians in government institutions and district libraries.
