How corporate houses in Gurgaon are using Library@Home to sharpen professional skills of staff

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers," said Harry Truman. The quote explains the logic behind the increasing number of corporates in Gurgaon opting for library solutions for their employees and catering to them is Library@Home, an online library service.

Library@Home started full-fledged operations in Gurgaon in January, 2011 and launched its corporate library services Library@Office in July, 2011. Since then the company has already tied up with 13 corporates at 24 facilities in Gurgaon and Manesar including Genpact, HCL and American Express among others. The company extended its services to other parts of the national capital region in February, 2012.

"The main objective of our corporate library service is to help employees have easy access to books they want to read. Reading is a must to sharpen professional and personality development skills of employees. More importantly and extremely relevant to today's fast paced corporate world - reading reduces stress. Considering these benefits of reading, corporates have two choices - to create their own corporate library or to avail services of an existing set-up; the second option is hassle-free and less expensive," said Shyam Patnaik, CEO of Library@Home located in Sushant Lok 1.

"We have an in-house offline library in office for IT related books but there are times when employees would want light reading. We were getting many request for such kind of library solutions which made us tie up with Library@Home," said Amrit Kaur, Global HR for employee engagement, HCL Technologies, which started taking corporate library service for their employees in Gurgaon and Noida four months back.

Kaur said the initiative has got a very good response from the employees and as many as 200 HCL employees in NCR have already taken up the service so far. "The best part is that the book is delivered and picked up right from your workstation which makes the entire process hassle free besides getting cheaper membership plans when compared to their market rate," she added.

Library@Office basically offers two types of plans to corporates. First where the company subscribes on behalf of the employees for the library services to be availed by the employees and second where the company allows the employees to subscribe directly as a corporate tie up. In the first plan, the pricing is decided based on either the number of logins or the number of books borrowed. In the second plan, the Library@Office offers a discounted subscription plan to the employees as they save on the delivery cost. "The pricing varies depending on the number of employees/logins and books borrowed," said Patnaik.

The library has over 10,000 books listed on its website and the listing is live which means that books that are borrowed will be seen as out of stock. Members can browse through the books and place orders online - the convenience of 24 X 7 access from the comfort of office or home. The deliveries are at the members' doorstep.

"I was in the US for some years where I could find multiple branches of a library to read books and that was something we were missing here when we came back to Gurgaon there being no library around. The only choice we had was to go to the British Council Library and some others in Delhi but driving 40-50 km for the same did not make sense to me so when I came across the corporate offer from Library@Office I took it as they offered a good discount besides delivering books at your convenience," said Sumit Rajan Srivastava, delivery head with a Gurgaon-based IT company.

As a member of the corporate plan Rajan pays Rs 500 per quarter when compared to a market rate of around Rs 1600 per quarter.

More News at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/emerging-businesses/regional-hubs/north/how-corporate-houses-in-gurgaon-are-using-libraryhome-to-sharpen-professional-skills-of-staff/articleshow/15041352.cms

किताबों से दोस्ती करेंगे, तो पाएंगे उम्दा करियर

भारत में प्रकाशन उद्योग काफी फैला हुआ है। सदियों पुराने इस फील्ड में प्रकाशक अब आधुनिक तौर-तरीके अपना रहे हैं, फिर बात चाहे प्रिंटिंग की हो, मार्केटिंग की या डिलिवरी की। जाहिर है, प्रकाशन जगत करियर की भी अच्छी संभावनाएं सहेजे हुए है। आज की डिजिटल दुनिया में भी किताबों ने अपनी जगह बरकरार रखी है, बल्कि यह कहना चाहिए कि प्रकाशन उद्योग आज एक रोचक दौर से गुजर रहा है। इस फील्ड में बढ़ती प्रतियोगिता से न सिर्फ किताबों का बाजार फैला है, बल्कि प्रॉडक्ट की क्वॉलिटी भी सुधरी है। साथ ही पाठकों तक किताबों की काफी ज्यादा वैराइटी भी पहुंचने लगी है। रिटेल बाजार के विस्तार, बढ़ते पाठक और डिजिटल मीडिया के सहयोग ने इस इंडस्ट्री के लिए संभावनाओं के नए दरवाजे खोले हैं।
कार्यक्षेत्र : प्रकाशन जगत में कार्यक्षेत्र कंटेंट की एडिटिंग या कुछ डिजाइन पैटर्न देने से कहीं आगे जा चुका है। एक संपादक के रूप में कार्य करने के लिए कंटेंट की गहरी समझ और चीजों को विस्तार से समझने की ललक होनी चाहिए। संबंधित भाषा और विषय पर अच्छी पकड़ भी होनी चाहिए। विषय के बारे में सतही जानकारी रखने से संपादक का काम नहीं चलता। विस्तृत जानकारी जरूरी है। आज बुक्स का ले-आउट किसी बंधे-बधाए ढरेर् पर नहीं होता, इसलिए इस फील्ड में डिजाइनर्स की डिमांड भी काफी बढ़ गई है। इलस्ट्रेटर, कार्टोग्राफर, डीटीपी ऑपरेटर आदि के रूप में अच्छे अवसर मिलते हैं। प्रकाशन उद्योग फ्रीलांसर के रूप में भी काम करने के मौके उपलब्ध कराता है, जैसे- अनुवादक और प्रूफ रीडर के रूप में।
योग्यता : यह कहना गलत होगा कि इस फील्ड में काम करने के लिए मीडिया या पब्लिशिंग इंडस्ट्री का ही अनुभव होना चाहिए। शैक्षिक योग्यता की बात करें, तो कम से कम ग्रैजुएट होने पर रोजगार के ज्यादा अवसर उपलब्ध होंगे। आप प्रकाशन के क्षेत्र में जिस भाषा में करियर बनाना चाहते हैं, उस पर काफी अच्छी पकड़ होनी जरूरी है। अन्य लोगों से आगे कुछ अलग तरीके से सोचने की क्षमता आपको इस क्षेत्र में सफल बनाएगी। डिजाइन के क्षेत्र में करियर बनाने के लिए प्रफेशनल डिग्री हासिल करना लाभदायक रहेगा। शॉर्ट टर्म कोर्स करने पर आप डीटीपी प्रफेशनल के रूप में करियर बना सकते हैं। किताबों में नक्शे आदि के प्रयोग के लिए कार्टोग्राफर की जरूरत पड़ती है। इस रूप में काम करने के लिए जियोग्राफी या जियोग्राफिक इंफरमेशन सिस्टम बैकग्राउंड होना चाहिए। सबसे अहम है, किताबों से आपकी दोस्ती होनी चाहिए। प्रकाशन जगत में क्रिएटिविटी की भी बहुत जरूरत होती है। किताबें चाहे साहित्य से जुड़ी हों या कमर्शल, क्रिएटिविटी से उनकी गुणवत्ता बेहतर की जा सकती है।
सावधानियां : प्रकाशन के क्षेत्र में काम करते समय विभिन्न मुद्दों पर सावधान रहना चाहिए, जैसे- लाइसेंसिंग, कॉपी राइट, इंटेलेक्चुअल प्रॉपर्टी राइट्स आदि। इन मुद्दों को क्लास रूम में यदा-कदा ही पढ़ाया जाता है और इनसे जुड़े प्रफेशनल कोर्स भी शायद ही कहीं उपलब्ध हैं। ऐसे में अतिरिक्त सावधानी की जरूरत है।
आमदनी : इस क्षेत्र में अधिक प्रतियोगिता के चलते सैलरी स्ट्रक्चर काफी बेहतर है। फ्रीलांसर के रूप में भी अच्छी आमदनी पा सकते हैं।

Courtesy: Ranchi Express, July 2012

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India Office files to go online as British Library seals deal with Qatar

Half a million records to be digitised in three-year project that will shed light on 200 years of British activities in the Gulf

The opening pages of a 1659 copy of The Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina, known to Europeans as Avicenna. Photograph: The British Library Board
Half a million pages of India Office records that shed detailed light on 200 years of British activities in the Gulf are to be digitised and made freely available online.


The British Library announced that the Gulf state of Qatar is providing the £8.7m needed for the project, which will also see some 25,000 pages of medieval Arabic manuscripts – covering science, geometry, astronomy and medicine – put online for the first time.


It is an enormous undertaking: one so big that it will take up most of the library's sixth floor and create 43 jobs on top of a 30-strong team from the organisation's existing staff.


The money from Qatar, while substantial, is a drop in the ocean compared to the £1.5bn it has invested in the Shard, now Europe's tallest building.


The British Library's chief executive, Dame Lynne Brindley, said discussions began two years ago. She added: "We are delighted to announce this very exciting partnership through which absolutely anyone with an online connection will be able to have access to this unique treasure trove of material, illuminating subjects as diverse as tribal and global politics, international commerce and family history."


The library picked out highlights of what will be a three-year project to show the breadth of material to be made available, in both English and Arabic.


Among the India Office records – dating from the mid-18th century to just after the second world war – will be reports by some of the more controversial figures, such as Lewis Pelly, the political resident in the Gulf, who was disliked and thought of as damaging by some; and praised by others for his enthusiasm, intelligence and spirit of adventure.


Also, there will be extraordinarily detailed maps and charts from JG Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, which was compiled in the early 20th century and represented a crucial reference tool for any Briton working in the region.


"In many ways, [Lorimer] had the same interest as us," said curator Penny Brook, "in that he was trying to pull together information about a complex history and geography and make it understandable and accessible. But there was a crucial difference between the two aims in that Lorimer's was for a select bunch of British officials. It was classified as secret."


In those days, it was all about maintaining British advantage at all costs. Today, the library wants the whole world to have access.


That also goes for the medieval manuscripts, which will include a 13th century Arabic translation of a Pythagorean theorem and Ibn Butlan's The Almanac of Health, written in 1213, which is hugely important because it was translated into Latin and became a textbook in Europe's medical schools.


The library believes the manuscripts will shed light on just how important the Arab world was in terms of global scientific development, and how innovative and ground-breaking some of the discoveries and ideas were.


All the manuscripts and documents have previously only been available by visiting the library's London reading rooms in person. Brook said: "There is still an awful lot to find out from this material, particularly about the Gulf region, which has not been written about as much as other parts of the Middle East.


"There is a real opportunity for people to get in there and do some fresh research. It gives a much more nuanced and interesting picture of that area and Britain's relationship with it."


Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jul/18/british-library-india-office-qatar

Retirement age of lecturers’ in state run colleges may increase 19 Jul 2012

The Centre is likely to clear the proposal of allowing states to decide the retirement age (Maximum 65 years) of lecturers in state run colleges and universities. Earlier, the UPA government was insistent that states should enhance the lecturers' retirement to 65 years to enable them to get 80% of the arrears burden of state governments.

The arrears — at least Rs 9,000 crore —went up since the Centre had asked the states in 2008 to follow the Sixth Pay Commission scales that centrally- funded institutes introduced in the same year, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006.

The Central government has committed to bear 80% of the increased arrears for the first four-year period — between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2010 — if states followed its order. Now, the government plans to foot this sum only in the form of reimbursements in "two-three" installments. This is likely to benefit around four lakh teachers across the country.

The ministry cleared this proposal after a committee of secretaries, headed by cabinet secretary, supported the state governments' demand.

Sources said that there could be political reasons for states to push the need for greater autonomy as far as fixing the retirement age is concerned. "Some states might want to fix 60 or 62 years for retirement so that fresh batch of qualified people can apply for jobs, and this will also increase the scope of promotion for many lecturers," said a senior government official.

The sixth pay package for teachers, based on which the scales of centrally-funded institutes were revised, has a provision that requires increasing the retirement age to 65 years. Presently, the retirement age of teachers varies across states - from 58 to 60 years.

More News at:<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lecturers-retirement-age-to-go-up/articleshow/15036325.cms?>

Now, a dictionary allows users to contribute their own words

Want to whet your wordy appetite? A popular publishing house is allowing users to coin new words and submit them on-line.

If the word is accepted, the submitter will be offered the chance to be permanently credited in the Collins' English dictionary website, www.Collinsdictionary.Com, below their word's definition.

Collins said opening the normally closed process would make the way the English language is recorded more democratic.

The site was launched last year and is based in Glasgow, where Collins English dictionary print editions and other best-selling reference titles are produced.

Collins editors have already submitted a selection of words, including 'omnishambles', originally from The Thick Of It and more recently used by Ed Miliband, 'superphone', tash-on', a word for kissing, popularised by reality TV show Geordie Shore, and 'twitlit'.

"We know people are passionate about the preservation and evolution of the English language, and we want to tap into that as new words continue to capture the public imagination," Alex Brown, head of digital at Collins, was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.

"For Collins on-line dictionary, it was essential that we keep our ear close to the ground listening out for new words emerging from pop culture, science and technology 'Most dictionaries are static. By allowing the public to truly participate, we're ensuring that we stay on top of the evolving English language," Brown said.

All words submitted will go through the same review process by the Collins dictionary editors.

According to publishers, the criteria for inclusion of words ranges from frequency of use, number of sources and staying power.

Evidence will be based on the publisher's 4.5 billion-word database of language called the Collins Corpus, which takes words from a wide range of spoken and written English sources, including newspapers, radio and social media.

Editors will provide the feed back on a submitted word within two or three weeks, and words that are not initially accepted will continue to be monitored and reviewed over the following year.

More News at :  http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/nowdictionary-allows-users-to-contribute-their-own-words/336

Datablib: Call for Editors

Databib is a International collaborative project of Purdue University Libraries, USA and Penn State Information Technology Services, USA. Databib, http://databib.org , is a tool for helping people to identify and locate online repositories of research data. Over 200 data repositories have been cataloged in Databib, with more being added every week. Users and bibliographers create and curate records that describe data repositories that users can browse and search.

• What repositories are appropriate for a researcher to submit his or her data to?
• How do users find appropriate data repositories and discover datasets to meet their needs?
• How can librarians help patrons locate and integrate data into their research or learning?

Databib begins to address these needs for data users, data producers, publishers, librarians, funding agencies, and others engaged in data-driven research.

In addition to the website, Databib is made available using a variety of machine interfaces (RSS, RDF/XML, OpenSearch, RDFa/Linked Data) for easy integration with other tools and environments without restriction (CC0). Databib's international advisory board represents global support for collaborating to develop such a global registry of research data repositories.

The development of Databib was initially supported by a Sparks! Innovation National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

CALL FOR EDITORS

Nominations for an Editorial Board are being solicited to ensure the coverage and accuracy of Databib. Editors ideally will have expertise in a specific research domain or knowledge of research data repositories in a particular geographic region as well as experience with descriptive metadata. The primary role of an Editor is to review, edit, and approve submissions to Databib and contribute to the enhancement of the metadata and functionality of Databib for a voluntary, three-year term. The Editorial Board will meet (virtually) a minimum of twice a year and will correspond as needed by email.

Please send nominations or questions to databib@gmail.com, or visithttp://databib.org/about.php for more information.

पुस्तकालय में किताबें तलाशने का झंझट खत्म

- ऑनलाइन हुई बरेली कालेज की सेंट्रल लाइब्रेरी

- बुक सर्च के लिए लगे टच स्क्रीन कंप्यूटर

- नैक टीम के दौरे को लेकर की गई कवायद

जागरण संवाददाता, बरेली : बरेली कालेज की लाइब्रेरी में कोई भी किताब ढूंढने के लिए अब न तो अलमारियां खंगालनी नहीं पड़ेंगी न ही बुक कोड के लिए मशक्कत करना पड़ेगी। सेंट्रल लाइब्रेरी को ऑनलाइन करने से छात्रों को टच स्क्रीन कंप्यूटरों से पलक झपकते जानकारी मिल जाएगी।

बरेली कालेज की सेंट्रल लाइब्रेरी अपग्रेड करके ऑनलाइन कर दी गई है। यहां तीन टच स्क्रीन कंप्यूटर लगाए जा रहे हैं। किताब का नाम लिखने पर यह भी सर्च हो जाएगा कि जो किताब आप ढूंढ रहे हैं, वह लाइब्रेरी में है भी या नहीं। पुस्तकालयाध्यक्ष डॉ. बीडी यादव ने बताया कि किताबों का डाटा स्टोर लगभग पूरा हो चुका है। लाइब्रेरी में करीब 60 हजार किताबें हैं, जिनके नाम और लोकेशन कंप्यूटर सर्चिग में दिखेंगे। इसी महीने यह सुविधा मिलना शुरू हो जाएगी। अभी तक कोई भी किताब देखने के लिए पाठकों को पूरी लाइब्रेरी खंगालनी होती थी। लाइब्रेरी में कैटलॉग भी अपडेट नहीं था, जिससे दिक्कत और ज्यादा होती थी। नैक के दौरे की तैयारियों की कड़ी में कालेज की सेंट्रल लाइब्रेरी को अपडेट किया गया है।

More News at : http://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/bareilly-city-9479038.html

British Library unveils online collaboration with Qatar

By Li-mei Hoang

LONDON | Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:12pm IST

(Reuters) - More than half a million pages of historic documents detailing Arabic history and culture are to be made available online for the first time, as part of the British Library's plans to make its content more accessible.

Among the works is J.G. Lorimer's Gazetter, considered by many to be one of the most important sources on the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia, which was originally compiled in the early 20th century as a handbook for British agents and policymakers in the Middle East.

The 8.7 million pound ($14 million) project will feature more than half a million documents from the East India Company and India Office as well as 25,000 pages of medieval Arabic manuscripts depicting the Arab world's science and medicine.

These materials could previously only be viewed by visiting the British Library's Reading Rooms in London.

The partnership between the British Library and the Qatar Foundation was announced on Wednesday and is aimed at expanding people's understanding of the history of the Middle East, and the region's relationship with Britain and the rest of the world.

"This is an opportunity for us to really make all these manuscripts available online and to describe the information ... and make it accessible to a wider public," British Library Curator of Middle Eastern Studies Colin Baker told Reuters.

The three-year project will involve various stages which include photographing each item, enhancing catalogue records in English and Arabic as well as adding geographic locations of origins for further research use.

The British Library's collection includes more than 150 million items such as the Magna Carta, Leonardo da Vinci's notebook and The Beatles manuscripts. It receives 3 million new items each year.

The records will be fully searchable and available online for free for the public to use and includes maps, photos, reports and correspondence relating to British and the rest of the world's involvement in the Arabian Gulf.

British Library director Oliver Urquhart Irvine told Reuters the plans to digitize these works are part of a bigger picture to put the library's entire collection online.

"We are blessed with a particularly large collection, so that would take a very long time. But this is part of a plan of the library to do that."

(Reporting by Li-mei Hoang, editing by Paul Casciato)

More News at :http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/net-us-britain-qatar-archives-idINBRE86H0XA20120718

Librarian and Assistant Librarian Vacancy at Babu Banarsi Das Institute of Technology, Ghaziabad, U.P

Post: Librarian & Asst. Librarian

Experience: For Librarian 15 yrs exp. and 5 yrs for A.L

Institute: Babu Banarsi Das Institute of Technology,

7th Km Mile Stone from Ghaziabad, Duhai, Distt. Ghaziabad-2201206

Walk in on: 21-07-2012

Source: Dainik Jagran, New Delhi Ed. Page No. 05, 19 July 2012

The Times of India, 20 July 2012

Digital Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian at Northwestern University, Chicago

Digital Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian
Northwestern University, Pritzker Legal Research Center, Chicago, Illinois
Salary: Not Specified
Status:Full-time
Posted:07/17/12
Deadline:08/10/12
Digital Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian
The Pritzker Legal Research Center of Northwestern University School of Law invites dynamic and innovative librarians with interest and talents in electronic resources management, cataloging and metadata, and the uses of technology in education to apply for the position of Digital Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian.  The position is full time, requires 2 years of professional library experience, and is available immediately. Applications will be accepted until Friday, August 10, 2012.  For a complete position announcement, or to apply, please visit www.northwestern.edu/hr/careers/, and search for “Digital Services” (position ID number 19517).
Apply for this job

Library Services Manager at Arcadia Public Library, Arcadia, California

Library Services Manager
Arcadia Public Library, Arcadia, California
Salary: $84,132 to $105,060
Status:Full-time
Posted:07/18/12
Deadline:08/17/12
Library Services Manager
Under administrative direction, the Library Services Manager assists in the direction, management, supervision, and coordination of the City Library’s programs and activities; supervises, plans, and administers programs and services; coordinates assigned activities with other City departments, divisions, and outside agencies; provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Director of Library and Museum Services and oversees Library operations in the absence of the Director of Library and Museum Services. Please visit the City of Arcadia's website at www.ci.arcadia.ca.us for  full job description. Final Filing Date: FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012 AT 4:00 P.M.    A City application is required and may be obtained at the Human Resources Division or by calling (626) 574-5405.  Resumes may be attached to the City application but will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City application.  Application materials may also be downloaded from the City’s website at www.ci.arcadia.ca.us.  E-mail or faxes will not be accepted. In addition to the City’s application, applicants must submit the Supplemental Application. Failure to submit with the application will result in disqualification from the recruitment process.

Librarian for Collection Development Services (Cataloger) at Hood College Library, Frederick, Maryland

Librarian for Collection Development Services (Cataloger)
Hood College Library, Frederick, Maryland
Salary: $43,600 to $43,600
Status:Full-time
Posted:07/18/12
Deadline:
Librarian for Collection Development Services (Cataloger)
Hood College Library, Frederick, Maryland, Cataloger.  The Librarian for Collection Development Services performs adaptive and original cataloging in all formats, including electronic and other non-print materials;  handles multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment; provides and monitors proper cataloging procedures for all materials, and provides knowledgeable and appropriate guidance to the CDS Team. He or she represents the Library and Hood College at external professional events. Some evening and/or weekend work may be required. For complete description and application procedure see: https://re11.ultipro.com/HOO1003/JobBoard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*23B5B5FD9A10DB07
Apply for this job

Public Services Librarian at Miami University Hamilton, Hamilton, Ohio

Name of Post- Public Services Librarian Miami University Hamilton, Hamilton, Ohio
Salary: Not Specified
Status:Full-time
Posted:07/17/12
Deadline:08/13/12
Public Services Librarian
University Libraries (Hamilton Campus):  Public Services Librarian/Assistant Librarian to provide reference, collection management, and instructional services; apply usability and accessibility standards to create and maintain library web pages; conduct assessment and maintain relevant statistics; foster strong relationships with academic departments; contribute to library’s team organization; other duties as assigned; some evenings and weekends required.  Require:  Graduate degree from an ALA-accredited institution; web site design and maintenance experience; commitment to quality public service; ability to work independently and with a team to carry out projects on a deadline; strong written and verbal communication skills; flexibility in an environment of continual change; commitment to meet Libraries’ requirements for promotion and continuing contract (see http://rocket.lib.muohio.edu/about/larps.pdf). Desire: Experience providing or supporting instruction using distance-learning technologies and social media; experience with Drupal content management system; knowledge of Web 2.0 best practices as applied to libraries; experience teaching one-shot instruction sessions and credit courses; public service in an academic library. Submit letter of application, resume and contact information for three professional references to muhlibsearch@muohio.edu. Screening of applications begins August 13, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. Miami University is an EEO/AA employer with smoke-free campuses. More information about Miami University can be found at the OEEO website at http://www.units.muohio.edu/oeeo/employment-recruitment.  Right to Know-Consumer Information found at http://www.miami.muohio.edu/about-miami/publications-and-policies/student-consumer-info/.  Hard copy upon request. http://www.ham.muohio.edu/library/ http://www.regionals.muohio.edu/

A Matter of Degree: Is Library and Information Science Really The Worst Master’s Degree ?-- STEPHANIE BONJACK

Forbes.com gave a tip o’ the nib to my field and advanced degree recently in its annual “Best and Worst Master's Degrees for Jobs” list. Coming in at number one worst master’s degree was library and information science.  Given that most people don’t think about librarians outside of (let’s be honest!) porn contexts, I was pleasantly surprised to have so many people suddenly interested in my field.  But still, I was a little sad. All I could think was, really? Library science is really worse than English? And how come theatre didn’t even make it on the list?

Mean and cruel, I know.

There are two tasks for us to handle here. The first is to act like a librarian and examine the source. Where didForbes get this data, and is it reliable? Does this article represent the whole picture? Second, it’s worth taking some time to examine the field of library science. If there is some truth to the Forbes article, then it is critical that people interested in the field really know what it takes to get a job as a librarian and the type of work we do. Sitting at a desk reading books and shushing patrons isn’t it.

Data, Report to the Bridge

In her article, Jacquelyn Smith at Forbes refers to two data sets: the first from Payscale.com, and the second from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payscale is a commercial database. Visitors create a free account and then build a career profile, inputting details like education, title, experience, and salary. The site then generates a report comparing your salary to that of other users with similar profiles. Payscale makes its money by selling this aggregate data to employers, which they use to set wages. How do we know if the data is accurate? Since users are basically anonymous, we can’t know if they’re honest when creating their profiles. One could argue that if the purpose of creating an account is to see what other people with similar jobs are making, then it is in one’s best interest to be honest. True, but the site will generate a report for you no matter what data you plug in, and there is no penalty for inaccurate representation. As a librarian, I always tell my patrons to be wary of commercial sites, since their motive is money, not accuracy. Payscale claims to own “the largest database of online employee salary data in the world,” but there is no way to verify the numbers. And while Payscale data is used by many major news sites, I prefer my data to come from non-commercial sources. Like the government.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a federal agency that has been compiling, analyzing, and disseminating data on employment, wages, and spending since the 1880’s. You may know this department because it is the official source of the national unemployment rate, which it releases in a monthly report.That report is then disseminated through the media. The BLS is an amazing source of information, and this is really the place to go for a full view of employment in the United States. Here we find the projected employment increase Smith gives for each degree - it comes from the BLS Employment by Occupation table. The projected employment increase she lists for library science is 8.5%, but if you consult the table, you see that her number includes curators and archivists, who typically have additional training above the MLIS. I'm sad to report that the job growth for librarians is actually 6.9%. Smith selectively reports in other fields as well. For example, computer science is her second best master’s degree, with a projected employment increase of 27%, but the BLS table shows that level of growth specifically for software developers of applications. Computer programmers (who also get master’s degrees in computer science) only have a 12% projected increase in employment.  On the salary front, Smith’s numbers must come from Payscale, since they don’t match the salaries given in the Occupational Handbook.

Scotty, Beam Me Up

What does it all mean? For one, the Forbes article is… spin. It doesn’t give you the whole picture. As the President of the American Library Association, Maureen Sullivan, notes, salary and projected job growth are not intrinsically tied to job satisfaction. It's very easy to see which professions earn the highest median pay in the United States - just consult the Highest Paying Occupations table. And if you want to know which fields are going to experience the biggest growth, visit the Fastest Growing Occupations table. But are either of these factors going to help you choose a career?

And that brings me back to library science, which is neither the highest paying nor the fastest growing field, but it is dear to my heart (and to the other 156,000 librarians working in the U.S.). Justifying librarianship is like making a case for school teachers or firefighters or college professors, so I’m not going to do that here. A democracy requires librarians, and we’re not going away. We and our libraries are, however, subject to budget cuts, and we see this happening everywhere from small public libraries to Harvard. Does that mean you shouldn’t consider the field? No, but it is competitive, so proceed with your eyes open.

Education and Specialization

Library science is such a cool field because it encompasses so much diversity. For the sake of simplicity, let’s divide the field into three categories: public services, technical services, and administration. Public services encompasses all aspects of interacting with the public, from helping patrons find books and articles to teaching classes on library resources to building collections to support the community’s needs. Technical services is the backbone of the library. Librarians in technical services provide access to materials and information. They ensure that the items in your library are searchable online, build digital collections and repositories, and support new technologies. Administrators build community partnerships and push libraries to keep pace with the needs of their users. They also fight for our budgets and spaces and galvanize community support in the face of closures and cutbacks.

The entry level degree for librarianship is a master of library and information science. By the time you graduate, you should be strongly oriented toward a specific branch of service. Within that branch, you can specialize further. For example, within public services, we find librarians who specialize in everything from digital libraries to young adult services to data. (It's true! A data librarian directed me to the Bureau of Labor Statistics tables.) This focus will then lead you to the next level of training or education necessary to get a job. For example, most academic librarians have a master’s degree in their area of specialization. Specialization tends to broaden your marketability. It gives you both expert and generalist status - e.g., a government documents librarian can also serve as a social sciences librarian, but the reverse tends not to be true. A good way to get a sense of the desired credentials for your ideal library job is to consult the American Library Association’s JobLIST.

Finally, if you're interested in librarianship, talk to a librarian! Someone who is doing the kind of work that interests you can give you a clear  picture of what it took to get there. Librarians have a strong culture of mentorship and we want our colleagues to succeed.

We really are here to help.

Source: http://litreactor.com/columns/a-matter-of-degree-is-library-and-information-science-really-the-worst-masters-degree

Breaking News: Result of Library Assistant of The Indian Law Institute (ILI) declared

visit for more details:-http://www.ilidelhi.org/skill_test.pdf

IGNOU invites applications for MLIS & BLIS Course for session 2012-13

IGNOU invites applications for masters and bachelors in library science for students aspiring to be employed in various libraries and information centers.

Information access, processing, organisation and dissemination are the core components of these programmes. Unlike the Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) courses of other universities, IGNOU’s MLIS programme puts emphasis on handling and access to information in all forms rather than the conventional library activities.

The MLIS programme is available to the candidates who have Bachelors in Library and Information Science (BLIS) degree or its equivalent from any recognised university and similar institutions. However, weightage will be given to the candidates having work experience in libraries, information centre or other related organisations.

The university also offers BLIS programme in response to the demand for a large number of trained personnel in libraries, documentation and information centers. The programme consists of nine courses, of these seven deal with the theoretical aspects of this discipline, while two courses are meant to provide practical exercises to the learners.

Candidates with second class bachelors degree’s along with 50 per cent marks are eligible to apply for the BLIS programme.

However, candidates with bachelors degree and diploma in library science or bachelors degree with two years of working experience in a library and information centre or bachelors degree in a professional area such as engineering, pharmacy, law et al are also eligible to apply.

The last date to apply for both the programmes is July 30, 2012 (without late fee) and August 14, 2012 (with a late fee of Rs 200).

The student prospectus is available at all the regional centers of the university as well as in the university’s headquarters and can be purchased for Rs 100 submitted along with the requisite fee in the form of a demand draft to the concerned regional center.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/avenues/81288-library-science.html

Librarian Vacancy at Mar Gregorios College Of Arts And Science , Chennai

Category		Teacher/Trainer
Employer		Mar Gregorios College Of Arts And Science
Salary		Rs 7000 / month
Required experience		3 years
Description		Salary 6000-8000, we are looking candidates completed MLISC/BLISC in Library Science with good exp, for job call between 10am to 5pm
Languages		English
Positions		2
Address		Mugappair West, Chennai
Locality		Officers Training School, Chennai - 600037

Source: http://www.indeed.co.in/ 

http://www.babajob.com/Job-Librarian-for-Mar_Gregorios_College_Of_Arts_And_Science-in-Chennai-near-Officers_Training_School(600037)-Rs-7000-2147181032

Librarian Vacancy at - Vision Group of Institutions, Aligarh

Vision Institute of Technology- ALIGARH - AICTE Aprvd Engineering College-MTU Afilated(Code 524) needs Librarian

Campus:Shapur, Madrak, Aligarh-Agra Highway, Approx 8 km frm Sasni Gate, Near Manglayatan temple

Salary:

INR Less Than 50,000 - 1,25,000 P.A. Salary from 5000 to 10000 per month depending on qualification & experience. please apply Only if the salary suits your expectation

Apply online: - http://www.vision.org.in/JobApply.aspx

Source: http://www.vision.org.in/Institutes.aspx

Librarian Vacancy at Swami Sachchidanand Polytechnic College

Walk - in - Interview

Swami Sachchidanand Polytechnic College

1st Shift & 2nd Shift 

Approved by AICTE 
Affiliated to GTU 

Eligible candidates may have to register their candidature on institute website: www.sspc.ac.in

Librarian

No. of Posts: 1

Location: Visnagar

Walk-in-Interview with original documents for the position as per the following schedule. 

Interview Time & Date: 10.00 a.m. onward on 28.07.2012

Written Examination will be conducted if required.

Place of Interview: Swami Sachchidanand Polytechnic College
Registration Time: 9.30 am to 10.00 on 28.07.2012

Pay Scale, Qualifications and Experience are as per the rules and regulations of AICTE/ GTU/ Govt. of Gujarat. However, for candidates with better qualification/ experience, higher salary may be considered. No TA DA will be paid.

Chairman

Swami Sachchidanand Polytechnic College
Kamana Char Rasta, Visnagar - 384 315,
Dist - Mehsana (N.G.)
Ph.: 02765 226745
Website: www.sspc.ac.in 

Asstt Library Professional and Library Counter Clerk at YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad

YMCA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ,  FARIDABAD-121006 

    (Adv No.E-01/2012)  

Applications on the prescribed form are invited for the following vacant/resultant teaching/ technical supporting/non-teaching  posts  by 31.07.2012 :-  

Non-Teaching posts   
1. Asstt Library Professional 01(Gen)Tenure  9300-34800+3200 GP
2. Library Counter Clerk 01(Gen)Tenure  5200-20200+1900 GP

Application form and Information sheet containing details can be obtained from the office of Dy.Registrar (Estb) on cash payment of Rs.200/- (Rs.50/- for SC/ST) and by post on payment of Rs.250/- (Rs.100/- for SC/ST candidates) through Demand Draft in favour of Registrar, YMCA University of Science & Tech., payable at  Faridabad. The application form & Information sheet can also be downloaded from the university website www.ymcaust.ac.in The downloaded form must accompany Demand Draft of Rs.200/- (Rs.50/- for SC/ST) in favour of Registrar, YMCA University of Science & Tech payable at Faridabad. Qualifications for teaching posts are as perUGC/AICTE norms.   Reservation is only for Haryana Residents as per State Govt. Rules. The University reserves the right to increase/decrease the number of posts or it may not fill any of the posts advertised without assigning any reason.     The applications shall be short-listed and mere possession of minimum qualification & experience does not entitle a candidate to be called for interview.
More Information, at :http://ymcaust.ac.in/images/news/adv_post_0612.pdf