By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 27: The five days capacity building training programme for public library professionals began here on Tuesday where library professionals from Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura will be trained in respect of modern ICT technologies for libraries; library automation.
The programme under National Mission on Libraries (NML) organised in collaboration with NEHU, Shillong will run till December 2.
Till date, 37 nationwide training programmes were organised in the various parts of the country and more that 1400 professionals were trained in respect of managing modern library services towards library automation software, quality infrastructure, resources, updated ICT tools and techniques, emerging trends, preservation and conservation of library resources etc.
Speaking during the inaugural function on Tuesday, Art and Culture Commissioner and Secretary, FR Kharkongor said, ‘There is a need to make library spaces immersive and making reading content more interesting’.
Kharkongor also called upon the need to revisit, revamp and reshape readers’ service and reading spaces by adopting new ways of operating the libraries.
Kharkongor recalled how people would frequent libraries in the past to gain knowledge since there was no internet. “But now children have it on the palm of their hands,” he added.
Despite the fact that there are over 2.20 lakh volumes in the state central library and 30,000 plus membership, the question is how many of them are visiting the library now? ‘There are library membership cards which have not been used for a long time’, he lamented.
Mentioning about community libraries in Mizoram, Kharkongor suggested setting up of mobile libraries to encourage young minds to develop interest in reading.
“We need such initiative here. May be the Department of Library Science can initiate some projects with the help of the government or through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)”.
Mawlai MLA, Brightstarwell Marbaniang and Director General of Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) Prof. BV Sharma also spoke on the occasion.
“We are organising such Training Programmes throughout the country in collaboration with various universities and state governments. Till now 37 programmes were conducted and more than 1400 professionals were trained,” Prof Sharma said.