Introducing Cultural Heritage Information Management in Indian

LIS Curricula

Dr. Nirmal K. Swain Assistant Professor

Dept of Library Science ,

Banasthali University

Rajasthan – 304022

Email: nirmal_swain@yahoo.com

Lecture delivered

Lecture delivered at

International Seminar on

Cultural Heritage Information: Strategic Role of Library and Information Centres

at IIHMR , Jaipur

onSaturday, November 16, 2013

Introduction

Culture and cultural heritage have become very pivotal belonging for any country, region and geographical locations. It is equally important to have information about them and also to preserve this cultural heritage for future generation. Countries like India and its subcontinents have enough potential cultural heritages to exhibit and showcase before the world. The argument here to introduce a paper in library and information science curricula.

LIS education in India through completed 100 years many a times it is felt the syllabi lacks many important aspects and further needs to be replaced by some interdisciplinary areas which may be considered as need of the hour. A cursory look into the LIS curricula across the country lacks this in their syllabus though sometimes it is found digitization of Indian cultural heritage.

Course Description

The Cultural Heritage Information Management (CHIM) course of study is designed to educate cultural heritage information professionals for the 21st century and prepare students for careers in cultural institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums. The CHIM course of study is designed to address the market needs created by the convergence of practice in libraries, archives, and museums. Libraries, Archives, and Museums (LAM) have a huge wealth of cultural heritage resources of great importance to their communities.

These institutions face the challenge of preserving such resources for future generations as well as making use of digital technology to allow patrons greater access to their collections. Thus, the CHIM course of study is a unique program to ensure that students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to help cultural heritage institutions address challenges posed by the evolving information environment.

Further the course is intended to have a strategic and systematic information management about culture, cultural heritage and cultural heritage information system. It may begin with the basics of culture may be the way the sociologists understand this phenomena. The importance of culture, cultural heritage and its role for future generation should be an important part of for the learners to know.

Level

When it comes to which level we intend to introduce for the learners it may depend upon the library schools to decide. At least this is preferred at masters level as basics about librarianship must have the ingredients of bachelors level. This seems to be a specialized course may be introduced at master’s level further as a elective or optional. Some of the library schools might consider it as a compulsory paper if the pass outs can get better opportunities in the locality after having this course taught.

Faculty

In Indian scenario surplus faculties are not normally found in the library schools. So that the only option is to find out a suitable teacher from the existing faculty list to handle this course.

Initially the teacher may find difficulties as he does not have a prior training on this but gradually one can develop. Some of the course elements can be managed by hiring with payment or voluntarily from the faculties of the parent institutions. Example to brief the cultural elements of cultural heritage the faculties from the sociology background will be a good option.

Initial encouragement should be pushed as a large number of library schools have already have some element of digitization and to some extent digitization of rare books and other things. So for them adding the additional elements to the course may not be a big problem.

Case study

Before moving into introducing this in the syllabus it is usual to look into for other schools who have already introduced. By this at least course element, methodology, tools and techniques and other aspects can quickly be accessed. An internet glimpse gives us the link American University of Cathedral has already been running this course. So that many things can be learnt from them.

Financial assistance

Probably the nature of the course will be as such many Indian states prominently Rajasthan, North Eastern States where tourists pour large in number to come forward to fund fully or partially. This option can be an additional funding source apart from the usual pattern.

Course benefit

It is obvious any new course is implemented the benefits intended is a vital thing to be considered. If the pass outs can be absorbed just after their completion will be a boost to the school as well as the parent university and the funding agency also. Some kind of mechanism can be developed so that the tourism agencies may be the governmental level and private level come forward to recruit these pass outs.

Conclusion

This seems to be a good option for library schools to grab the situation for their departmental benefits which not only brings laurel to the parent university but push forward the professionalism of the course and the pass outs. May be time to time up gradation from the feedbacks can one day give library school a big manpower supplier.

Thank You