Seminar

A two day ICSSR sponsored seminar on

Trends and Strategic issues for libraries in global

Information society

(March 18-19, 2008)

Department of Library and Information Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Inaugural Session, 18^th March, 2008 (10.00 AM)

The seminar which was attended by 150 delegates, was formally inaugurated by the Honorable Shri Sanjay Kumar, Finance Secretary, Chandigarh Administration on March 18^th, 2008 at ICSSR Complex, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Prof. Preeti Mahajan, Department of Library and Information Science, was the Seminar Director and Prof.Sewa Singh, Department of Library and Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, was the Raporteur General.

The Inaugural session started with the presentation of bouquets to the dignitaries. Prof. Ranjana Vohra Chairperson, DLIS, P.U, welcomed the dignitaries on the dais, participants and invitees to the University as well as to the City Beautiful Chandigarh. Prof. Preeti Mahajan presented an overview of the Seminar Theme.

Sri Sanjay Kumar, Finance secretary, Chandigarh Administration stressed on the importance of libraries as a place for reading books which shape the personality of the users and take them to the next level of consciousness. He also released the seminar volume on this occasion.

While delivering the keynote address, Dr.R. K .Chadha, Joint secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat explained how libraries have changed during the recent times from acquisition to access, from library centered to patron centered activities. He emphasized the need to use ICT to empower the information poor by providing access to literary, education, gender equality, sustainable development, etc. He further said that the Internet and the Web are providing new opportunities to libraries and accordingly their role is expanding day by day.

Prof. Jagtar Singh, Department of Library and Inf. Sc., Patiala University, identified the new trends and the strategic issues for libraries. He said that efforts must be made to provide massive low-cost access to quality information to all information seekers.

Prof. S.S.Bari, Registrar, PU, Chandigarh, in his presidential address said that changes in the libraries are inevitable as a result of IT applications and India can not remain aloof from the global trends and developments. He stated the need to provide increasing range of services to different categories of users.

Prof. Preeti Mahajan proposed a vote of thanks. She thanked all the invitees, participants and their organizations. She also thanked the entire team of the department of library and information science, PU, for making the event successful.

This was followed by an instrumental video of the National Anthem।

The Department received an overwhelming response from the authors across the country. A total of 75 papers were received for publication. The editorial committee after thoroughly examining all the papers, accepted 57 papers in full and 13 papers have been accepted for publication in the form of abstracts.