The Poison that widely spread into many of the libraries of today

[Abilash Achuthan]

After the upgrading of the salary scales of Librarians between 1947 and 1957 having Librarians with a salary scale on a par with that of gazetted officers, those Librarians did hardly any professional work, in training the staff, or in helping readers, or in teaching library science, or in writing books or papers. They just administrated the office, and signing the few letters going to higher authorities, they leave it all to their subordinates mostly telling their staff what they should do, and those Librarians too would come to the library by about noon and leave it at about 3 pm. the physical presence of a Librarian in his library became more and more rare. Unfortunately, the poison had also crept into the less than half a dozen libraries in the country.

They found ample time to move in Society and thus maintain a high "Status", the higher salary and higher status entitled the "Librarians" to go as often as possible to the higher authorities (Director, Deputy Director, Secretary, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Labour etc) to spend an hour or two for a chat or for talking Departmental Politics and ejecting some venom into their minds also against our profession.

Are Librarians "fowling the nest" ?

Share your message to those librarians.

ThankU

Abilash A

[SHIVA KANAKALA]

Dear Abilash A ji 

I have few questions after reading the article .

a) Are you a librarian?

b) If yes whether you are Librarians with a salary scale on a par with that of gazetted officers?

c) Are you follow the same trend ? 

d) If yes then change yourself ? 

e) Sir How many Librarians with a salary scale on a par with that of gazetted officers in India ? I think they are very few. 

f)  Sir many of librarian are working with very less salary and recognization?

g) Many of the Librarians technical sound and qualified but are working on very less salary. 

h ) Sir leave the people who are not working we should change the trend and start working for the future. We are degrading our professional? Why cant we talk of great people of professions Dr S R ranganathan, Nabi Hassan , Badan Barman sir.

i) Change should be from ourself.

Jai Hind 

[Abilash Achuthan]

Thanks for the Reply Dear Shiva Kanakala

a) Library and Information Science Professional.

b) NO

c) NO but these trend happened during 1947-57 in many of the libraries and its still there in many libraries

d) Yes those people must change

e) Yes there are few but some librarians getting high salary are not interested in bringing up the profession

f) Yes, Are they taking any steps especially at the top level

g) Yes sound and qualified but they must think

h) The above content is from one of the book by  Dr. S.R. Ranganathan 

!) Everyone must think the same

Thanks

Abilash A.

After reading,Share your thoughts ......

[SHIVA KANAKALA]

Dear Abilash 

I appreciate your concern. I read the article and lot to learn from it. We should try to be siencere to our profession and never try to boycott from job. Life is a challenge and problems will be there for every one,

Let us try to dissemenate the postive vibration our professional.

Long Live Libraries,

Best of luck Brother for future 

Jai Hind 

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Abilash,

Thanks for your post.

For me it served dual purpose: first, I often think that of late I am being too critical on issues and second, that being a sign of getting old, am I viewing things from negative mindset? I must add here as the very onset that I don't mind being old biologically rather I see it as a fulfillment of life!! 

There is no denying that getting old biologically is a natural and inevitable phenomenon for all living beings but to be engulfed into negative mindset is against my nature. I often express my feelings against many posts but not for the sake of mere opposition but to analyze the issues from my points of views; that's all.

Your post has made my feelings light because, the issue you have narrated also irks me and surprisingly, I observed that you have the same feelings on the issue like I do!

There is no denying that a section of Senior Librarians had caused damage to our profession just like a section have always tried to put their best efforts to uplift the profession.And never-the-less, this is not restricted to just Library Professionals but people from all other sectors as well. So isolating 'librarians' is not very judicious; but if you tell about the "profession" precisely as the present context, it is true to a considerable extent.

You know, as I have come across senior people of my generation, many were exceptionally "competent" and yes, there was a section of people who were not only incompetent but also sort of "Damager".

I have no idea where from you have collected the scanned archival piece of document, but the picture in Delhi of those days is a "heritage"  still carried by some. While, as I personally feel, these activities started spawning & spreading along India since the 60's. I being one from the 80's, have no reservation to declare that we were the sinners and because of our "sins' our children are getting the effect. govt. establishments are hiring people on contracts and no permanent jobs are left for our successors as we have maligned the image of our profession in different sectors and that is why our successors are paying a heavy price. I witnessed a Senior professional in a National Library (of a particular subject/discipline) in Delhi sitting idle throughout my tenure  in that Library simply because s/he was not considered for the post of Head of that Library and a more competent person was made Head of that Library. All s/he used to do is to plot against that man and poison the new trainees against that individual. I saw the person as a member of a professional Association and because of the extremely influential and competent Secretary that incapable person even went abroad and in an event where I was present, I observed him/her pathetically failing to deliver a speech even!! Surprisingly, during a meeting of the association next year, this individual was the most critical of that secretary who was million times competent than him/her to bag a portfolio in that Association!! He might have died by now and may his soul rest in peace, but the venom he spread against the person who actually brought him/her in the lime light and to international platform  is beyond imagination!!

So bad people are always there, so there are some good people as well. It will be better for us to identify them till it is too late and avoid the evil minded individuals from the early stage of our professional career.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

[Abilash Achuthan]

Thank you for the Reply Sir,

A new theory is now being adumbrated by some Officer-librarians,Manager-Librarians who have became seniors by efflux of time, and have begun to confuse the non-librarians in power and inhibit the younger librarians, by the exercise of their influence over the non-librarians who are the heads of the Institutions, they claim that they are doing a piece of work totally different from that of librarians. 

They imagine that changing the lable on a bottle necessarily means change in its contents this create a self-deception in them. Even now they imitate their officers of their younger days in themselves doing as little work as possible. 

The self - deception of those librarians is due to their not having understood the implication of the five laws of library science.

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear abilash,

I understand and respect your sentiment.

There are human beings in our profession who interpret the five laws  in the following ways

1) Opportunities are for me

2) Every opportunity is of mine

3) It's me to get all advantages, everywhere & every time

4) To make full use(or misuse) of every situation

5) Workplace is the place to avoid

But my opinion is to take pity upon them.

Because they are not worthy for anguish.

As I realized in my life, if you are capable, you hardly need to compromise or opt to tread in different tracks. Those who adopt such routes often have limited abilities.

It may be absolutely true that I have this philosophy for my own solace, but it made me happy and cheerful till today. When I talk with my young colleagues who are younger to me by 3 decades and a half, my biological age becomes no obstacle to discuss with them freely retaing my respect and dignity among them.

Coming to your issue, there are are some people I mentioned above  & of course, there are some bright people who can scale to new heights of their own but still opt for non formal routes for various reasons for a single objective, that is to keep their ways smooth and free from even any remotely possible difficulties. I must admit that they are quite intelligent but they are timid and calculative and are bestowed with a malleable spine and lacks courage!!  They become extremely good worker under supervision but have limited ability to lead a group/team. When they become head, they often avoid responsibility and for survival they often indulge nepotism on the one hand and set to influence the administrative people on the other. Unfortunately had these people squarely faced odds, with their merits and abilities they could have easily scored 8 out of 10, but they fear challenges and never contradicts higher authorities for even the extremely valid reasons. They get all sorts of facilities easily and retires peacefully and leaves no trace of their abilities in the profession though with little courage and self respect, they could have achieved huge in the form of respects and contribution in the profession.

I personally feel sorry for then, get angry upon them at times as they did not make use of their abilities properly!!

The type you mentioned is the typical ones who are by and large, incapable. They do not possess abilities to surpass their colleagues and the easiest way they opt is to back-bite to malign them so that their chairs remain safe and secured.  But all these are common phenomena and you will find such people in every walks of life. The best way is to stay off from these people as far as one can so that (i) they can not approach you for any personal gain ( because if you refuse, you may remain absolutely sure that they will harm you unmercifully!!) never ever entertain/approach these people even in most dire needs, be it an upliftment/promotion, be it an opportunity to travel abroad!! because if you ever get into the clutches of these elements, they will squeeze you throughout your life. These are the people who often become "Corresponding Authors" in papers written by their young co-professionals & junior colleagues and when the opportunities arrive, they just dump the young ones by uttering venom against them and with the superb skills of a Surgeon severe all your possibilities of upliftments without leaving even slightest trace of 'operation'!!  

It is needless to mention that many of us who are in the profession for long, have came across such unique characters. So, have courage and confidence upon yourself. Be very conscious about your strengths & abilities, weakness and limitations be open to opportunities and don't trend beyond your limitations.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta