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Fakhra khalid

Marketing of Information Management Services (Fakhra Khalid)

Fakhra khalid

Marketing of Information Management Services

‘Marketing of Library Services in Modern ways’

            Marketing of information management centers’ services is vital to keeping their users and potential users informed and educated about the resources and services that match their needs and interests. Effective marketing skills are needed to increase awareness of the information center’s value and to expand its user base.Marketing in information centers is the link between its user’s needs and its resources and services; as aninformation marketer, he/she must create that link. His/her skills will help to connect the centerwith its users, so they will know how to get information many other ways without even coming to the information center building or interacting with information provider. With constant competition from other information providers centers, information providerneeds to communicate with their users that they can meet their needs better than other providers. With the development of technology, we just need to change that stereotype. Marketing of information centers reminds users that their center is still a great choice for meeting their information needs in today’s world.

Need of Marketing in Information Centers

Libraries and now information centers are facing a time of unexpected change and challenge. Recent technological developments are creating new forms of information, new sources of information and new ways of providing information bypassing traditional institutional like libraries. There has been an increasing pressure on libraries to mobilize resources and become self-reliant. Library users are transforming into customers with rising expectations, diverse needs and wants, and choices. Now, the real challenge for library and information professionals is not to manage the collection, staff and technology but to turn these resources into services. The concept of services has also changed, from basic to value added, from staff assisted to self -service, from in-house to outreach, from free to priced, from reactive to pro-active, and from masscustomization to individualized service.

In this environment information providers are finding new ways of serving users or customers effectively and efficiently. The information centers have gradually accepted both as relevant and beneficial ways. Marketing provides an opportunity to see as to how they can offer effective and efficient services to their users or customers.

            Due to blast of information at global level, the more information available in the market, it is necessary to theinformation centersto meet the needs of users. In information management framework, the users are information needed, patrons, employees, etc. As such, satisfaction of the customer is of primary concern in the marketing process and the entire ethos and shared values of the organization owe the responsibility of satisfying the customer.

PAKISTANISCENARIO

          The developments taken place world over influenced the Pakistani librarianship as well. There has been a number of developments in marketing of library and information management services in the country. Many of our schools are fully aware of this area and included the course of “LIS marketing in their curricula.

Dr. Haroon Idrees &Ataur Rehman (2009) introduced a third-party theory in LIS marketing. “Now it is not only a two-way communication and dissemination system from information provider to information users rather it also involved funding agency, doners (third-party)”.

Third-party

Information providers                                                              Information Users

Information centers are the best candidates for marketing among non-profit service organizations. The important thing is to understand the needs of users and communicate in the way they can understand and satisfied. The public image of the information centers comes through experiences or loyalty with their users. of truth when users. All promotion, advertisement, promises, will be wasteful if information centers are unable to transform these experiences into pleasant ones and that too from user’s point of view. Marketing helps the staff’s expertise, further an organization’s mission, promote services by quickly and efficiently finding the right information at the right time, and add value to an organization’s products and services. Without any promotional effort, some key individuals may not be supporters or even users of the Information Centre. Therefore, information centers will look impressive and will emerge as activists’ services providers to the users. Every service activity must be performed with a conscious mind to meet users’ needs exceptionally.

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Changing Scenario: Stone Age to Digital Age (Fakhra Khlaid)

Changing Scenario: Stone Age to Digital Age

(A paradigm shift from clay tablets to e-tablets in libraries)

Back to the history, before the advent of online search engines, people usually found their questions to the most reliable source they knew was their local library.

The library concept dates back millennia. The first systematically organized library in the ancient Middle East was established in the 7th century BCE by Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, in contemporary Iraq(Vaughan Don, 2021).It contained approximately 30,000 cuneiform tablets arranged by topic. Many of the works were archival documents and scholarly texts, but there were also works of literature, including the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh. Like many bibliophiles, Ashurbanipal was very protective of his library. An inscription in one of the texts warns that potential thieves would face the wrath of the gods.

Great civilization that followed built libraries, they were repositories of knowledge. Some libraries were so large and comprehensive that their legend lives on today. The Alexandria library in Egypt, for example, is believed to have700,000 documents from Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, and other regions. It was so large that it had a branch facility at the nearby temple of Serapis. The world-famous Bayt al-Ḥikmah (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, established in 830 CE, was another “super library” famous for a huge collection, and the 10th-century library of Caliph al-Ḥakam in Cordova, Spain, boasted more than 400,000 books. Rome and Athens also boasted expansive libraries, as did cultures in other parts of the world, such as China and the Mayan and Aztec civilizations of Central America.

Previous literature shows ‘The goal of ancient libraries was simple: to collect knowledge, learn from it, and use it to make life better’.Ancient libraries used many things to save their knowledge mostly mentioned resources were ‘skin of calf, goat, stones, leaves and most usable thing was “clay tablets’.

Clay Tablets Mesopotamia 2400 BC

We know everything changes with time, and it’s alsoincluding the function of libraries. Before the invention of technology library invited users. But, as the influence of the Internet grew in the 1990s and 2000s, many communities would no longer be a need for libraries to visit physically,everything you could possibly want to know or learn would be just in users’ e-tablets.

Digital libraries are the digital face of traditional libraries that include both digital collections and traditional, fixed media collections. So, they encompass both electronic and paper materials. Digital libraries will also include digital materials that exist outside the physical and administrative bounds of any one digital library. Digital library work, will have to be revised and enhanced to accommodate the differences between new digital media and traditional fixed media. These libraries ideally provide a coherent view of all of the information contained within a library, no matter its form or format. Based on the users’ demand libraries provides the services in electronic formats (e-tablets).

Now the libraries around the world have been working on thischallenge (paradigm shift) for several years. They have created many digital library initiatives and projects, and have formed various national schemes for jointly exploring key issues. Librarians have discovered that, with a few exceptions, making a business case for digitization and investments in digital technology is more difficult than first envisioned, especially given the technical and legal constraints that must first be overcome. As with most other technical developments in libraries over the years, libraries will have to move forward in small, manageable, evolutionary steps, rather than in rapid revolutionary manner.

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Role of Library Professionals in Legal Education. (Fakhra Khalid)

Fakhra khalid

Fakhra Khalid

Role of Library Professionals in Legal Education.

(Legal Education witha Difference)

‘Library Professional is not a teacher of books; he/she is a teacher of knowledge’

Libraries are considered as Brain of every academic institution. Libraries play a vital role to achievethe goals of every degree awarding institution. Library is not a building loaded with books, it is a repository and source of information and ideas, a place for learning and examination, and for the generation of thought and the creation of new knowledge. Academic libraries have the potential to bridge the gap between the ‘information poor’ and the ‘information rich’ by ensuring the users from all educational sectors and provide the easy access of knowledge that they need. Importance of libraries cannot be neglected in the field of law. The law has always been information based and research demanding field it requires the brain-storming of the future lawyers. Law libraries are reflected as specialized libraries or legal research centers, which deal with special and differentlaws of information research sources, contain specifiedlegal materials and serve classifiedusers with narrow range of interests and with broader needs of interests.

As Danner, Estes, & Meadows, (2009) highlights the importance of law library,

“The primary mission of the law educational library is to meet the information needs of the faculty and students of the institution to support it and educating future lawyers, law libraries are the major producers of scholarly literature in law, provide the resources and support needed for research and publication.”

The field of library and information science play an essential role in legal education system. The ultimate goal of this field is to satisfy their users, depending on the legal education satisfied library professionalscheck, select, gain up to date knowledge in the field. Then distribute itthrough law library or law e-library, mostly current information available in book, brochures, circular, magazines, journals and newspaper etc.

The law library professionals play anexclusive and central role to providing the right information to the right users at the right time for the legal process and for the social justice.Even though the basic education and the essential experiences of law library professionals are similar to the other types of library professionals, but there are sufficient differences in their missions and responsibilitieswhich makes them unique and special.The collections of law libraries are relevant to the specific research needs and thrusts of the institution. Depending on their areas of interest, library professionals acquire materials at the national and international research fronts of their disciplines. They modeling the quality of the legal education system at all levels by the virtue of their unique library products and services.

Library professionals are the goldenpart in legal education process from the very beginning; they were highly participated in legal education,saved the timeand provide the bestlibrary services(online reference service, selective dissemination of information current awareness service)and legal sources to their users.The ideal law library professional is completely knowledgeable about every term of the legal studies. He/she is the personofall the necessary character traits, attitudes, and skills which makes him effective legal information professional.Law Judges, researchers, practitioners, and professors and the students have no much time to find out the relevant piece of information from the library, which are spread over vast variety of sources and only choice is to relay upon the library professional and his professional skills enhanced the capability of law library user to arrive at proper book place in the library. (Right book at the right place).

“Providing legal education is the motto of every law library professional”. Law library professionals have unique combination of professional skills, because documents related to legal matters always require special skills to manage; especially moot court practices, court judgments, legislative enactments, constitutional laws, contract acts, company’sordinances, administrative rules and regulations. They perform their role by bridging the gap between the growing needs of the law users in an information society and developing the abilities of the users to access, evaluate and use of legal information they need. Of course, the role of library professionals in legal education is quite different and significant from other librarians.

We live in a knowledge driven society, where the information needsand demandof every library patron is becoming increasingly complex and difficult, especially law library users find something which is very unique and different becausethey are responsible to providing justice in our society.So, library is the place where “The books are for use” (said by S.R.Ranganathan in his 5 laws of Library and Information Science), where user found every answer of difficult question, library professionals provide them vital legal informationfrom the law library materials. Law library patronsalso use the other library services like book loan service, re-issued services, reserved material service,internet service, online law-site and legal databases service and library-licensed electronic resources as well.

Modern library professionals have a lot of responsibilities for the selection, acquisition,storage, managing and distributing the accurate and precise information source (printed or electronic) of legal relevance in suitable and immediately ways, which is suited to the nature of the legal research of their users/patrons.Library professionals feel pleasure when their library patrons frequently use library services and empty the book shelves.

As the father of Library and Information Sciences S.R. Ranganathan said,

        ‘A modern librarian, who has faith in the law that ‘BOOKS ARE FOR USE’,is happy only when his readers make his shelves constantly empty. It is not the books that go out that worry him. It is the stay-at-home volumes that perplex and depress him’.

Library professional’s first priority is to enhance the preservation and access of the legal education that is at the core of the legal profession and a core function of every law library. Library professionals support legal researchers to reach at early conclusion stage in his/her research work. They survey, understand, and are sensitive to the search behaviors and requirements of legal researchers in order to help them avoid wasted research time and effort. In doing this, they can play a vital role in the management of Justice. That’s why library professionals are called the ‘teacher of teachers.

Before the advent of ICT, libraries housed printed materials. The 21st century libraries have witnessed a tremendous turnaround in information generation and retrieval. Now the library professionals no longer hold only printed materials but also hold the combination of both printed and electronic materials. The world has truly become a global village as a result of the internet availability our society also moved into digital world, where the numerous legal databases, law sites, e-libraries (e-library Sargodha) and digital libraries(HEC digital library) are created and made available in online form for the subscribed libraries. Digitization makes library professionalsmore critical and fundamental when there is information overload in print form and uploaded into the Internet as well. Library professionals always amend their roles and adapt new technology changes (from Stone Age to digital age).They have accepted the paradigm shift from clay tablets to e. tablets.

Digital revolution has touched every aspect of law librarianship. Library professionals moved from the card catalogues to online public access catalogue (OPAC). Many of the law materials now available in machine readable form (MARC). Digital technology has affected the way we select, order, and process legal materials.The need of a library professional is a must not only for getting books from the library but to acquire the actual information from vast selection of information sources. Advocates in any academic and research institute as well as corporate professionals need to spend their time in getting relevant information. A library professional here needs to work with them as a co-worker and help them in getting relevant information when required.

Library professionals conduct different training and resource guide sessions, workshops, seminars, conferences (both national and international levels),orientation lecturesand book awareness programs/walk for the students to use and how to use the library sources which are readily available in the law library. They organized many book fairs/book exhibitions to create awareness about the importance of books in the user’s mind. In this way library professionals expresses the reputation of libraries and promote the newly product (books, journals, and magazine) and service of their libraries.

Law being an information rich subject day-by-day, it grows rapidly, it is very difficult for lawyers to practice without using effective, efficient and up-to-date law resources.

Lawyers/students swim in the law libraries and upswing with legal solutions with the cooperation of library professionals. Their specialized knowledge, experiences, skills and library services positively affect in the assets, lives, and liberty of their ultimate end users. In the near future libraries will have to cooperate much more successfully than in the past if library professionals hope to meet more research needs of their patrons, preserve print law books, and ensure that their digital collections are not lost.

In other words, law libraries have functioned as magical stick for all troubled and tussled.

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Promoting Library Services by the Library Professionals among the Users in this Digital Era (Fakhra khalid)

Fakhra khalid

Fakhra Khalid


(The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book)
Promoting Library Services by the Library Professionals among the Users in this Digital Era

Technology has become the key focus in our lives today. Indeed, so many aspects of our behavior are governed by the need to stay connected to the world through technology. Now, the college and university going students no longer want to visit the library for a few hours of quiet reading. Instead, they want a quick and technology-based solution to everything.

 In this digital era, information seeking behavior is constantly changing and the younger generationwant current and latest information, means more interesting. This statement applies equally to the use of the library. Today, librarians facing challenges in making the young users aware about the latest library resources and services in the different ways. Different means through which this threat can be made as an opportunity. The opportunity is to use the library in a differently way will directly and indirectly promote the reading habits among the young generation.

We are living in the age of ICE (Information Communication Entertainment) where users want a fast, technology-based solutions to everything including in the use of the library. E-learners and traditional learners now have access to a universe of digital information through the information superhighway.  This has thrown challenges to the librarians to re-evaluate the way they develop, manage, deliver and promote resources and services in digital form.

‘It is hard to imagine the evolution of books and libraries without technology’because library users no longer want to visit the library physically rather, they want to get things in their fingertips by clicking on the devices (similar to virtual library).  Many times, they are reading while traveling from one place to others.  There is a huge change in the information seeking behavior and the way information is accessed by them. To face the technological challenges, librarians play an important role.  If students are not coming to the library, then the library should travel (Mobile Library) to them with the help of the technology which will indirectly help in promoting the reading habit among the youth. Librarians no longer can confine themselves to the physical library rather they need to invent new ideas which can address this issue which can help in promoting the library usage. As the English writer and poet Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007) said,

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life”.

Digital libraries are changing the concept of the librarian, their collection and services. Various new terms as digital libraries, digital librarian, libraries without walls, virtual libraries, hybrid libraries, electronic libraries, green libraries and online librarieshave emerged to describe the libraries of digital era. The aim of the library and information science profession has always been to provide the users the access to the required services at the right time.

“Dr. S. R. Ranganathan- The father of library and information science in India stated that, Librarianship is a noble profession. A librarian derives his joy by seeing the dawn of joy in the face of readers, helped by him to find the right book at the right time.”

LIS professional need vision for the modern professional skills and technological competencies in order to have bright future in the 21st century. So, the essential future vision of the academic library professional is to achieve the necessary information transformation and to face the digital informational needs of the users. Now, the role of the academic library professionals is totally changed in this digital environment, from librarian to information manager / knowledge manager. To satisfy the information need of users at maximum level is the main goal of the library. Establishing a digital library without refreshing the information technology and information retrieval skills of the academic library professionals is a difficult task. The adoption of the e-resources has made great advantage over the library services. In fact, most of the users are satisfied with such facilities since they can easily retrieve their required information within a short period of time.

Libraries are an integral part of the knowledge society that surrounds it. The library is first and foremost a service. Its primary mission is to support the learning, teaching and research activity in any situation. The explosion of coronavirus known as Covid-19 has thrown the world into terror and anxiety. Quarantine and lockdownlead to reducethe levels of physical activity and turn into online job system.Library professional also install different apps “zoomapp” found most popular app for online job purposes.

Library and information science/Information Management is the field of business. Many library professionals built a ‘winning library marketing plan’ for the purpose to share and promote their services very effectively. As, Dr. Haroon Idrees (Late) the expert oflibrary and information science field said:

“The field of library and information science/ information management are in the business of information”

We as library professionals cannot ignore the changing library environment, and need to adopt ourselves to the digital library era.

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Promoting Library Services by the Library Professionals among the Users in this Digital Era

Promoting Library Services by the Library Professionals among the Users in this Digital Era

(The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book)

Technology has become the key focus in our lives today. Indeed, so many aspects of our behavior are governed by the need to stay connected to the world through technology. Now, the college and university going students no longer want to visit the library for a few hours of quiet reading. Instead, they want a quick and technology-based solution to everything.

 In this digital era, information seeking behavior is constantly changing and the younger generationwant current and latest information, means more interesting. This statement applies equally to the use of the library. Today, librarians facing challenges in making the young users aware about the latest library resources and services in the different ways. Different means through which this threat can be made as an opportunity. The opportunity is to use the library in a differently way will directly and indirectly promote the reading habits among the young generation.

We are living in the age of ICE (Information Communication Entertainment) where users want a fast, technology-based solutions to everything including in the use of the library. E-learners and traditional learners now have access to a universe of digital information through the information superhighway.  This has thrown challenges to the librarians to re-evaluate the way they develop, manage, deliver and promote resources and services in digital form.

‘It is hard to imagine the evolution of books and libraries without technology’because library users no longer want to visit the library physically rather, they want to get things in their fingertips by clicking on the devices (similar to virtual library).  Many times, they are reading while traveling from one place to others.  There is a huge change in the information seeking behavior and the way information is accessed by them. To face the technological challenges, librarians play an important role.  If students are not coming to the library, then the library should travel (Mobile Library) to them with the help of the technology which will indirectly help in promoting the reading habit among the youth. Librarians no longer can confine themselves to the physical library rather they need to invent new ideas which can address this issue which can help in promoting the library usage. As the English writer and poet Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007) said,

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life”.

Digital libraries are changing the concept of the librarian, their collection and services. Various new terms as digital libraries, digital librarian, libraries without walls, virtual libraries, hybrid libraries, electronic libraries, green libraries and online librarieshave emerged to describe the libraries of digital era. The aim of the library and information science profession has always been to provide the users the access to the required services at the right time.

“Dr. S. R. Ranganathan- The father of library and information science in India stated that, Librarianship is a noble profession. A librarian derives his joy by seeing the dawn of joy in the face of readers, helped by him to find the right book at the right time.”

LIS professional need vision for the modern professional skills and technological competencies in order to have bright future in the 21st century. So, the essential future vision of the academic library professional is to achieve the necessary information transformation and to face the digital informational needs of the users. Now, the role of the academic library professionals is totally changed in this digital environment, from librarian to information manager / knowledge manager. To satisfy the information need of users at maximum level is the main goal of the library. Establishing a digital library without refreshing the information technology and information retrieval skills of the academic library professionals is a difficult task. The adoption of the e-resources has made great advantage over the library services. In fact, most of the users are satisfied with such facilities since they can easily retrieve their required information within a short period of time.

Libraries are an integral part of the knowledge society that surrounds it. The library is first and foremost a service. Its primary mission is to support the learning, teaching and research activity in any situation. The explosion of coronavirus known as Covid-19 has thrown the world into terror and anxiety. Quarantine and lockdownlead to reducethe levels of physical activity and turn into online job system.Library professional also install different apps “zoomapp” found most popular app for online job purposes.

Library and information science/Information Management is the field of business. Many library professionals built a ‘winning library marketing plan’ for the purpose to share and promote their services very effectively. As, Dr. Haroon Idrees (Late) the expert oflibrary and information science field said:

“The field of library and information science/ information management are in the business of information”

We as library professionals cannot ignore the changing library environment, and need to adopt ourselves to the digital library era.

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 Top-Rated Public Libraries in Lahore

Author:  Faizan Irfan

Mphil scholar (Punjab University)

Lecturer Library Science (Govt. Associate College, Safdrabad)

 Top-Rated Public Libraries in Lahore

In this article, you will come to know about top-rated public libraries in Lahore, Pakistan. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this.  Although there are many public libraries are serving in Lahore but I am focusing on some top-rated public libraries of Lahore. Which helps the book readers to avail themselves of the opportunity of seeking knowledge? These libraries exist in different parts of Lahore. And these are the following:

  1. Punjab Public Library
  2. Chughtai Public Library
  3. Model Town Library
  4. Defense Public Library
  5. Quaid-e-Azam Library

 Govt. Punjab Public Library

Govt. Punjab Public Library, Lahore was established on 8 November 1884 by the lieutenant governor of Punjab. The Library starts its operations in Baradari, wazir khan. Other Library places were built in 1939. The library has a grasp collection of books in the entire field of knowledge in Urdu, English, Persian, Arabic, and Punjabi. The total collection of Punjab Public Library is about 375,000 that includes books, magazines, reports more than 500 manuscripts, old gazettes of Punjab. The library has a subscription of 33 journals while the rest are complimentary copies, acquires 170 magazines and 12 dailies.

Facilities and Services

The library provides facilities of reading halls, a reference section, a children’s section, book borrowing, book demand, digitization with additional services of internet and photocopy.

Address:

Library Rd, Anarkali Bazaar Lahore, Punjab 54000

Timing:

Mon-Sat                  8:00am to 8:00pm

Friday                      8:00am to 7:00pm ( 12am-3:00pm Jumma Prayer)

Sunday                    9:00am to 3:00pm

Chughtai Public Library

Chughtai Public Library is serving for 7 years with the vision to equalize education and disseminate knowledge without discrimination. Prof. A. S. Chughtai initiated this project. Dr. Mariam Chughtai is the director of this project. Chughtai Public Library has approximately 22,000 plus collections of resources which includes a wide range of subjects like Art, Culture, Science, Education, Jurisprudence, Medicine, and Philosophy. 3300+ are availing of the collection and enjoying the services of the Library. The Library is serving the people nationally with 2 Branch libraries and 5 Reading Rooms.

Services, Facilities, and Projects:

Chughtai Public Library provides the services of Children Section, Reference service, online Public access Catalog (OPAC), Reading Halls with additional services of Pantry, Photocopying, and Printing, and Wi-Fi. Chughtai Public Library has its official website http://www.chughtailibrary.com that provides digital services to users and providing information about sitting capacity in CPL Libraries to save the precious time of users.

It time to time works on different projects. The current projects on which CPL is working are:

  • Digitization Project
  • Historic Monuments of Lahore
  • Partition Stories of 1947
  • Iqbal Lecture Series
  • Educational & Summer Camps
  • Participation in Children Literature Festival
  • Preservation of Text-books

Address:

3XX-3S-1, Canal Park Gulberg 2, Lahore

Timings:

Monday- Saturday                       7:00 am to 12:00am

Sunday                                          9:00am to 12:00am

Govt. Model Town Library

Govt. Model Town Library is a public library established in 1983. It has a rich collection of more than 50,000 books and 15,000 members. Since it is a public library, membership is available at 511 rupees. The library provides access to 70 periodicals & magazines, 28 Newspapers, Free Wi-Fi, an internet lab, and a facility of providing books on demand. Separate reading halls for newspapers and a computer lab also exist. The Library also provides the facility of calligraphy courses. The course is for 3 months and the library provides diploma certificates to the participants.  The library remains closed annually for a month most often in September. As a library, it is very important to the residents of Model Town Lahore. A proportion of the books are only used as a reference and cannot be issued. With the lending library, only two books can be issued at a time.

Address:

Model Town Circular Rd, Block G Model Town, Lahore, Punjab 54700

Contact:

(042) 99332977

Timings

Monday to Saturday                8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Friday                                      8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Sunday                                     Closed

Defense Public Library

Defense Public Library Lahore was inaugurated on 14th April 2000 by the Chairman of Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Lahore, Maj. Gen. Muhammad Javaid. Since then the library is providing excellent literary environments for residents of DHA and its surroundings. Besides allowing members to encourage appreciation of literature, Defense Public Library extends an excellent quiet study and work areas for students and professionals. Playing its role in the preservation and public presentation of cultural heritage, the library also orchestrates special activities associated to literacy environments, which include book fairs, lectures, seminars, and exhibitions, etc.

The library has recently been renovated, improving the existing Environments and providing many interesting valuable, and highly demanded books. Presently library has over 8500 members and more than 35000 books are available in the reading halls. Defense Public Library is comprised of two floors. On the ground floor, there is a children’s reading area on the left side. The ground floor also has a separate reading area for men, enclosed by windows. Several young adults sit around here, peering from books to laptop screens, enchanted by some kind of knowledge. On the other side, there is a separate seating area for the elderly. The Library is a little over seventeen years old. The Internet is available, as well as air conditioning in separate rooms. The library makes a simple attempt at attracting people and makes them comfortable.

Membership for this library only costs PKR 150 a year, and the process of getting the library card is simple. Access is granted to everyone on occasion, and membership is not limited to DHA residents. Users can also access the library through their official website https://dpllahore.org/ .

Address:

(Temporary)507 Street No. 22 Phase – III, Sector Z DHA Phase 3, Lahore, Punjab

Timings:

Monday to Sunday     9:00 am – 9:00 pm

Quaid-e-Azam Library

The Quaid-e-Azam Library is a public library located within the Bagh-e-Jinnah in Lahore, Pakistan. The library was constructed in the mid-19th century during the British Raj comprised of Victorian-era Lawrence and Montgomery Halls. The library has a collection of 125,000 books in English, Urdu, Arabic, and Persian.

As of 2014, the library has 125,000 volumes, both in English and Urdu languages. Nearly two thousand books are added to the library annually. It has more than 17,000 people enrolled as members of the library. The Lawrence Hall is normally used as an assembly room for public meetings and theatrical and musical amusements. Nearly 19,000 people visit the library annually. It is a non-lending library. Day-to-day events have occurred in Quaid-e-Azam Library.

Address:

Bagh-e-Jinnah, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Jubilee Town, Lahore, Punjab 54000

Services:

  • Computer Lab
  • CSS Study Room
  • Printing and Photocopy
  • Cafeteria at QAL
  • Hall on Rent
  • List of Newspapers
  • Request for a Book
  • Kindle Device
  • Senior Citizen Membership
  • News Paper Clippings
  • Archive Material
  • Suggestions Security Measures

Quaid-e-Azam Library gives a facility of Digital access to people through their website http://www.qal.org.pk/ where people can access their required information in just a few clicks. Library also provides the option of a virtual visit to the library where people can visit the library virtually which is a good service to save users time.

Timings

Monday to Saturday                     8 am–8 pm

Friday                                         8am–12:30pm, 2:30–7pm

Sunday                                         11 am–5 pm

References

  1. http://www.qal.org.pk/
  2. https://dpllahore.org/ .
  3. http://www.chughtailibrary.com

 

 

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American Library Association (ALA)

Author:  Faizan Irfan

Mphil scholar (Punjab University)

Lecturer Library Science (Govt. Associate College, Safdrabad)

 American Library Association (ALA)

The American Library Association (ALA) is the world’s oldest and most powerful library organization. The aim of the American Library Association (ALA) is to “provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services, as well as the profession of librarianship, in order to facilitate learning and assure universal access to information.” It comes into existence on October 6, 1876, in Philadelphia during the Centennial Exposition.

Strategic Planning at the American Library Association

The ALA Council approved a new Strategic Plan (2017 Update) on June 28, 2015, as well as the Association’s new strategic directions for the next three to five years. In the fall of 2018, the ALA Executive Board voted to declare that the ALA’s Strategic Directions for the next three to five years will be guided by a social justice lens.. The following are the four strategic directions:

  1. Advocacy
  2. Information Policy
  3. Professional & Leadership Development.
  4. Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Mission & Priorities

Mission: 

“The mission of the American Library Association shall be to promote library service and librarianship,” according to the ALA Constitution. “To provide leadership for the growth, promotion, and improvement of library and information services, as well as the profession of librarianship, in order to facilitate learning and assure access to information for all,” says the mission statement.

Motto:

The best reading, for the largest number, at the least cost.

Priorities:

n 1998, the ALA Council adopted Diversity, Equity of Access, Education and Continuous Learning, Intellectual Freedom, and 21st Century Literacy as guiding principles for steering the Association’s operations and resources. These principles have been expanded to include eight Key Action Areas, which are supplemented by the ALA Ahead to 2015 report. The Association’s current strategic plan, which began with ALA Goal 2000, section 2005, and ALA Ahead to 2010.

Note: Official link to visit virtually American Library Associations: https://www.ala.org/

References

Retrieved from: https://www.ala.org/

 

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 Pakistan Library Association

Author:  Faizan Irfan

Mphil scholar (Punjab University)

Lecturer Library Science (Govt. Associate College, Safdrabad)

 Pakistan Library Association

The Pakistan Library Association is the national body that represents librarians in Pakistan, established in Karachi in March. Prior to the foundation of the PLA, there was a group called the Pakistan Bibliographical Working Group (PBWG) that promoted library operations. “It was the PBWG that, at its meeting on July 6, 1954, created an Adhoc Committee with H. A. Qazi as its Chairman, to form a National Association for Librarians,” according to Dr. Anis Khurshid.

The Adhoc Committee members include Syed Vilayat Hussain, Khawaja Noor Elahi, Fazal-e-Elahi, and Akhtar H. Siddiqui. Apart from that, the PLA is in charge of representing professional librarians’ interests and working to grow and improve libraries in both the formal and informal sectors of education and research. Furthermore, the PLA also serves as a link between Pakistani and worldwide library groups with similar goals and objectives. It also succeeded to improve the public perception of librarians.

Headquarter and Branches of Pakistan Library Association

In addition, the Association has a headquarters and five branches in four provincial capitals and one in Islamabad in the Federal Capital of Pakistan.  However, the Headquarter of the PLA rotates between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta every two years. Also, PLA published its journals namely, “Pakistan Library Association Journals”.  And the last, its membership is open to all library professionals of the country.

Plans for the Future

Professional staff employed by various academic institutions (universities, colleges, schools, medical colleges, technical institutes, and so on) should be classified as teaching staff with the same pay, allowances, and technical pay as teaching staff, and their status should be equal to that of faculty members. Followings are the future plan of PLA:

  • The nomenclature for various librarian positions should be harmonized.
  • Librarians both inside and outside the country will be given training chances.
  • All colleges should introduce Library Science as an optional course at the inter and B. A. levels, and a lecturer position should be provided
  • The PLA will host a variety of workshops, seminars, conferences, book fairs, book day, library day, book launching ceremony, and other activities throughout the province to promote library activities and librarianship.
  • Legislation, Policy Framework, and Service Structure
  • Professional Development and Continuing Education
  • Image Management and Public Relations
  • Publications and Research
  • Solutions and Services in Information and Communications Technology
  • Placement and Career Counseling
  • The Empowerment of Women in LIS

References

Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/view/plaorg/home?authuser=0

 

 

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National Library of Pakistan

Author:   Faizan Irfan

Mphil scholar (Punjab University)

Lecturer Library Science (Govt. Associate College, Safdrabad)

National Library of Pakistan

This article is about the National Library of Pakistan. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this.

Introduction

In 1951, under the Department of Archives and Libraries, a skeleton National Library was founded. Liaquat Memorial Library was merged with the National Library in 1954 and renamed Liaquat National Library. Basically, the Liaquat National Library was renamed Liaquat Memorial Library after the country’s new capital was established. ECNEC approved the scheme for the establishment of the National Library of Pakistan in Islamabad in 1963. However, due to a delay in the approval of the architectural plans and the low priority accorded to the project, construction of the Library building could not begin.

Furthermore, the plans for the library were approved in April 1980, and construction began in 1982. Finally, in September 1985, the ENCEC amended and approved the project for the establishment of the National Library of Pakistan, with a capital expenditure of Rs.130.322 million. The majority of the civil work was completed on time in June 1988, and the library’s holdings and personnel moved into the new facility that same year. On August 24, 1993, the library was launched by Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister, Mion-ud-Din Ahmad Qureshi, and its doors were opened to the public.

Building of National Library of Pakistan

The National Library of Pakistan is located next to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at Shah Rah-e-Jamhoriat. The structure has four levels and a total covered area of 168,844 square feet, with central air conditioning and heating. Serial Division, Book and Newspaper Delivery Branch, Telephone Exchange, Air-conditioning and Electric Plants are all located on the bottom floor.

Apart from this, the main entrance to the library, Reception, the Digital Information Division, the Public Canteen, the Computer section, the Record Creation section, the Acquisition section, the Planning and Research section, the ISBN Agency, the Preservation & Conservation section, the Lending Division Model Children Library, and Accounts are all located on the ground floor. The first level houses the Online Public Access Catalogue, 04 Reading Halls, Manuscript & Rare Books Department, Establishment, Seminar Room, Class Room, and Meeting Room offices, as well as the On-line Public Access Catalogue.

The top storey of the structure, the 2nd floor, houses the general Stacks as well as 14 research rooms. The book elevators, lifts, and stairwells connect all of the floors. The National Library’s Auditorium, which seats 400 people, has become a focal point for educational and cultural events in Islamabad. The National Library’s reading halls include 500 seats available for readers and research scholars.

The Infrastructure of the National Library of Pakistan

The National Library building has a covered area of 168,800 sq. ft. and was built on land measuring 500x 112ft. On four levels, it is a centrally air-conditioned/heated structure with a storage capacity of one million volumes, 500 general readers’ seats, a staff workspace, an auditorium, and other services.

Vision

The vision of NLP id following: “To become a world-class national library of the region for inspiring creativity and innovation in the country”

Activities of NLP

Conclusionly, the following objectives for the National Library have been established based on the ideological and cultural needs of the people of Pakistan and the importance of the National Library as the nation’s topmost resource centre of its literary heritage and the fountainhead of all kinds of library development in the country:

  • To serve as a legal depository for all Pakistani publications unpublished
  • To preserve the nation’s literary heritage for current and future generations.
  • In order to preserve national bibliographic control, prepare and publish a Pakistan national bibliography and bibliographies.
  • To act as a national and international book exchange.
  • To act as Pakistan’s ISBN agency.
  • And to encourage Pakistani libraries to share resources and adhere to bibliographic standards.

References

Retrieved from: http://nlp.gov.pk/index.html

 

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International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Author:  Faizan Irfan

Mphil scholar (Punjab University)

Lecturer Library Science (Govt. Associate College, Safdrabad)

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international organization representing library and information service users’ concerns. It is the library and information profession’s global voice.

IFLA was founded in 1927 in Edinburgh, Scotland at an international conference. now it has more than 1,500 Members in over 150 countries around the world. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971 and the Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, located in The Hague, generously provides the facilities for headquarters.

Aims of International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

IFLA is a non-profit organization that is autonomous, international, and non-governmental. Its aims are to:

  1. Encourage the provision and delivery of high-quality library and information services.
  2. Increase public awareness of the importance of good libraries and information services.
  3. Represent IFAL’s members’ interests all throughout the world.

Membership of IFLA

Association Members and Institutional Members are the two basic types of voting members in IFLA. Within the broad field of library and information science, associations of library and information professionals, library and information services, and educational and research organizations are all eligible to join as Association Members. Individual library and information services, as well as all types of library and information-related organizations, are eligible for Institutional Membership. As International Association Members, international organizations in our field of interest are welcome to join.

Core Values of IFLA 

In pursuing these aims IFLA embraces the following core values:

  1. The endorsement of the principles of freedom of access to information, ideas, and works of imagination and freedom of expression is embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  2. The belief is that people, communities, and organizations need universal and equitable access to information, ideas, and works of imagination for their social, educational, cultural, democratic, and economic well-being.
  3. The conviction that delivery of high-quality library and information services helps guarantee that access.
  4. The commitment to enable all Members of the Federation to engage in, and benefit from, its activities without regard to citizenship, disability, ethnic origin, gender, geographical location, language, political philosophy, race or religion

Regional Offices of International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

IFLA has a Regional Office in each of the IFLA Regions: Africa, Asia and Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Language Centers

IFLA maintains four Language Centers whose mission is to improve communication among the respective language communities as well as within the IFLA entities. These languages are

  1. Arabic
  2. Chinese
  3. French (in Africa)
  4. Russian

References

Retrieved from: http://origin-www.ifla.org/about

 

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