How School Libraries make students research ready?

A student who comes out from the school after 12 years of study will be considered as the one who is ready to enter the college in all its sense and means. Essential cognitive skills, knowledge about the basic concepts regarding the subjects or diciplineshe/she chooses, academic behaviours, and awareness about the college environment and how to deal with it are the abilities expected from all new entrants.

Two overarching skills needed from all freshers are writing and research. Here comes the important role of a school library. As part of teaching information literacy skills, research skills must be taught from middle classes onwards. A solid Information Literacy curriculum shall be implemented at school level under the Library Programme. This IL curriculum shall also be continued to the entry level years of higher learning.

But, if there is no librarian and a well organized library with a programme, in a school, how these objectives will be fulfilled? This scenario again and again stressed upon the need of recruiting qualified and trained library professionals in all schools around the country, especially in State ruun and CBSE affiliated schools.

This presentation embedded below was delivered at the National Seminar organized by Rajagiri Business School in collaboration with Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (RCSS), Academic Library Association (ALA), and Kerala College Librarians Association (KCLA) on ‘The Role of Libraries in Academic Research and Publishing’ on march 10, 2023 at Rajagiri Business School, Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala.

Personal note:

During the seminar, I received the ‘ALA Best Young Librarian Award 2023’ from Rev. Dr. Jose Kuriedath, CMI, Director, Rajagiri Group of Institutions.

The informal format of the seminar was unique in its sense but at the same time rich with content, quality and number of participants. All appreciations to Dr. A. T. Francis, Prof. & Head of DLIS, RCSS (and President, ALA) and his dynamic team.

I am happy to receive the award along with Shri Narayanan Kutty Narat (ALA Best Librarian-Lifetime Achievement Award-2023), a professional par excellence, and dear friend Shri Mujib Rahiman (ALA Best Young Librarian Award 2022).

Thank you ALA for selecting me for an award intended for ‘Young’ Libraians while I am entering into the 20th year of my professional career.

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