LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN

BANGLADESH: AN OVERALL SITUATION

Abstract

. This study has made an attempt to explore the library and information science (LIS) education

system in Bangladesh. This paper also identifies the different levels of LIS education, continuing educa-

tion and training facilities in Bangladesh. At the sa

me time we have tried to

find out the existing prob-

lems, which create barriers for quality education as well as professional development. In the conclusion,

some necessary recommendations have been given for the development of LIS education system and

professional development in Bangladesh.
Introduction

Library education means educating the students for being qualified librarians or information scientists

through organized instruction and training. The library education system was started in Bangladesh

before her independence. The country has almost fifty years of education history in LIS. We have an

education system from certificate course to PhD in LIS. Two universities offer B.A. (Honours) and

M.A. in LIS and twelve institutes offer diploma courses. In recent times, some private universities are

also offering diploma and certificate course in LIS. About five hundred LIS professionals are being

produced from these educational institutions every year. But this number is not sufficient to meet the

information requirements of one hundred and forty million people of Bangladesh. Not only that, the

quality of LIS professionals is not up to the mark but also we have to work hard for the overall devel-

opment from education system to professional development. 

Objectives

The objectives of the study are set as follows:

a)To provide an overview about the LIS education system in Bangladesh;

b)To evaluate the present education and training facilities in different educational institu-

tions/organizations in Bangladesh;

c)To find out the problems in the existing LIS education system in Bangladesh.

d)To assess the employment and career development opportunities for the LIS professionals in Bangladesh

e)To put forward some suggestions regarding what measures should be implemented to solve the

existing problems.

Levels of LIS Education in Bangladesh

Sincerely speaking, this education is almost absent in Bangladesh. Both Dhaka and Rajshahi Uni-

versity do not offer continuing education for their previous graduates or the professionals. In the recent

past, the dept. of LIS of Dhaka University, organized a one-day international seminar on “Library

Automation” held on 30 June 1998. Since then the dept. has not taken any initiative to organize seminar

at national and international level.

Training Opportunities For Professionals And Students

The training opportunity for the LIS students and professionals in Bangladesh are not satisfactory. At

this moment, both the university does not offer any training programme. The dept. of LIS, university of

Dhaka organized some training progamme on CDS/ISIS, but due to lack of infrastructural facilities and

initiative from the faculty members, the programme did not continue.

There are some leading libraries in Bangladesh which offer training programme for the LIS profes-

sionals and students, but most of them are confined on CDS/ISIS training

.

International Centre for

Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) Library, Centre on Integrated Rural Develop-

ment for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) Library, Community Development Library (CDL) and Inde-

pendent University, Bangladesh (IUB) library offer training course on CDS/ISIS subject to availability

of the participants. But due to high course fees, the LIS professionals cannot afford to take part in the

course. Two libraries in Dhaka, name ICDDR,B & IUB also offer library attachment training, but the

participation of the course is not satisfactory level due to high course fee.

Another leading private university, North South University started certificate course on “Online

and Digital Librarianship” in 2004. Some other libraries also organize training programme, but the total

effort is far below than the requirement.

Status of LIS Journals in Bangladesh

The Department of Library and Information Science published “Bangladesh Journal of Library and

Information Science” for the first time in 1998 Vol. 1, No.1, December 1998 to bring the articles to

light of a one day international seminar on library automation. Unfortunately, the journal has not been

published after the first issue. The East Pakistan Library Association which is renamed as Library As-

sociation of Bangladesh (LAB) published another journal namely ‘The Eastern Librarian’ in 1961 and

the publication of the journal is not continued

.

‘The last issue of this publication was a combined vol-

ume 20-22, published in the spring of 1998(Sharma,

R.N.). The LAB is planning to publish the journal

and it is expected that the journals will get success and will be published continuously.

Employment & Career Development

In Bangladesh, the number of public libraries is very poor, so job opportunity in the public library is

very limited. On the other hand, it is hard to find any business firm that has a library and is being oper-

ated by LIS professionals. So, most of the LIS professionals are working in the educational institution

and special libraries in Bangladesh. But the Government of Bangladesh has no standard rules for the

educational institutions that ensure the existence of library in every school or college and there must be

a librarian or an information officer. So the scopes of employment of LIS professionals are very lim-

ited. The LIS professionals are working in some academic institutions but their pay structure and other

facilities are far below standard. It is also worth noting that we have many research organiza-

tions/institutions where many LIS professionals are having the opportunity to work but their salary and

other facilities are different from one to another an

d these facilities are determined by the willingness

of the authority of the organizations or institutions as the Govt. of Bangladesh has no strict policy for

the LIS professionals. As a result, the LIS professionals are not getting proper employment and career

development opportunity from the country.

Problems

There are many problems in the LIS education system in Bangladesh. The major problems are as fol-

lows:

1.

Lack of infrastructural facilities: The majority of the institutes, which are offering postgraduate

diploma, have no adequate classroom, lab for practicing cataloguing and classification, and even

the department of ISLM of Dhaka University has no sufficient classroom.

2.

Inadequacy of reading materials: Sufficient books, classification and cataloguing tools (DDC, LC,

CC, Sears list of subject headings) are not available in all the library and information science insti-

Asia-Pacific Conference on Library & Information Education & Practice, 2006

362

tutes in Bangladesh. The two public universities don’t subscribe any journals, which are most im-

portant for the students as well the researchers.

3.

Inadequate full time faculty member/teacher: Specially, the library and information science insti-

tutes are running the postgraduate diploma course with the part time faculty member. All of them

have very few full time teachers. So the students are not getting required assistance or academic

support from the part ti

me faculty members.

4.

Insufficient attention to research and its facility: The Dept. of LIS in Rajshahi University does not

offer M.Phil and PhD. degree. On the other hand, the department of ISLM in Dhaka University is

offering those degrees, but the independent researcher does not get proper facilities at they lack of

research equipments and lack of necessary fund to run the research project.

5.

Lack of faculty members obtained PhD from the first world countries: There are seven PhD hold-

ers on library and information Science in the dept. of ISLM in Dhaka University. Only one of them

obtained from U.K, and the rest of them are from In

dian sub-continent. It is to be mentioned that

there is no PhD. degree holder faculty member in LIS dept. in Rajshahi University.

6.

Lack of attractive job facilities and social status for the library professional: The library and infor-

mation professionals in Bangladesh are not having attractive and suitable job and the people of the

country are not eager to show due respect to the librarians or information professionals and even

the Government of Bangladesh is not also sincere to provide proper facilities to the information

professionals. So brilliant students are not got themselves into the LIS profession.

7.

Big gap between the Academician and the professionals: There is no means/ways of getting to-

gether all academicians and professionals in Bangladesh at one time in a year. So the sharing and

exchanging of information and experience is totally absent in Bangladesh between the Academi-

cian and the professionals.

8.

Lack of career development facilities: As there is a scarcity of continuing education and training

programme, so the LIS professionals are lagging behind regarding their knowledge and other nec-

essary skills. Moreover, the organizations or institutes where they are doing job are not providing

any facilities to enhance their professional skills.

9.

Absence of national policies: There is no govt. policy for LIS education system and LIS profes-

sionals in Bangladesh. So this has led to loose or

decrease the professional dignity of the LIS pro-

fessionals.

Conclusions and Recommendations

It appears from the findings of the study that both the LIS departments of two public universities are

trying to maintain the quality of LIS education in Bangladesh. But all the LIS institutes of Bangladesh

are not concern about quality education. It is also to be noted that there is no organization on the na-

tional level responsible for review, approval and accreditation of any programme including LIS educa-

tion in Bangladesh. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh merely serve an advisory

role.

In order to overcome the above problems the study is included with the following recommenda-

tions:

1.

The Infrastructural facilities in all LIS educational institutions in Bangladesh should be provided by

the Government as well as the authority of the concern institutes.

2.

Adequate reading materials from textbooks to foreign journals both Bengali and English in print

and digital format should be available in all the institutes.

3.

There must have full time qualified faculty members at the LIS institutes.

4.

The essential research facilities especially in the LIS department of two public universities should

be increased and there should have monthly research allowance for the faculty members so that

they can accelerate their research work without facing any financial crisis.

5.

It is a recognized fact that the quality of degree from the first world countries is very high and they

are providing quality education indeed. If more faculty members involved in LIS education in

Bangladesh would get the facility to acquire their PhD degree from those developed countries, the

LIS educators in Bangladesh get very much benefit from them (faculty member).

6.

International collaboration like exchange of faculty members and students should be ensured both

in Dhaka and Rajshahi University.

7.

The Government of Bangladesh and the concerned authority should be more sincere to establish

the dignity and social status of LIS professionals by formulating appropriate and equal policy to

the other professionals.

Asia-Pacific Conference on Library & Information Education & Practice, 2006

363

8.

There should have the arrangement of seminar, symposia and conferences very frequently for

greater cooperation among the professionals and the academicians. It will also enable the LIS pro-

fessionals to enrich their professional skills and knowledge and would be capable of maintaining a

global view and an appreciation of the importance of the field internationally.

9.

The opportunity of LIS education in university level (both public and private) should be expanded

to produce more qualified LIS professionals.

We can conclude that time seems ripe for fleshing out the recommendations listed above and paying

the way for overall development in LIS education system in Bangladesh.

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