?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Role+of+Library+and+Information+Professionals+as+Teachers+and+Trainers+in+Agricultural+Education+%3A+an+Experience+of+the+Kerala+Agricultural+University%2C+India&rft.creator=Francis%2C+A.+T.&rft.creator=Abdul+Razak%2C+C.&rft.creator=Humayoon+Kabir%2C+K.&rft.subject=C.+Users%2C+literacy+and+reading.&rft.description=One+of+the+important+reasons+for+the+under+utilization+of+electronic+information+is+the+lack+of+requisite+level+of+working+knowledge+and+consumption+skills+among+customers+and+information+intermediaries.++So%2C+the+conventional+user+education+programmes+need+be+redefined+and+reengineered+with+more+emphasis+on+Information+and+Communication+Technologies+(ICT).++It+should+be+designed+in+such+a+way+to+provide+confidence+to+the+users+in+locating+desired+information.%0AThere+are+38+Agricultural+Universities+functioning+in+India+and+they+are+formed+by+special+Acts+and+Statutes%2C+either+of+the+Government+of+India+or+of+different+State+Governments.+The+Kerala+Agricultural+University+(KAU)+is+the+only+one+such+university+in+the+State+of+Kerala.++It+has+10+constituent+colleges%2C+six+Regional+Agricultural+Research+Stations%2C+26+Research+Stations%2C+three+Centres+of+Advanced+Studies%2C+10+Instructional+Farms+and+six+specific+Centres+of+Research+and+Studies.++The+KAU+Library+and+Information+System+(KAULIS)+has+a+three+tier+structure+consisting+of+the+University+Library%2C+College+Libraries+and+Research+Station+Libraries.++The+University+Librarian+is+the+professional+head+the+system.%0AAs+modern+libraries+world+over+are+on+the+verge+of+rapid+changes%2C+the+KAULIS+also+had+witnessed+several+changes+in+this+line.++Though+there+was+some+initial+resistance+to+accept+the+changes+and+adopt+the+new+technologies%2C+the+positive+factors+like+easy+availability%2C+accessibility%2C+flexibility%2C+etc.+of+the+digital+documents+have+created+an+overwhelming+response+from+the+users+and+this+has+necessitated+a+total+change+in+the+tools+and+service+procedures+of+the+libraries.++Consequently%2C+several+new+skills%2C+related+to+ICTs%2C+have+to+be+acquired+by+the+users+and+staff.++From+the+management+side%2C+the+whole+operations+of+the+libraries+need+to+be+changed+to+suit+the+requirements+warranted+by+the+modern+environment.+The+concepts+such+as+library+cooperation%2C+centralized+and+cooperative+classification+and+cataloguing%2C+etc.+have+emerged+in+different+forms.++Online+Journals+and+Library+Consortia+became+a+prominent+and+effective+approach+now.++Here%2C+the+library+management+and+professionals+could+play+an+important+role+to+manage+the+changes+in+an+effective+way.%0AThe+Indian+Council+of+Agricultural+Research+(ICAR)%2C+the+controlling+agency+for+agricultural+universities+in+India%2C+has+implemented+a+special+project+with+the+assistance+of+the+World+Bank+to+modernize+the+Library+and+Information+Systems+of+all+agricultural+universities+and+the+ICAR+Institutes+in+the+country.++The+project+included+special+funding%2C+technical+assistance+and+training+for+the+library+staff%2C+teachers+and+students.++Substantial+improvement+in+the+operations+and+performance+has+been+achieved+with+this+project.+The+university+libraries+could+automate+most+of+their+operations+and+many+of+them+developed+digital+libraries+of+theses+and+dissertations.%0AAcademic+Role+of+Library+and+Information+Professionals%0AAs+part+of+this+project%2C+several+training+programmes+have+been+conducted+in+KAU+to+orient+teachers+and+research+students+in+the+modern+methods+of+information+management.+As+an+ex-officio+member+of+the+Academic+Council%2C+the+University+Librarian+is+actively+participates+in+the+process+of+designing+course+curriculum%2C+academic+regulations%2C+etc.+of+the+university.++Through+this%2C+he+gets+an+effective+chance+to+assist+in+the+implementation+of+library+centered+education+in+the+university.+The+information+science+professionals+working+in+the+constituent+colleges+are+also+take+active+role+in+the+education+and+research+programmes.++The+syllabus+for+the+undergraduate%2C+postgraduate+and+research+courses+contains+modules+such+as+library+classification%2C+cataloguing%2C+online+and+CD-ROM+databases%2C+library+and+information+technologies%2C+information+retrieval%2C+etc.++In+some+other+agricultural+universities%2C+this+education+is+offered+as+a+full+credit+course+as+part+of+the+curriculum.++This+is+a+better+opportunity+to+educate+and+train+the+students+in+their+effort+to+search+and+retrieve+the+required+information.++Regular+and+special+training+courses+of+short+duration+are+also+being+conducted+by+the+KAULIS+to+prepare+students%2C+teachers+and+library+staff+to+orient+them+in+the+changing+environment.%0AObjective+and+Methodology+of+the+Study%0AIn+order+to+assess+the+effectiveness+and+relevance+of+these+academic+and+short+term+programmes%2C+a+study+was+conducted+among+the+teachers%2C+students+and+library+staff+of+KAU.++It+was+also+intended+to+review+the+involvement+of+the+library+and+information+science+professionals+in+academic+programmes.++The+utility+of+such+programmes+to+re-design+the+operations+of+the+library+and+information+system+for+the+modern+environment+is+also+examined.++The+study+was+mainly+based+on+personal+interview%2C+discussions%2C+observing+the+library+users+and+staff%2C+review+of+literature%2C+etc.+Data+was+also+collected+from+participants+of+the+short+term+courses+on+Information+Retrieval%2C+conducted+by+the+university+during+the+last+three+years.++Records+of+library+services+and+operations+were+also+compared+to+validate+the+facts+received.%0AMajor+Findings%0A1.%09Ninety+per+cent+of+the+users+have+some+knowledge+on+modern+ICTs+and+digital+information+resources.++But%2C+all+of+them+are+admitted+that+this+knowledge+is+highly+inadequate+to+locate+desired+information+from+CD-ROM+databases+or+Internet.++It+was+also+disclosed+by+many+users+that+lot+of+time+is+being+wasted+by+the+inefficient+methods+of+information+retrieval.%0A2.%09All+teacher+as+well+as+student+users+stressed+the+need+for+regular+library+instruction+%2F+user+orientation+courses+and+such+programmes+should+be+more+oriented+towards+the+application+of+modern+ICTs+with+topics+such+as+database+search%2C+information+retrieval%2C+search+engines%2C+retrieval+softwares%2C+formulation+of+search+strategies%2C+sorting%2C+printing+and+downloading+of+records%2C+etc.%0A3.%09Seventy+per+cent+of+the+total+respondents+revealed+that+these+programmes+had+helped+to+increase+the+efficiency+in+searching+the+databases.++Eighty+five+per+cent+of+the+students+expressed+that+the+formal+academic+programmes+as+part+of+course+curriculum+are+very+helpful+to+locate+the+documents+from+the+libraries+and+retrieve+information+from+digital+databases.%0A4.%09All+library+staff+stressed+the+need+for+formal+as+well+as+short+term+courses+for+all+types+of+users.+++They+felt+that+such+courses+are+helpful+for+the+users+to+raise+the+reference+queries+clearly.++This+can+also+provide+a+platform+to+establish+close+relationship+with+the+users.%0A5.%09Sixty+five+per+cent+of+the+library+staff+opined+that+these+courses+helped+to+update+their+technical+knowledge+and+service+efficiency.++But%2C+fifteen+per+cent+has+pointed+out+the+problem+of+increase+in+the+work+load+for+preparing+for+classes+and+study+materials%2C+organizing+work+for+short+term+courses%2C+etc.%0A6.%09There+is+a+normal+tendency+by+the+users+and+staff+to+resist+the+changes+in+the+beginning+and+when+convinced+and+accustomed+by+sufficient+induction%2C+orientation+and+training+programmes%2C+all+are+becoming+happy+to+adapt+to+the+modern+technologies.%0A7.%09Detailed+study+of+the+topics+such+as+ICTs%2C+content+development%2C+digital+libraries%2C+knowledge+management%2C+online+journals%2C+digital+document+delivery%2C+etc.+should+be+included+in+the+courses+designed+for+the+users+and+staff.++More+stress+should+be+given+for+practical+training.++It+was+also+observed+that+a+frequent+revision+is+needed+in+the+topics+included+in+such+courses.%0AThe+study+revealed+that+there+is+a+strong+relationship+between+the+user+orientation+and+use+of+information+resources%2C+particularly+the+digital+resources.+It+is+also+realised+that+many+of+the+problems+created+by+the+transition+of+information+documents+from+print+to+electronic+medium+could+be+better+managed+with+the+help+of+proper+user+education+courses+with+stress+on+ICTs.++Because+of+this%2C+the+teachers+and+students+have+shown+special+interest+to+absorb+knowledge+on+modern+methods+of+information+retrieval.++Academic+courses+as+part+of+the+curriculum+will+add+weight+and+importance+to+such+programmes.++The+library+and+information+science+professionals+are+also+opined+that+such+programmes+will+help+in+re-defining+and+re-engineering+the+Library+and+Information+System+for+the+modern+era.++Their+involvement+as+teachers+and+trainers+will+have+an+over+all+impact+on+improving+the+performance+of+the+libraries+and+ultimately+the+user+satisfaction.++This+paper+provides+a+detailed+account+of+the+study+and+its+findings.%0AKey+Words%3A-+Academic+Role+of+Information+Professionals+-+User+Education+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Information+Literacy+-+Information+and+Communication+Technologies+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Redefining+and+Reengineering+Libraries-+Management+of+Library+and+Information+Systems+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+Usage+of+Digital+Information.&rft.date=2006&rft.type=Conference+Paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Feprints.rclis.org%2F5869%2F2%2FRole_of_library.pdf&rft.identifier=Francis%2C+A.+T.+and+Abdul+Razak%2C+C.+and+Humayoon+Kabir%2C+K.+Role+of+Library+and+Information+Professionals+as+Teachers+and+Trainers+in+Agricultural+Education+%3A+an+Experience+of+the+Kerala+Agricultural+University%2C+India.%2C+2006+.+In+Asia-Pacific+Conference+on+Library+and+Information+Education+and+Practice%2C+Singapore%2C+3-6+April+2006.+(Unpublished)+[cited+var+currentTime+%3D+new+Date()%3Bvar+month+%3D+currentTime.getMonth()+%2B+1%3Bvar+day+%3D+currentTime.getDate()%3Bvar+year+%3D+currentTime.getFullYear()%3Bdocument.write(month+%2B+%22%2F%22+%2B+day+%2B+%22%2F%22+%2B+year)].+Available+from+WWW%3A+http%3A%2F%2Feprints.rclis.org%2F5869%2F.+[Conference+Paper]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Feprints.rclis.org%2F5869%2F