opportunity, Challenges, Barriers to LIS profession in Pakistan

1. LIS Profession in Pakistan
By
Naimat Ullah Shah
Ph.D Scholar , Islamia University Bahawalpur Pakistan

2. What is Profession?
A profession is something a little more than a job, it is a career for someone that
wants to be part of society, who becomes competent in their Chosen
sector through training; maintains their skills through continuing professional
development (CPD); and commits to behaving ethically, to protect the interests of
the public.

3. What Is LIS Profession?
 This profession began its journey when writing and reading materials were stone,
dry leaves, leather, clay tablets, etc. With the passage of time, paper replaced other
kinds of material and was shaped into books. Now, books and other printed
material are in digital form. Libraries are transformed from their four walls and now
exist in a networked environment.
 A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library, providing access to
information and sometimes social or technical programming to users. In addition,
librarians provide instruction on information literacy.

4. LIS Profession in Pakistan
 Riazuddin (1991, pp. 84-104) remarked: LIS Profession in Pakistan, after facing
numerous problems of money, manpower, material and management, shows an
upward trend. To conclude, the expansion of libraries, and the resulting growth of
their resources and services, from cities down to villages … have widened the
accessibility to libraries and books throughout the country. How this opportunity is
utilized for further progress and betterment of the country will very much depend
on our collective efforts to maximize their better use in the country.

5. Professional development in Pakistan
 The application of Information and Communication Technology in libraries changes
the working patterns of librarians as well as the traditional name “librarian.” This
change has brought new nomenclature including cybrarian, digital librarian,
information scientist, digital library operations officer, library technologist, IT
resource manager, knowledge manager, etc. Nomenclature has an impact on our
minds. It also defines the status of a job. (Huntington, 2000)

6. CONT…
 library professional is concerned no attention has been given by the Government
to formulate service rules for librarian. Since 1957 sixteen Pakistan Library
Association conferences are held in Pakistan. In each conference PLA demanded
service structure for library professional but all of them were dumped in the cold
storage with the Government.

7. At present pay scales for LIS Professionals are:
 University:
No uniform rules are formulated for university librarian in Pakistan.university Grant Commission
formulate rules for librarian, Which are revised by HEC as:
1. Chief Librarian BPS.20
2. Deputy Chief Librarian BPS.19
2. Deputy Librarian BPS.18
3. Assistant Librarian BPS.17
College: Some posts of Librarian have been upgraded to BPS.18 on the bases of seniority in Post
Graduate colleges in Pakistan.
1. Librarian Mlisc BPS.17
2. Librarian DLIS BPS.16 (Currently not applicable)
Schools (Higher secondary) : Some posts of Librarian have been upgraded to BPS.18 on the bases
of seniority in Post Graduate colleges in Pakistan.
1. Librarian MLISc BPS.17
2. Librarian DLIS BPS.16 (Currently not applicable)

8. Early Pioneers Of LIS
 Khalifa Muhammad Asadullah (1890–1949)
Prof. Dr. Abdul Moid (1920–1984)
Muhammad Shafi (1895–1964)
Fazal Elahi (1901–1961)
Dr. Abdus Subuh Qasimi (1917–1999)
Syed Villayat Husain (1910–1974)

9. Problems and challenges to LIS Profession in
Pakistan
 I current hybrid scenario of LIS Profession there are some main Challenges/Barriers
are faced by LIS Professionals are:
 Lake of basic LIS skills Like:
 Communication and interpersonal skills,
 Information and communications technology (ICT) skills,
 Self-management skills,
 lack of confidence
 Lake of basic Research skills Like:
 Data searching Skills:
 Data Management Skills:
 Data curation and archiving skills:
 Data analysis Statistical skills:

10. Cont…
 Lake of basic Professional development activities
 (Private sector Professionals are little bit meet this challenge /Barrier) Like:
 Continuing education development programs,
 Trainings, Workshops for enhancing the skills,
 Touch of latest curricula in LIS Schools Curriculum,
 Lake of basic Professional carrier Structure
 Service Structure for professionals,
 Hiring Subject professionals,

11. Opportunities of LIS Profession in Pakistan
 What is opportunity?
 “A time when a particular situation makes it possible to do or achieve”23
 Following opportunities are available to meet the aforesaid challenges:
 Finance
 The public sector universities and degree awarding institutes may request HEC
for funds and grants-in-aid through PC-1 and also under the up-gradation of
libraries and laboratories project. Additionally there are also other venues for
fiscal and grant-in-kind assistance like Asia Foundation Islamabad, library friends
forums, UNESCO, World Bank, WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and
individual donors.

12. Cont…
 Collection
 HEC digital resources have provided the Pakistani libraries with great opportunity
to encounter collection challenge. These libraries may now spend their budget on
other heads. The collection may also be enriched by officiating local and regional
resource sharing programs. Book donations from individuals, national and
international agencies, depository library programs of World Bank, Asian
Development Bank, and UNO also exist. HEC textbook writing scheme, Lincoln
corner, Iranian Cultural Centre, and digitization of precious resources are also
among attractive options.

13. Cont…
ICTs
Different computer literacy programs launched by Federal Ministry of Science and
Technology and Punjab government through Punjab IT Board & TEVTA, are providing
opportunity to become computer literate. There is also huge number of other public &
private computer training centers across the country giving the same training. The
following four IT related MLIS courses in the HEC 2002 curricula are:
Introduction to Library and Information Science;
Information Technology and Libraries;
Resource Sharing and Networking;
Management Information System,

14. CONT…
 LiS Education
 CPD
 There are some useful continuing professional development (CPD) activities in
Pakistan. These activities include short courses, workshops, seminars, conferences,
focus group discussions, foreign library experts’ lectures, etc. Significant
organizations involved in conducting such activities are DLIS PU, International
Islamic University, Riphah University, American Consulate, Rural Development
Academy Islamabad, Quaid-i-Azam Library Lahore, HEC, Pakistan Library
Automation Group, and University of Karachi. HEC, IFLA, OCLC, SLA, UNESCO, and
other different international bodies provide funding for enhancement of
professional knowledge.

15. CONT…
 Faculty
 Different programs of HEC and other organizations for the faculty of universities
and degree awarding institutes are attainable for research and development. HEC
programs encompass local & foreign PhD scholarships, research grants, student
teacher exchange program, national faculty hiring program, foreign faculty hiring
program, and faculty development program.
 Job Market
 LIS field is very fruitful versus other fields. Majority of the graduates are filed the
space in private sector but public sector need to be improved in this scenario.
Because there are most of the posts are lying vacant in public sector universities
and other govt organizations.