Academics

• Semester system
• Based on UGC Model Curriculum (LIS) 2001.
• Regular revision of the curriculum.
• Bachelor of Library & Information Science (BLIS) course.
• Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) course.
• Teaching methodologies adopted:
• • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Seminars
  • Practical work
  • Library visits
  • Brainstorming sessions
  • Role playing
  • Simulation

Students Intake

• BLIS 36 seats.
• MLIS 23 seats.
• Additional seats in both courses for candidates from rural areas, single girl child, and sports/youth welfare activities, as per university policy.
• Admission is on merit basis.

Department History

Historical Moorings of the Department

Asa Don Dickinson, a student of Melvil Dewey, who was asked to organize Punjab University Library, Lahore (now in West Punjab, Pakistan) on modern lines in 1915, also started the first training course in Librarianship in this region in 1916. He published a manual entitled Punjab Library Primer the same year. He also founded the Punjab Library Association (PLA). The training course was started again after Dickinson went back to the USA by the members of PLA. After the partition in 1947, the Panjab University (now in Chandigarh) started training in Librarianship. After partition, Punjabi University was the first to start imparting education and training in librarianship in reorganized Punjab in 1969.

DLIS Established in 1969

Punjabi University, Patiala was established in April, 1962. After six years, with the efforts of S. Hakam Singh, Head of the University Library the Department of Library Science was established in 1969, with starting of Bachelor of Library Science Programme. It made a humble beginning with only one lecturer named Sh. S. P. Narang. It was placed under the charge of Ms. K. Navalani, Reader and Head of the Department w.e.f. November, 1978. Till then S. Hakam Singh was looking after the department in addition to his duties. In 1978, keeping in view the developments in the subject, the scope was enlarged from Library Science to Library and Information Science with a similar change in the name of the department from Department of Library Science to "Department of Library and Information Science". Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) was introduced from the session 1987-88.

Mission, Vision and Core Values

Mission

• To achieve expansion, excellence, and inclusion in LIS education, research and training.
• To increase international visibility and collaboration.
• To create an open source institutional repository and digital library.
• To guide and counsel students in developing their personal and professional competencies.
• To develop students into independent learners and critical thinkers

Vision

• To be LIS education, research and training leader in the developing world by staying ahead of competition and change in conceiving, designing, providing, evaluating and restructuring our degree programmes.
• To start joint degree programmes in collaboration with related departments within Punjabi University and those in the developed world.
• To be a benchmark in LIS education, research and training in South Asia.
• To provide low-cost quality education consistent with the job-market.

Core Values

• To ensure quality, equality, equity, diversity, and flexibility in the provision of value-based LIS education, research and training.

Achievements of the Department

Departmental Library

The department has its own departmental library. Housed in a Hall in the department, it is in fact a special library on Library and Information Science, and it also acts as a workshop for the students. It has a collection of more than 2500 monographs, which include reference books, text books, advanced treatises, standards, general interest books and donated collection. The library has also got books transferred from the Central Library of the University.

Computer Laboratory

The department was among the earliest LIS departments in India to develop its own Computer Laboratory in late 1980s. Today, it has 12 computers, and other peripherals. The Computer Laboratory in the department has been connected to the Internet, through the Local Area Network (LAN) in the University.

The Departmental Homepage

The Departmental homepage was launched in 1998, the first webpage of any LIS university department in South Asia and was listed in the World list of schools and departments of information science, information management and related disciplines, maintained by Prof. Tom Wilson of UK (http://informationr.net/wl/).

South Asian Libraries and Information Networks (SALIN): An Electronic Journal

The department started an electronic journal South Asian Libraries and Information Networks (SALIN): An Electronic Journal in 2003. This was the first LIS electronic journal in India made freely accessible to all users across the globe.

Alumni and Placement

Professor M.P. Satija, our first alumnus has made the department proud by attaining international visibility in the field of classification. Prof. Satija is a recipient of ILA Life-Time Achievement Award. About 90% of students get placed in academic, public, and special libraries as well as in documentation and information centres through the following modes. Many of our students pass the NET examination while studying for their MLIS degree.

• Vacancies information displayed on departmental notice board.
• Through liaison with Placement Cell of the University.
• Through recommendations asked by prospective employers.
• Career guidance and counseling sessions with students and ex-students.

Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Lectures Organized by the Department

1971

• Sh. B. Guha, Office in-charge, Training course in Documentation and Reprography INSDOC (now NISCAIR), New Delhi delivered four lectures on Documentation and Information Retrieval from 17th -19th Feb. 1971.

1973

• Being General Secretary of the PLA, Sh. S. P. Narang organized annual function of the association at the Central Public Library, Patiala on 29th April 1973. On that occasion a seminar on college Libraries was organized

1982

• Workshop on Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules with the help of American Central Library, New Delhi and U.S. Library, New Delhi

1985

• Seminar on Library and Information Services in Punjab on 25th March in collaboration with the Directorate of Punjabi Planning and Development department.
• Extension lecture on Trends in university library management by Prof. Girja Kumar, Librarian, JNU, New Delhi.

1987

• UGC sponsored seminar on Scientific Management of Libraries from 30-11-1987 to 3-12-1987.

1989

• Extension lectures by Professor Krishan Kumar, Department of Library and Information Science, Delhi University and Ms. A.K. Anand, Librarian, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

1990

• UGC National Seminar on Information Technology from 2-3 February, 1990.

1994

• Seminar on Library and Society from 18-19 February, 1994.

1998

• Extension lecture on Initiatives of UGC in the advancement of Library and Information Services on 17 December, 1998 by Dr. O.P. Gupta, Senior Information Officer, UGC, New Delhi

2001

• UGC sponsored Refresher Course from 8-28 October, 2001.

2002

• XX IASLIC National Seminar on Digital Information Systems and Services, 27-30 December 2002. More than 100 participants from all over India participated.

2003

• Lecture in association with PLA on the theme University Libraries in Information Technology Environment on 12 August, 2003.

2005

• Information Skills for Learning, Part II, UNESCO and IFLA funded International Information Literacy Workshop for South and Southeast Asian countries, from 3-7 October 2005. Participants from 12 countries participated.
• Dr. Daljit Singh, Faculty of Computer science and information technology, Malaya University, Malaysia to deliver lecture from 16-24 October, 2005 on the topic Research Methodology. He also gave a lecture on International school library day.

2006

• XXIII Conference of the IATLIS (Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science) on the theme Building curriculum with a difference: a vision for LIS education in 21st century, 23-25 November 2006. Participants from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the UK, besides from India participated.

2008

• National Workshop on Quality Indicators and Best Practices for Academic Libraries, 4-6 March 2008. Delegates from leading institutions all over India and Pakistan participated in this workshop.
• UNESCO International Training the Trainers (TTT) Information Literacy Workshop for South and Central Asia from 05-07 November 2008 funded by UNESCO. This workshop was organized at 12 locations across the world including Punjabi University in which resource persons and participants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkmenistan participated.

2009

• Libraries as Transparency Institutions: IFLA Transparency Manifesto Workshop from 17-18 November 2009 with support from International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)/Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE). Resource persons from Finland, India, and the USA conducted the workshop. Participants from all over India representing many sectors besides libraries and information centres participated in the workshop.
• Released Festschrift volume in honour of Prof. M.P. Satija, the first alumnus of the department. It is an important contribution in the LIS literature as more than 40 foreign authors contributed for this two volume book edited by Dr. Jagtar Singh, Dr. I.V. Malhan, and Dr. Trishanjit Kaur.

2010

• IATLIS 2010 Conferences
• Bangkok IL 4-6 November 2010

2011

• National Seminar on Plagiarism and Validation of Research in the Internet Era: Problems and Prospects organized on 24-02-2011.

2012

• Seminar on Challenges before Higher Education in India on 25 January 2012 at Punjabi University, Patiala.
• Two-day National Seminar on Ethical Tensions for Academics, Researchers, and Publishers in Information Society from 31 January-01 February 2012 at Punjabi University, Patiala.

2014

• Weekly meditation sessions on Sahajayoga Meditation by Dr. Kiran Kathuria, initiated by the Department of Library and Information Science.

2018

• One-day Seminar on Role of Reading in Education organized by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Library and the Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala under PN Panicker Foundations National Reading Mission 2022 in collaboration with Punjab Sahit Academy, Punjab Library Association and Satinder Kaur Ramdev Memorial Trust for Advancement of Librarianship on 12 July 2018.

2019

• Extension Lecture by Dr. Joginder Tyger on the topic Man and the Cosmos organized by the Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala on 26 March 2019.
• Special Lecture by Dr. Joginder Tyger on the topic Cosmetic Context of Education organized by the Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala on 16 April 2019.

2021

• Webinar on "Soft Skills for Library & Information Professionals" by Dr. P.V. Rao organized by the Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala on 23-02-2021
• Buddy Lectures initiated on weekly basis by the Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala.

2022

• Lecture on Intellectual Property Rights by Dr. Balwinder Singh Sooch, Head, Department of Biotechnology organized by Department of Library and Information Science in association with IPRs & Technology Transfer Cell, Punjabi University, Patiala on10 June 2022.
• Guest Lecture on "Effective Stress Coping Strategies" by Dr. Naina, Assistant Professor (Psychology), Department of Distance Education, Punjabi University, Patiala organized by the Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala on 06 December 2021.
• Library Orientation of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Library, Punjabi University Patiala on 22 March 2022.
• Buddy Lecture delivered by Dr. Mamta on 29 March 2022 organized by Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala.
• Three Days Educational Tour to Manali from 10 to 12 April 2022.
• One Day Visit to Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala on 20 May 2022.
• Guest Lecture on Women Health and Hygiene by Ms. Sulochna Thakur, from TIENS Himachal Pradesh, organized by the Department of Library and Information Science on 01 June 2022.
• Extension Lecture on Environment Degradation, Climate Change and Human Health by Dr. Jagbir Singh, Professor (Retd.), Department of Zoology and Environment Science on 02 June 2022 organized by Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala.

Syllabus

• Click to Download Syllabus

Courses Offered and Faculty

Research Output

The research programme was introduced in August 1986 and the first PhD was awarded in 1994. Till date (May 2023) 43 researchers have been awarded PhD, and 25 researchers are registered and 2 are enrolled for PhD in the department.

Thrust Areas for Research

• Kowledge Organization
• Information Literacy
• Online Searching
• E-learning
• Web Designing
• Digital Preservation
• Electronic Publishing
• Digital and Virtual Libraries
• Library Consortia
• Library Resources
• Open Source Digital libraries
• Institutional Repositories
• Use and User studies
• Project Management
• Soft Skills and CPD
• Library Consultancy
• Database Creation and Management
• Marketing of Information Products and Services

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Photo Gallery

Online Guest Lecture on Emerging Technologies in Libraries delivered by Dr. Mohammad Rafiq, Institute of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore on 10 August 2021

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Guest Lecture on "Effective Stress Coping Strategies" by Dr. Naina, Assistant Professor (Psychology), Department of Distance Education, Punjabi University Patiala organized on 6th December 2021

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Guest Lecture on Role of Social Media in Teaching, Research and Collaborative Learning by Prof. Shilpi Verma, Department of Library and Information Science, BBAU, Lucknow organized on 13th December 2021

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Library Orientation of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Library, Punjabi University Patiala on 22ndMarch 2022

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Lecture on Gender Sensitization by Prof. Ritu Lehal, Department of Applied Management, Punjabi University, Patiala on 25th March 2022

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Buddy Lecture by Dr. Mamta, Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala organized on 29th March 2022

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Three Days Educational Tour to Manali from 10th to 12thApril 2022

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One Day Visit to Musafir Memorial Central State Library, Patiala on 20th May 2022

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Guest Lectures on "Universal Decimal Classification" by Dr. M.P. Satija (Retd. Prof.) and UGC Emeritus Fellow, Department of Library & Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar organized on 23rd & 24th May 2022

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Guest Lecture on Women Health and Hygiene by Ms. Sulochna Thakur, from TIENS Himachal Pradesh, organized on 1st June 2022

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Extension Lecture on Environment Degradation, Climate Change and Human Health by Dr. Jagbir Singh, Professor (Retd.), Department of Zoology and Environment Science organized on 2nd June 2022

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Guest Lecture on ""Development, Problems and Research Trends in Political Science" by Dr. Jagroop Kaur, Professor & Head, Department of Political Science organized on 10th June 2022

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Guest Lecture on Intellectual Property Rights by Dr. Balwinder Singh Sooch, Head, Department of Biotechnology organized by the Department in association with IPRs & Technology Transfer Cell, Punjabi University, Patiala on 10th June 2022

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Online Meeting on Career Counseling by Dr. Nirmal Singh, Assistant Librarian, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana held on 29th June 2022

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Weekly meditation sessions on Sahajayoga Meditation by Dr. Kiran Kathuria, Assistant Professor, Department of Library and Information Science organized since 2014

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Buddy Lectures organized on weekly basis by the Department

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Farewell Party Session 2021-22

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