National Agencies Driving Continuing Education Programmes for LIS Professionals in India

Library and Information Science is a field that refuses to stand still. Software changes, cataloguing standards get revised, digital repositories replace card catalogues, and discovery tools keep evolving. A degree earned ten years ago cannot keep a professional current with all of this. That is where Continuing Education Programmes (CEPs) come in. CEPs are structured short-term courses, workshops, seminars, and refresher programmes that help working librarians and information professionals upgrade their skills throughout their careers. In India, a network of national agencies, universities, professional associations, and government institutions keeps this system running. Understanding who these players are and what they offer helps any LIS professional plan a meaningful path of lifelong learning.

Why continuing education matters in LIS 🔗

The argument for CEPs is simple. Knowledge and tools in librarianship age quickly, and a professional who stops learning soon falls behind the needs of users. A study of academic librarians affiliated to the University of Mumbai and SNDT Women’s University evaluated the impact of CEPs using the Donald Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation, measuring effects at the levels of reaction, learning, behaviour, and results. Research like this confirms what most practitioners sense intuitively: well-designed CEPs change not just what professionals know, but how they perform on the job.

CEPs typically take the form of short-term courses, seminars, workshops, and refresher courses, and they may run anywhere from a few days to three or four weeks. The methods include hands-on training, lectures, round-table discussions, and increasingly, online modules. The agencies described below each contribute a distinct piece to this learning ecosystem.

LIS schools’ contribution 🔗

Universities are the foundation of LIS education. They award the formal degrees-the Bachelor’s, Master’s, M.Phil., and Ph.D. qualifications-that establish a professional’s baseline competence. But their role does not end at the degree. Many university departments also run training programmes, workshops, and short courses that serve practising professionals, not just enrolled students.

Formal programmes and the historical roots 🔗

Formal LIS education in India has a long history. It began under the patronage of the Maharaja of Baroda, who invited an American librarian to help organise public libraries in the state, and the discipline gained academic recognition through university courses introduced after independence. Today institutions such as the School of Library and Information Sciences at the Central University of Gujarat offer master’s programmes that integrate digital library concepts, information management, and practical training on library software. These departments often invite experts from premier national institutes to teach specialised modules, blending academic theory with field practice.

Refresher and orientation courses for faculty 🔗

University-linked structures also deliver refresher and orientation courses aimed specifically at teachers and senior professionals. Academic Staff Colleges, now functioning as Human Resource Development Centres, were created to improve the teaching and professional competencies of college and university staff, including LIS faculty. The orientation and refresher courses they run help library educators stay current with both subject knowledge and teaching methods. National policy has repeatedly stressed this need; the emphasis on teacher motivation and structured orientation traces back to thinking embedded in earlier education policy frameworks.

INFLIBNET and digital skill-building 🔗

One of the most active university-sector contributors is the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre. INFLIBNET is an autonomous Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission that works toward modernising libraries and serves as an information centre connecting universities, colleges, and R&D institutions across the country. Beyond running national infrastructure like Shodhganga and the e-ShodhSindhu consortium, INFLIBNET regularly conducts training programmes and workshops. Its recent calendar has included national workshops on creating and managing digital libraries using open-source software, and training on ethical issues and plagiarism. For professionals working in academic libraries, these sessions are a practical and often free route to new skills.

Professional associations’ role 🔗

Professional associations sit at the heart of CEP delivery. They are run by and for the professional community, which gives them a clear view of what skills the field actually needs. Two associations dominate this space in India: the Indian Library Association and the Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres.

Indian Library Association (ILA) 🔗

The Indian Library Association was established on September 13, 1933, at the First All India Library Conference held in Calcutta, which makes it one of the oldest professional bodies in the field. Its stated objectives include promoting the library movement, developing LIS education, supporting training and research, and bettering the conditions of library personnel.

On the continuing education front, ILA undertakes programmes for the benefit of working professionals across different cities, frequently focusing on the application of computers to library activities. It arranges national seminars on topical themes, holds lectures and round-table discussions, and runs a monthly study circle in Delhi for discussing technical subjects. Many of these activities cluster around National Library Week in November each year. ILA is also a member of international bodies like IFLA, which keeps Indian professionals connected to global standards.

Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres (IASLIC) 🔗

The Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres is a non-profit body founded on September 3, 1955, in Kolkata, where it still maintains its headquarters. As its name suggests, IASLIC focuses on special librarianship-the libraries attached to research institutions, industries, and specialised organisations.

IASLIC’s continuing education work is substantial. Through its continuing education programmes it conducts short-term courses, workshops, round tables, and seminars, and it holds a biennial seminar and a conference in alternate years. The IASLIC Conference is a major gathering point for the profession. The association also runs Special Interest Groups covering areas such as industrial information, social science information, computer applications, and LIS education, allowing professionals to engage deeply with their niche. Its long-running publications, including the IASLIC Bulletin and Newsletter, extend this learning beyond the conference hall.

National organizations 🔗

A third group of contributors are the national documentation and research organisations. These bodies were built around science and technology information, and their training arms are among the most technically rigorous in the country.

NISCAIR, now CSIR-NIScPR 🔗

The institution many professionals still know as NISCAIR has gone through several changes of name and form. The National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) came into existence on September 30, 2002, through the merger of the National Institute of Science Communication (NISCOM) and the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC). INSDOC, founded in 1952 with UNESCO support, had a long tradition of documentation services and training of information professionals. In 2021, NISCAIR merged with NISTADS to form the current entity, CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR).

Through all these changes, the training mission has continued. CSIR-NIScPR has been providing training programmes for several decades, conducting training in science communication, library automation, digital repositories, open journal systems software, and website development, now under the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative. Its short-term courses have historically covered practical tools that working librarians use every day, such as Koha for library automation and DSpace for building institutional repositories. These courses are open to R&D personnel, science communicators, and LIS professionals alike.

Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC) 🔗

The other landmark institution is the Documentation Research and Training Centre. DRTC was established in April 1962 at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, under the auspices of Prof. S. R. Ranganathan-widely regarded as the father of modern library and information science in India-with the encouragement of Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis. Its research strength has earned it a reputation as one of India’s leading iSchools.

DRTC’s core academic offering is the Master of Science in Library and Information Science, awarded by ISI, which blends library science, information technology, knowledge management, and quantitative studies. Beyond its degree programme, DRTC has long been engaged in research, education, training, and the cutting-edge application of information and communication technology to libraries and information centres. It was the site of the first DSpace repository in India and has frequently offered workshops on DSpace, making it a natural destination for professionals wanting deep technical training in digital library systems.

How these agencies work together 🔗

What stands out is how these three groups complement one another rather than compete. Universities and INFLIBNET cover the academic and infrastructure side, ensuring foundational education and access to national digital resources. Professional associations like ILA and IASLIC provide community-driven, regularly recurring learning events that respond to the membership’s needs. National organisations like CSIR-NIScPR and DRTC bring specialised, technically intensive training rooted in decades of documentation and research experience.

For an individual professional, the practical takeaway is to treat continuing education as an ongoing habit rather than a one-time event. A new librarian might start with a university or INFLIBNET workshop on a specific software tool, attend an IASLIC conference to network and absorb current debates, and later take a focused DRTC or CSIR-NIScPR course to master institutional repositories. Across a career, drawing on all three streams keeps a professional both technically capable and intellectually connected to the wider field. Many of these programmes are affordable or even free, which removes a common barrier to participation.

What do you think? If you were planning your own continuing education over the next two years, which agency’s programmes would you turn to first, and what specific skill would you most want to build? Are there gaps in India’s current CEP landscape that none of these agencies seem to be filling?

References

1. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/lm-07-2016-0051/full/html
2. https://www.cug.ac.in/slis.php
3. https://www.ugc.gov.in/Aboutus/inflibnet
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5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Library_Association
6. https://listestseries.wordpress.com/2023/07/11/ila-indian-library-association/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Association_of_Special_Libraries_and_Information_Centres
8. https://www.lispower.in/2020/05/indian-association-of-special-libraries.html
9. https://lisportal.com/insdoc-niscair-niscpr/
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11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentation_Research_and_Training_Centre
12. https://sites.google.com/site/amitdrtc/drtc-1