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Library environment
Modern library services in the territories now constituting Pakistan began in 1915 with
the arrival of Asa Don Dickinson, an American librarian at the University of the
Punjab. His goal at the university, in his own words, was ‘‘to organize the university
library and to teach modern library methods to the librarians of the Punjab’’
(Dickinson, 1915). The impact of this school was tremendous on successive library
developments throughout British India. The city of Lahore from 1915 onward became
the centre of library activities. Following independence, however, librarianship was
largely neglected in the face of more pressing problems. Library Review
Vol. 56 No. 5, 2007
The present library scenario is not impressive at all. There were 6,034 libraries in pp. 407-417
1989, with a total collection of 13,354,500 volumes. The number and the types of # Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0024-2535
libraries are: one National Library (80,000), 22 university libraries (2,098,400), 435 DOI 10.1108/00242530710750590
LR college libraries (3,640,800), 331 special libraries (2,557,500), 281 public libraries
56,5 (2,190,800), 464 school libraries (905,400) and seven polytechnic and miscellaneous
libraries (Khurshid, 1990). Unfortunately, these figures have not been updated since
1989.
Compared to other types of libraries, the university libraries are better placed with
respect to resources, organization and staff. However, presently there exists a climate of
408 stagnation and decline in university libraries. The main factors responsible for this sad
state of affairs have been shrinking budgets and ever rising inflation, combined with
absence of competent manpower for top managerial positions, non-existence of
cooperative programs and limited application of technology in library operations.
There is no organized public library system. The existing public libraries, mostly
subscription libraries, are under the charge of municipal and social bodies. The
majority of these occupy temporary buildings and their holdings are mainly out-of-date
fiction books. Only a few are properly staffed and one seldom finds a qualified
librarian. The services of these libraries are quite limited and the main source of
income is regular grants from the annual budget of the municipal body and
subscription charged to the public. This picture of public libraries could also be
attributed to the absence of public library legislation.
School libraries are in their embryonic stage. In fact, the school library development
has not attracted the attention of educational authorities. For this reason their
development has, for the most part, been sporadic. Only a negligible percentage of
schools under government control have a library. The librarian has either little or no
training in library science and the books in the collection are often outdated. Hence, the
library is handicapped by the lack of funds, staff and material. The defective education
system and the lack of children’s literature and library funds are the major constraints
in the development of school libraries. On the other hand, there are some excellent
school libraries in the private sector.
The majority of special libraries are attached to government departments and
institutions or to universities and colleges. A far smaller number of such libraries have
been set up in recent years by industries and firms. These libraries mainly concentrate
around the large cities and metropolitan areas. The collection of books in such libraries
is not large. Books and periodicals still form the largest segment of their collections;
non-print and audio-visual materials are almost non-existent. With respect to services
these libraries have not succeeded in freeing themselves from the tradition. The most
common and popular service provided by a specialist library is the listing of its current
acquisitions.
Pakistan has been somewhat unfortunate in the establishment of a national library.
As early as 1949, the Liaquat National Library was established at Karachi, but the
scheme was dropped in 1964, when the country’s capital was shifted to Islamabad.
Until recently, there was not a national library in practical terms, but its functions were
carried out on a limited scale by the Department of Libraries, a subordinate
Department of the Federal Ministry of Education. The National Library of Pakistan
came into existence in April 1999, with the shifting of meager collection of 100,000
volumes collected over the years by the Department of Libraries, to its newly
constructed building formally opened to the public on 24 August 1993. However, an
explanation of the functions of the National Library is still awaited.
Library and information science (LIS) education: an overall view Library and
At present, eight university library schools provide training facilities at the
postgraduate level leading to Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Library and
information
Information Science. The PhD program is available at the universities of Karachi, science research
Sindh, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Balochistan and Peshawar, and Master of Philosophy
(MPhil) is offered at Karachi, Sindh, Balochistan and Peshawar. Regional library
associations offer courses of short duration. Library Science is also available as an
optional subject at the higher secondary level. At the Universities of Karachi and
409
Punjab, Library Science is also offered as an optional subject at the BA level.
Despite progress in educating librarians and information specialists, Pakistan is
faced with problems in this sector. Of this, mention in particular could be made of the
poor quality of students entering the profession, the low intellectual content of
curricula, out-of-date faculty, dominance of traditional teaching methods and dearth of
reading material and poor library and laboratory facilities (Haider, 1998).
What about the job and career development opportunities? Strangely enough, it is
estimated that only 10-15 per cent of 250 graduates turned out annually by the
country’s library schools succeed in finding employment in libraries. This low rate of
professional employment in the field clearly implies that there is a dire need for careful
planning to limit the number of graduates having similar qualifications and
competencies.
In Pakistan, the mobility of librarians is very low because the life long employment
habit is still very rigid. This means that librarians in Pakistan generally lack the
opportunities to develop their professional skill and knowledge to improve their
services by having variety of experiences.
PhD program
The PhD Program in Library and Information Science is a purely research program
based on the submission of a thesis on an approved topic. A candidate for admission to
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science must have a
good academic record with first or second class Master’s degree (50 per cent marks)
from a Pakistani or foreign university. The Higher Education Commission has also
made Graduate Record Examination, a type of multiple choice test aimed at testing
intellectual ability, as mandatory. The University of the Punjab requires a written test
along with an evaluation of the candidate in terms of his qualifications, publications
and experience (University of the Punjab, 2000). Any application to study for PhD/
MPhil must be accompanied by a research proposal. The research proposal allows the
Board of Studies to accept the feasibility of the proposed research and to help identify a
suitable potential supervisor/guide. Students for the PhD degree are normally
registered for MPhil in the first instance and transfer to the PhD after one year if
progress is satisfactory. Quite contrary to the above the University of Peshawar has
designed its PhD program on the American pattern, requiring course work plus
dissertation (University of Peshawar, 2003).
The PhD program in itself aims to provide advanced as well as comprehensive
academic training for those who wish to pursue career in university teaching and
research. Doctoral study is fulfilled in a variety of ways through independent reading
and dissertation research, but also through interviewing and discussing the topic with
senior professionals, visiting libraries for observation and participating in conferences
and seminars. With an exception of the University of Peshawar, there is no fixed
curriculum for these programs.
LR First PhD program
56,5 The Department of Library Science at the University of Karachi was the first to start
this program in 1967, with the registration of M.A. Usmani, the deputy librarian of the
University, as the first candidate (Pakistan Library Bulletin, 1968). Between 1967 and
1971, four more students were admitted to this program. The topics chosen by the
candidates were: Growth of Periodical Literature in Pakistan: 1857-1957 (M.A.
410 Usmani); Evolution of the Calligraphy in the Muslim World (Matloob Husain); Library
Investment and Intellectual Return (G.A. Sabzwari); Public Libraries: A National
Strategy to Combat Illiteracy in Pakistan (A.H. Akhter); Islami kutubkhane (Tr. Islamic
Libraries): 749 AD-1257 AD (M.A.H. Chishti) (Haider, 1978).
For all the five topics, Dr. A. Moid (1920-1984), the then Chairman of the Department
and the University Librarian was the director/advisor/supervisor. It may be added here
that Dr. Moid was one of the pioneers of the library movement in the country. He had
his MA (Library Science) from the University of Michigan and PhD from the University
of Illinois.
Out of the five students enrolled in this program only M.A.H. Chishti succeeded in
completing his thesis and was awarded the degree in 1981. The question arises as to
why this program did not succeed. So far no effort seems to have been made to find an
answer to this question.
In fact, there are scores of questions, which need to be answered in this regard. For
instance: What factors were responsible for the institution of the PhD program at the
University of Karachi? Was there a need for such an advanced program as early as
1967, when the profession was struggling for its recognition? Library Science was yet
to be recognized as an independent discipline by other academics on the campus, so
much so that even the Department of Library Science was not fully constituted. It had
only two full-time teachers.
University of Balochistan
The Department was established in 1981 with the institution of a Postgraduate
Diploma in Library Science of one year duration. In 1985, the Master’s degree program
was begun. The MPhil program through research was started in 1994. So far three
persons have been awarded MPhil degrees. Presently, one candidate is writing his
thesis. The first is about The Status of Copyright and Book Piracy in Pakistan by
Muhammad Ilyas (Ilyas, 1996). The second is a survey of Use of Academic Libraries in
LR Balochistan by Shamsa Mubeen (Mubeen, 1996). Both the theses were supervised by
56,5 Meer Hassan Jamali, the then Chairman of the Department. The third is Public
Libraries in Balochistan by Khurshid Ansari.
In 2003, the PhD program was started and two candidates were registered initially.
Their names, topics of research and the names of supervisors are given below:
(1) Muhammad Ilyas, ‘‘Development and future needs of library and information
414 science education in Pakistan’’, Dr. Iftikhar Khawaja/Dr. Khalid Mahmood.
(2) Khurshid Ansari, ‘‘Standards for public libraries in Pakistan’’, Dr. Sakina
Moosvi (Ilyas, 2005).
University of Sindh
The Department of Library, Information Science and Archival Studies traces its origin
when a certificate course in Library Science was instituted in 1965 at the initiative of
Dr. Muhammad Ali Kazi, the University Librarian and a scholar of repute. In 1966, this
course was upgraded to Diploma in Library Science, but it was at the undergraduate
level. These courses, in fact, gave impetus to the introduction of postgraduate diploma
in Library Science in 1970 and finally MA in Library Science in 1974 (Fatima et al.,
2004).
In 2001, the PhD program was instituted. So far five candidates have registered in
this program. Their names and topics of research along with the names of the
supervisors are given below:
(1) Nisar Ahmed Shaikh, ‘‘A comparative study of provincial archives of Pakistan:
their impact on history, culture and research activities’’, Dr. Rafia A. Sheikh/
Dr. A.R. Butt.
(2) Khadija Ansari, ‘‘A study of secondary school libraries in Sindh: standards and
evaluation criteria’’, Dr. A.R. Butt/Dr. Rafia A. Sheikh.
(3) Shireen Gul, ‘‘User satisfaction in the use of library and information services: a
comparative study of four university libraries in Sindh’’, Dr. Rafia A. Sheikh.
(4) Hashmi Akhtar Rind, ‘‘College librarianship in Sindh: a case study of
Hyderabad district’’, Dr. A.R. Butt/Dr. Rafia A. Sheikh.
(5) Manzoor Ahmed Hajano, ‘‘Building library collection: a comparative study
of university libraries in Sindh – policies and practices adopted’’, Dr. Rafia
A. Sheikh (Soomro, 2004).
Of these Nisar A. Subhpoto has completed his thesis and was awarded PhD (Subhpoto,
2005). This is the most comprehensive study of its kind in Pakistan. Jointly supervised
by Dr. Rafia Shaikh and Dr. A.R. Butt the study is a comparative study of four
provincial archives and the National Archives of Pakistan. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the
situation of archives in Pakistan with particular reference to National Archives
followed by chapter 5 which is specifically devoted to provincial archives. Each
provincial archive department was discussed in terms of its physical facilities, budget,
personnel, acquisition, collection, arrangement system, facilities provided, preservation
and conservation, publications, training program and automation program.
Of the findings, mention in particular could be made of: (1) lack of recognition
with regard to importance of archives, (2) inadequate budgetary provision, (3) absence
of finding aids/tools, (4) non-existence of codes for organization of documents,
(5) non-availability of trained manpower, (6) poor physical facilities, (7) non-utilization Library and
of Information Technology.
The provision of a model archives act for the province of Sindh is of special
information
significance of the recommendations. This is a comprehensive draft which could be science research
helpful for other provinces in formulation of their acts. There are recommendations for
other aspects of archival administration and organization.
Findings
415
(1) Until recently, there had been no fixed criterion for admission to PhD programs.
Anyone with a good Master’s degree was eligible to seek admission. Of course
the candidate was supposed to have the approval of the chairman/head of the
department before submitting a formal application. However, there is a trend
towards standardization of admission procedures. The universities of Punjab
and Peshawar have already formulated regulations in this regard. The Higher
Education Commission has made GRE a mandatory requirement.
(2) Except one all the studies done so far do not concern problems. Topics seem to
have been selected at the convenience of the candidates without giving
consideration to its usefulness for the profession. Even the topic is not clear at
times. Likewise, the title and sub-title of some studies create confusion.
(3) All the five studies suffered for lack of close supervision. Candidates had
difficulties to contact their supervisors as they reside in distant cities.
(4) Absence of a well established bibliography has been noticed in some theses.
Very little use of Western sources has been made in some cases.
(5) There is too much documentation in all the theses which makes the reader
uncomfortable. Almost every alternate line has been documented in some
cases.
(6) In the majority of cases, the introduction does not define the aims and means of
the study clearly. Likewise, the conclusion is not convincing in most cases.
(7) There is much to be desired so far as language is concerned. They suffer from
poor language and grammatical mistakes of all kinds. The narrative does not
flow well in some cases.
(8) Lack of uniformity in physical presentation has been observed. Even the two
theses submitted at the same university differ in formatting and general
neatness.
References
Ameen, K. (2005), ‘‘Philosophy and framework of collection management and its application in
university libraries in Pakistan: an appraisal’’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of the
Punjab.
Chishti, A.H. (1981), ‘‘Islami Kutubkhane 133 A.H./779 A.D. – 656 A.H./1258 A.D. In Urdu
(Tr.: Islamic Libraries: 779 A.D. To 1258 A.D.)’’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of
Karachi.
Dickinson, A.D. (1915), ‘‘Memoires’’, unpublished.
Fatima, N. (2000), Urdu makhtootat ki katalogsazi aur maiyar bandi. (Urdu: Tr. Cataloguing of
Urdu manuscripts and standardization), Library Promotion Bureau, Karachi.
Fatima, N., Mahmood, K. and Hashmi, N.H. (2004), Library and Information Science Research in
Pakistani Universities, Pakistan Bibliographical Organization, Karachi.
Haider, S.J. (1978), ‘‘Status of library research in Pakistan’’, Libri, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 326-37.
Haider, S.J. (1987), ‘‘The Department of Library and Information Science, University of Karachi: a
case study’’, Pakistan Library Bulletin, Vol. 18 No. 2-3, pp. 34-6.
Haider, S.J. (1998), ‘‘Educating future librarians in Pakistan: a library educator’s perspective’’,
Education for Information, Vol. 16, pp. 29-44.
Ilyas, M. (1996), ‘‘The status of copyright and book piracy in Pakistan’’, unpublished MPhil
thesis, University of Balochistan.
Ilyas, M. (2005), personal communication, 16 June.
Khan, M.F. (1991), ‘‘Coordinated planning for university libraries in Pakistan’’, unpublished PhD
thesis, Islamia University, Bahawalpur.
Khurshid, A. (1990), ‘‘Library resources in Pakistan: problems and achievements’’, Third World
Libraries, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 10-21.
Mahmood, K. (2004), ‘‘Alternative funding model for libraries in Pakistan’’, unpublished PhD
thesis, University of the Punjab.
Mubeen, S. (1996), ‘‘Use of academic libraries in Balochistan’’, unpublished MPhil thesis, Library and
University of Balochistan.
Pakistan Library Bulletin (1968), Vol. 1 No. 1, p. 58.
information
Soomro, S.G. (2004), personal communication, 13 December.
science research
Subhpoto, N.A. (2005), ‘‘A comparative study of provincial archives in Pakistan: their impact on
history, culture and research activities’’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Sindh.
University of Karachi. Board of Advanced Studies and Research (1994), Proceedings of the 417
Meeting held on 8 March 1994 and 28 March 1994, Item no. 23, (BASR/Misc/Ar/94 dated
2 August 1994).
University of Karachi, Department of Library and Information Science (n.d.), ‘‘MPhil programme
regulations’’, mimeo.
University of Peshawar (2003), ‘‘PhD regulations’’, Prospectus 2003.
University of the Punjab (2000), ‘‘Revised regulations relating to the administration, registration
and examination for studies leading to PhD degree’’, mimeo.
Yusuf al’Ash (1967), Les bibliotheques arabes publiques et semi publiques en Mesopotamie, en
Syrie, et en Egypte au Moyen-age, Institute francais de Damascus, Damascus.
Corresponding author
Khalid Mahmood can be contacted at: khalid@dlis.pu.edu.pk.