Fifty years is a short time in history but for an academic institution that period is generally a journey of achievements, successes, triumphs and accomplishments.
The Department of Library and Information Science, Osmania University is one such department that is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.
Established in 1959, the first such department in a university in the State, it has produced some of the stalwarts in the field over the last 50 years.
“The efforts of late Mr. Yazdani, Mr. B.P.Shenoy and Mr. K. Raghava Reddy who gave shape to this department have yielded fruits. The department has been a catalyst in the growth and development of knowledge societies, says V. Vishwa Mohan, Head of the Department. Initially, the Department used to offer two courses - Post-Graduate Diploma and Post-Matriculate Certificate in Library Science. In 1965 the Diploma programme was replaced with a Post-Graduate Bachelor's Degree Programme (BLISc). From time to time and in accordance with the UGC recommendations, the nomenclature of the Department and programmes have been changed from Library Science to Library & Information Science in mid 1970s.
In 1978-79 the Department, for the first time in Andhra Pradesh, introduced MLISc programme and consequently to it the M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes were introduced keeping in view the professional demand. From this year a P.G. Diploma in Digital Information Management is also being planned with the support of the UGC.
Prof. Vishwa Mohan says during the last 50 years the Department has produced about 2,500 professionals . The department plans golden jubilee celebrations this year and as a part of it a two-day seminar is being organised on May 10 and 11 at the University.
