This document discusses introducing a Cultural Heritage Information Management course into LIS curricula in India. It argues that culture and cultural heritage are important for any country to preserve for future generations. However, the current LIS curricula across India lack courses focused on cultural heritage information management. The proposed course would educate students in managing cultural heritage information in institutions like libraries, archives, and museums using digital technologies. It would provide students with skills to help such institutions preserve important cultural resources and provide greater access. The course would cover basics of culture and cultural heritage, and their importance. It is recommended the course be introduced at the master's level. Case studies of other schools offering similar courses would help in developing this new course for LIS

1. Introducing Cultural Heritage
Information Management in Indian
LIS Curricula
Dr. Nirmal K. Swain
Assistant Professor
Dept of Library Science ,
Banasthali University
Rajasthan – 304022
Email: nirmal_swain@yahoo.com

2. Lecture delivered
Lecture delivered at
International Seminar
on
Cultural Heritage Information: Strategic Role of Library and
Information Centres
at IIHMR , Jaipur
on
Saturday, November 16, 2013

3. Introduction
 Culture
and cultural heritage have become very
pivotal belonging for any country, region and
geographical locations. It is equally important to
have information about them and also to
preserve this cultural heritage for future
generation. Countries like India and its
subcontinents have enough potential cultural
heritages to exhibit and showcase before the
world. The argument here to introduce a paper
in library and information science curricula.

4.  LIS
education in India through completed 100
years many a times it is felt the syllabi lacks
many important aspects and further needs to
be replaced by some interdisciplinary areas
which may be considered as need of the hour.
A cursory look into the LIS curricula across the
country lacks this in their syllabus though
sometimes it is found digitization of Indian
cultural heritage.

5. Course Description

The Cultural Heritage Information Management (CHIM)
course of study is designed to educate cultural heritage
information professionals for the 21st century and
prepare students for careers in cultural institutions such
as libraries, archives, and museums. The CHIM course
of study is designed to address the market needs
created by the convergence of practice in libraries,
archives, and museums. Libraries, Archives, and
Museums (LAM) have a huge wealth of cultural
heritage resources of great importance to their
communities.

6.  These
institutions face the challenge of
preserving such resources for future
generations as well as making use of digital
technology to allow patrons greater access to
their collections. Thus, the CHIM course of
study is a unique program to ensure that
students acquire the knowledge and skills
needed to help cultural heritage institutions
address challenges posed by the evolving
information environment.

7.  Further
the course is intended to have a
strategic
and
systematic
information
management about culture, cultural heritage
and cultural heritage information system. It
may begin with the basics of culture may be
the way the sociologists understand this
phenomena. The importance of culture, cultural
heritage and its role for future generation
should be an important part of for the learners
to know.

8. Level

When it comes to which level we intend to introduce for
the learners it may depend upon the library schools to
decide. At least this is preferred at masters level as
basics about librarianship must have the ingredients of
bachelors level. This seems to be a specialized course
may be introduced at master’s level further as a
elective or optional. Some of the library schools might
consider it as a compulsory paper if the pass outs can
get better opportunities in the locality after having this
course taught.

9. Faculty
 In
Indian scenario surplus faculties
are not normally found in the library
schools. So that the only option is to
find out a suitable teacher from the
existing faculty list to handle this
course.

10.  Initially
the teacher may find difficulties as he
does not have a prior training on this but
gradually one can develop. Some of the course
elements can be managed by hiring with
payment or voluntarily from the faculties of the
parent institutions. Example to brief the cultural
elements of cultural heritage the faculties from
the sociology background will be a good
option.

11. Initial encouragement should be pushed as a
large number of library schools have already
have some element of digitization and to some
extent digitization of rare books and other
things. So for them adding the additional
elements to the course may not be a big
problem.

12. Case study
 Before
moving into introducing this in the
syllabus it is usual to look into for other schools
who have already introduced. By this at least
course element, methodology, tools and
techniques and other aspects can quickly be
accessed. An internet glimpse gives us the link
American University of Cathedral has already
been running this course. So that many things
can be learnt from them.

13. Financial assistance
Probably the nature of the course will be as such
many Indian states prominently Rajasthan,
North Eastern States where tourists pour large
in number to come forward to fund fully or
partially. This option can be an additional
funding source apart from the usual pattern.

14. Course benefit
It is obvious any new course is implemented the
benefits intended is a vital thing to be
considered. If the pass outs can be absorbed
just after their completion will be a boost to the
school as well as the parent university and the
funding agency also. Some kind of mechanism
can be developed so that the tourism agencies
may be the governmental level and private
level come forward to recruit these pass outs.

15. Conclusion
This seems to be a good option for library
schools to grab the situation for their
departmental benefits which not only brings
laurel to the parent university but push forward
the professionalism of the course and the pass
outs. May be time to time up gradation from the
feedbacks can one day give library school a
big manpower supplier.

16. Thank You