Trends in Library Science Education and Research in India during 21st Century: An Exploration through Network Visualization

Abstract

India has an impressive history of higher education dating back to the ancient times. Since independence from the British colonization, the education infrastructure in the country has flourished astonishingly. Libraries are integral to the education system, supporting the academic, research and extension activities of institutions by satisfying the information needs of stakeholders. With technological advancements, the functioning and services of libraries have undergone drastic changes. Congruently, the Library and Information Science (LIS) education and research have also been re-engineered over the period for developing the Library and Information Science Professionals (LISPs) having skills and capabilities for working in Information Technology based environment vis-à-vis for implementing the emerging technologies for value-added library services, in addition to having the basic skills of librarianship.

The present study elaborates the trends in LIS education and research based on network visualization of bibliometric indicators of journal articles in LIS indexed in the Indian Citation Index (ICI). The findings of the study are expected to be useful to the teachers, researchers, planners, policy-makers and funding agencies for gaining an understanding of the LIS education and research and its pattern in the country, and for taking necessary measures to fill the gaps.