BU Chief Librarian wins top SLA Sci-Tech award
Times of Bennett | Updated: Apr 25, 2023 09:15
By Shreya Dattatraya Chougule
Dr.
“It’s always a happy moment to have been recognised through such an award by a professional body. It is a matter of pride,” said Dr. Kataria expressing his joy for the award. He is connected through more than 1000 libraries across the globe to the
The award consists of a certificate, citation, and USD 1000 for participating in the
Dr. Kataria discussed how the Association has been an important part of his librarian journey. “At the association we share and learn the best practices of librarianship. It is a global community. I look at whatever we could implement out of those practices at Bennett.” Through SLA Dr. Kataria has been a part of numerous conferences and has released several research papers.
Dr. Kataria shared more about his career of 25 years as a librarian. “The journey has been exciting and full of learning. There has been a constant requirement to keep up with the changing times.” He also spoke about the difference between traditional libraries from when we started and the ones that exist today. “In traditional libraries, people used it in person, they visited the libraries. So, I think the value of the library at that time was different.”
“Now the times have changed we can’t just have a quiet library. There is a need for places for discussions and integrating technology and making it more accessible to students. There is a need for global exposure,” he added. He said that while people do read, reading at libraries, an authentic source of information, is very important.
He expressed his fondness for the library by calling it his lifeline. “The library is not just a space. It is an essential part of one’s reading and writing interests.”
(The writer is a Semester II student of BA (Journalism and Mass Communication) programme.)
