UGC NET Law Unit - II Syllabus

Name the model public library bill drafted by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan that influenced Indian state library legislation.

The 'Model Public Library Act' (Model Library Bill) drafted by Ranganathan, which served as a template for several state public library acts in India.

What is the full form of IFLA and where is it headquartered?

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Founded in 1927, it is the leading global body representing library and information services.

What does FID stand for and what classification scheme is it associated with?

FID = Fédération Internationale de Documentation (International Federation for Information and Documentation), founded 1895 as IIB by Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine; it maintained the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). FID was dissolved in 2002.

What does ALA stand for and when was it founded?

American Library Association, founded in 1876 — the oldest and largest library association in the world, established under the leadership of Melvil Dewey and others.

What is IASLIC and where is it based?

Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres, founded in 1955 and based in Kolkata; it serves special and research libraries in India.

What is ILA and when was it established?

Indian Library Association, founded in 1933 at Calcutta; it is the national association of librarians in India, with Dr. S. R. Ranganathan as its first president.

Which international body is the UK's professional association for librarians, formed by a 2002 merger?

CILIP — the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, formed in 2002 by the merger of the Library Association (LA) and the Institute of Information Scientists (IIS).

What does ASLIB stand for and which country is it from?

ASLIB = Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux (UK), founded in 1924, focusing on special libraries and information management.

What is SLA in the context of international library associations?

Special Libraries Association — a US-based international association founded in 1909 for librarians and information professionals working in special/corporate library settings.

Define 'professional ethics' in librarianship.

A set of moral principles and standards of conduct guiding librarians — covering equitable access, intellectual freedom, confidentiality of user records, copyright respect, and neutrality in service provision.

Name three core values typically found in a library code of ethics (e.g., IFLA Code of Ethics, 2012).

(1) Free access to information and intellectual freedom; (2) Privacy/confidentiality of user data; (3) Respect for copyright/intellectual property and neutrality without personal bias.

What are the 'Five Laws of Library Science' formulated by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan in 1931?

1) Books are for use; 2) Every reader his/her book; 3) Every book its reader; 4) Save the time of the reader; 5) The library is a growing organism.

What are the key attributes that make librarianship a 'profession'?

A specialised body of knowledge, formal education and qualification, a professional association, a code of ethics, service orientation to society, and recognised autonomy/standards of practice.

List four essential professional skills/competences expected of a modern librarian.

(1) Information literacy and reference skills; (2) ICT/digital and database management skills; (3) Cataloguing, classification and metadata skills; (4) Communication, management and user-service skills.

What is a 'user study' in library and information science?

A systematic investigation of the information needs, information-seeking behaviour, and information use patterns of library users to improve services and collection development.

Name the three broad categories of user studies based on focus.

(1) Information needs studies; (2) Information-seeking behaviour studies; (3) Information use (and user satisfaction) studies.

What is the difference between 'user studies' and 'user education'?

User studies investigate users' needs and behaviour (a research/diagnostic activity), whereas user education instructs users on how to identify, locate and use library resources effectively (an instructional/training activity).

Define 'user education' and list its main levels.

User education is a programme to teach users to effectively exploit library resources. Levels: library orientation, library instruction (bibliographic instruction), and information literacy education.

What is the difference between 'library orientation' and 'bibliographic instruction'?

Library orientation introduces users to the library's layout, services and rules; bibliographic instruction teaches users how to use specific tools (catalogues, indexes, databases) to find information.

Define 'information literacy.'

The ability to recognise an information need and to locate, evaluate, organise and use information effectively and ethically — a set of competencies enabling lifelong learning.

Which standards for information literacy in higher education were issued by ACRL, and what replaced them?

The ACRL 'Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education' (2000) were rescinded in 2016 and replaced by the 'Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education' (2015/2016).

Name two influential models of the information literacy / information search process.

(1) Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP) model; (2) The Big6 model by Eisenberg and Berkowitz (and the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy).

What are the six stages of the Big6 information literacy model?

1) Task definition; 2) Information seeking strategies; 3) Location and access; 4) Use of information; 5) Synthesis; 6) Evaluation.

What is the SCONUL 'Seven Pillars of Information Literacy' model?

A UK model (Society of College, National and University Libraries) describing IL as seven pillars: Identify, Scope, Plan, Gather, Evaluate, Manage, and Present.

What are the seven concepts (frames) in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy (2015)?

1) Authority is constructed and contextual; 2) Information creation as a process; 3) Information has value; 4) Research as inquiry; 5) Scholarship as conversation; 6) Searching as strategic exploration. (Six frames, threshold-concept based.)

What is RRRLF and what is its role in promotion of libraries in India?

Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, established 1972 under the Ministry of Culture, headquartered in Kolkata; it promotes public library development through financial and technical assistance on a matching-grant basis.

Which national policy body recommended a national library policy, and what is the National Knowledge Commission's relevance to libraries?

The National Knowledge Commission (2005-2009) recommended setting up a National Mission on Libraries, modernising public libraries, and a national library network to strengthen access to knowledge.

What is the National Mission on Libraries (NML) in India?

A scheme launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Culture to modernise and network public libraries, create model libraries, conduct surveys of libraries, and provide capacity building — based on NKC recommendations.

Distinguish between 'standards', 'norms' and 'guidelines' in library management.

Standards are authoritative measures of quality/quantity to be achieved; norms are quantitative benchmarks (e.g., books per reader); guidelines are advisory recommendations of good practice — standards are prescriptive, guidelines are flexible.

What is the recommended minimum book stock norm for a public library serving a community per the IFLA guidelines?

IFLA public library guidelines suggest a stock of about 1.5 to 2.5 books per capita (with a minimum collection even for small communities), plus annual addition and weeding norms to keep the collection current.