Message from Editor-In-Chief

Message from the Editor-In-Chief

Prodip Roy (Editor in Chief)

On behalf of The Librarian Times editorial committee, I warmly welcome you to TLT’s fourth anniversary and award celebration of 2021. We are celebrating this event this year in the 50th year of independence of Bangladesh, so this celebration is especially memorable for us.

We are excited to announce that this year, two new categories entitled, Dr Md. Nazim Uddin Memorial LIS Academic/Librarian of the year award and Dr Md. Nazim Uddin Memorial Student of the Year Awards have been added to TLT initiative, recognising industry professionals’ achievements and academic excellence in LIS education. Dr Md. Nazim Uddin was a senior manager and head, library and information services at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) who passed away on 23 December 2020 in Dhaka due to complications from COVID-19. To remembrance his outstanding contribution to the LIS profession Dr Md. Nazim Uddin’s family is generously supporting this award prize money. On behalf of TLT, I want to thank his family members for the financial and moral support for the inauguration of the new award in the LIS history in Bangladesh. 

 As you know, this event is the 4th anniversary of TLT, where we are going to announce several awards for the LIS academics, professionals and students for their outstanding contributions to the sector. 

The Librarian Times was founded on 2nd February 2017, to focus on increasing collaboration with Library Association Bangladesh (LAB), Bangladesh Association of Librarians, Information Scientists and Documentalists (BALID), LIS institutes, Government and international LIS organisations to break the professional barriers in Bangladesh.

Our mission is to overcome the Library and Information Science professional barriers, inspire professionals and contribute to the country by supporting library and information advocacy and undertaking research. Our vision is to envision a nation where library and information communities will have the opportunity to attain an excellent platform to build a literate society with collaborative practice.

As part of national and global mission and vision, we have collaborated with many individuals and organizations to celebrate TLT’s 4th anniversary.  In continuation of this, The candidate receiving the Academic (University and college) Librarian Award and the Special Librarian of the Year Award are nominated by the Library Association of Bangladesh (LAB), the candidate receiving Dr Md. Nazim Uddin Memorial Academic/Librarian of the year award is nominated and selected by the Bangladesh Association of Librarians, Information Scientists and Documentalists (BALID), the candidate receiving the Public Librarian of the Year Award is nominated and selected by the Dept. of Public Libraries, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the candidate receiving the School Librarian of the Year Award is nominated and selected by the School Library Association of Bangladesh (SLABD), the candidate receiving the Medical Librarian of the Year Award is nominated and selected by the Medical Library Association of Bangladesh and the candidates receiving Dr Md. Nazim Uddin Memorial Award (LIS Student of the year, two awards) are nominated and selected by the Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, and University of Rajshahi. On behalf of TLT editorial members and the event committee, I would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to everyone, for your excellent collaboration and outstanding support. I am taking this opportunity to congratulate both the award winners and the selection committee members from different institutions who successfully completed the nomination process.

Putting the event of this magnitude together is not a small task.  To that end, I wish to special congratulate and thank the event coordinator, Syeda Muka Begum for her tremendous support and the successful arrangement of the program. Over the last more than four years, TLT members have made tremendous contributions to librarianship practices, resulting in impacts in the LIS sector in Bangladesh. I would also like to thank TLT members for all the excellent work you have done for the last four years to foster goodwill amongst the LIS community in Bangladesh. I convey my greetings and good wishes for the future too. 

On behalf of TLT, I thank Christine Mackenzie President of, IFLA for joining the event as the chief guest and for her wisdom. The LIS community is grateful for her attendance at the event. I want to mention her slogan, Let’s work together.” 

We want to thank Loida Garcia-Febo, International Library Consultant American Library Association President 2019-2020; Viv Barton, President Australian Library and Information Association; Katy Manck, President – International Association of School Librarianship (IASL); Lydia S. Middleton MBA, CAE, Executive Director Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T); Selina Sharmin, Coping Skills Librarian, Queens Public Library, New York, United State,  Former President Ethnic Services Round Table at New York Library Association (2019-2020) President & Founder Nolak Women for Bangladeshi Women Inc. the USA; Kirsty Crawford, Programme Director, Libraries Unlimited, Devendra Potnis, PhD Chair, ASIS&T SIG-III Associate Professor, School of Information Sciences, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, USA; Sapna Banerjee, Dean, Faculty Council for Post-Graduate Studies in Education, Journalism, Library & Inf. Science  & Professor, Dept. of Library and Information Science, University of Calcutta;  Dr Naresh Agarwal, Associate Professor and Director, Information Science & Technology Concentration School of Library & Information Science, Simmons University, Boston, USA, President-elect, Association for Information Science & Technology; Dr Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq,  Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, Mostafa Azad Kamal, Professor & Dean, The School of Business, Bangladesh Open University, Dr Dilara Begum Chairperson & Associate Professor, Information Studies and Library Management, East-West University; Dr Md. Mofizur Rahman, Professor, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, University of Dhaka; Dr Md. Nasir Uddin Munshi, Professor & University Librarian, University of Dhaka; Bijoy Basak, BPM, PPM (BAR) Deputy Police Commissioner (North) Chittagong Metropolitan Police; Dr Md. Mizanur Rahman, President, Library Association of Bangladesh; and others for their excellent contributions including sending wishing messages, attending as panellists, funding and continuous supports.  

A big thank you again to our event partners, sponsors, committee members, award selection committee members, all guests, panellists and volunteers who have contributed to the success of the event and all our activities during the past four years.

We look forward to working together in the future.

Best wishes,

Prodip Roy AALIA (DCP)

Editor, The Librarian Times