Mangaluru : Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management organized National Librarians Day programme on 13th Aug, 2024 held at Sahyadri Campus in Mangaluru. The Sahyadri Librarians Team celebrated the 132nd birth anniversary of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan, the Father of Library Science in India. Dr. Mallikarjun Angadi, Librarian, NITK Surathkal inaugurated program.

National Librarians Day ceremony commenced with a lamp-lighting ritual performed by distinguished guests including Dr. S S Injaganeri, Principal; trustees Mr. Jagannath Chowta and Mr. Devadas Hegde; Librarian Dr. Bharathi K; and the Chief Guest, Dr. Mallikarjun Angadi. During the event, faculty members who have authored books were honoured, and special recognition was given to students and staff who have actively utilized the Digital Library.

This event not only commemorated Dr. Ranganathan’s legacy but also underscored the vibrant academic community at Sahyadri College, showcasing the institution’s dedication to excellence in learning and literary pursuits.

Dr. Mallikarjun, in his address, spoke about the facilities at the Central library of NITK Surathkal and welcomed Sahyadrians to visit and reach out for any help on additional resources. He spoke on the 5 laws of library science proposed by Dr. S R Ranganathan and said “Books are for use. Nothing is constant hence libraries should adapt to changes in the trend”. He urged the faculty and students to focus on content development, further he said “Collaborate and network, create ambience with right activities, students will buzz to the library”.
Mr. Jagannath Chowta, while addressing the audience appreciated the efforts of the library team especially Dr. Bharathi who is part of Sahyadri since its inception. He highlighted that these days with digitalization, the information available in any form is just passed over without understanding the essence of the information. It is read and forgotten. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Chowta wished that the teachings of Dr. S R Ranganathan should be a model for the whole country.

Sahyadri Principal Dr. S S Injaganeri in his presidential address congratulated the librarian and the team for the commitment towards organizing this event for the very first time. He re-iterated that before organizing any program, the objective should be pondered upon and this event has wide range of objectives to fulfil especially promoting the importance of reading as well as networking with the librarians of other colleges and regions for exchanging ideas to improve the library facility. In the concluding remarks, talking about the evolution of library, he urged the team to ensure books are accessible and affordable for the students to refer.

Dr. Bharathi K provided a comprehensive overview of the program, offering valuable insights into its significance and contributions made by faculty and students by authoring books and utilizing the digital library to the fullest.

The event was supported by Library committee members, library staff members, Vice Principal Dr. Sudheer Shetty, Deans, HODs, F.O., faculty, staff, and students of the institution. Ms. Kavya, the Student Counsellor shared the vote of thanks.