Progress of library & information services sector of the Maldives : commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Maldives Library Association, 1987 to 2012

Abstract

The purpose of bringing this book together is to document the progress the library and information sector has made over the last few decades. It is also an effort to gather support from policy makers, the public, and from prospective candidates to join this important sector where people with the right aptitude for emerging technologies can contribute to a large extent. The book could be useful for information policy makers, for LIS students and educators, and also as a historical timeline of LIS development of the Maldives. The idea about this book was generated over a year ago, and every effort has been made to attract as many people in the information sector to contribute to this edition in article submission. It is with appreciation that we put together this volume with contributions from almost everyone who has undergone an extended education in this field of study and currently working in the Maldives library sector. The articles in this book can be divided into two main sections. The first one mostly reporting on the progress of the Maldives Library Association in terms of its management and administration and milestones achieved during this short period, taking into consideration the myriad challenges which can be mainly attributed to shortage of funds and qualified human resources. 4 The second part of the book presents papers of scholarly nature, focussing on the area of information provision in the Maldivian context. The papers explore the areas of Library and Information Services education and its progress, the complexity of the attempts at creating a library consortia, the challenges in securing academic journal databases, the need for adhering to a common publishing standard, and the initiatives of creating and introducing local digital libraries as well as embracing library automation. I conclude these introductory words with gratitude to all the contributors and well-wishers who helped in this process. The compilation of this book has itself been a learning journey.