TISS revise library timings, students express dissatisfaction over revised schedule

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, one of the primer institutes in the country has recently revised the library timing which has cut down the usage hours in a huge way. According to the notice issued by the institute’s librarian on Monday, the updated timings will be made effective from Thursday.

The library of the institute – Sir Dorabji Tata Memorial Library consists of a study hall in the ground floor, a computer library on the first floor a media library on the second floor and a facility for M.Phil and Ph.D. scholars on the third floor.

According to the revised timings, the library will remain open from 9.00 AM to 2.00 PM during the examination months (February to March and September to October). The remaining months which are April to August and November to January the library will remain open from 9.00 AM until 11.00 AM only. Before the revised timings were brought in the library remained open from 9.00 AM to 6.00 AM and remained closed only for three hours i.e 6.00AM to 9.00 AM for cleaning purposes. Along with the library timings, the timings for the circulation counter and the photocopying facility has also been revised by the institute.

The students at the institute, however, especially those doing their research have expressed their dissatisfaction with revised library working timings. According to them, the new timings have affected their access to a quiet place for their study and dissertation writing purposes. One of the students, a Ph.D. scholar at the institute says that they have used the library all night to write the M.Phil dissertation. The new changes brought in will definitely be a huge blow to the students. The students claim that the institution says that none of the library’s in the country are working all night.

The students also recall that this is the first time that something like this is happening at the institute and have condemned the step taken by the institute as ‘regressive’ and part of large changes yet to come into the institution.

The institution, however, claims that the revision of the library timings is aimed at using the library resources properly and avoids unnecessary wastage during the lean examination months.  Prof. Asha Banu, Dean of Student Affairs said that the institution conducted a study regarding the library usage and the student log over the past six months. She also added that the institute is also looking at how other universities are making use of their libraries. She adds that through the study it was found that during the examination months very few students used the library. She mentioned that the students use the library to either sleep or keep their personal belongings. She also states that previously there was no Wifi connection but now that the campus is equipped with wifi connections students now sit with their own laptops. She adds that the institute has to look into the utility of the library adding that a 24-hour working library is not viable any longer.

Students, however, claim that not all of them have laptops. Many of the marginalized students do not own laptops and even those who own laptops prefer to sit in the library given that the hostels are noisy. The students have written a letter to the administration voicing their concerns and presented their arguments asking the administration to consider and take an informed decision regarding the matter.