Overview of Libraries in Bhutan

Background of library development
Libraries in Bhutan seem to have emerged as early as the monastic education system during the time of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. The first Director of the National Library was Geshe Tshewang, a highly respected scholar monk, and followed by Lopen Pemala, indicating that the libraries were established in ancient Bhutan mainly at monasteries. Thus, Buddhist scholars were better skilled to managed libraries than others, and brought to its life. Today, we have a two giant and magnificent building, housing the national library of Bhutan with a massive collection of multi-disciplinary subjects. Thank you to all the librarians who have walked before us and gifted us with a wonderful library collection. However, from users’ perspective, we see the National library as a museum rather than a library. As such, the development of library infrastructure and capacity building has remained largely neglected area which has resulted into limited resources and users in libraries. A few sparely literatures are available in the field of libraries. The development of modern libraries in Bhutan seems to be relatively new and libraries were not given due importance as it deserves. Although the National Library of Bhutan was established four decades ago (1967), followed by public library (1974) and various other college libraries, we do not have a strong history of well-provisioned libraries or responsive library services. For instance, the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Public library, housed in a small traditional resident – ironically at the heart of the city. The library lacks a proper reading space which creates the library a less attractive place to read and work. Thereby, it discourages the use of library and alienates Bhutanese youths to inculcate reading habits.

On the journey to a gradually development of libraries, now the World Wide Web and the internet has been introduced in the country. With this, users have started to leap over the conventional way of accessing resources by being physically present at the library. Users seem to be finding their information need from the Internet, although not every bit of information resources. As it was evident that the Google is the most popular resources used every day by the respondents of survey, indicating that the internet is playing a vital role for users in the country. With the use of internet as a medium, libraries no longer require to have huge buildings. However, this does not mean that we don’t need library buildings. With the paradigm shift of libraries from physical access to virtual resources, librarians’ knowledge and skills need to be advanced accordingly rather than constructing a huge building.

Library corporations and services
Libraries purchase and house resources that are expensive to procure, posing challenges to limited budgets. However, we do not have a mechanism to share those resources among different libraries which would substantially increase the maximum utilization of resources. As a response, we have organized and coordinated a Bhutanese librarians’ workshop for the first time in the history of Bhutanese librarians’ profession, which was funded by the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment on 4th November 2012. The workshop was conducted with two main objectives: building the resource sharing network through formulation of a consortium and strengthen the collaborative relationship among librarians. We also established a consortium called the Bhutan Library Corporation (BLC), and also proposed for an annual library conference. This initiative has heightened a collaborative relationship and mutual support among librarians in the country. This is a right time for the Bhutanese librarians to stick together to play a significant role in the society.

Current challenges
The 21st century world is driven by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and librarians’ profession too is being persuaded along with it, and the paradigm of library’s function is getting shifted towards the virtual world including reference interview to the accessing of resources. For instance, the internet is increasingly being used in the country which generates a new challenge particularly for librarians and information providers. Not only unable to keep the pace of changing technologies, they are also faced with pressing issues of not having enough resources to cater the needs of users.

On the other hand, electronic and digital resources such as e-books, e-journals and videos are growing faster than traditional collections (Jewell et al. 2004) ultimately decreasing the number of physical library users. To this end, “libraries are increasingly viewed as outdated, with modern internet-based services, such as Amazon and Google, looking set to inherit the throne” Chad & Miller (2005). As a result, the society has a low recognition for librarian’s profession. For instance, some of the schools considered their librarian as a baby sister for teachers. Given the platform and opportunities for librarians to update and enhance their skills and knowledge, librarians can contribute to our society much more than this, like any other determined group of professionals. Most of us tend to think that the librarian’s task is just to arrange some books, procure some reference material, check out and check in books. That’s it. To delve deeper, the librarians have a huge task. Just to quote Ranganathan’s five laws:

1. Books are for Use
2. Every Reader His Book
3. Every Book Its Read 
4. Save the Time of the Reader
5. A Library is a Growing Organism

Basically, every bit of librarian’s task is a projection of these five laws. Just to describe the last law, how difficult it would be to nurture and bring life to a growing organism? For instance, to grow up a child from a baby to adult, how parents have to struggle and suffer. Librarians are exactly the same as parents to their own library and users.

Moverover, currently, librarians are struggling to accustom with a new library systems such as koha, greenstone digital library and the libraryworld. As they lack a new knowledge and skills to use these systems. Easy access of resources from the internet has heightened the user’s expectation and librarians are technically challenged to make their resources accessible online. With updated knowledge and skills related to ICT and new library systems would be the only option to tackle these challenges.

Opportunities
Currently, the information world is undergoing transition from a Library-centered to an information-centered entity and a paper-based environment to a predominantly digital interface. These changes create various opportunities to learn and develop new skills. The transition is a platform, whereby libraries can also collect and store a huge number of e-resources produced from the government and other agencies for future retrieval, which is not happening in the country. Furthermore, we also need to reconsider some of the critical questions such as is there a need for Libraries and Librarians in the electronic age? and how libraries are relevant to the modern society?

We have an opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge related to library automation and new method of service delivery through the internet. Research and comparative analysis on various library software packages such as E-print, Dspace and Fedora, electronic resource management systems (ERMS) both commercial and open source can be carried independently.

All these challenges and pressing issues, which we are currently facing as a librarian of the 21st century provides us a strength to establish the BLC, although it does not have a simple answers.

Training opportunities
The use of information technology such as an Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and the internet to deliver library service is relatively new in the country. Moreover, a significant number of libraries are run by staff without library qualifications or without library related trainings (Ransom, 2011). Although the Ministry of Education (2010: 94) states that “there should be provision for the training of library staff at all levels”. Perhaps to have a professional staff is a challenge for every developing country, as the government has a priority for other basic needs such as health care, education and poverty reduction. A study conducted in 2011 demonstrated that training of a practical nature was not only needed, but requested by the staff (Ransom, 2011). The government seems to be sceptical and partially blaming to lack of fund for such trainings. Keep aside the trainings, to attend a few days workshops or conferences within a country is a problem for libraries.

Update on Bhutan Library Consortium (BLC) 

• The first resources sharing workshop of its kind has been conducted in December, 2012 at UWICE, Bumthang
• Recently, the first annual BLC conference was held in December, 2013 at RTC, Thimphu
• BCL member comprises of various libraries across the country (19 libraries)
• BLC charters and bylaws has been endorsed during the recent conference
• Three officers (Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer) has been selected on unanimous consent to provide leadership, continuity and accountability to BLC
• Next year, the annual BLC conference will be held either at Samtse College of Education or Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment or Royal Institute of Management
• Creation of union catalogue within the BLC member libraries will be the first target in 2014

Conclusion
Developing nations have an obvious challenges and problems for libraries to remain relevant for the 21st century users. The use of internet and World Wide Web has further added a challenge of not being able keep the pace with rapid change of technologies. This not only generates challenges and but also creates an opportunity for libraries to play a centre role for the society with the use of various integrated library technologies. The library corporation service such as a BLC is seen as a viable alternative for the lack of funds to procure resources. The mission and objectives of BLC is clear to all the member libraries. Although we have to go through various hurdles and impediments, with unflagging support from all the member libraries we will see through it.

Sonam Wangdi
UWICE Librarian
Bumthang