Thiruvananthapuram Taluk, India
Dr. R. Raman Nair has his education at University of Kerala and Banaras Hindu University. He has associated with major digitization projects like Web Archives of Kerala Legislative Assembly Proceedings, and Mahatma Gandhi University Open Access PhD Theses Digital Library (mgutheses.org). Is a member of the National Committee on Submission and Access to Electronic Theses and Dissertations in Universities in India. Has served as University Librarian of Kerala Agricultural University. Has envisioned and initiated the establishment of Centre for Advanced Research in Library and Information Science at Mahatma Gandhi University. Organized many national and international training programmes on ICT under Ministries of Science and Technology, Agriculture and other agencies of Government of India, got the S M Ganguly National Award in 1998 and has numerous published books on Information Science and related subjects. Founder member of Centre for Informatics Research and Development, India. Areas of Specialization: Open Access, Digital Archiving, agricultural information systems, heritage conservation.
MGU established in 1983, is an university offering 410 graduate/post graduate courses and MPhil/PhD programmes through 22 University Departments, 240 colleges, and 72 of Centres. Offers research facilities and guidance in over 40 disciplines. As Librarian my job included planning, budgeting, collection development, Organizing ICT related workshops and short training programmes and courses, developing their content etc and coordination of the information service activities of University Central Library, Study Centres and 22 Schools/Departments. Envisioned and implemented the MGU Online Theses Digital Library and its website http://www. mgutheses.org, which provides free access to the growing collection of university’s online doctoral theses in Sanskrit, Malayalam, Hindi and English. A special package Nitya DArch with search mechanisms for all languages covered, using technology developed by K. H. Hussain in India was used. It is the first official Web based theses archive of any Indian university. Launching the Archive in November 2008 HE Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, the Former President of India stated that the project is an important step towards democratization of knowledge and that he was sure the model of digital archives created by MG University will be emulated by other Indian universities leading to transparency in the education system. This It has been selected as one of the very best web resources for education and research and included in its approved resources by INTUTE. It also won the State e-Governance Award 2010. Envisioned and implemented the "Centre for Advanced Research in Library and Information Science' of MGU in 2008 which was intended to cover library science, IT, and knowledge management and concentrate on technologies that can transfer existing knowledge from traditional media to future proof media for the networked society and extend services also to the underprivileged. The centre started PhD Course in 2010. .
Responsibilities included managing the library system consisting of a central library and about 20 departmental libraries and their services, collection development, serials management, classification, cataloguing, reference service, providing library orientation lectures and organizing extension activities. Developed 'Brennan Malayala Granthasooji' in association with Sri. K. H. Hussain; the first electronic catalogue in any Indian language with search mechanism in the local script. It databases 21600 books in Government Brennan College which contained many vary rare and otherwise not available Malayalam books printed during the nineteenth century.
A major Indian University was established in 1971 on the land grant colleges’ pattern of United States. As head of this university library system, was administratively responsible for running the Central Library at Thrissur, 10 college libraries and library services in 30 research stations spread over the State of Kerala, and a Centre for Library and Information Science offering ICT literacy programmes for scientists, teachers, librarians and students. The jobs included planning, budgeting, staff recruitment, developing library networks, management of digital libraries, collection development, document delivery, reference service, bibliographic instruction, outreach programmes, conducting short courses, workshops, training programmes etc. Prepared jointly with scientists from concerned fields the Feasibility Report on the Kerala Agricultural University Campus Wide Information System and Network in 1996 on establishing a Campus Network for Kerala Agricultural University’s (KAU) main campus (at Vellanikkara, Thrissur) and a state-of-the art Electronic Data Complex in its University Library premises for the dissemination of topical awareness and global information to those in agricultural sector of the State. It recommended a Campus LAN and state-of-the art Agricultural Digital Library and Data Complex, and a wide area Network scattered campuses of KAU and allied institutions. Even though the report was prepared in 1996 it is still of interest for critical studies on history of ICT development in India especially in agricultural sector and comparison of quality of systems and recommendations of a specific time in the past. Based on the implementation of the project I got a National Award in 1998. The report is available at http://eprints.rclis.org/handle/10760/8618
A college with a history of more than 100 years of excellence in the field of women education, one of the oldest women’s colleges in the country started, in 1864 by the Royal family of Travancore Has 22 teaching departments. Responsibilities of teh librarian included coordinating the services from 22 Departmental libraries and a central library, managing collection development, serials management, classification, cataloguing, reference service, providing library orientation lectures and organizing extension activities. Re organized the library into a live inviting physical facility in its old building, and influenced the authorities to conserve the heritage building instead of dismantling it for a modern concrete structure. Managed the development of first Multimedia Compatible Library Automation system in the country at the college in 1995 which consisted of A database of books available in the library, other documents in different media available in the library as all types of documents like text, audio files, video and interactive multimedia available in digital form with links to the materials available in digital form. It was the first such archival project implemented in any academic institution in India and got wide press coverage.