Mysore/Mysuru: The Department of Studies in Library and Information Science, University of Mysore (UoM) held its 16th Endowment Lecture on Digital Libraries here recently.

The lecture featured distinguished speakers who discussed about the challenges and opportunities of knowledge organisation in the digital era.

In his keynote address, former Chairman of University of Madras, Chennai, Prof. K.S. Raghavan spoke on the topic “Knowledge organisation in the digital era: Issues, Challenges and Approaches.”

Prof. Raghavan highlighted the inadequacies of traditional knowledge organisation systems in coping with the digital information explosion.

He emphasised on the importance of staying updated with the latest technologies and tools for organising information effectively. Today’s major concerns of knowledge organisation are automatic categorisation, understanding a text enough to identify entities, concepts, etc., associated with it, and automatic and adequate description of information objects.

Acting Vice-Chancellor of University of Mysore, Prof. Muzaffar H. Assadi, presided over the function.

In his remarks, he asked whether physical libraries would disappear due to the onslaught of digitalisation. He also urged library professionals to consider the co-existence of conventional and digital libraries.

Prof. Assadi highlighted the advantages of digital libraries, such as the flexibility of information access, cultural transformation, collapse of hierarchy, and condensation of time and space in accessing information.

Prof. M.A. Sridhar of the Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, opined that ‘Technology has democratised information access and changed people’s lives.

N.V. Satyanarayana, Chai-rman and Managing Director of Informatics India Ltd., Bengaluru, suggested that more collaborative research is required between computer science and library science.

He emphasised that despite the technology, knowledge organisation remains the focus even in the digital world.

Dr. N.S. Harinarayana, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Studies in Library and Information Science, welcomed. Several distinguished professors, including Prof. Mallinath Kumbar, Prof. M. Chandrashekara, Prof. Shalini R. Urs, Prof. Khaiser Jahan Begum, Prof. H. S. Nagendraswamy, Prof. Suresha and L. Hamsaveni were also present. The lecture provided a platform for experts to share their insights on knowledge organisation in the digital era. The discussions highlighted the need for a collaborative approach between library science and other subject domains to equip students with the necessary skills for effective knowledge organisation.