As part of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLISc) course curriculum and the celebration of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Week October 6-10, 2025 on the theme “Role of Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Memory Institutions in Preserving Indian Knowledge”, the Centre for Library and Information Management Studies (CLIMS) organised an educational field visit for the first-year MLISc (2025-2027 Batch) students on October 9, 2025. The visit was coordinated by Dr. Akhilesh Yadav under the broader framework of the IKS Week activities.
The educational tour was designed as a GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) exposure visit to three key institutions in Mumbai—IIT Bombay Library, IIM Mumbai Library and the Jehangir Art Gallery—to provide students with hands-on experience of innovative library practices, modern information management systems and cultural preservation mechanisms within India’s knowledge ecosystem.
Visit to IIT Bombay Library
The first stop of the visit was the Central Library of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, one of India’s leading academic libraries known for its robust technological integration and digital infrastructure. Students were warmly received by the library team, including Dr. Manju Naika (Chief Library Officer), Mr. L. P. Engole (Assistant Librarian), Mrs Mamta Kumari (Library Officer), Ms. Dipti S. Chaurasia (Senior Library Information Superintendent), Dr. Samruddhi Vishal Hawaldar (Senior Library Information Superintendent), Mr. Jhasaketan Biswal (Senior Library Information Superintendent), Mr. Jitendra Kumar Jain (Senior Library Information Superintendent) and several library interns.
The visit provided valuable insight into the Koha Integrated Library System which supports self-issue and return facilities, multilingual interfaces and an Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) management system. Students also observed the digital repositories, faculty-approved journal acquisition processes and the sophisticated resource management techniques that make IIT Bombay Library a benchmark institution. The library has established itself as a pioneer in integrating advanced ICT tools for academic knowledge preservation and dissemination which embodying the IKS principles of sustaining both traditional and contemporary knowledge systems for future generations.
Visit to IIM Mumbai Library
The second visit was to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai. The session was led by Mr. Prashant Goswami who presented the library’s transition and innovation strategies including the migration from Libsys back to Koha and the challenges of retro-conversion. The library currently houses Bloomberg terminals (30 units), provides access to over 30,000 online journals (a significant leap from the earlier 200 print subscriptions), and maintains adherence to ergonomic design standards.
Students learned about various innovative services, including QR-coded journal access, MyLOFT software with in-house backup, cloud-based server management and structured acquisition processes. These cutting-edge services and facilities reflect a holistic approach to knowledge management and digital innovation in higher education libraries. The visit offered a practical perspective on contemporary library management models and their alignment with national and global trends in information science.
Visit to Jehangir Art Gallery
The final segment of the educational visit was to the Jehangir Art Gallery which is one of India’s most celebrated art and cultural centre. Established in 1952 under the patronage of Sir Cowasji Jehangir, the gallery has long served as a cornerstone in the promotion and preservation of modern Indian art. Students explored various exhibitions that showcased the evolution of Indian artistic expressions and the role of visual archives in documenting cultural heritage. The visit complemented the IKS Week theme by connecting the preservation of visual and aesthetic traditions with broader knowledge preservation practices.
This GLAM visit provided MLISc students with invaluable exposure to advanced library technologies, digital information systems and cultural heritage institutions. The experience deepened their understanding of how knowledge is curated, preserved and disseminated across different domains such as academic, technological and artistic.
(Report prepared by Mr. Abhishek Kaushik and Mr. Alakesh Kalita)
