Broadening the Knowledge Base on India

• INTRODUCTION

  The purpose of the program was to provide U.S. librarians, curriculum specialists, journalists and teachers/faculty from high schools, community colleges and universities with a broader insight into India's history, society, cultural heritage, religion, economic development. More specifically, the focus of the seminar was on gaining practical knowledge on the different aspects of the study of India, which helped the U.S. educators in identifying reference materials and resources on India. The program provided the participants with a systematic inquiry into a range of Indian libraries, opportunities for institutional link-building, and expanding the network of U.S. librarians, teachers and curriculum specialists familiar with India or South Asia.

  The program consisted of two phases, namely, academic study and field visits. The first three-four days academic program was held in New Delhi using a multi-disciplinary approach involving formal lectures, interviews, and discussions with prominent scholars on different aspects of India and role of Indian libraries in managing and disseminating information. The field visit phase of about four weeks took participants to Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Varanasi and Agra to expose participants to the geographical and regional diversities of the country. At each place, the participants visited a number of institutions where they gathered information on contact details, collection strengths and policies, publications, details of access for researchers and where possible details of resources available through the internet, etc.

  The seminar was designed to enrich participants knowledge by combining academic and cultural experiences. Visits to schools, colleges and museums, and rural areas were interspersed with demonstrations of Indian dance and music. Visits were also arranged to NGOs in both rural and urban settings. Within the group program, time was allocated for participants to pursue their individual academic interests and work on their respective curriculum projects.

  Schedule in India
  Participant Brief CVs
  Curriculum Projects Abstract