ALIGARH, October 7: The Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), organised a workshop on “Human Skills for 21st-Century Librarianship”, highlighting the importance of human-centred competencies in the evolving library profession.
The workshop was conducted in two sessions for B.Lib.I.Sc. and M.Lib.I.Sc. students and research scholars. Prof. Mehtab Alam Ansari, Chairperson, DLIS, emphasised that librarians require not only technical and digital competencies but also communication, interpersonal skills, adaptability, teamwork and leadership.
The resource person, Mrs. Poonam Bharti Gola, Librarian, All India Management Association (AIMA), New Delhi, spoke on communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability and leadership in modern librarianship. She also discussed their relevance in an increasingly digital environment. Mrs. Gola is a recipient of the Jean Lowrie Leadership Development Grant (2022) and a Volkswagen Foundation Grant for Metascience 2025 at University College London (UCL).
Prof. Naushad Ali P.M., Coordinator of the workshop, proposed the vote of thanks and highlighted the importance of human skills for researchers, particularly communication, collaboration, networking, teamwork and meaningful engagement with diverse academic communities.
The workshop provided an interactive platform for students, research scholars and faculty members to discuss professional development and the role of human skills in shaping competent and socially responsive library and information professionals.
Ms. Azka Shahzad, Junior Research Fellow, DLIS, was also associated with the programme.