Today marks the official end of the six-month diploma course in library automation offered by the Department of Library and Information Science at Rajagiri College of Social Science (Autonomous) in Kochi for the year 2022-23, and as the instructor, I am both proud and satisfied with the progress and growth of the students over the duration of the course.
The course consisted of three modules: Basics of Linux, Koha ILS, and Dspace. It was an enriching experience for me to share my knowledge and expertise with the students who were eager to learn and explore the world of library automation.
The Basics of Linux : was a challenge for some students who had no prior experience with the operating system. However, practical exercises and hands-on sessions helped them grasp the basic concepts and even perform some advanced tasks on the Linux platform.
Koha ILS: module was the most exciting part of the course for the students. They learned about the open-source integrated library system and how it can be used for various library automation tasks. The practical exercises and live demonstrations helped them understand how to set up and configure the system and how to use it for tasks such as cataloging, circulation, and generating reports.
Dspace IR/DL: introduced the students to the world of digital libraries and how they can be managed using this open-source platform. The hands-on sessions and practical exercises allowed the students to learn how to set up and configure the system, how to create and manage collections, and how to upload and manage digital content.
In addition to the three modules, I included a special session on cloud computing and how it can be used in library automation. During the session, I explained the basics of cloud computing and demonstrated how to set up and configure a virtual machine on a cloud platform called such as Vultr , Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure.
Overall, I am grateful to Dr. A.T. Francis, Professor and Head of the Department, and Dr. Joshy George, Associate Professor and co-ordinator, for choosing me as the instructor for this course. I would also like to thank Assistant Professors Ms. Neethu Mohan and Dr. Joseph I Thomas for their assistance. It was a privilege to share my knowledge and experience with such an enthusiastic group of students. The course was a great success, and I look forward to more opportunities to teach and share my knowledge with others.
Snaps from the course
— Mahesh Palamuttath