WRITE-OFF PRACTICES IN COLLEGE LIBRARIES OF PUNJAB: EXPERIENCES OF LIBRARIANS

Abstract

Libraries are essential to a nation's advancement in the fields of education, industry, and technology. The purpose of libraries at educational institutions is to facilitate the efficient and effective flow of knowledge from the point of generation to the point of use. It can be difficult to keep these collections alive and useful as theft or loss of books is a problem that is inextricably linked to libraries. Write-off policies and practices are very important to deal with theft or loss of books. The current thesis sheds light on the viewpoints, difficulties, and suggestions of college librarians working in Punjab Higher Education Department in respect of write-off practices. The current study used quantitative research approach. An extensive literature review was conducted to develop questionnaire for the current study. This questionnaire survey was shared with chief librarians, deputy chief librarians, senior librarians and librarians. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze data. The results show that different strategies are used to determine which resources can be written off. Circulation patterns, curricular relevance, and out-of-date content were used to select resources to be written-off. Interestingly, there are notable gender disparities in how librarians see particular criteria for selection of material for write-off. The main issues that arise during write-off procedures include a lack of precise guidelines, opposition to decisions, resource constraints, and administrative roadblocks. These difficulties, in addition to gender-specific differences, highlight the significance of focused policy and support networks. Librarians offer insightful recommendations for streamlining the write off procedures. They highlighted the need of clear instructions, stakeholder participation, and adoption of flexible approaches. The study also explores that librarians indicated a need for regular evaluations and extensive training courses in this regard. Finally, by providing insights into the distinctive experiences of librarians in Government colleges of Punjab, this thesis adds to the growing conversation on library management technique. The results highlight how crucial it is to implement gender inclusive policies, focus specific interventions, and provide ongoing professional development to improve the efficacy of write-off procedures in the dynamic environment of academic libraries