Contribution of Sri Lanka to the Library and Information Science in the Maldives: A Review

Abstract

Maldives is a small country in the SAARC region, with a population of less than 400,000. According to the Maldives Library Association, the country had 294 libraries in 2012. Literature reveals that qualified LIS professionals in the country are still extremely few. Most of the literature on Maldives LIS education highlight the contribution of Sri Lanka in developing library human resources in the Maldives. Therefore, the study reviews to what extent Sri Lanka has contributed to LIS education in the Maldives. The library profession in the Maldives is still in the development stage. Therefore, the study assists policymakers in making informed decisions in designing knowledge transfer in the future. Literature confirms that formal training was started after the establishment of the ‘National Library of Maldives’ in 1982. Therefore, this study reviewed literature published from 1982 to 2022 on librarianship in the Maldives. Twenty papers published in journals and one monograph on the subject were reviewed. The authors observed that out of fifty-one (51) training programs conducted in the Maldives during the period 1987-2012, a LIS organization or an individual from Sri Lanka had directly contributed to 12. This includes the three-tier distance mode Diploma in Library and Information Science conducted by the Sri Lanka Library Association (SLLA) However, there

had not been a direct focus on the specialized needs of school library staff. The first local long- term LIS program was initiated in 2010 by the Maldives College of Higher Education, which

was renamed as the Maldives National University in 2011. However, due to the shortage of local experts to teach these programs, the initial years of the program were taught with the contribution of LIS professionals from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Canada. The results suggest that a close relationship had been maintained between Sri Lanka and the Maldives in terms of capacity building through LIS education and training. The content delivered mainly focused on general librarianship. The Maldives authorities may obtain further assistance from outside the country to develop its school library programs.