The Impact of the Standing Committee on Libraries and Information Sciences (SCOLIS) of UGC For the Development of University Libraries

Abstract

University libraries in Sri Lanka functioned without any formal coordination during the initial period of 1942 to 1986. However, due to the intervention of His Excellency the President, Mr. J.R. Jayewardene in his capacity as the Minister of Higher Education, a coordination mechanism evolved in the form of a Standing Sub-Committee of the University Grants Commission. This was named the ‘Inter University Committee of Librarians’ (IUCL) and renamed as the ‘Standing Committee of Libraries and Information Sciences’ (SCOLIS) in March, 2003. The IUCL / SCOLIS was instrumental in airing the need to improve library infrastructure, manpower resources, funding, dialogue with the teaching staff, ICT facilities and a host of other issues. Above anything else, it acted as the main communication channel between the University Librarians and the UGC. The foregoing discussion provides a brief overview of this aspect.