Interviewer: Dr Preeti Sharda
Sh Pardeep Rattan works as a college librarian since 1993 and is stationed at Govt.
College, Phase VI, SAS Nagar- Mohali, Punjab. He is a man with a golden heart.
Whenever I meet him he has a broad and beautiful smile on his face. He is always
positive in his thoughts and actions. He takes life as it comes. In his own
words “I always try to have a sanguine face towards events of life”. A great
friend, a colleague and a superb mentor for his student and co-workers. He works
very hard for the profession and also at his workplace but in a very silent mode. His
presence makes others feel comfortable and have a feeling of togetherness. In his present
workplace, he is recognized as the most accessible and dependable person of the
college. He is very much connected to his roots, and he is a down-to-earth person.
A librarian by chances has also done an MA in Geography. He completed his MLIS degree in which he stood second in the merit of Panjab University, Chandigarh. He qualified his UGC-NET for JRF in the first attempt. He joined his present position in 2010 and has converted a two classrooms library into a beautiful, functional library within two years of his joining enabled with E-resources and Wi-Fi facility. He has also facilitated interlibrary loan with the District Library Mohali and arranges the required documents for faculty and students which are not available in the library on a reciprocal basis
Interview
Dr Preeti Sharda: Please tell us a little
about your background?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: Hmm… I
am born and brought up in a very modest and self-made family, modest in the
sense when there are self-centeredness and materialism all around. Many
in our relatives still look towards my family for support and my family always
try to provide moral support and compensate in kind as asked. Many times my
father had to go to our ancestral village Jindalpur from his office at Punjab
Civil Secretariat after attending evening classes at Evening College, PU for
family obligations. Originally, I belong to Tehsil Nabha, District Patiala in
Punjab but since my birth, I am fortunate to stay with my parents at
Chandigarh. My parents prepared me to stare into the challenges and hardships
of life as they would confront us during the journey in different tones and tenor. My
family is still connected to roots at village Jindalpur. I always
try to have a sanguine face towards events of life. I completed my education
from Panjab University, Chandigarh where I did my Masters in Geography and
Library Science. My professional journey as librarian started in 1992 from
Regional Engineering College, Jalandhar now upgraded to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
National Institute of Technology. I also worked with CRRID in National Family
Health Survey for the state of Himachal Pradesh in 1992.
Dr Preeti Sharda: Please elaborate on the
story of "7 FRUITS".
Sh Pardeep Rattan: Ha.. ha.. ha.
Let me first congratulate you for the research that you
have done in uncovering some really close
to my heart and not
many in my inner circle know about these. The story of “7 Fruits” is
a story of seven friends (nicknamed Shah Ji, Fauji, Dhakel ,
Pinta, Tull, Kambal Singh, and Broiler), who got connected at the Department of
Geography, Panjab University, Chandigarh. All from different family
backgrounds, regions, and cultures but what was common among them was the spirit
of togetherness, truthfulness and helping nature even costing their own
interests sometimes. As one seeks rewards, appreciation or fruit of hard work these
7 friends were called 7 FRUITS because of their selfless service to
all in the department. They could be
found in any corner of University at different times full of life
and joy- be at the Student center, Chunni
Lal ’s canteen at Physics Deptt .,
Law Ground, Boys’ and Girls’ hostels and of
course University market in the evening (like that plum-like fruit trees that are
lined up all along the University roads). The
name of this the group was given by our classmates “ 7
fruits and 15 flowers” (15 girls who always felt like a family with us whenever
we were out for a picnic or study tour). And the fact is fruits add glow,
energy, vigor and quality life years to one’s life.
Dr Preeti Sharda: You completed B.A. with Honours in Geography scoring 61% marks and M.A. in Geography with 60%
marks. When didn’t you thought to pursue a career in geography only? What was
your first awareness of the role of a librarian? How did you choose
to pursue it as a career?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: Very
aptly asked- what made me a librarian? Frankly,
it is by accident and not by the first choice. During Masters in Geography, I
qualified SSB at Clement Town, Dehradun for entry into Indian Air Force as
Pilot Officer, but I could not make it to a final All India merit list. After
my MA in Geography, I got the admission in the School of Planning at GNDU
Amritsar but because of political turmoil in Punjab at
that t ime,
Dr Preeti Sharda: You are working as the
Librarian at Govt. College, Mohali since 2010. What major changes you have brought after
you joined this college? Please provide a piece of brief information about your
previous work experiences.
Sh Pardeep Rattan: I entered in a
Government job in 1998 at Government College, Rupnagar (Ropar) Punjab. In 2010
I joined Govt. College, SAS Nagar (Mohali). I could convert two classrooms (where
a library was
dumped ) into a basic functional library after two
years of my joining at the college with the support of the then Principal,
college council and library lovers. Then I created a little space for readers
where the library is running its activities. I am serving an institution where
80% input is of rural students. I introduced the college library to them, made
it functional, provided E-resources links of NMEICT on the college website,
made the provision of Wi-Fi and as per Punjab Govt. Instructions the library
automation is underway with the software ‘E Granthalaya ’.
Before joining Government sector I had worked at REC Jalandhar and Doaba
College Jalandhar.
Dr Preeti Sharda: You are famous for your
dedication, friendliness and positive attitude in your college. What are the
Sh Pardeep Rattan: You are never complete if you are not
networked- electronically, socially and morally. In a well-knit institutional
society, you are always working in tandem with the institutional goals and
achieve those goals through teamwork that you
faced as a student. The problems of today and yesteryears are more or less
similar. So when you play the role of a torchbearer, listen patiently to the
grievances of students you cannot escape the radar of a cognitive sense of
students. You are
judged & looked at from a different angle
and you
are automatically connected to the cause of
students and these are the students only which are the greatest asset of an
institution. Besides this genuine participation and advice when asked, in
different student welfare, staff, and institutional committees also added to an
ability
Dr Preeti Sharda: We are all learning. No
one gets it right every time. A more compassionate attitude toward ourselves
only helps us to stay in the game. The dynamic process of life—trying,
succeeding, failing, and trying again—is the only way to develop lasting
confidence in ourselves. Please share stories of your success, failures, and
challenges you faced in your life.
Sh Pardeep Rattan: I feel, as a librarian to create your
own respectable space is the greatest challenge any librarian faces. It is
beyond doubts that learning is a continuous process but learning comes only
when we are consistent in our approach towards an issue. I joined Prep Medical
in 1983 but fortunately failed in the final exams. Thinking that I was
not meant happened the
first 2 nd semester
of MLIS and joined a job. My point to sharing all this is that we should not
get dishearten every time we do not get the desired results. We must try Plan
'B' to 'Z' if plan 'A' fails at any stage of life. Water is precious for life
but even stagnant water stinks after some time. Life teaches us continuity and
we should always be ready to move on.
Dr Preeti Sharda: If someone asks you, who
is Pardeep Rattan. How will you describe yourself? What are your strengths and
what are your weaknesses? Please introduce your funny side also.
Sh Pradeep Rattan: It is a difficult
question to answer. The circumstances, your
reactions to them, your balance of life and your friends may define you the
best. Since you have asked ‘who is Pardeep Rattan’, I would say he is simple,
accessible and a friend.
Dr Preeti Sharda: If you could go back in
time and do part
of your career or education over again, is there something you would have
changed? A class you would have taken? A missed opportunity?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: I believe the opportunity you are looking
for only knocks once at the door but it seems also true that one must take a
certain count over an uncertain opportunity. Although I am satisfied with the extent with my present role internally, I feel I could have been a teacher who
would be
remembered for generations.
Dr Preeti Sharda: What “keeps you busy”
these days in the field? What projects are you working on? What do you like
best about your work as a library professional?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: If you are
able to grow professionally that is a sort
of compensation or satisfaction for anyone.
Librarianship these days has a vast canvas, and it is very difficult to paint
in the colors of everybody’s
liking . The customer is the king and you cannot
bargain with a king. Libraries are always incomplete in collection and
services. As a library professional, I like to strengthen the libraries at the
grassroots levels (schools) in
terms of inculcating reading habits among
readers because if library foundation is strong only when the
purpose of establishing libraries is
justified a
member 2019
to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law. To update myself on the professional front, I try to take
part, present and publish my research work
related to the
f ield of
library science.
Dr Preeti Sharda: You once said
"Librarians have to take care of books. It is such a sorry state of
affairs that libraries in many government colleges of Punjab are being taken
care of by peons. The post of a librarian is at par with the college lecturer,
but the state government is least bothered about recruiting new staff."
(the Tribune, Oct 29, 2013). Do you think situations have changed today?
Sh Pradeep Rattan: As said earlier I joined Government
service in 1998 and since then the library system and set up in Govt. colleges
and Public libraries in Punjab are not very encouraging. The human resources,
infrastructure, and financial needs all need immediate relief for the existence
of the libraries.
Dr Preeti Sharda: Being Vice President of
the Punjab Librarians' Association what efforts did you put in to improve the
condition of professionals in Punjab?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: The association with PCLA- Punjab College
Librarians’ Association provided a platform where the professional issues are
discussed at a length with an
open without
any inhibitions. As the ex-General
Secretary and the present Vice President, with the collective efforts of all
cadres, PCLA is trying to implement the Punjab Library Act. Also, are
taken up with the authorities concerned and are
resolved in a given time.
Dr Preeti Sharda: Do you have any tips for other librarians and information managers?
Sh Pardeep Rattan: Respect time. Manage yourself first. Bloom
wherever you are
planted . Keep updating yourself. Create your own
space because of your multitasking capabilities. Thanks.
(Disclaimer: I conducted
this interview through email. I am Preeti Sharda working as a Librarian of
the Regional Institute of English, Chandigarh. As he said he is really a simple
human being, who is easily accessible and a true friend to trust on. I personally feel
that people like him can paint the world with beautiful colors. Thank you, sir, for sparing time
for the interview).
