Are you preparing for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) examination for Library and Information Science? Success in this competitive field requires a deep dive into everything from ancient archival practices to the cutting-edge world of Artificial Intelligence in libraries.
This blog breaks down the comprehensive Post Graduate (PG) Degree Standard syllabus (Code: 595) to help you streamline your study plan and ace the 200-question technical paper.
Core Units of the TNPSC LIS Syllabus
The syllabus is meticulously divided into ten key units, each focusing on a specific pillar of modern librarianship.
1. Information, Communication, and Society
This foundational unit covers the “Information Transfer Cycle” and the social relevance of libraries. Key areas include:
- Legislation: Indian Library Acts, RTI, and the IT Act.
- Professional Bodies: Familiarize yourself with the ILA, IASLIC, UNESCO, and IFLA.
- IPR & Ethics: Intellectual Property Rights, Copyright, and Plagiarism.
2. Management of Information Centres
Modern librarians are managers. This unit tests your knowledge of POSDCORB, Human Resource Management, and Financial planning. You must also master strategic tools like SWOT and PEST analysis, as well as TQM (Total Quality Management).
3. Knowledge Organisation (The Heart of LIS)
This is a heavy-weight unit (25 questions) focusing on how we categorize human knowledge.
- Classification Schemes: DDC, UDC, CC, and LC.
- Cataloguing Standards: AACR, RDA, and MARC-21.
- Metadata: Learning Dublin Core and XML is essential for digital organization.
4. Information Sources & Systems
You must be able to distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. This unit also covers:
- E-Resources: Subject gateways, full-text databases, and Open Educational Resources (OER) like the National Digital Library of India.
- Global Systems: Understand major networks like MEDLARS, AGRIS, and India’s INFLIBNET.
5. Information Storage, Retrieval, and Technology
Information is only useful if it can be found. You will be tested on:
- Retrieval Models: Boolean, Probabilistic, and Vector models.
- IT Fundamentals: Computer hardware, Networking (LAN/WAN), and Internet protocols (HTTP, TCP/IP).
- Automation: Criteria for selecting Library Management Systems (LMS).
Advanced Topics for Competitive Advantage
To score high, pay special attention to the more technical units that often separate top candidates:
- Research Methods: Focus on data collection tools, sampling, and statistical packages like SPSS or Bibexcel.
- Digital Libraries: Understand the digitization process, OCR software, and institutional repositories like ROARand DOAR.
- Emerging Trends: The syllabus now includes Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Cloud Computing, and the Semantic Web.
- Informetrics: Be prepared to calculate or define Bibliometric laws (Zipf, Lotka, Bradford) and indicators like the h-index and Impact Factor.
Study Tips for Success
- Prioritize High-Value Units: Knowledge Organisation and Information Storage/Retrieval carry the most weight (25 questions each).
- Focus on Indian Contexts: Study the specific Library Acts of Indian states and national missions like the National Mission on Libraries.
- Master the Acronyms: From ISBD to SHERPA-ROMEO, the LIS field is full of technical shorthand. Create a cheat sheet for these.
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