Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPA) has highlighted the importance of the libraries in health information system and services. At a recently concluded national seminar on the topic ‘Role of Libraries in Health Information System and Services’, a panel of experts brought to the fore the need for high quality reference journals.
 
Dr M Madhusudhan, Associate Professor,  University of Delhi spoke at length on updating the libraries by providing the visitors with quality books, journals, documents, e-books as also encouraging paperless culture.
 
“Libraries could make the provision of mobile apps for improving access to information/databases,” he added.
 
The seminar was attended by 55 participants from health related librarians, academicians, scientist across the country.  Dr K P Singh, Director, National Medical Library, New Delhi presided as the chief guest and A K Pradhan, DDCI (North Zone), CDSCO was the guest of honour.
 
Highlighting the significance of library in health information system and services, Dr S Siva Chidambaram, Chief Librarian, AIIMS New Delhi said that there should be technology upgradation providing web based services.
 
Dr O P Verma, PLIO, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, emphasized on evidence based library services in health sciences. Dr A K Suman, Librarian, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, wanted the vision of libraries to be futuristic specially with regards to health information system and services.
 
Kumar Sanjay from NITI Aayog summed up the deliberation of the seminar. Dr Jai Prakash, Sr PSO from IPC called to draw guidelines for good library services.
 
Dr PL Sahu, Dr A K Teotia, Dr Robin Kumar, Dr V Kalaiselven, Dr Meenakshi Dahiya, Alok Sharma, Anuj Prakash, Dr M Kalaivani and other senior official of the IPC, along with the participants across the country noted the holding of national seminar as the first activity of its kind.
 
Dr K K Singh, organising secretary of the seminar stressed upon the need from frequent interaction among the librarians and called for upgrading both the technical and infrastructure facilities in libraries providing health information system and services.