CSIR's National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) held a two-week training programme to help library professionals work with digital systems and artificial intelligence. The course ran from 5 to 16 October 2026 as part of Phase III of the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative. Organised by the institute's Training Division, it brought together 16 participants from universities, research organisations, libraries and other institutions to develop skills in library automation, digital repositories and AI-supported services.
NIScPR Director Dr Geeta Vani Rasayam opened the programme and encouraged active learning. Training Division Head Mukesh A. Pund explained its objectives and the value of keeping pace with developing technologies. Salim Ansari facilitated the opening session.
Rather than relying on classroom lectures alone, the programme included demonstrations and practical exercises. Participants worked with the Koha integrated library management system and the DSpace platform for managing digital collections.
Koha training introduced open-source principles and installation of Linux and the library software. The exercises covered cataloguing, member records, circulation, reporting, custom settings and data backup and restoration, giving participants experience with day-to-day automated library work.
In the DSpace sessions, learners explored installation and administration, collection structures, item submission, user registration and permissions, Dublin Core and Bitstream Registry settings, customisation and recovery procedures. These skills support the management and preservation of institutional and scholarly material.
The course also examined how artificial intelligence can support library services, including the extraction of metadata. On 15 October 2026, a separate iThenticate session demonstrated text similarity assessment and discussed its importance for responsible scholarly writing.
Participants visited the National Science Library to learn about its services. Mukesh Pund, Sanjay Burde, Dr Avinash Kshitij, Salim Ansari and Bharath Natarajan delivered the academic sessions. Hands-on tasks gave learners opportunities to apply techniques introduced during the programme.
At the closing session, organisers recognised participants' efforts and encouraged them to bring the new skills into their workplaces. Programme Coordinator and Nodal Principal Investigator Meetali Bharti led the event with Co-PI Salim Ansari and Training Division Head and Course Coordinator Mukesh A. Pund.
The programme forms part of CSIR-NIScPR's wider efforts to strengthen library and information science skills. By teaching open-source software and AI applications, the institute aims to support modern libraries and improved digital knowledge management across the research and education sectors.