Library Science graduates face unemployment as schools rely on teachers

As another National Reading Day approaches, nearly all government schools in Kerala continue to face a persistent institutional gap—the absence of dedicated librarians.

According to reports, librarian posts remain completely vacant throughout State-run and aided institutions. Despite norms mandating dedicated library staff, successive governments have delayed permanent recruitment for over two decades. While the authorities cite severe financial crisis as the primary justification for freezing these appointments, this defence has drawn intense criticism from student groups and job aspirants alike.

Stopgap measure

“Every school collects mandatory library fees from students without delivering the actual professional services of a qualified librarian. To bridge this operational deficit, the government has increasingly shifted the administrative and organisational burden of managing library inventories directly to regular teaching staff who are forced to handle these responsibilities on top of their full-time teaching duties. This stopgap measure has raised significant concerns about the realistic capacity of instructors to foster strong reading habits while managing dense academic curricula,” said a teacher.

‘2,000 vacancies’

Reportedly, hundreds of certified individuals who completed formal Library Science courses are now left without employment opportunities. They say there are nearly 2,000 vacancies in schools across Kerala but there has been no positive intervention from the part of authorities. They also argue that while Central schools, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and private institutions under CBSE or ICSE boards employ professionally trained librarians, government and aided schools continue to lag behind.

“Despite multiple judicial orders won by employee unions, the continued reliance on teachers leaves school libraries functionally underutilised, compromising the fundamental quality of public education,” he said.