A descriptive survey of library and information science education personnel in Sri Lanka

This article contains the results of a descriptive survey of library and information (LIS) teachers of Sri Lanka, the first of its kind carried out in the country. All LIS teachers were identified, and a questionnaire was distributed to obtain their personal, educational and professional information. The data gathered revealed that 94 per cent of the teachers were occupied full‐time in executive jobs other than teaching, a higher percentage were middle‐aged and close to retirement, while there were relatively few young professionals entering teaching. Professional education in Sri Lanka depends mainly on the commitment of part‐time teachers. Therefore, the development of professional education is hindered. The paper includes recommendations to overcome this problem; it stresses the need for a complete manpower survey of LIS personnel at national level.