This interview was conducted by the NLS Administration and the original interview can be found here. Dr. R. S. Kumbar was the Librarian (In Charge) and Mr. Beerappa was the Library Attender at the Shri Narayan Rao Melgiri Memorial National Law Library.
June 30, 2020: Today, we bid adieu to two library staff members who retired after dedicating over 30 years of their life to NLSIU.
We thank Dr R S Kumbar and Beerappa for the many years of committed service and hard work, and wish them all the very best for their life ahead. Here, they recall their journey with the University and some memorable moments along the way.
Dr R S Kumbar, Librarian (In Charge):
Hailing from a small village in Davangere, Mr Kumbar worked as a part-time lecturer in Shivamogga and a librarian at Mangaluru and Ballari colleges before being appointed as a Library Assistant at NLS Bangalore on June 28, 1990.
Mr Kumbar, who began his career with a Bachelor’s degree in Library Sciences, continued to pursue a PG programme and a doctoral degree while working at NLS. Incidentally, his PhD thesis topic was ‘Law College libraries with respect to implementation of ICT.’
How did your NLS journey begin?
I was appointed by NLS founder Prof Madhava Menon who had only one question for me: If I would be able to accept a lower fee. For me, it was a matter of pride to be working in a University and I accepted with no hesitation.
I recalled the example of my father, a freedom fighter, who had refused the pension he was entitled to. I started as a Library Assistant and am now retiring as the Librarian (In Charge) – that is a journey I am proud of.
Your experience at NLS:
In one word, NLS is family to me. There was no discrimination among faculty, non-faculty and students. We worked more for the institution and not just for the income.
My biggest inspiration and guiding force was Prof Madhava Menon who clearly emphasized on the concept of working together and the success it brings. The fact that NLS as a University has risen to such high standards is because it was started with such strong ideals in place during its early stages. I am also thankful for NLS founding faculty member Prof Vijayakumar’s support during my tenure.
Students were my happiness.
Interacting with our students on a daily basis gave me unforgettable moments and a lot of happiness. Many former students who visit the campus still make a beeline for the library.
Your memorable moments:
Soon after I started out as a Library Assistant, I got married and I was not confident of running my family with my salary at the time. I am grateful to Prof Joga Rao (former Registrar) and Prof Navalgund (former Librarian) who were extremely supportive. They advised me to help my wife study further and plan a future for my family instead of trying to manage it alone. It was because of such wonderful people at NLS that I could plan for an even better future than I had hoped for. (Kumbar’s wife is an engineer who currently works with Bharat Electronics Limited).
Looking ahead:
A few months ago, I was wondering how I would adapt to spending time at home after retiring. But COVID has made us get accustomed to staying at home as well. Now, my priority is to take care of my family – my father, wife and my two daughters.
Mr Beerappa, Library attender:
An office boy, a gardener, an admin assistant, a library assistant – Beerappa has donned many hats during his 32-year long stint at NLS. Hailing from Chintamani in Kolar district, he worked as an office boy in other companies before starting at NLS on January 1, 1988.
How did your NLS journey begin?
I was 27 when I was appointed as a gardener by then University registrar R Krishnappa. I met him in December 1987 and started work as a gardener the following year in the University that was housed in the Central College campus at the time. This was before the campus was set-up in Nagarabhavi. About two years later, I got opportunities to work with other departments in the University.
Your experience at NLS:
My experience has involved me dabbling with different activities. This included placing ads in the press, handing over letters at the Bar Council or Vidhana Soudha, and ensuring that posts were delivered to the right people. I worked in the administration department, the Registrar’s office, the VC’s office and most recently at the Library. Time was never a concern as we worked for several hours with each other without any complaints.
Memorable moments:
The faculty members were very warm and welcoming and I developed some beautiful associations with people on campus. I especially remember Prof Pillai (former Library committee member) who interacted with me.
Looking ahead:
Since my family also runs a milk delivery service, I will try to keep myself busy with that. Besides, I will also get more time with my wife and son (an engineering graduate).
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