Outsourcing of human resources in science and technology libraries of northern India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the extent to which outsourcing of human resources (HR) is used and the attitude of the library staff towards outsourcing in science and technology libraries in Delhi and Chandigarh, India. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is the result of a survey conducted in 25 science and technology libraries of Delhi and Chandigarh, India. Questionnaire and interview tools of survey were used to collect the primary data. Findings – Most of the Indian libraries have been using selective outsourcing for many years, which has had favourable impact on the activities and services of these libraries. Outsourcing seems a viable solution, as a majority of the libraries lack the required permanent HR. Normally, outsourcing is considered to be an anti‐staff and an anti‐professional activity. However, the study found the library professional staff supportive of outsourcing because it reduced their workload and improved their skills and professional competencies. Originality/value – This paper explores the hidden practices of Indian libraries to fill the gaps present in required and available HR. However, they hesitate to accept openly that outsourcing is a tool for managing resources and services that are not available in‐house.