Shri Parvin C Shah--- Par Excellence

A small team at NICTAS/ ATIRA, under the guidance of PC Shah, of which I was fortunate to be a part, used to regularly bring out TEXINCON (TEXtile INformation CONdensed) and State-of-the Art Reports on various textile related topics, besides the regular LIS services extended to the patrons.

Shri PC Shah was a professional of very high caliber. He had an MSc in Chemistry, a post-graduate Diploma in Library Science and had published about 200 papers, organized several national and state level seminars/ conferences, conducted several national surveys on information needs of the textile and allied industries in India.

Shri Shah had a distinguished career spanning over four decades and a half. He started his career nurturing under the tutelage of none other than Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. He had conceptualized, designed, developed and marketed qualitative fee-based information services in the area of textile and allied subjects. He had served in Physical Research Laboratory (PRL); Ahmedabad Textile Industry Research Association (ATIRA); and was instrumental in establishing National Information Centre for Textiles and Allied Subjects (NICTAS) under NISSAT, Govt of India.

After retirement in 1999 he kept himself active with Ahmedabad Library Network (ADINET) and Gujarat Granthalya Seva Sangh. Through his post-retiral publication DLIBCOM, he used to share many useful information to the LIS Community

He was member of board of studies at NISCAIR. He was associated with various LIS Schools teaching Marketing of Information, Information Management, Knowledge Management, and Disaster Management for BLiSc and MPhil students and was also an external examiner for PhD Thesis at as many as three Universities.

Shri Shah was associated with various professional associations like ILA, IASLIC, SIS, Textile Information Council Inc. USA, and had contributed immensely in the areas of library automation, resource sharing, and users’ meets. He was also an active mentor at Gujarat Pustakalay Mandal.

On personal front he was unassuming with an innocent smile. His appearance was equally simple with sparkling eyes and intelligent looks. He was a mentor to me and I owe to him what presently I am.  Parvinbhai, known to many as PC Shah, impressed people with his keen sense of hearing, tolerance, persistence, professionalism besides—the natural gujju sense of business.

He was held in high esteem by one and all. He had high regards for stalwarts in the field of LIS, especially, late Dr. S R Ranganathan and Prof P N Kaula.

Shri. PC Shah is a recipient of many awards, to name of few - ILA Diamond Jubilee Award in 1993 and also the Fellowship of SIS in 1993 for his distinguished contributions.  He was awarded International Association of Educators for World Peace; Sardar Patel Education and Developments Award; Gujarat Gaurav Award – 2001; Sanskruti Award in 2005.

"PC Shah” will always be remembered and appreciated for his distinguished services by the Library user community, particularly by the textile information seekers.

 He practiced true Library Advocacy.

May his Soul Rest in Peace!!