Dr. Rajesh Kumar is a distinguished Library and Information Science professional, academician, researcher, trainer, and University Librarian with 28 years of professional experience in academic, management, corporate, and research-oriented library environments. He is currently serving as University Librarian at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad, and has also been associated with IGNOU as an Academic Counsellor and the Delhi Library Association as Visiting Faculty.

His academic accomplishments include two Ph.D. degrees, with his second Ph.D. awarded in 2024 for research on “Quality in Library Services: A Study of Management Institutions in Noida and Ghaziabad region of Delhi NCR.” His first Ph.D. was awarded in 2008 for research on “Impact of Population in Rural Settlement of Madhepura District.” His academic and professional interests encompass library automation, digital libraries, information literacy, research support services, knowledge management, quality management, open-source library technologies, and digital transformation.

Professional Leadership & Institutional Development

Dr. Kumar has demonstrated extensive expertise in establishing, developing, automating, and modernizing libraries and knowledge resource centres. He has established or contributed significantly to libraries at several prominent institutions, including Amity Business School, Amity University Raipur, Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, ICFAI Business School, Indus World School of Business, INMANTEC Institutions, Lanco Infratech, and other academic and corporate organizations.

He has implemented modern technologies such as Koha Integrated Library Management Software and DSpace Institutional Repository, supporting the transition from conventional libraries to digitally enabled knowledge centres. He has also developed the professional concept of “Total Quality Librarian”, emphasizing quality, leadership, managerial competence, professional ethics, and user-oriented library services.

Research & Scholarly Contributions

Dr. Kumar has made substantial scholarly contributions to Library and Information Science through research papers, conference presentations, books, edited volumes, and professional publications. His research areas include:

• Library automation and digital transformation
• Quality management in library services
• Electronic resources and information services
• Digital libraries and institutional repositories
• Information and digital literacy
• Social media and mobile applications in libraries
• Knowledge management and information organization
• Research integrity, plagiarism, and scholarly communication
• Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in libraries
• User studies and information-seeking behaviour
• Collection development and management
• Library leadership and professional development

His recent scholarly work addresses AI tools in library services, digital transformation, digital literacy, mobile applications, research impact, knowledge engineering, traditional knowledge preservation, and the role of academic libraries in sustainable development.

Books & Editorial Contributions

Dr. Kumar has authored and edited numerous scholarly books and professional volumes, including works on technological trends in management and library systems, quality in library services, e-resources, collection development, emerging digital paradigms, sustainable librarianship, academic library transformation, and digital innovation.

He has also served as Managing Editor of multiple refereed publications and as an editor of Gyankosh: The Journal of Library and Information Management. His editorial activities demonstrate sustained engagement with scholarly communication and dissemination of professional knowledge.

Conferences, Workshops & Training

A major dimension of Dr. Kumar's professional contribution is his extensive involvement in organizing and conducting national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars, librarian development programmes, and training programmes.

He has served as Organizing Secretary, Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Rapporteur, Advisory Committee Member, Resource Person, Trainer, and Invited Speaker at numerous professional events. He has conducted training on Koha, DSpace, digital resources, research databases, information literacy, Total Quality Librarian concepts, research integrity, AI in libraries, and contemporary library technologies.

His programmes have attracted participation from hundreds of library and information professionals, including international participants, reflecting his strong professional outreach and leadership.

Professional Associations & Leadership

Dr. Kumar has held significant leadership responsibilities in professional organizations, particularly MANLIBNET (Management Libraries Network), where he has served as Secretary and has been actively involved in its national and international conferences and professional activities.

He has also maintained strong professional engagement with organizations such as the Delhi Library Association, Library Professionals Association, DELNET, NDLI, INFLIBNET, and other national and international library and information science bodies.

International & Research Project Engagement

Dr. Kumar has expanded his professional engagement internationally through participation in the ERASMUS, EU co-funded international research project titled “Developing Information, Research and Digital Skills for Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.” He participated in international Didactic and Scientific Working Group meetings at Transilvania University, Brasov, Romania, and Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.

These engagements demonstrate his contribution to international collaboration, research capacity building, digital skills development, and global knowledge exchange.

Mentorship & Academic Guidance

As an academic mentor and project guide, Dr. Kumar has supervised postgraduate and professional projects in areas including library automation, electronic resources, information-seeking behaviour, ICT applications, digital technologies, total quality management, and user satisfaction. His mentoring activities through IGNOU and other academic programmes have contributed to the development of emerging Library and Information Science professionals.

Awards & Recognition

Dr. Kumar has received several professional distinctions for his leadership and contributions, including:

• MANLIBNET Promoter Award – 2010
• MANLIBNET Promoter Award – 2011
• Distinguished Faculty Award for Outstanding Contributions in Library and Information – 2018
• Best Leadership Skilling of LIS Professionals Award – 2018
• Award for Outstanding Performance and Exceptional Commitment towards MANLIBNET, Librarianship and Innovative Service – 2019
• DLA Professional Excellence Award – 2022
• MANLIBNET Innovative Librarian Award – 2023
• LPA Excellence Award for Best LIS Leadership – 2026
• MEWS Best Academic Librarian Award – 2026
• He is elected as a Vice President of the Delhi Library Association

Overall Impact

Dr. Rajesh Kumar has established himself as an accomplished academic librarian, researcher, author, trainer, editor, mentor, and professional leader. His long-standing contributions to library modernization, digital transformation, quality management, research support, professional training, scholarly publishing, and international collaboration demonstrate a sustained commitment to advancing Library and Information Science.

His work connecting traditional librarianship with emerging technologies such as AI, digital repositories, open-source platforms, mobile applications, digital literacy, and research databases reflects innovation and forward-looking professional leadership.

Eligibility for Most Promising Researcher Award

Dr. Rajesh Kumar is strongly eligible for the Most Promising Researcher Award in Scientific Laurels. His eligibility is supported by his extensive academic and research experience, two Ph.D. degrees, sustained scholarly publications and conference presentations, authorship and editorship of numerous books and professional volumes, research on quality and digital transformation in libraries, postgraduate project supervision, international research-project participation, and continued engagement with emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, digital libraries, information literacy, research integrity, knowledge engineering, and digital transformation.

His combination of research productivity, professional innovation, academic leadership, mentoring, international collaboration, technology adoption, and recognized contributions to Library and Information Science makes him a strong candidate for the Most Promising Researcher Award – Scientific Laurels.