Dr Yesan Sellan

Dr Yesan Sellan has been serving as Chief Librarian of SAIACS since 2004. Prior to joining SAIACS, he was librarian at Serampore College. He has more than twenty years of experience as a theological librarian. He is responsible for library information services of SAIACS and is coordinator for the Centre for South Asia Research (CSAR), which endeavours to produce indigenous scholarly publications. He successfully completed his PhD in Library and Information Science. Dr. Yesan is the first theological librarian in South Asia with a doctorate. 

He has been instrumental in developing the Certificate in Theological Librarianship programme at SAIACS since 2012. He also helped in obtaining researcher awards from the Association of Christian Librarians (ACL) for three SAIACS students. Additionally, he was involved in forming the Campus Life Committee during his four-year tenure as Dean of Students.

He also has been involved in the development of the theological librarians movement in India and he collaborates with global north librarians in India. He has conducted workshops and seminars for theological librarians in South Asia, along with a three-week training and workshop for Nepal theological librarians. In recognition of his contribution to theological librarians in Asia, he was recognised by the ACL as Member of the Month in November 2016.

Formerly, he served as Secretary of Forum of Asian Theological Librarians (ForATL); as Convener of the Joint Library Committee, for which he produced the Union Catalogue, which holds over a quarter million bibliographic records; and as Executive Secretary to the Indian Theological Library Association (ITLA). He also has been a partner liaison of the ACL, as well as a member of the International Theological Librarianship Education Task Force (ITLE) of American Theological Library Association (ATLA), and of DABOH—International Association for Missions Studies (IAMS).

He has published numerous articles, the most recent of which include, “Awareness and Use of Social Media and Cloud Computing Technology among Faculty Members in Theological Institutions in South India” (co-authored with S.A. Sornam, KIIT Journal of Library and Information Management, 2019, 6(1), 36-44); and “Information search strategies among theological faculty members in Tamil Nadu” (co-authored with S.A. Sornam, The Christian Librarian, 2018a, 61(1), 51–67).

Areas of Focus

• Library Services and Administration
• Library Automation and Networking
• Design and Development of Theological Librarianship Course
• Digital Library Development
• Research Assistance
• Information Literacy

Education

• BCom, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
• MLISc, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
• PG Diploma in Library Automation and Networking (PGDLAN), University of Hyderabad
• BCS, Senate of Serampore College, Serampore
• PhD (candidate), Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli