Digitisation was an important step in library expansion and librarians were no longer restricted to performing the function of lending books, said L. Radha, organising president of Society for the Advancement of Library and Information Science (SALIS) at a two-day seminar on ‘Role of libraries in making Digital India’ at Thiagarajar College of Engineering (TCE) here.
The conference saw the participation of over 200 delegates from Delhi, Puducherry, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Several speakers addressed the gathering on various digital library initiatives across India.
It was suggested that participants work with college libraries and create content, including academic journals and papers. The seminar also threw light on research studies and hosted workshops on learning in the digital age.
Ms. Radha, who is also the Head Librarian of TCE, said the current generation lacked focused reading practices. She stated that many students acquired quick knowledge through social media but had to refer to books for authentication of information. “Google doesn’t help in all cases,” she said. When asked why public libraries in Madurai were neglected, she said lack of funds was the seminal reason.
Avid readers and Electronics and Communication Engineering students V. Mukund and S. Madhura felt that addition of fiction would bring about a refreshing change to their college’s library. “There is an impressive collection of academic work but it would be great if we could have novels,” they said on the one-lakh book collection.
A. Hariharan, founder and president of SALIS, said this platform provided space for dialogue and congenial discussions among experts looking to hone their skills. He stated that digital libraries provided universal access and were hence a repository of information for students and the faculty.
