Public libraries set for digital leap in Bengaluru

future-ready

Bengalureans, get ready. Some of your favourite books and journals will be at your fingertips, or, to be more specific, on your smartphone.

The Department of Public Libraries is all set to launch a library app on February 26, which can be used by members of state libraries to access close to one lakh books, journals and textbooks.

This apart, efforts are on to set up a digital library in each ward of the city.

Satishkumar Hosamane, director, Department of Public Libraries, said NCERT and state syllabus textbooks for Classes 1 to 12 will also be available on the yet-to-be-named app. “The app will be available on Google Play,” Hosamane said.

Digital library

Tenders have been invited for the digital library to be set up in 100 wards of Bengaluru. Companies have to submit a bid by March 21 and the work is set to be awarded in the next two months.

The successful bidder will provide a cloud-based integrated digital library platform that not only includes books but multimedia material that will aid learning, especially higher education and preparing for civil service exams.

The department has set aside a budget of Rs 2 crore per zone to set up the digital ecosystem for virtual libraries and plans to make it accessible to members of the central libraries by the end of September this year.

Public library members will be given a user ID and a password to access the digital material through two computers and two tabs made available in designated libraries.

The service will also be accessible on personal computers through Digital Rights Management. “The reader can download and renew any book for a period 15 days and will not be able to edit or copy it. The book will automatically get deleted every 15 days,” Hosamane said.