Public libraries: Centre asks states to learn from Karnataka

The Modi administration has asked states to adopt Karnataka's approach in reviving public libraries using technology.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj joint secretary Alok Prem Nagar, in his letter to the heads of the panchayat raj department of all states, stated that Karnataka's initiatives "are worth replication".

The ministry has even prepared a concept note capturing what Karnataka has done to revive rural public libraries. Nagar asked states to "assess the efforts made by Karnataka" to revive public libraries "by bringing technological interventions".

According to the union ministry, Karnataka has adopted a two-pronged approach to revitalise rural public libraries. "First, revitalisation of rural libraries, energising Gram Panchayat Libraries and Information Centres (GPLIC), and transforming them into places of multi-disciplinary and multi-generational learning; second, the Department of Public Libraries has developed Karnataka Public Digital Library portal to provide access to information," Nagar has explained.

"Karnataka has 5,623 GPLICs that have more than 16 lakh, or 1.6 million, children enrolled for free as members in just a little over a year," Additional Chief Secretary (Panchayat Raj) Uma Mahadevan said, adding that over 1.1 million books were collected through donations. "It has been a very satisfying and meaningful project," she said.

In his letter, Nagar pointed out that "rapid advancements in information technologies have completed changed the mode of information acquisition" while going on to talk about Karnataka's feat.