‘Digitalisation of 172 public libraries on in State’

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 31, 2020: Satish Kumar Hosamani, Director of Public Libraries, said on Thursday that digitalisation of 172 public libraries was on in the State, while 100 public libraries had already been digitalised. Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of the inauguration of a digital library at the District Central Library here, Mr. Hosamani said that there were 30 district central libraries, 26 city central libraries, and 176 libraries in taluks, gram panchayats and slum areas. The digitalisation of libraries had been taken up in phases, he said.

 

The libraries, which were digitalised, were being provided with two desktops, two tabs, and an Internet router. The digitalisation of public libraries had been taken up on November 20, 2019. The intention was to improve the reading habits of people at a time when many are hooked up to social media, he said.Besides about 17,800 Kannada, English, Tamil and other books, even periodicals, and NCERT, CBSE, ICSE books of classes one to 12 would be available in digital format in the digital libraries, he said.

As many as four desktops and eight tabs would be provided to the Udupi District Central Library. A proposal of Rs. 1.76 crore had been submitted to provide equipment and other facilities at the central library here, Mr. Hosamani saidEarlier, G. Jagadeesha, Deputy Commissioner inaugurated the digital library at the District Central Library. Later, inaugurating the Constitution Day and three-day training workshop on library staff on digital libraries, Mr. Jagadeesha said that libraries helped in attaining knowledge.

He had studied the Constitution at a library in Bengaluru, when he was attempting the KAS examinations. Smart phones should be used for gaining knowledge, he said.K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, said that Constitution was a holy book for every Indian. People should know about their rights and duties. People should understand the Constitution properly. The Constitution Day celebrations were bigger than the celebrations of other days, he said.Dinakar Babu, president of Zilla Panchayat, Kiran, Deputy Secretary, and Vasanti Shetty, president of the taluk unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishath were present.