National Mission on Libraries

Updated on: Wednesday, April 01, 2009

New Delhi: Upgrading of infrastructure in public libraries in keeping with the cyber age, setting up local-level knowledge centres and educational units in rural areas are among the steps being contemplated under a proposed National Mission on Libraries, a senior official said today.

"The government is on the threshold of finalising the mission, a roadmap for which was given by the National Knowledge Commission. It has been proposed that it will be converted into a permanent commission in three to five years," Lov Verma, Joint Secretary (Libraries), said.

Verma, who was speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day 'National Conference on Public Libraries' here, said a national census of public libraries is also proposed to be conducted. The data will help set up uniform standards for qualification and pay-scale of library staff.

"The infrastructure of public libraries will have to be upgraded in keeping with the IT age. A 'model library design' can be formulated for this. Another proposal is to set up touchscreen kiosks at libraries for providing knowledge as well as local-level information," he said.

Revamping of library science teaching infrastructure by setting up a national-level institute, establishing education centres for neo-literates in rural areas and making libraries more disabled-friendly are among other proposals, he added.

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National Mission on Libraries

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