jose k joseph
post news network
Bhubaneswar, August 16: The state government recently announced that it will establish public libraries across the state to promote reading. The decision is expected to give a boost to reading habit. But in the age of technology, when the shift towards online platforms for reading is evident, there is a growing demand for digital libraries.
Manas Soren, a college student, believes the government has to now also look at creating online libraries.
“Reading e-books is convenient as one gets to read them on laptops, mobiles, Kindle or on tablets. One is able to read e-books on mobile phones and other devices and it saves space,” Manas said.
Elders whom Orissa POST spoke with have also observed that the new generation is comfortable reading online.
“On the birthday of one of my granddaughter’s I gifted her some books. But, I have never seen her reading these books. Instead she reads online articles for doing school projects, which means reading habit has not vanished. Only the platform has changed. Online libraries will be a good option for the new generation,” Manmath K Mohanty, a businessman, said.
Many youngsters have pointed out that accessibility round-the-clock is a key factor supporting online libraries.
“People today are working in tune with multiple time schedules. They may not be able to visit conventional libraries in the daytime. An online library on the other hand offers 24-hour access which would be great help for people like us,” Santosh Barik, a bank employee, said.
Students said online copies of reference books in particular would greatly help them. “Often college libraries do not have adequate copies of a book to meet the needs of all members looking for it at the same time. Some will have to wait for the borrowers to return the book before they could borrow it. An online facility, by contrast , can help multiple readers read the same book,” Chitrangada Kumari, another college student, said.
Some readers feel such online libraries, when they are established, should also include facilities for offline reading.
“In India it is impossible to have access to a stable internet connection during travel. Libraries should, therefore, maintain offline reading facilities. An online library will also save physical space and increase lifespan of books,” a reader who refused to be named said. Some also pointed out that online libraries with Oriya books will give people access to these books from anywhere in the world and will also help promote the language.
Readers’ wish list
n The government should get several departments to issue memberships to online libraries
n Outlets should be set up for renewal of library membership online
n The government should introduce categories of membership such as students and researchers
n Extra charges can be levied for downloading e-books
n Payments for new membership and renewal or upgrade should be made possible using credit or debit cards
n Online libraries should provide the option of having a ‘shelf’ for
future reference
