Daijiworld Media Network - Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, Aug 12: A new digital library network linking rural libraries with large central collections and mobile library vans was launched in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday, with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah saying the initiative would take reading and knowledge resources closer to villages.
Shah virtually launched the 'Gramin Gyan Setu' project, under which small libraries in villages across Gandhinagar, Kalol and Sanand have been stocked with around 4,500 to 6,000 books each.
The initiative connects 63 rural libraries with four central libraries holding a combined collection of 2.8 lakh books.
Four mobile library vans, funded through the Member of Parliament grant, will visit villages every 15 days. The vans will collect old books and facilitate home delivery of new books ordered through the digital application, enabling rural readers to access a wider range of titles without travelling to central libraries.
Shah said the books placed in village libraries had been selected with the aim of developing reading habits among children and young people.
The collections include children's stories such as Aladdin's Magic Lamp and Sindbad's Adventures, along with books on the history of Gujarat and India, the 1857 freedom struggle and study material for competitive examinations conducted by state and Central governments.
“For children who wish to read more, four central libraries with a vast collection of 2,80,000 books have been connected with the villages,” Shah said.
He thanked Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Gujarat government for their cooperation in developing the system, saying around 752 libraries had been connected with the digital application within three months.
Work is also under way to digitally connect literature from institutions including Sastu Sahitya Mandal, Gita Press, the Bhupen Hazarika Institute and Thiruvalluvar Sansthan.
Shah said creating a reading-friendly environment in schools and villages, supported by appropriate reading habits and guidance from librarians, was necessary to develop responsible and capable citizens.
Recalling his own childhood, Shah said the reading habit he developed at a young age later helped him pursue his studies and contribute to public service.
He also appealed to parents and homemakers to develop reading habits themselves and encourage children to read books.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, speaking at an event at Town Hall in Gandhinagar on National Library Day, described 'Gramin Gyan Setu' as an initiative to take knowledge to villages, connect technology with education and provide rural youth with greater access to learning resources.
“The importance of libraries should be measured by the readers they attract rather than the size or grandeur of their buildings. The biggest beneficiaries of the new platform would be young people, as digital access could bring library resources to the fingertips of rural youth,” he said.
Patel added, “‘Gramin Gyan Setu’ will connect villages with cities, readers with libraries, students with knowledge, and traditional libraries with the digital age.”
The Chief Minister said the state government had made a provision of Rs 100 crore for establishing a state-of-the-art 'Namo Central Library' in Gandhinagar.
He also said that under the plan to establish Bhagwan Birsa Munda Libraries in all talukas of tribal areas, the government had decided to establish such libraries in 15 talukas this year.
Libraries across Gujarat were being connected through a digital network, Patel said, linking the initiative to the wider objective of building a knowledge-based society.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on knowledge power through education, skills, research, innovation and intellectual capability, Patel said the Centre's focus on Digital India and the digitisation of libraries under the National Mission on Libraries had strengthened access to knowledge.
He also acknowledged Shah's efforts to expand access to quality reading material for children and young people in rural areas, support preparation for competitive examinations and take digital knowledge to remote villages.
Patel further referred to Shah's association with Sastu Sahitya Mudranalaya and his efforts to preserve reading culture and make quality literature accessible.
He said Gujarat was pursuing the vision of 'Viksit Gujarat to Viksit Bharat', with human resources as a key strength.
“Gujarat will become truly developed when every child is educated, every youth is skilled, every citizen is empowered with knowledge and every village has opportunities for development,” he added.