Jabalpur City in Madhya Pradesh boasts the oldest library, Gandhi Bhawan Library, with a staggering collection of over 40,000 books. The library has been run by the municipal corporation.
Prior to the Digital Library project, the librarian was responsible for manually maintaining the books list. Manual effort in recording, maintaining and updating registers was a time-intensive and laborious activity, prone to delays and errors. A lack of adequate sitting space and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic have both contributed to limited library access. As a result, students, researchers and others interested in learning have been unable to make the most of the resource.
Jabalpur Smart City has conceptualised the Digital Library as a means of allowing inclusive, unhindered access to everyone wishing to learn. The goal of the project is to offer the best possible facility to students at the most reasonable subscription fees possible. By digitalising the library, the project will help underprivileged people and learners of all ages, genders, backgrounds and locations gain access to a life-enriching resource. One of the key goals of the project is to encourage students on the path to self-development.
The idea is to further the Education sector by creating a repository of every kind of digitalised study material in one place. This will include current affairs modules, daily vocabulary programmes, e-books, magazines, practice tests, self-study spaces, video courses, etc.
Taking the library to the digital realm means that anyone anywhere can access all its knowledge through a few clicks on a computer. Project runners also intend to supply study materials and literature to students from marginalised communities at a nominal fee. This will be done to ensure that even people with limited access to modern technologies are able to enjoy the same level of access as everyone.
A committee of 13 expert advisors has been set up to monitor the platform and fix any plugs identified in the system. User-friendliness has been prioritised as a key element of the digital design. The design is a two-way model where students also enjoy some degree of control over the platform through features like saving/ bookmarking important sections for future perusal.
The project plans include a state-of-the-art Online Test Preparation Lab outfitted with 60 systems and a mock-test training bundle that lets students prepare for a number of competitive exams. Simulated settings and real-time analytics along with scores and individual as well as comparative performance metrics will help students learn in a comfortably-competitive environment where they can self-assess their own performance and finetune their methods.
A proper security framework is being established to ensure safe transactions once the fees payment feature is rolled out three months after the library is deployed. The earnings from the library are expected to feed into the system directly to allow for continued development and also into the larger educational landscape.
The Digital Library Project is promoting self-learning and e-learning on a large scale. It takes a centuries-old resource and gives it a modern facelift, combing a social sector imperative with the Prime Minister’s goal of accomplishing an inclusive form of digitalised governance and digitalised development.
The project is taking the Covid-19 crisis and using the lessons learned over the past year to create learning infrastructure that is not vulnerable to constraints of time, distance, physical risks, changing lifestyles and new safety norms. Not only is the new library system itself tech-savvy, but it is also going to cultivate a spirit of tech-friendliness in the people that use it, encouraging students to adapt to Smart Learning methods quickly.
Just because life as we knew it came to a stop with the Covid-19 pandemic, education and learning don’t have to. With the Digital Library becoming operational, students have a revived interest in learning. This has been especially helpful for students from Class I to XII since schools and educational institutions have been badly affected by the pandemic and lockdowns. The revolutionary one-stop solution to learning is expected to play a critical role in helping students develop skills for later career opportunities. This will be especially beneficially to students who are unable to fund higher education/ coaching/ tuition charges. The use of Smart Technology like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is expected to help both teachers and students get the most out of the experience by identifying patterns and improving practices.
One of the key challenges was selecting the most useful study materials by comparing popular books and competitive publishing houses and sellers. Guaranteeing a variety of comprehensive study materials across niches is challenging. Another key challenge was creating a system that guarantees data accuracy; this was done through multiple rigorous website tests. Guaranteeing a real-life environment for learning and testing is possibly the biggest challenge of all because replacing traditional education is about more than just providing study materials. Ensuring convenience and ease-of-use to allow a smooth transition from conventional learning to digital learning was both laborious and experience. Other challenges include matters of copyright issues in e-resources, data security, pricing, standardisation etc.
The Digital Library incorporates a Test Preparation Platform and Test Analytics Dashboard. These provide real-time statistics when a user takes a test and also gives insights into individual performance and peer comparisons. The Library Management System is streamlining the entire operational process with features like automated stock verification, inventory count, book return updates etc., using RFID technology. The Smart Language Lab incorporates multiple languages, a digital audio panel and several functionalities. A mobile app for library users also encourages the BYOD -Bring Your Own Device- system. While the digitalisation is underway, physical maintenance of the library also continues. Upgrades will include campus Wi-Fi to provide high speed access to all library users.
The opportunity to scale up and reproduce the Digital Library across niches, locations and purposes is limitless. The project runners are interested in amplifying the base design such that an online learning portal is established for use by anyone from anywhere. As part of its expansion ambitions, the project platform will be developed to allow access to 5000 users at one time to ensure seamless user experience. Given the digital nature of the project, there are no restrictions on its scope: the idea can be used by all manner of institutions, especially educational institutions in the public space, like government schools and colleges, local libraries and learning centres.
The pursuit of knowledge should not be barricaded by socioeconomic and political gatekeeping and the Digital Library at Gandhi Bhawan is one step closer to the dream of achieving a truly Digital India.
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