A two-day India Public Libraries conference brought together public library policy makers, program implementers at Central and State governments from across the globe including Nepal to envision the role of public libraries in India and to upgrade and meet the growing need of the communities by introducing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) enabled public library models.
The conference was organized by non-profit organisations Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) and Developing Library Network (DELNET), with financial support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to strengthen and upgrade public libraries in India.
Officials from the Nepal Community Library Association had an active participation in the conference with an aim to learn various public library models.
Nepal has a huge illiteracy rate and poverty is a major problem and there is limited access to school and libraries. With a hope to revive education and provide adequate information, Nepalese officials attended the conference.
"India and Nepal are close neighbours and share similar culture and traditions so we wish through this conference that we are attending here today will create such a role model in the area of public library that will have positive impact in the lives of the people. We want to see change in the concept of library not only in education but we want to expand the libraries to a large community who can attain immense knowledge and information through libraries with improved technology," Ramesh Bhusaal, member of Nepal Community Library Association.
Ramesh Bhusal who is a member of Nepal Community Library Association believes that without effective libraries the education system will not improve and the learning from this conference will help to upgrade public library policy in their country.
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"We regret to say that the public libraries are in poor condition as so far there is no policy for public library. We are trying our level best so those governments adopt effective policy to run public libraries," Ramesh Bhusaal, member of Nepal Community Library Association.
Nepal has poor library network infrastructure and the government is not investing for upgrading public libraries.
"It is a great opportunity to be the part of Indian public libraries conference today. India and Nepal are close neighbours and both the countries have similar characteristics. The policies which will be upgraded in India are helpful and workable in Nepal also. Public library in Nepal is working at a very slow pace as government is not helping in a positive manner so India and Nepal together trying to bring changes in public libraries," said Narendra Prasad Dongul Bhusaal a Member, Nepal Community Library Association.
The conference emphasized on strengthening public library system in India.
"The global libraries programme currently supports different projects across the world strengthening public libraries and different libraries system. In India, we have partnered with four organization and one of them is digital empowerment Foundation for about a year and half now and all of them have been working in few libraries in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, so Digital empowerment Foundation, Nasscom Foundation, Pratham and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the momentum they have built were looking to increase that opportunity to further develop access the information for the people through public libraries," said Pilar Pacheco, Program officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S.A.
Public libraries play a vital role not only in the field of education but providing adequate information and knowledge. By Neelapu Shanti
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