Director of DELNET (Developing Library Network) and NML member H K Kaul told this to PTI here today.
He was speaking on the eve of the three-day 15th national convention on 'Knowledge, Library and Information Networking' beginning here tomorrow.
"There is a plan to modernise and digitally link nearly 9,000 libraries across the country in a bid to provide readers access to books and information," he said.
Under the plan, libraries in several cities, towns and villages of the country would be linked in the next three years, he said adding that a proposal to spend Rs 1,000 crore on this project is pending before the Planning Commission for its approval.
According to Kaul, a survey of reading habits of Indians and revival of community libraries and reading rooms has also been planned.
He pointed out that Gujarat figures in the list of Indian states that lag behind in library development, "despite enacting Library Act in the respective states."
"Library is a state subject and 16 states including Gujarat out of a total of 32 states, have enacted Library Act after getting passed in respective state assemblies," he said.
However, library movement is not picking up in these states due to various reasons, one of which is non-allocation of sufficient funds, he said.
"Therefore, the National Library Mission has decided to focus on improving the public library system of the country, focussing on the states where library development is lagging behind," Kaul said.
A national census of libraries, upgradation of infrastructure of reading resources and work of modernising and promoting the networking of libraries would be taken up, Kaul said.
Kaul also underlined the need to change syllabus of library courses being run by various universities and institutions for meeting challenges. (MORE)
