Albert Einstein said, “The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the Library.

” As a kid in school till college, one place that always felt like a second home was a library. Even during peak summer hours, a big expansive library provided a cool respite and an escape into the world of endless stories, a place to study together and just relax. And in winters, a warm haven that enveloped you into its arms and gave you coffee with books!! A dream!

But this is the scenario in well-developed cities and states. As we move away from the metropolitans, the big libraries give way to simple book store houses, and instead of an educated librarian, you find a storekeeper.

Understanding the need to promote and develop these ‘knowledge centres’, IPLM began as a movement to promote and develop the libraries into well-equipped knowledge centres which the young generation can engage with and grow together.

To understand the movement and what it entails, we reached out to Shubhangi Sharma, the Executive Director of ( Indian Public Library Movement ) with a few questions of our own.

Can you tell us a little about IPLM, its inspiration and beginnings?

Indian Public Library Movement is a global movement hosted by NASSCOM Foundation, across several countries in the world which are aimed at transforming and re-positioning public libraries as ‘responsive’ knowledge institutions equipped with services, human capacities, processes and systems to engage with and empower communities.

Presently this movement spreads across 200 plus Public Libraries across 23 states in India.

IPLM started its journey as a mutli-stakeholder movement way back in 2012 when the seeds were sown for such a movement with support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a small pilot was undertaken across 2 states in a handful of public libraries towards transforming those into new age knowledge institutions. November 2015 witnessed expansion of the movement across pan India with a vision to position Public Libraries as vibrant and inclusive knowledge institutions addressing the present and future information, education and knowledge needs of communities and societies.

As many of us would know public libraries have always played a very important role in the development of any society and in the progress of human race and I believe, it is this institution which will eventually be again a key institution to create a knowledge based society.

Public institutions, with needed makeover, will become the game changer for our country.

We have a rich heritage of approximately 50 thousand Public libraries in this country run by government and if we count the public libraries which are privately managed, the number would count to more than 2 lakh. These are ‘knowledge houses’ in towns, cities, districts, block as well as village and panchayat level which have been limited to the level of just store houses of books and the educated librarians as the store keepers.

We firmly believe that with little motivation and positive push these librarians can take on the charge and become agents of change for the community. IPLM is committed to build the capacity of these librarians so that they can play an instrumental role in the community development and in the process of life long learning. We are sure that these public institutions , with needed makeover, will become the game changer for our country.

What are the challenges that have come in the journey so far?

There are umpteen problems like lack of standardisation in processes, limited availability of relevant and updated reading material, lack of capacity of the Library staff vis-à-vis rapidly changing community needs, limited access to technology, meaningful information and opportunities, poor infrastructure, underutilised spaces, so on and so forth. Policy changes have not kept pace with the changing needs of the community. Perceptions about the library continue to be negative.

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However, we started our work knowing about all these problems and with our advocacy effort and multiple engagements with all stakeholders at various levels we are in the process of helping libraries to overcome challenges. I must also state here that we are fortunate to get support of the central as well as the state governments, in general. RRRLF, the autonomous nodal agency of GoI is also taken in confidence to pursue our goal of transforming these public libraries into ‘smart’ libraries.

How do you see technology and digitalization affecting IPLM?

With the advent of digital era, we are seeing a vast difference in the way people access and process knowledge.

People who do not have the reach to digital mediums have unanswered questions like,

Will we be left behind?

Don’t we stand a chance to progress in life?

These are some of the questions that we want to address by transforming these public libraries into digitally inclusive knowledge centers. For us being also hosted by NASSCOM Foundation, technology is a real enabler and something which can bridge the gap between the have’s and have not’s. Public access computers are key to our intervention which we feel would help knowledge to be easily accessible in various forms.

By bringing in technology in the library spaces and making available knowledge resource through technology is expected to narrow down the knowledge gap between communities and is bound to bring in ‘ inclusion ‘ in library space.

The challenge is that a large number of our population is not able to get through the formal medium of education despite efforts being made from all ends. Does that mean that this huge section of our society does not need information or skills to progress or walk with the changing times? I think they do.

It becomes our responsibility to prepare and hand hold our librarians and our communities to walk with the changing times. By bringing in technology in the library spaces and making available knowledge resource through technology is expected to narrow down the knowledge gap between communities and is bound to bring in ‘inclusion‘ in library space.

Could you elaborate on the services provided in the libraries under IPLM?

An ideal library should not only be a platform for knowledge but also play a part in developing an informed society, remember only an informed society is a developed society.

Public library should become the nerve center of community living around it, which should fulfil the information, knowledge and welfare needs of any society.

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In an effort to achieve the same, we envisage of transforming the existing public libraries into SMART libraries, which will be a platform for delivering a whole range of services including ICT, Health, education , skills to the communities living around the PL’s. As I said that these services are based on the community needs and will vary from Library to library but in broader terms all services would be based on proper assessment of the requirement of the community.

We also intend to offer services like career counselling for the youth, storytelling and book- reading sessions for children through setting up children corners, adult literacy focusing on women, knowledge kiosks for farmers and fisherman, information and support on government entitlements for marginalised communities.

In addition to the services we are also intending to offer services like career counselling for the youth, storytelling and book- reading sessions for children through setting up children corners, adult literacy focusing on women, knowledge kiosks for farmers and fisherman, information and support on government entitlements for marginalised communities. We feel once some such services start to get delivered through the library space automatically the footfall will increase.

How do you see the future of IPLM in tandem with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

By making public libraries socially inclusive, community oriented knowledge centers, by providing skill to the librarian’s professionals; and providing access to technology enabled information resources and need based services for the community that will impact citizens’ lives and their livelihood, IPLM aims to showcase public libraries as ‘agents of change’ and ‘engines of development’ in India in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Some of the services I mentioned above are actually in response of the SDGs and National development priorities.

Any message to young (or old) knowledge seekers.

‘Knowledge is power’ is not just a statement but it is philosophy which places knowledge center-stage in the process of development of any society. The societies which care for their knowledge institutions actually invest wisely in their future. Public libraries are one of the key institutions where this knowledge can be attained in one’s own time, pace and priority. It is true that these institutions need to reinvent themselves to be able to attract people but equally, if not more, it is the responsibility of us as knowledge seekers to start paying attention to our knowledge institutions.

It is the responsibility of us as knowledge seekers to start paying attention to our knowledge institutions.

Please start visiting your nearby library, spend time, contribute in whichever way you can and you will see rejuvenation of these institutions. You can do a lot – Perhaps you can contribute as a volunteers to help librarian start activities for children or for older generation people or for that matter can support in refurbishing library space creating activity areas for a whole range of things such as health awareness sessions, adult literacy classes or just be a story-teller for a group of young children coming to the library. Remember- your engagement will make a difference for public libraries to not to become an institution of the past.

So, Book and Library lovers, get out there and help save your beloved libraries!

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