An Evaluative Study of Some Selected Libraries in India Undergoing the Process of Digitization

by Anup Kumar Das

Digitization of collections enables wide dissemination of content from our documentary heritage and increases access to rare documents and current research literature in library collections. Indian digitization initiatives have produced a vast amount of digitized documents. They are made accessible through intranets or Internet channels. However, maintaining an Internet-based online digital library system has several problems such as availability of web server for 24X7 timeframe, robust broadband connectivity, efficient retrieval engine, ownership of digitized documents, etc. This study addresses such issues affecting Indian initiatives. It also documents the digitization and digital preservation practices by many national and institutional initiatives. The study gives special reference to India’s largest digitization initiatives – Digital Library of India, theses and dissertations in universities, heritage items of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National Mission for Manuscripts, and digitization of Indian journal collections. The study found that many Indian institutions have established a defined path of capacity, competency and capability development in digitization of documentary heritage. They have secured support from concerned stakeholders, parent bodies, and various funding agencies. While multi-stakeholder participation is secured in digitization projects, self-sustainability of the project was also ensured. Every information system project has a life cycle. After completion of the digitization project and the establishment of an online or intranet-based retrieval system, normally digitization work gets discontinued. Information retrieval system needs to be continued to achieve project goals and objectives, and to serve the target audiences on the long-term basis. Institutional support is also necessary for self-sustainability of such projects. Open Access to knowledge and information proves to be an efficient diffusion model for scholarly literature. The study observed that some Indian projects have established Open Access repositories at the institutional or national level for worldwide dissemination of information. These repositories enhance international visibility of India’s research output.
This open access eBook is available at http://eprints.rclis.org/22918/.

374 pages, ebook

Published September 1, 2008

About the author

Information and Communications Specialist, with interests in Information Policies, Advocacy, Open Access Publishing, Open Educational Resources (OER), e-Science, and ICT for Development. Presently attached with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India; Ex-Consultant to UNESCO, Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) of Commonwealth of Learning (COL). Awarded PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.