Buoyed by the response to the digital libraries project, the Department of Libraries will soon convert 172 libraries in rural areas and slums to digital libraries at a cost of Rs 4 crore.
In the first phase, 272 libraries across the state were converted into digital libraries followed by another 100 in the second phase. Now, in the third phase, the department aims to focus on rural areas.
The project, which was initiated in 2020, has attracted close to 3.21 crore subscribers in 2 years and 10 months and has successfully integrated close to 1.73 crore e-content.
“The initial target given to Karnataka was to get at least 10 lakh subscribers on board. However, the response was great and we broke all the records. This has motivated us to convert more libraries to digital ones,” said Department of Libraries Director Satish Kumar S Hosamani.
The department has developed the https://www.karnatakadigitalpubliclibrary.org/ portal to allow users to access the content remotely and to support those who cannot afford access, the libraries are being upgraded with computers and laptops.
“We host all the content on the cloud and the libraries that are being converted will have laptops and internet connectivity to enable those who do not afford to buy devices,” Hosamani added.
The content, which are in the form of e-books, journals, and videos, are available in Kannada, English, Tamil, Telugu, and many other languages.
Hosamani added that the response had also attracted authors who have voluntarily come forward to donate their books to be used in the digital format. The new version of the library has helped many of them prepare to crack competitive exams.
Though digital libraries have received an enormous response from the public, funds are still a matter of concern.
“Conversion of traditional libraries to digital ones is a capital-intensive project. Most of the works are now being taken up under the funds granted by the Government of India and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department,” a senior official from the libraries department said.
He added that many civic bodies had defaulted on paying the library cess and this has brought down the revenue to the department, forcing them to depend on government funds.
There are nearly 6,890 public libraries across Karnataka.