| Introduction: What is a public library? Body: Describe their role in promoting literacy and reading culture. Why do we need a national policy for libraries? Conclusion: Conclude as to why the public library is important. |
A public library is a library that is accessible to the general public irrespective of any differences and is usually funded by public sources like taxes or contributions from the community.
Role of public libraries in promoting literacy and fostering a reading culture in India
- Access to books: Public libraries provide free access to a wide range of books, journals, and research papers to individuals belonging to different educational backgrounds, and age groups.
- Collaboration with institutions: Public libraries cooperate with schools, and universities to organize debates, storytelling competitions, and educational activities for youth, children, and adults.
- E-Books: During COVID, public libraries supported their members by offering E-books to access online information. This has helped books reach remote places and fostered a reading culture in small towns.
- Community Outreach: Public libraries are places that bring communities together and organize events related to educational programs. Such community outreach programs are helpful for people from marginalized communities in inculcating values of reading and promoting literacy.
- Leisure activity: Public libraries have played a crucial role in developing reading as a leisure activity. Books in multiple languages have led to new readerships in libraries who like to read books in native languages with varied socio-political dimensions.
Need for national library policy in India
- 3A’s- National library policy will ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of books across India.
- Modernization: Since libraries are a state subject, the need of the hour is to focus on modernizing public libraries of the state. State libraries suffer from a lack of financial funds, and the non-availability of books in English and other native languages.
- Inaccurate data: There is ambiguity regarding the number of functional libraries operational at the state and national levels. By national library policy, there will be accurate data regarding operational and non-functional libraries in the public domain.
- Support to NGOs: National Library policy will help strengthen the efforts of NGOs that are functioning in remote regions of the country.
Conclusion:
The need of the hour to frame national library policy is necessary to adopt new and modern practices from the best libraries across the world and frame standardized practices on preserving this cultural heritage of India.
