In the digital age, reading has increasingly been turned into a screen-based activity. Touted as the first-of-its-kind in the Alappuzha district, the Government Higher Secondary School, Ramapuram, has transformed its library into a digital one by providing virtual access to around 600 books and magazines, among other reading materials, The Hindu reported.
The digital library has been set up at the cost of Rs 12.33 lakh, allocated from the MLA fund of U Prathibha.
First time's the charm
“It is the first digital library in the district. Students can access novels, poems, short stories and so on from six computers at the library. Guides and PSC model question papers for preparing for competitive examinations are also made available in digital format. The books and other materials are available in text, audio, and video formats,” said an official.
Children can access the library during their free periods. Officials said that even though the library was primarily set up for higher secondary students, high school students could also utilise it.
Kerala University Library goes digital
Earlier last month, the Kerala University Library (KUL) — the state's oldest library, established in the year 1942 — embraced a bit of technology as well. The daily reported that among other things, the university has operationalised a digital repository of 20 lakh pages of rare and old books, periodicals and grey literature hosted in an open-source digital library, 'Dspace', at the cost of Rs 50 lakh.
KUL also has a Rs 30-lakh-worth resource centre for visually challenged users, including senior citizens, with assistive technologies that can convert text into speech. The centre is equipped with modern computers, smartphones, Digital Braille devices and reprographic reproduction scanners.
