DIGITAL LIBRARIES AS FACILITATORS OF E-LEARNING FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN INDIA

Abstract

Libraries are community treasure chests, loaded with a wealth of information available to everyone equally” Former First Lady Laura Bush With the changing needs of the users and the onset of digitization, the role of libraries has also undergone Himalayan changes.The traditional libraries have transformed into digital libraries with the changing modes of teaching, learning, and research. The emergence of digitization has forced library professionals to accustom themselves with the emerging information technology tools to manage and disseminate services to its users. Today learners are looking for a single interface where they could access umpteen resources at a go, to support learning. And hence the growing relevance of digital libraries. When compared to traditional libraries the scope of digital libraries is vast which includes not only reading material in printed format but also comprises digital objects such as texts, audiovisual material, video material stored in electronic media format. Their role as facilitators and disseminators of knowledge and information is tremendous in the present era and links students and tutors to plenty of online resources, library catalogs, e-resources, digital resources, and discussion forums. And therefore Digital is considered as a federation of library services aimed at creating a digital learning community.At present e-learning is considered the best alternative tool for imparting knowledge and skills. A supplement to classroom teaching. It enables a student who is situated in a remote area to access a wide range of information and interact with the teachers and his peers.This brings in added responsibilities to the librarians managing traditional libraries to upgrade themselves into digital librarians and re-evaluate the way they develop, manage and disseminate online resources. In this backdrop, the paper tries to understand the concepts of digital library and E-learning. It presents the role of digital libraries as facilitators of e-learning. It quotes a few examples of ace Digital libraries of India. It discusses the various e-learning platforms provided by digital libraries to its learners.