College Libraries in India are Evolving into Workstations, Phone Zones and Networking Hubs
The libraries in Indian colleges are keeping up with the continuously advancing technology. From limited lending to now offering unrestricted access to the digital archives, the libraries have come a long way.
In an effort to stay relevant and updated, the libraries on Indian college campuses are adapting and evolving with the changing technology. From No-Phone and Silent Zones to spaces that allow students to socialise and network, the libraries in Indian colleges have made a lot of progress and continue to thrive.
These new hybrid libraries are being called workstations. Here, students go to draw on or browse the reference books, network, attend events, make new contacts or even just chat and hang out with their friends. The ‘No-talking’ rule has been waived off from the libraries of many institutes such as TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and SIES (South Indian Education Society) College of Arts, Commerce and Science.
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The four-storied and air-conditioned library of TISS, Sir Dorabji Tata Memorial Library combines physical books with their digital volumes. The library has a conference room within it, where events are often organised. The students of TISS feel very comfortable in the libraries as it is no longer a space where there is a prohibition on phones and working along in silence is required. The library is divided into different zones: Discussion zone, Mobile friendly zone, Silent study zone, etc. This has turned the library into a zone for students that they prefer for networking and socialising
The library of IIT-B (Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay) is a two-storied Central library that has a lounge area and a meeting place as well. The meeting area is furnished with comfortable couches instead of the old-school format involving table and chairs.
SIES College of Arts, Commerce and Science renovated its entire library to add new cyber cells and digital volumes. The library was renovated into a more vibrant and inviting area with no restriction on the use of cyber cells. It now enables students to research freely and connect with their fellow mates making it a comfortable space for students.
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The revamping of these libraries helps students to bond with each other over events and workshops. The libraries have now started to organise writing workshops, book exhibitions, quiz competitions, storytelling sessions and more. This way, the libraries will become a neutral point where like-minded students can network, meet and collaborate for research and education.
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