He said that the
importance of libraries in human society can be best summarised in a statement
attributed to the Roman statesman, Cicero, who said “to add a library to a
house is to give that house a soul.” This wisdom could be easily
extrapolated to a nation or even to humanity. In all periods of history,
civilisations built libraries as repositories of knowledge and information
stored in the form of books, scrolls and manuscripts. In modern age, libraries
became a more universal institution and have played a critical role in the
higher evolution of human civilization.
The Vice President said
that the advent of Information and Communication Technologies, which has
revolutionized our world in all walks of life, has also transformed the library
systems. Emerging technologies have facilitated the conversion of discrete data
into a useful digital format. Information is increasingly produced digitally
and libraries have become major providers of information in different digital
formats. We all know that a digital library is a computerized system which
allows users to obtain a consistent flow of information and data in electronic
format, in an organized way, and with greater facility. It has inherent
advantages and is not limited by the usual constraints of physical boundary. It
enjoys round the clock availability and easy information retrieval.
He opined that the
challenge before us would be to overcome the digital divide that exists between
countries of the north and the south; regions within national boundaries and on
the basis of socio-economic stratification. Democratisation of access to
knowledge and creation of level playing field by bridging the digital divide
would be essential for inclusive, sustained development. In this context,
digital libraries provide us a valuable platform for achieving the desired
results by providing an efficient and cost effective medium
through which information can be delivered and knowledge shared in formats that
are easily accessible to the masses.
Following
is the text of Vice President’s inaugural address :
“I am happy to have been invited for the
inauguration of the International Conference on Digital Libraries being
organised by ‘The Energy and Resources Institute’ (TERI). I welcome all the
participants and wish them a pleasant stay in Delhi.
The
importance of libraries in human society can be best summarised in a statement
attributed to the Roman statesman, Cicero, who said “to add a library to a
house is to give that house a soul.” This was true then as it is true now.
In all
periods of history, civilisations built libraries as repositories of knowledge
and information stored in the form of books, scrolls and manuscripts. In modern
age, libraries became a more universal institution and have played a critical
role in the higher evolution of human civilization.
The
advent of Information and Communication Technologies, which has revolutionized
our world in all walks of life, has also transformed the library systems.
Emerging technologies have facilitated the conversion of discrete data into a
useful digital format.
We all
know that a digital library is a computerized system which allows users to
obtain a consistent flow of information and data in electronic format, in an
organized way, and with greater facility. It has inherent advantages and is not
limited by the usual constraints of physical boundary. It enjoys round the
clock availability and easy information retrieval.
There is
consensus that knowledge would be the key driving force in the 21st
century. The ability to use and create knowledge capital will determine a
country’s capacity to empower and enable its citizens by increasing human
capabilities. Knowledge would also determine the pace and trajectory of
socio-economic development of countries, besides their global competitiveness,
The
realisation of these objectives would naturally involve the widest possible
dissemination and imparting of knowledge amongst all sections of society. In
this endeavour, digital libraries would be a critical instrument as they would
enable people to access, share, and apply knowledge in a more efficient and
effective manner.
The
challenge before us would be to overcome the digital divide that exists between
countries of the north and the south; regions within national boundaries and on
the basis of socio-economic stratification. Democratisation of access to
knowledge and creation of level playing field by bridging the digital divide
would be essential for inclusive, sustained development.
In this
context, digital libraries provide us a valuable platform for achieving the desired
results by providing an efficient and cost effective medium
through which information can be delivered and knowledge shared in formats that
are easily accessible to the masses.
As we
stand today after the first decade of the 21st century, the challenges
can be summed up in three or four propositions:
i)
Creation
of knowledge
ii)
Dissemination
of knowledge
iii)
Universalization
of knowledge
iv)
Cost of
knowledge,
v)
last but
not the least the perils of new technologies.
I wish
all the Conference all success and I thank Dr. Pachauri for having invited me.”
*****
(Release ID :100878)
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