Browsing by Author "Yadagiri, S"

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    Libraries, Digital Inclusion and Sustainable Development: The Indian Experience
    (INFLIBNET Centre Gandhinagar, 2025-12-08) Yadagiri, S; Ramshirish, M
    The main objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to eliminate poverty, foster prosperity for all, and safeguard the environment. Libraries, as institutions of knowledge, support a number of SDGs, particularly those on quality education, gender equality, economic growth, and reducing inequalities. Based on selected case studies from India and existing literature, this article explores how libraries serve as inclusive learning spaces, community empowerment sites, and information access points, ensuring that marginalized groups are not left behind. It also examines how libraries enable digital inclusion, which in turn speeds up the achievement of the SDGs. Initiatives like the National Digital Library of India are helping in removing the barriers of education by offering free digital textbooks, articles, videos, audiobooks, lectures, simulations, and other instructional materials to facilitate lifelong learning, particularly in rural areas. In rural India, Libraries that host Common Service Centres (CSCs) offer livelihood skills training, health information, and e-governance services. State level programmes, such as Kerala’s digital literacy campaigns led by Kerala State Library Council and Rajasthan’s internet access facility programs for women serve as examples of how libraries are supporting gender equality and bridging the digital gender divide. The global role of libraries as inclusive agents of digital transformation is emphasised by frameworks such as IFLA's Library Map of the SDGs. However, challenges still exist, including inadequate internet access, limited funding, and fragmented policy support, which need to be addressed to strengthen the role of Libraries in advancing the SDG agenda