Libraries, Digital Inclusion and Sustainable Development: The Indian Experience
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Date
2025-12-08
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INFLIBNET Centre Gandhinagar
Abstract
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
Description
14th International CALIBER 2025, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, November 17-19, 2025
Keywords
Digital Divide, Digital Inclusion, IFLA, India, Information Access, Internet Access, Libraries, Lifelong Learning, Sustainable Development Goals