A brand-new e-library in the Rahanal village of Bhiwandi, Thane district, is exposing villagers to the world of digital literacy. The Zilla Parishad Thane (Thane District Council) opened the library yesterday, equipped with modern educational facilities like audiobooks, smart TVs, and Wi-Fi.
The library, built with the intention of bridging the digital divide, is an experimental and fun space with over 2,000 books ranging from philosophy to poetry. It was inaugurated by Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Kapil Patil and CEO of Zilla Parishad Thane Manuj Jindal.
This is the first of 28 internet-enabled libraries to be built across villages in Bhiwandi this month. The "out-of-the-traditional-mode" library is located in the gram panchayat (village council) office and is free to access for readers of all ages. Gram panchayat officers will be given technical training to supervise the library and guide readers.
The library caters to a wide range of interests, with comics for children, biographies for senior citizens, and books for competitive exams like UPSC and MPSC.
The library is a project of the NGO Sarvahitey, which aims to open new libraries in geographically and culturally isolated communities under its "Project Paper Bridge" initiative. Apart from setting up new libraries, the NGO also works to rejuvenate underutilized existing libraries.
"There are thousands of e-books and audiobooks in the library," Prem Prakash of Sarvahitey told LokmatTimes.com. "We have space for indoor board games like chess. We will also conduct women-empowerment sessions and documentary screenings. We have curated the facilities as per the local population."
Gram Vikas Adhikari (village development officer) Ganesh Padwal expressed his enthusiasm about the project. "This library will help transform Indian villages into YUVA model villages working for Viksit Bharat (Developed India)," he told LokmatTimes.com. "Villagers are excited about this technically-sound library, and we are getting a good response. It will help students with their studies and research work. It is a great initiative to create educational awareness among the villagers, and the whole gram panchayat is united behind it."