Libraries provide free access to information: Hamid Ansari
New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Vice President Hamid
Ansari on Wednesday said libraries still continued to play a central role in providing
open and free access to information and ideas despite the explosion of
information now being produced in digital form.
Ansari was speaking after inaugurating the 19th
National Convention here on Knowledge, Library and Information Networking (NACLIN
2016) organised jointly by Tezpur University and Developing Library Network
(New Delhi).
“With the advent of the internet, the library is no longer a physical place,
but has been transformed into a placeless resource. Despite this paradigm
shift, it remains true that libraries continue to play a central role in
providing open and free access to information and ideas,” Ansari said.
He said the internet not only accelerates the
pace of knowledge dissemination, but also gives rise to changing conceptions of
knowledge production and use.
He also advised libraries to be more active as
the explosion of information now being produced in digital form has
dramatically changed expectations about the production as well as the use of
knowledge.
Giving an example of social networks and social
media which have become more important in people’s learning strategies, he
said: “Libraries must assert their evolving roles in more active ways, both in
the context of their institutions and in the increasingly competitive markets
for information dissemination and retrieval.”
“Libraries must transform and avail these
opportunities to remain vital forces of knowledge dissemination in the years
ahead,” he said.
He said we are living in the information age and
this implies that the main sector of economic productivity is changing from
agriculture and manufacturing to creation and processing of information and
knowledge.
He pointed out that “the libraries have the
obligation to act as equalizers in the present context”.
He further said that by providing equitable and
affordable access to knowledge and information to larger numbers in society,
they can allow a larger proportion of the society to participate in the
knowledge driven growth.
“Libraries of the 21st century can thus help fight
poverty and narrow the gap between rich and poor. For the first time in history
perhaps, the poor have an opportunity to enhance their wealth through the
creation and use of knowledge. And libraries can play a central role in this
notable movement.”
Reading an interesting note of caution sounded
recently by astrophysicist Stephen Hawkins, he said our digital future may be
dystopian with the growth of artificial intelligence threatening the very human
existence.
“It is relevant to remind ourselves that technology
in the service of humankind has its limits.”
He also quoted technologist Elon Musk, who has
said that the advancement of artificial intelligence can create a situation
where humans become “house-pets” of the machines and warned that such power
should be “broadly distributed” and not be “concentrated in the hands of a
few”.
In this scheme of things, one should not forget
the role of libraries. This was summed up by UNESCO in 1994 and remains valid,
he said.
“The public library, the local gateway to knowledge,
provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decision-making
and cultural development of the individual and social groups,” he added.
Source | http://www.indialivetoday.com/libraries-provide-free-access-to-information-hamid-ansari/51885.html
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @ Library
Khaitan & Co
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