HYDERABAD: Putting to use `e-grandhalaya', a software package developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), all public libraries across the State would soon be connected online.

The initiative taken up by the Directorate of Public Libraries begins with a workshop for the staff concerned on April 25, followed by making available the necessary hardware infrastructure.

To start with, six library facilities at regional and district-level would be connected, followed by district libraries and 1,449 branch libraries in phases.

"All the libraries are being provided with computers and training will be imparted to the staff," said Director of Public Libraries S. Ravi Kumar.

The facility would make available the index of different libraries at the click of a mouse. It enables one to browse data pertaining to the rich collection of reading material at different units author-wise, subject-wise or topic-wise, he said.

The compilation of book titles from all the libraries could well exceed the two-crore mark!

Meanwhile, as a part of the Universal Digital Library project of Carnegie Mellon University, the State Central Library has so far scanned and made available over 42,000 books books on the net. This digitisation project covers titles in Hindi, Telugu, English, Arabic and Persian and work on the remaining books was on, he said.

Improving conditions

The effort to improve conditions at libraries taken up last year has resulted in air-conditioned reading halls at the Afzalgunj State Central Library, in the city, apart from those at Rajahmundry and Guntur.

The reading halls of other libraries too were being covered under the project with work expected to commence soon.

Also, the Director of Public Libraries has decided to extend the Competitive Entrance and Reference Units (CERU) to branch libraries.

Under this, ten branch libraries in each district would be equipped with textbooks and preparation material for students preparing for competitive examinations.

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