National Virtual Library

Telangana State Central Library has been selected as one among the 35 libraries across India that would be upgraded and ultimately merge with a national virtual library to facilitate a comprehensive database on India. The National Mission on Libraries, launched by the Ministry of Culture on 4th May, 2012 for sustained development of libraries and information science sector, consists of four components to pursue.

Creation of National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) will facilitate a comprehensive database on digital resources on information about India and on information generated in India, in an open access environment. This project costing Rs.72.34 crore has been entrusted to IIT Bombay. NVLI prototype has since been developed. Setting up of NML Model Libraries will cover 35 State Central Libraries, 35 District Libraries and 6 Libraries under the Ministry of Culture.

Quantitative & Qualitative Survey of Libraries will be taken up to prepare a baseline data of libraries in India through a survey of 5000 libraries. In addition, 629 district libraries across the states would be provided network connectivity. Capacity building to enhance the professional competence of library personnel.

The purpose of National Virtual Library of India is to facilitate a comprehensive database on digital resources on information about India and on information generated in India, in an open access environment. As per our estimates India also has the largest collection of Manuscripts. For documentation, conservation /preservation and digitization of Manuscripts project, National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) was launched by the Ministry of Culture in 2003.

Till date it has documented about 42 lakh Manuscripts in different scripts and languages. For conservation of Manuscripts, Manuscripts Conservation Centres (MCCs) have been established by NMM all over the country, which conduct preventive and curative conservation of Manuscripts requiring conservation in their region.