INFLIBNET: Vision 2020 – Dissolving the Digital Divide in Indian Higher Education Scenrio

Abstract(s)

INFLIBNET was established in 1990 in response to the challenges faced by the higher education scenario of India due to knowledge explosion, the exponential volume of published output in different media, their rising cost, and their non affordability and in accessibility at majority of our higher education institutions. It is a computer communication resource sharing network for linking libraries and information centres in universities, colleges, and other research and development institutions. It has set aims and objectives. But after more than seventeen years of its establishment INFLIBNET has not achieved even 25 % of what it originally planned to materialize during 1990-95. The presentation shows that still 99 per cent of the resources and services are located within systems which serve only 5% of the academic community. The majority who are still out of its purview are those from under developed regions and economically and socially backward groups. This means that the information services for higher education is not distributed equally and in an unbiased way. The presentation suggests a few ways related bibliographical control, digitization, etc that can enable INFLIBNET to reach the academic community presently not covered by it, without much additional expenditure. This can meet the information needs of higher education economically and effectively and enable up to date ness of teachers and research scholars and resultant quality improvement.