ICT BASED LIBRARY SERVICES IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY ON IGNOU LIBRARY

Distance Education Bureau of University Grants Commission emphasizes on infrastructural facilities for the learners, and faculty members. It encompasses setting up and maintaining of separate library and resource centre. With the help of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) it is now a feature of every open and distance learning institutions to provide library services to its learners in an effective and efficient way. The role of the library is vital in all types of education - conventional as well as distance mode. This paper discusses how Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) library provides innovative ICT based library services like RATE service; e-Gyankosh etc for the user community to access all subscribed online resources and databases from remote end. It also describes National Open and Distance Learners' Library and Information Network (NODLINET). NODLINET has a nationwide coverage for distance learning libraries. It helps in sharing resourses and services. This paper also highlights various other initiatives taken by the library like Discovery services, A-to -Z service, M-Library services, Mobile Augmented Reality service etc.