DU V-C inaugurates Int’l Conference on Academic Libraries

New Delhi: The University of Delhi’s Vice Chancellor has inaugurated International Conference (ICAL-2023). The conference is being organised by Delhi University Library System (DULS) at the University of Delhi from April 5 to 8 on the theme “Transforming Academic Libraries: Evolution, Innovation, Quality, Transfiguration.”

Vice Chancellor of DU Prof. Yogesh Singh said that knowledge should not be in a closed system but in an open system, only then it can be accessible to all. Dr Vadim Duda, DG, Russian State Library was present as the keynote speaker. He also said that knowledge should not be held back, but should be shared.

He gave the example of the translation of manuscripts available in the library of MS University, Baroda during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor in Sanskrit, Prachi, and Prakrit languages and said that knowledge should be available to the whole world.

Singh further said that India had a tradition of learning by heart during that period which kept that knowledge and source of knowledge alive. He also said that today we have modern systems of written storage of knowledge and there are proper arrangements for their conservation. The Vice-Chancellor informed that the government has established the National Digital Library of India. Soon all the libraries in the country will be connected.

Dr Vadim Duda said that intellectual property is the greatest wealth and the meaning of digital is not only to convert books and papers into PDF form but to mould them completely in digital forums. He further said that in order to save knowledge wealth for future generations, we have to set new standards for the system of libraries.