5 Ways Digital Libraries Benefit Students, Faculty and Researchers
In today’s world, where technology is advancing at a rapid pace, having access to a comprehensive institutional digital library is becoming critical for students, faculty and researchers. Digital Libraries provide patrons with easy access to a plethora of information and resources, significantly enriching their learning and research experience.
With mobile devices and usage being adopted at an exponential rate amongst the Generation Z, setting up digital libraries in academic institutions has become a need of the hour. These platforms offer numerous benefits to students, such as expanding the range of resources available to them, allowing them to access information from anywhere, at any time and on any device.
In this era of information sharing, digital libraries have revolutionized the way we locate and share information. Tarun Arora, CEO and Founder of Knimbus, a leading knowledge ecosystem, has outlined five ways in which digital libraries benefit students.
One of the primary benefits of digital libraries is that they provide access to a vast range of online resources, including books, journals, articles, videos, online courses and other learning materials. These resources are available on a single platform, with subscribed and open content, important links, and relevant tools accessible through a single login. This makes it easy for students to access relevant information at the right time.
Another advantage of digital libraries is the flexibility and convenience they offer students. With anytime access, students can study, research, and learn from anywhere, at any time, and on any device. The increasing adoption of digital libraries and over a million users on the Knimbus’ mLibrary platform prove that 24×7 on off campus access helps digital libraries become an crucial resource for students. In addition, a physical library resource like a print book or a journal can be checked out and read by only one patron at a time, while a Digital resource can be available to many users simultaneously.
Digital libraries also offer personalization and collaboration. With access to a wide range of resources and tools, students can find materials that match their interests and learning style. These libraries also provide multimedia resources that help students understand complex concepts and theories in different ways. Furthermore, digital libraries promote networking as they provide access to online communities, discussion forums, and peer-to-peer networks, where students can collaborate and share ideas with other students from around the world.
These libraries are cost-effective for both students and academic institutions and help democratize knowledge. For institutions and students who cannot afford to subscribe to expensive content resources, a digital library can provide access to a wide world of curated, open access and free resources. For educational institutions, digital libraries reduce the need of financial and human resources to increase and maintain physical library infrastructure while storing vast amounts of information in one place.
Advanced search engines in digital libraries make it quick and effective for users to find the right information at the right time. This is more efficient than locating the desired materials by browsing through shelves and catalogs in a physical library.
There are many other benefits that digital libraries provide to library patrons. As technology continues to advance, digital libraries will play an increasingly important role in education, providing students with the resources they need to succeed in their academic and professional lives. Advancements in technologies like Artificial Intelligence will make Digital Libraries smarter and provide curated and personalized experiences to individuals to make them highly efficient in any learning or research task they choose to undertake.
(The author is Mr. Tarun Arora – CEO, Knimbus, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
