Digital Transformation in Odisha’s Public Libraries through E-Granthalaya: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Public libraries in Odisha have undergone a digital transformation with the deployment of e-Granthalaya, an Integrated Library Management System developed as a web application by the National Informatics Centre. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study worked with quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and a case study of the State Central Library Bhubaneswar to look at the status, effectiveness, and challenges of digital transformation. Results show that urban libraries have largely benefitted through faster book searches (42%), improved accuracy of membership records (35%), and increased user footfall (28%). Yet obstacles apparently still remain for rural libraries, in the form of poor internet connectivity, system downtimes, and low digital literacy-intensified by 54% of rural users being ill-literate in digital terms. The study thereby infers that while e-Granthalaya has particularly helped library services in well-off areas, its success in rural areas is curbed by infrastructural and skill gaps. The paper recommends that for an inclusive and sustainable digital transformation, focused digital literacy programs, persistent technical support, and policy-level interventions specifically targeted towards the rural and underserved communities be undertaken.