A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Set up a Digital Library for Schools?

Learn how to set up a digital library for schools to enhance access to digital reading resources through an inclusive bilingual learning platform.

Imagine a library where reading resources, digital learning content, and every piece of educational content including K-12 books and beyond academics are just a click away. A place where students aren’t limited by the confines of physical shelves, but instead have a universe of information that combines their academic and non-academic learning resources. That’s the power of a digital library for schools, and it’s easy to set up, manage, and even use. 

Before we guide you through setting up a digital library for schools, let’s explore a few inspiring examples that have paved the way for digital libraries in India. 

• The National Digital Library of India (NDLI), developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur with the support of the Ministry of Education, provides a vast collection of educational resources for students of all levels, from primary to postgraduate. With millions of books, articles, videos, and more, NDLI has become a cornerstone of digital education in India. 
• Digital Library of India (DLI), is an ambitious government initiative to digitize and preserve India’s vast cultural and intellectual heritage. This monumental project aims to make literary, artistic, and scientific works freely accessible to everyone, everywhere, for educational, research, and cultural purposes. The DLI began with the mission to convert all copyright-free books and manuscripts in India into digital format, ensuring their preservation for future generations and fostering a wider appreciation of India’s rich knowledge traditions.

Inspired by these successful models, we immersed deep into understanding the core principles of digital library concepts to meet the unique needs of school education.

Let us first know why schools need a digital library set up when the internet already offers a wealth of information

While it’s undeniable that the internet is a vast repository of knowledge, it’s not always the most conducive environment for focused learning, especially for school education.  Today’s students are increasingly visual learners, and a well-curated digital library can offer a wealth of engaging multimedia content like curriculum-aligned educational videos, interactive simulations, audiobooks and so much more that cater to diverse learning styles.

• Additionally, the sheer volume of information available online can be overwhelming and time-consuming to navigate. A digital library for schools acts as a trusted guide, curating resources that align with the curriculum and extracurricular interests, ensuring that students can easily find relevant and reliable information without getting lost in the digital maze.  
• Beyond that, not every student has equal access to technology or a reliable internet connection, particularly in government schools located in remote areas. A school-based digital library setup levels up the availability of digital learning resources offline, ensuring that every student, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has access to the same high-quality educational resources and personalized learning.

This gives the need for a digital library solution for school education which requires minimal infrastructure to set up and provide well-curated, easily accessible learning resources on a single platform. Crucially, it should be capable of updating information even with limited internet connectivity. This inclusive approach ensures that all students and teachers, regardless of location, internet access, or school infrastructure, have equal opportunity to benefit from the wealth of available knowledge as per state/national educational goals

Let’s take a closer look at how you can set up a Digital Library For Schools

School infrastructure across regions may differ, but the need for quality education remains universal. A digital library solution can bridge this gap, providing equitable access to a curated repository of offline and online learning resources. The solution should align with the broader vision of your education initiative, fostering a love for learning in last-mile learners regardless of location or socioeconomic background. By setting up a digital library for schools, you can enhance teaching and learning experiences, without making any infrastructural changes.

Find out the essential components required to set up a digital library for schools

Infrastructure

Unlike traditional libraries, digital libraries are simple to set up and manage. Our innovative design, modeled after an ICT lab, eliminates the need for dedicated personnel/librarians to manage it.  A charging and storage rack can accommodate 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, or more devices like tablets, desktops, Chromebooks, or notebooks. This solution is designed keeping in mind the schools with limited resources or those in remote areas, providing convenient access to digital learning resources to students and teachers. It does not require any additional wiring, furniture, or dedicated space. In this, multiple devices can be charged simultaneously using a single power plug for 3-4 hours and can be used by students during the entire school day.  This adaptability makes the digital library an ideal solution for K-12 educational institutions where you can plan to maximize resources and enhance learning opportunities with a single solution.

All-Inclusive Learning Platform

The digital library should be one that enhances the learning experience of students through an all-inclusive learning platform. iPrep is one such platform that seamlessly integrates diverse reading resources with a reporting dashboard. This empowers teachers and administrators to track individual student usage, fostering data-driven insights for measurable outcomes. Our library solution focuses on a rich collection of books, engaging video resources, and comprehensive learning materials. It comprises a wide array of categories, including inspirational biographies, life skills, health, safety, sanitation, moral education, and Indian festivals, ensuring a holistic learning experience. Further, iPrep allows a classwise to content that ensures students access age-appropriate learning material. The platform on devices in the digital library also offers multiple categories of learning resources for the K-12 curriculum in the form of animated videos, notes, practice exercises, and syllabus books, to further enhance the educational value of the digital library.

Easy User Interface

A seamless user experience is crucial for the successful set up of a digital library in schools. Our learning platform iPrep prioritizes intuitive design, adhering to universal design principles to ensure easy navigation and accessibility for all users. To further simplify the setup process, iPrep comes pre-installed on devices with pre-loaded content, allowing users to dive right in. Recognizing the importance of linguistic diversity, iPrep offers a bilingual interface that adapts to the language chosen for content, supporting languages like English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Odia, and more. This feature not only promotes inclusivity but also makes the platform more approachable for users with varying language preferences, encouraging wider adoption and usage.

K-12 Content for School Education

Setting up a digital library in every school is essential to bridge the educational divide and democratize access to quality learning resources. To achieve this, the platform on devices in the digital library also offers multiple categories of learning resources for the K-12 curriculum to further enhance the educational value of the digital library. Through this, you can empower learners with a holistic educational experience. As envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020, this approach fosters not only academic excellence but also holistic development.

Ongoing Reporting

Setting up a digital library or any other digital learning solution requires more than just implementation. To ensure its usage and improvement in learning outcomes, ongoing tracking is crucial. Integrating a learning management system (LMS) with offline reporting capabilities on devices allows for comprehensive usage data collection, even in areas with limited connectivity. This data, automatically synced to project dashboards and command centers, provides valuable insights into daily usage patterns and student interests. With this information, teachers, and project officials can make informed decisions, conduct targeted repeat training, and address low usage issues effectively. By prioritizing usage tracking and data-driven strategies, schools can maximize the impact of their digital libraries, fostering better engagement in vast learning resources.

iDream Education Enabling an All-Inclusive Solution to Setup  Digital Library for Schools

Government and social sector organizations seeking to implement a digital library for school education should prioritize solutions that are easy to set up and manage in any school regardless of infrastructure or location constraints. Opt for a platform with a simple interface, minimal maintenance needs, and scalability.

The digital library you choose should be comprehensive and engaging, offering a vast collection of books, learning resources, videos, and life skills content with the K-12 curriculum-aligned content. Further, to maximize learning outcomes, prioritize a digital library with offline reporting capabilities. This feature empowers teachers to understand student interests, allows students to track their learning progress, and provides project officials with valuable insights into the overall impact of the digital library. 

If you are looking for a digital library solution that offers these features in one go, contact us at  +91 7678265039. You can also write to us at [email protected] or share your details here. 

We look forward to collaborating with ecosystem partners and setting up a digital library for schools across the nation so that every last-mile learner has access to digital learning resources.

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