`2 cr sanctioned to privatise Gowthami Regional Library

Rajamahendravaram: Plans are afoot to modernise the century-old Gowthami Regional Library (GRL) to corporate status shortly. As part of it, a new palatial building is coming up along with digitalisation of old rare books.

Speaking to ‘The Hans India’, here on Wednesday, Book Digitalisation Programme (BDP) coordinator Dr Aripirala Narayana Rao says, ‘The programme is taken up to conserve valuable books from as early as the17th and 18th centuries along with old papers from the year 1901. As many as 30,000 books (30 lakh pages) of the library would be digitised out of 40,000 important books including some damaged books.

” GRL has a book treasure of 1.4 books of various categories. The digitisation process is estimated to take up two years, costing Rs 30 lakh for the project. So far, as many as 85 Telugu and 30 English books have been digitalised. 

In a touching gesture, Urban MLA Dr Akula Satyananrayana came forward to spend Rs 30 lakh for the project and also donated a scanner along with five computers. “The MLA also sanctioned an amount of Rs 2 crore from his constituency development fund for the construction of new library building,” Dr Narayana Rao informed.

He further said that State Bank of India donated a Xerox and a printing machine, an air conditioner also for BDP. The digitalised books can be reprinted and as they would be stored in drives. Employment opportunities have been provided to people for BDP post proper training. “GRL is having very rare and valuable books and some of them are available only in this library,” he added.