Grameen Gyan Setu Bridges Rural Libraries to Knowledge

GANDHINAGAR: A new “book delivery” network is taking knowledge closer to rural students in Gujarat, with the Grameen Gyan Setu (GGS) platform connecting village school libraries with better-stocked libraries in urban centres.

Developed by INFLIBNET in collaboration with the Gujarat government, GGS was launched on National Librarian’s Day on August 12 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The platform currently connects 40 rural school libraries with four feeder libraries in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and surrounding areas. Through the GGS app, students can search for books, identify their location and place requests from their villages.

The requested books are then collected by the feeder libraries and delivered through four designated vans operating on fixed routes and schedules. Returned books are similarly collected and taken back to the respective libraries.

Describing the concept, INFLIBNET Director Prof Devika Madalli said the initiative is designed to democratise access to knowledge.

“Grameen Gyan Setu is one such initiative that truly democratises access to knowledge by connecting rural libraries and students with wider library resources,” Madalli said.

She described the service as being similar to a “Swiggy service delivering books”, highlighting its simple technology-driven approach to bringing reading material closer to rural communities.

The initiative comes alongside INFLIBNET’s #LoveLibraries #EmbraceKnowledge campaign, which has received endorsements from more than 8,500 professionals and over 20 associations and professional bodies, according to the organisation.

The campaign seeks to reinforce the importance of libraries as gateways to knowledge, particularly for students and communities with limited access to large collections.

INFLIBNET said the GGS initiative could empower rural students, youth and other readers by allowing them to access books beyond the physical limits of their local libraries.

The organisation expressed pride in being associated with the initiative launched on National Librarian’s Day, calling it a significant step towards expanding equitable access to knowledge resources across Gujarat.