The IILM University Library, Gurugram, India has organised a hybrid mode symposium on “Libraries Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Communities through Digital Literacy” on 11 July 2025. The symposium aimed to bring together librarians, educators, policymakers, community leaders, and technology advocates to engage in meaningful dialogue on digital literacy and inclusion.

AO RDC Vice Chair Shri Sanjay K Bihani sharing with the audience
AO RDC Vice Chair Shri Sanjay K Bihani sharing with the audience

Asia-Oceania Regional Division Committee’s (AO RDC) Vice-Chair Shri Sanjay K Bihani was invited as a distinguished speaker on this occasion. He spoke on various stages of information and digital literacy for empowering community. He also particularly highlighted IFLA’s initiatives and support on digital literacy programmes. He stressed on pressing need for sustainable digital literacy initiatives and programmes in the Asia and Oceania region.

The wide-ranging intellectual engagement that took place delved into the cost-effective management of large archival datasets, personalised information retrieval systems, the transformative role of libraries in extending education, community-driven reading programmes, and multilingual content availability. Libraries are facilitating and disseminating knowledge and bridging the digital divide, therefore democratising information and globalising it. The Covid pandemic made evident that the need for education would not be stopped not matter what, thus exhibiting the need to bridge the digital divide.

The e-book Digital Literacy: Empowering Communities, published by the University, was also unveiled during the event and focuses on reimagining libraries as digital community hubs and harnessing the power of India’s greatest gift to the world – multilingualism.

Some of the key takeaways from the event’s intense deliberations were digital ethics; education and legal awareness; digital competencies in workforce training; AI-driven search tools; and personalised content delivery. Those gathered focused the conversation on accessibility, inclusivity, and institutional adaptation, mainly through reducing educational disparity across linguistic zones, bridging the access gap, the transformation of libraries into smart learning spaces, integrating academic databases, institutional repositories, and virtual learning environments.

Unveiling of the digital e book at the event
Unveiling of the digital e book at the event

In conclusion, the symposium’s deliberations were of immense value, adding to the larger conversations on bridging the digital divide, accessibility, empowerment, technological advancement and combining technology with ethical vigilance – all to ensure the future of libraries is inclusive, transparent, and transformative.

Group photo of participants at the symposium
Group photo of participants at the symposium

 

Contributed by Sanjay Kumar Bihani