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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 27:

        The State government is planning to set up a Rs 100 crore modern digital library on the Government Data Centre ground in Kotturpuram utilising the technical expertise of the National Library of Singapore, State for School Education, Thangam Thenarasu has said.

        Inaugurating the newly developed library infrastructure facilities at the Madras University Library here yesterday, he said that the new nine- storeyed library would come up within next 18 months on an eight acre plot.

        To inculcate reading habits among the rural population the government would establish about 12,400 rural libraries within a span of five years from now under the Anaithu Gramma Anna Marumalarch Thittam, the Minister said.

        Insisting upon the importance of developing reading habits among the students, he said books are an eye opener of knowledge. 'Todays youngsters should keep abreast of latest information to come up better in life,' he said.

        The Minister then released a brochure which comprises the details of the University library.

        The Vice Chancellor of Madras University S Ramachandran dwelt upon the growth of the library, since its inception in 1907.

        He said that the library had 97,343 book and periodicals in 1936 and as on date has a collection of books which runs to 5,21,530. About 630 titles of periodicals are being received in the library, he said.

        He further said about 600 users use the library every day and there are about 1,200 registered users. Apart from the conventional library services, the University has developed six more additional facilities under the library modernisation programme spending about Rs 55 lakh.

        The new facilities include e-resource centre, theses digital library, online public access catalogue terminals, computerised library book lending counter, air conditioned current periodical reading hall and renovated main reading hall with VIPs portraits, he said.