Govt. to open browsing centres in libraries

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 03:58 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 23.06.2009

Govt. to open browsing centres in libraries

Staff Reporter

Officials will provide assistance to the users

— Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Access to net: Browsing facility established in Tirumal Public Library in Salem.

SALEM: The State Government will open browsing centres at five more public libraries in the district shortly.

The libraries located in Mettur, Omalur, Vazhapadi, Yercaud and Gengavalli will get the facility. Five centres have already been opened in District Central Library, Tirumal Public Library in Navazhar Nedunchezhian road, Sooramangalam, Sankagiri and Edapadi.

The Central Library has four computers, while all other centres have two computers each with broadband connection.

A sum of Rs. 10 is being collected as browsing charge for an hour and Rs. 5 for half-an-hour. The amount charged is 50 per cent less than what is charged at private establishments.

Officials in the library would provide assistance to the users and also ensure that the systems were not misused, District Library Officer V. Madeshwaran said.

The facility had been established with the objective to provide access to Internet to the people at affordable cost, he added.

“The response from the public is good. But we are not able to ensure better service to the users as the systems have old configuration,” library officials point out.

The government should initiate efforts to improve the facilities in the centres in order to attract more number of users, they said.

The officials also appealed to the government to appoint adequate number of personnel with computer knowledge to ensure effective functioning of the centres.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 04:00