A new landmark in distance learning

A new landmark in distance learning
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI: The Indira Gandhi National Open University Vice-Chancellor V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai on Sunday announced the formation of a national network and consortium of Libraries and Information Centres of Open and Distance (ODL) System.
The national network and consortium will be established as National Open and Distance Learner's Library and Information Network (NODLINET). It will involve all its participating institutions of the system like State Open Universities, Distance Education Institutes, National Institutes of Open Schooling and IGNOU to delineate the activities and service under its ambit.
Formation of such a national network and consortium will be a unique one without duplication of the library networks already available. Apart from e-resources access and digitalisation, NODLINET will also provide accredited standards and guidelines for the establishment of distance learning library facilities. It will also assist in the set up of automation and building digital libraries.
The national network and consortium will further guide to establish linkages with other national library networks. The formation of national network and consortium assumes significance as there has been concern for ensuring the equivalent delivery of information sources as of the conventional system to the millions of Open Learners -- faculty, counsellors, researchers and students in remote setting across the country.
Existing library and information set up has limitations in ODL system in regard to the library facilities, printed information resources, infrastructure, space, storage, besides ICT provisioning and staff.
With this national network and consortium the use of information, communication and web-based technology, besides the digital and virtual information systems will hold great potential to meet these challenges.

Source The Hindu http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/23/stories/2007042318020500.htm