Abstract:

India a country of 1.2 billion people of which 70% population resides in Rural Area and 30% in Urban Area.

Library network is very week and limited only to few metro cities that too in scarcity. Public library hardly able to cater diverse need of a reader as well as need of diverse reader and Private libraries are very rare and simultaneously expensive for common man to afford. While libraries of academic institution, generally they are restricted to the students studying there.

Idea is to have a well-managed library network which provides every one equal access to resources of information and that too at very affordable price.

It is a business model, by which we are connecting all the libraries (Public, private, academic) and mobilizing resources to make it accessible to masses, hence making complete resource utilization.

There are different models which are made to reach to diverse users (Rural, Suburban, urban and keeping in mind their connection with the technology (Internet, mobile, etc.)

Model 1: Indian Postal Service has 154,866 post offices, of which 139,040 (89.78%) are in rural areas and 15,826 (10.22%) are in urban areas. Each post office will work as an interface for library transactions, means it will act as a small transit library

Transaction is a 5 steps process: -
User >> (1) Need a book >> (2) find book >> (3) borrow / rent / buy / lend >> (4) Read >> (5) Return

All the steps are addressed in the model, for example At Post office one can buy library card (Value 10 INR = .2$) to order the book. And post his book request in the post office.
Request will go to the nearest zonal office, where availability of the requested book in different libraries is checked. And request is forwarded to the nearest library (nearest to the user; where book is available). Lending library gets its commission for the each book (some percentage of amount charged to the user). Lending library drops the book back to post office (Tearing the appropriate section of the form) from there it get’s delivered to the user which after reading users drops back to the nearest post office from there it goes back to the respective lending library.

Each transaction will be tracked by unique identification number of the user.

Model 2: - Mobile users: Mobile user can use their mobile for transaction. It could be used in two ways one for printed books other for eBooks if user wants to use phone for reading. Library catalogue and information of book availability will be available real time. To do the transaction user has to purchase library credit (Mobile money).

Model 3: - Internet users (PC / Tablet): Can log on to the website and do the transaction for printed as well as eBooks. User has to pay by credit / debit card.

Other Features:
•Community libraries
•Any one can send books to his/her friend on returnable basis
•Any one (individual or publication house) can be part of library network to earn money on the resources that are lying unused.
•Not only borrow but also books could be purchased or shared with friends.
•Carrier counseling and guidance, Work shops, events, competitions, special sessions.

Sustainability:
•Run by Volunteers and interns, receive stipend as a percentage of income generated by the respective area.
•Renting, reissuing, buying
•Money raised from workshops, events, competitions, special sessions etc.

We are just connecting the dots.

Keywords:

Library network, sustainable, indian postal services, academic, professional, resources of information.