Smart Library and Smart Services in Academic Libraries in India

Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(III) | Sept. - 2025 195 Smart Library and Smart Services in Academic Libraries in India Shilpa N. Hirekhan1, Dr. Veena A. Prakashe 1Research Scholar & Librarian, Seth Kesarimal Porwal College of Arts & Science & Commerce, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India 2Information Scientist (Professor), Campus Library, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur university, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India Manuscript ID: JRD -2025(I)-170935 ISSN: 2230-9578 Volume 17 Issue 9(III)| Pp 195-197 Sept. 2025 Submitted: 12 Aug. 2025 Revised: 22 Aug. 2025 Accepted: 20 Sept. 2025 Published: 30 Sept. 2025 Abstract: - Modern libraries promote availability of useful mobile information resources offered by the library, and availability of access to information from mobile devices in a field, to support research. They deliver services to users via Internet, smart phones and other handheld gadgets. Modern libraries have to focus on innovations for both traditional and nontraditional library services to reach all library users through mobile devices. Internet has become an important Component of library service for users in it. This paper observes new services and programs aimed at providing better information services for academic library users. The term “smart” means “flexible, adaptive, extendible, acknowledging and human”. Smart library is a hardware and software complex with a wide range of opportunities for searching and providing necessary information to virtual users according to their inquiries. Keywords: - Modern Library, Smart Library, Smart Library Concept Smart services Introduction: - A smart library can be conceptualized either electronically or physically. A smart library does not have a single physical loan item on the shelves, no books in print, and on shelves, instead, it relies on enormous cooling servers, whirring digital archives, and equipment for duplicating and distribution. Base on this concept, a smart library is a transportable library that can transcend space constraints and be seen by people. Smart library can also be referred to as a library fitted with technology and is available to the public but is not staffed. The technology allows for remote management of library facilities, such as automated doors, lighting, self-service kiosks, and public computers. This allows us to considerably expand library hours, allowing more individuals to utilize the library when convenient for them. In addition, the library may achieve transparent user service management, mine users’ functional information demands, and intelligently forecast user customized service trends by adequately combining the value density of library management, scientific services, and librarian decision-making. Concept of Smart Library Smart is a network enabling free access to all libraries. The term Smart Library appears in various contexts as a synonym for the concept of an Intellectual library, digital or virtual library. Smart library is nothing library s but just a library solution in a digital way. It is also a very sophisticated true multimedia streaming and digital delivery solution through a device and browser agnostic. The concept of smart library is to serve all library services faster, better and smartly to its end users through digital technology in different software applications with the help of Internet and Intranet. The author expresses here that Smart Library is library which is techno-drive with artificial intelligence and Internet of things-based service provider to smart readers. Quick Response Code: Website: https://jrdrvb.org/ DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.16885235 Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations ae licensed under the idential terms. Address for correspondence: Shilpa N. Hirekhan,Research Scholar & Librarian, Seth Kesarimal Porwal College of Arts & Science & Commerce, Kamptee, Nagpu How to cite this article: S.N. Hirekhan,V. A. Prakashe. (2025). Smart Library and Smart Services in Academic Libraries in India. Journal of Research & Development, 17(9(III),195-197 Original Article Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(III) | Sept. - 2025 196 The smart library creates: ▪ Creating of smart environment, mobile access and new knowledge creation. ▪ Active content, adaptively and smart technology of content formation. ▪ Smart detection of knowledge, smart interface ▪ Smart services Importance of Smart Library The role of librarians and libraries is changing because of the changing demands of its users. Nowadays, users expect much more from the libraries particularly from the academic libraries. The indispensable thing which a smart library demands is smart librarian. Usually, a smart librarian provides service to user focused and user-friendly. Three things that are essential for performing the role of Smart Library: i) Smart Library staff, ii) Smart Library patrons and iii) Smart Library services. The benefits of Smart Library are mentioned below: (i) A smart library is quite advanced from the usual conventional workings; (ii) The advanced library system works with the newly evolved technology.; (iii) Promotes the use of the library and motivates users to access more to it; (iv) Provides wide range of opportunities for searching and presents specific information to virtual users as per their needs; (v) Smart Library enables remote control of the library building including self-service kiosk, RFID supported automatic controlling gates, public access computers; (vi) Smart Library serves the community people of the society through the record of human thinking, beliefs, notions and interpretations by making them available to all. (vii) SL system extends the library hours and (viii) This makes the users able to use library resources and services conforming to their ease and thus it supports to build a user-friendly environment. Librarians Need to Be Smart Smart librarians require new skills and need to keep themselves informed about the latest news or developments. • Smart librarian needs to be a change agent • Smart librarians should have acceptance to new ideas and their personal interest and friendly approach to user queries and satisfaction; • ICT enhanced environment demands that smart librarians must have managerial skills, technical skills, IT skills; • They should be an effective information professional; • They should have skills of accepting challenges of today and tomorrow; • A smart librarian should act as an information officer and knowledge manager; • A smart librarian should work as a cybrarian who maintains a cybrary where he works with digital resources online. Application of Smart Technologies in Academic Libraries The cutting-edge technology is the basic foundation of smart library and can range from artificial intelligence, cloud deployment, Internet of Things (IoT), enhanced ICT environment, augmented reality, wearable technology, smart bookmarking apps, RFID support system, electronic resource management, overhead document scanner, robots in libraries. The technology enables smooth control of library routine activities and easy access of its resources including self-service kiosks, automatic doors, lighting, and user-interactive terminals. This allows us to prolong library visiting hours so as to more users can utilize the library resources at times that are convenient for them. One of the important advantages of making a library smart is to reduce maintenance overhead cost and save time. Apart this, use of newly emerged technologies enables paperless use and encourages to create productivity. There are some applications of recent technologies for smart libraries which are mentioned below: • Integrated Library Software (ILS): Koha, Evergreen, NewGenLib , Open Biblio, WEBOPAC • D-Space, Greenstone, Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress • Cloud computing, Application Programming Interface, E-Granthalaya 4.0, Greenstone, RFID • Bibliographic reference tools: mendeley, EndNote, Reference Manager, Zotero • Artificial Intelligence • Information retrieval through AI • Expert System • Use of broadband internet connectivity Smart Library Services • EDocument Delivery Services (E-DDS), institutional portals • Institutional Digital Repositories (IDR) and aggregator services • RSS (Really Simple Syndication) for web feed formats allows one to receive updates from web sites, library databases and other online resources all in one location Journal of Research and Development Peer Reviewed International, Open Access Journal. ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(III) | Sept. - 2025 197 • Open Access Publishing • Metadata Standard and Interoperability (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative) • Resource Discovery (smarter interactions and communications between different IoT artifacts) which enables libraries to explore seamlessly across a wide range of information content. • Streaming Media Services (subscription based third party streaming services) • Dataset linking and information mishaps (remixing of data from different sources to create new hybrid services such as combination, visualization and aggregation with the help of API) • Ask a librarian/Virtual Reference Service/(virtual worlds, internet messaging, e-mails, web forms etc. and video podcasting (podcasting with a video element like static or motion graphic images) • Library Web Home Page (promotional tool for advertising electronic web resources and in-house library services i.e. newsletter services) • E-SDI & Bulletin Board Service Conclusion: - The smart library is to make systematic development of the collections, store, and organize information and knowledge in digital form and provides easy and affordable access to it from various locations via internet. There are some big issues in relation to the development of a smart library such as immense cost of implementation, high maintenance cost, lack of tech-savvy librarians and information professionals, insufficient fund and inadequate digital infrastructure. It may be concluded that we should strive hard to build up a library smart to provide best services at the least cost within the existing infrastructures. References: - • Burgess, J. T. F. (2010) Smart world Technologies and the Value of librarianship// computers in libraries, 12-16p. • Padhi, S. & Nahak, B.(2019) . The Role of Smart Library and Smart Librarian for E-library Services • Cao, G, Liang, M. & Li, X. (2018) How to make the library smart? The conceptualization of smart Library. Electronic Library, 36(5), 811-825p • Cook, M. (2018). Virtual Serendipity: Preserving Embodied Browsing Activity in the 21st Century Research library. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 44(1), 145-149. • Kumar, Kiran & Chikkamanju (2024) Smart Libraries in Digital Era: An Overview, Journal of Emerging Technology and Innovative Research, 2(1) 672-679p. • Mukhopadhyay, Gautam (2024) How to Design the Academic Library Smart? International Journal of Librarianship and Administration, 15(1) 13-22p. • Zimmerman, T. and Chang, H.C. (2018). Getting Smarter: Definition, Scope, and Implications of Smart Libraries. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM/IEEE on Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, 403–404. • Baryshev, R.A., Verkhovets S.V. and Babina O.I. (2018). The smart library project: development of information and library services for educational and scientific activity. In The Electronic Library, 36, (3), 535–549.