Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BSK): An Initiative of Community Engagement by Information Services through Public Libraries and Allied in West Bengal
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Date
2024-09-19
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Publisher
INFLIBNET Centre Gandhinagar
Abstract
Community engagement through public libraries is a collaborative process between library
members, residents, faculty, students, and partner organizations to address issues that improve
the community. Libraries can act as knowledge centres and community hubs by providing
easy ways to reach out to the community through initiatives like information literacy. Bangla
Sahayata Kendra (BSK) is an innovative initiative in West Bengal dedicated to enhance
community engagement and empowerment through various avenues including Governmentaided
libraries, GP, BDO, SDO, and DM offices, as well as health centres and urban local
bodies (ULBs). 3561 operational BSKs across 23 districts offer 323 public services through a
single window, facilitating easy access to essential resources and information for local
residents, ensuring equitable, free of cost access for all members of the community. The initiative
has engaged 630 numbers of (25.40%) of total 2480 public libraries from 23 districts, resulting
in increased footfall and utilization of library services. Majority of BSK services, encompassing
541 public libraries or approximately 85.87% of the total, are located in rural areas.
Conversely, a smaller proportion of BSK services, constituting 89 public libraries or roughly
14.13% of the total, are situated in urban areas. Significant increase in footfall over the years,
indicating the growing utilization and impact of BSK services on community engagement
within public libraries in West Bengal is observed in the present study.This has been poised to
motivate other libraries and library professionals regarding community engagement initiatives.
Description
12th Convention PLANNER-2024 Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, September 19-21, 2024
Keywords
Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BSK), Community Engagement, Information Services, Public Libraries, West Bengal