Hyderabad: Public libraries in the State are undergoing a transformation, expanding their offerings beyond traditional books and newspapers. In a significant development, these libraries will now house Digital Excellence Centres, providing access to digital resources and offering training in technical and skill development, including coding and entrepreneurship skills.
The Digital Excellence Centres aim to provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses to students aged between 8 and 18 years. Interested individuals can also enroll in basic coding programs and app development training offered at these centres.
Furthermore, the centres, in collaboration with the Telangana Academy for Skills and Knowledge (TASK), will offer skill development courses to individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. Digital education, including basic computer training, MS Office, and digital marketing, will also be part of the curriculum.
The centres will specially design skill development programs in startup and entrepreneurship for women.To drive this initiative forward, the Department of Public Libraries, the Telangana Academy of Skills and Knowledge (TASK), and WeHub have signed an agreement.
As part of a pilot project, public libraries in Kamareddy, Vikarabad, and Mahbubnagar districts have already established one Digital Excellence Centre each. The initiative will expand in the coming year, with plans to set up 20 additional centres. Libraries in Ranga Reddy, Siddipet, Mahbubad, Devarakonda, and Bellampally will each receive a Digital Excellence Centre in June. The department plans to establish one such centre in all 33 districts next year.
Officials have emphasized that the decision aims to actively provide skill development programs to the youth and empower women through entrepreneurship training. The initiative aims to actively draw a larger number of visitors to the public libraries, moving away from the current reliance on government recruitment notifications as the primary driver of attendance.
The State is actively establishing Digital Excellence Centers to promote skill development and leverage modern technology. As of now, we have set up three centers, and we are currently in the process of establishing five additional centers. These initiatives have been successful and are effectively serving their purpose,” said The Chairman of Telangana Grandhalaya Parishad, Ayachitam Sreedhar.
The centres will also assist individuals in accessing online services such as applying for Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter ID cards, and driving licenses, among others.
