Panel Discussion on Changing Role of Libraries on Dr. S. R. Ranganathan’s Birth Anniversary

Kota,  On the occasion of the 133rd birth anniversary of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, considered the father of Library Science in India, a panel discussion on “From Books to Bots: The Evolving Role of Librarians in the Age of ChatGPT, Open Education Resources and Indian Knowledge System” was held at the Government Divisional Public Library, Kota.
Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava (President, Government Public Library Kota) said that libraries have evolved from book repositories to centers for organizing, preserving, and providing access to all forms of information. Dr. Manisha Mudgal highlighted the transition of librarians into strategic information managers in the digital era.
Dr. Prashant Bhardwaj spoke on the integration of AI and ChatGPT to provide faster and more personalized reference services. Dr. Neelam Kabra emphasized the role of Open Educational Resources in democratizing access to knowledge, especially through local language initiatives.
Mukesh Gaur discussed the preservation and digitization of India’s traditional knowledge systems, while Yogendra Singh Tanwar addressed challenges such as verifying information accuracy, mastering new digital tools, and bridging the digital divide.
Chief Guest Chandraprakash Meghwal stated that in the future, librarians will act as “knowledge curators” and “information coaches,” providing more personalized and precise services.
On the occasion, librarians were also felicitated, and the event was attended by several dignitaries and readers.