digital religious libraries

Digital Religious Libraries: Access to Ethical Information

Dr. Vivekanand JainDeputy Librarian

Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi - 221005

Introduction

• This is the age of Information communication technology, which influences all part of human life. Technology based religious services like: online worship (Arti, Darshan), speeches (Pravachan) donation (Dan) and solution to various problems (Vastu/ Dosh), etc. are commonly seen on various channels on television.

• Now, dedicated Religious TV channels are available like Sanskar, Sadhna, Paras, Kalash, Jinvani, etc. It makes global impact of religion on society.

Social Media

• Personal website: Religious Guru / Saint/ Monk/ Muni / Sadhu/ Mathadhish are having their personal website.

• They are using social media for communication to individual and masses like mobile phone, Face book, Twitter, Blogs, Wikis, You tube, etc.

Institutional Websites

• Most of the religious institutions are having its own websites by which they are propagating their own activities to the society.

• Websites/ blogs are the easy option to provide global visibility for any institution/individual.

Why Digital Libraries?

• Online digital resources increase the efficiency of users to access more resources.

• Digitalization of resources is a step to preserve rich cultural heritage and vast knowledge treasure for coming generations.

• To cope up with the information needs with speed and relative accuracy and reliability, the digital library is the most important and reliable solution.

• Information Communication Technologies (ICT) transforms the activities and services of libraries from manual system to digital information services.

• Banaras Hindu University library started digitization program in 2004 and continuously in process of digitizing its rare manuscripts, theses, journals and special collections for visually challanged into digital format for preservation and global accessibility.

Why Digitization?

• Easier to access remotely; • Fast mode of communication; • Powerful searching and browsing facilities ; • Foundation for new value added services; and • Digitization serves as a preservation tool.

उपा�ध्या�यारत्न मु�निनश्री� ज्ञा�न सा�गर जी�

http://www.upadhyaygyansagar.net

जै�न सा�धु� / सा�ध्वि�यां�

Jain Muni

Jain Places / Temples

Jain Digital Library

www.jainlibrary.org

www.jaina.org

http://www.dli.gov.in/

Project Gutenberg

• Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks".

• Founded in 1971 • As of April 2013, Project Gutenberg claimed

over 42,000 items in its collection,

www.gutenberg.org

World Digital Librarywww.wdl.org

www.doaj.org

DOAJ AS OF TODAY _____________________

8622 journals

4311 journals searchable at article level

972017 articles

66 Journals & 3535 Article related to Religion

Library of Paris

Cultural Collection of Europe

http://www.europeana.eu/

Jain E-Bookson Jainworld.com

JAIN VIEW OF LIFE BY Prof. T. G. Kalghatgi, Mysore

The Jain Path of Ahimsa

www.jainonweb.com

www.jaindharmonline.com

Worship of Book in all Religion

• I found that every religion has a sacred book. For example : In Hindu religion Bhagwad Geeta is treated as most sacred book; for Jainism – Jinvani (Agam) are sacred book preached by Acharyas; In Muslim Quaran is most sacred book; For Christian the Holy Bible and for Sikhism the Guru Granth Sahib is highly respectable document.

Holy Books of All Religions

JINVANI

OLPC : 2005 Data

Temple of All Religions (Russian: Храм всех религий) or the Temple of the Universe

(Russian: Вселенский храм) is an architectural complex in Kazan, Russia.

Summary

• Digitalization of resources is a step to preserve our rich cultural heritage and vast knowledge treasure for coming generations.

• To cope up with the information needs with speed and relative accuracy and reliability, the digital library is the most important and reliable solution.

Summary• Information on Digital Libraries for global

access. • Netizens / online net users are not believed in

the political boundaries of the nations. They feel themselves as a global citizen.

• Impact : Earlier Jainism was confined to a small region of India, but now all good concepts / ethical things spread all over the world through internet. Social media increase the boundaries of Jainism form India to global.

Summary

• Libraries are real democratic institution which serves all type of people of society and providing them literature on all religions and philosophy without any discrimination.

• Digital Libraries provides opportunities to know about all religions, way of worship, their religious values, to understand and communicate with each other.

Conclusion

• Digital Religious Libraries can play an important role in Inter- Religious Dialogue for understanding religious values which makes peace and harmony in the world.

धुन्यां��द