Library with over 4,000 braille books launched at DSMNRU under Uttar Pradesh government initiative

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday launched the state’s first Barille library with a collection of more than 4,000 books, an official statement said. Launched at the Dr Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU), the initiative is in line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s policy of inclusive education and empowerment for persons with disabilities.

The library has been set up on the first floor of the Swami Vivekananda Central Library on the university campus, and Vice-Chancellor Acharya Sanjay Singh inaugurated the facility as the chief guest, the statement said. Earlier, he paid floral tributes to the statue of Louis Braille, the pioneer of the Braille script, at the university premises on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

Addressing the gathering, Singh urged students with visual impairment to become self-reliant and directed the university administration to provide them with modern computer training. He said the Braille script is a powerful medium of education for persons with visual impairment, helping them connect with the mainstream of society.

According to the statement, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backwards Classes Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment Narendra Kashyap said the library houses more than 4,000 National Education Policy (NEP)-based academic books published by the university's Braille press, covering 54 undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He further said this is the first university in the state to develop a well-organised Braille library section with such a large collection.

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A reading room with seating capacity for more than 150 students has also been set up, he added. University spokesperson and library in-charge Prof Yashwant Viroday said a target has been set to increase the number of books to 10,000 this year. Apart from academic books, the library also offers novels, plays, biographies of eminent personalities and other literary works.

He said that keeping in line with the chief minister's vision of education for all, the library will not be limited to university students alone, and persons with visual impairment from outside will also be able to access it through membership. Provisions have been made for special, casual and corporate memberships.

Special membership will be available to scholars, researchers, academicians and residents of Lucknow, subject to submission of two residential proofs along with the membership form, the library in-charge said. Guest faculty members of the university, retired teachers and staff can also avail a special membership by paying the prescribed library fee.

Casual membership will be granted for up to six months at a time, allowing users to access library resources on payment of a fee. However, irregular members will not be issued books, the statement added.