In general, the purpose of a Virtual Library is to underpin learning and acquisition of knowledge,
to provide a more solid basis for education and to enhance quality of life by drawing on digitally
available (preferably on-line) books, materials and journals via ICT-based tools. A Virtual
Library provides remote (on-line or CD-ROM-based) access to a variety of national and
international content (e.g. curricula, learning materials, books, journals, magazines, newspapers),
services traditionally offered by libraries and other information sources. Virtual Libraries thus
combine materials in electronic format with an electronic network which ensures access to and
delivery of those materials. To become an effective educational tool in the public service, it must
respond to the needs of and provide affordable access for prospective users - students, teachers,
researchers and academics. Emphasis should be given to building up collections that are in the
public domain and that are accessible through, e.g., applications of free software on the basis of
affordable Internet tariffs.
The virtual library is a digital library which has the look and feel of a traditional physical library
with collections of materials. It may have additional features, as well, but it takes advantage of
users intuitive understanding of libraries. There are very few examples today, especially among
those libraries that call themselves a virtual library.
A virtual library is a digital space that keeps and organizes virtual books and their associated
documents. It also can refer to a space where the books can be read. These spaces can include
computers, mobile devices and the Internet. Some virtual libraries can be accessed for free, and
others require subscriptions. A virtual library is a digital space that keeps and organizes virtual
books and their associated documents. It also can refer to a space where the books can be read.
These spaces can include computers, mobile devices and the Internet. Some virtual libraries can
be accessed for free, and others require subscriptions.
An advantage of using a virtual library is that it is able to store many books in a small amount of
space. Physical books can take up a lot of space. By using a digital library, readers can access
their entire personal libraries in one location, on either a computer or a mobile device. The need
for physical books diminishes by using a virtual library, so digital libraries also have the benefit
of helping to conserve paper resources.
Most of the Libraries today, offer a wide range of on-line services to their users. And, now, the
internet and web technologies are not the new things to any academician hence, it is the time for
a Library to be virtual and develop its on-line presence in order to further facilitate and enrich the
educational processes. In this direction, Virtual Libraries provide a new way of serving the new
generation users of the libraries. Virtual libraries are the new vision of libraries of the future.
This paper provides an overview of a Virtual Library System. It narrates purpose, features,
functions, design and development of a Virtual Library and Virtual Library Environment. Impact
of ‘Virtual Library’ on ‘Lifelong Learning’ has also been emphasized. It also enumerates
principles of development of Virtual Library Collection and advantages of Virtual Libraries.
Notably, suggests and advocates for the Virtual Library of India to be hosted by the INFLIBNET
A Virtual Library has been defined by Gapen (1993) as, “the concept of remote access to the
contents and services of libraries and other information resources, combining an on-site
collection of current and heavily used materials in both print and electronic form, with an
electronic network which provides access to, and delivery from, external worldwide library and
commercial information and knowledge sources”. The speedy and wide access to current
information contents makes virtual libraries a global symbol of the information access paradigm
Features of a Virtual Library :
1. It provides speedy and wide access to updated information in a global manner.
2. It has changed the traditional library system of cataloguing only book materials.
3. Cataloguing of NBM (Non Book Materials) includes not only databases but also websites.
4. Greater emphasis is on access and not on collection.
5. It results in a creation of digital divide because only developed countries with strong funds for
automation and fulfilling infrastructural requirements for Virtual Library can afford to support
Virtual Library services.
Functions of a Virtual Library:
The function of a Virtual Library is to ensure the systematic development of the means to
collect, store, and organize information and knowledge in digital form and to provide easy and
affordable access to it around the clock from various locations. In general, a Virtual Library
1. Provide ICT-based access to a range of digitally available publications for educational
purposes available in the public domain and from other sources.
2. Provide access to distance education materials.
3. Contribute to the efficient delivery of information to students, researchers and teachers of all
universities and other educational institutions.
4. Strengthen communication and collaboration between and among the research, library and
educational communities, nationally, regionally and internationally.
5. Offer lifelong learning opportunities.
Virtual Library and Lifelong Learning:
The use of multimedia systems is embedded part of a process of lifelong learning through the
Virtual Library. The Virtual Library appears to offer substantial benefits to lifelong learners over
both formal study and conventional open learning. Virtual lectures in particular provide an
advanced interactive learning tool with distinct advantages in terms of engagement and
flexibility. Students benefited from the interactivity of the environment and its self-assessment
facilities. They also welcomed being able to study in their own location, time and at their own
pace. The virtual lectures have a number of advantages including interactivity, adaptation,
simulation, demonstration and integration. They facilitate active learning rather than the more
passive learning associated with conventional open learning materials. Virtual teams have been
defined as those which ‘transcend distance, time zones, and organizational boundaries. Virtual
Library may have many virtual teams with team members located in different locations, working
to accommodate varying time zones and technical infrastructure.
Virtual Library Environment:
The Virtual Library Environment means virtual teams; virtual communication and the electronic
environment are now a reality for the library. Users are able to view and request information
resources either from the library Intranet site or over the Internet and contact staff by phone and
e-mail for more general research requests. Library services will entirely be virtual. Delivering
virtual information services differs from traditional information service delivery in the following
areas: Clients are unable to visit the library to preview resources, collect material or access
resources such as databases. All communication must be conducted through e-mail, phone or fax.
Information literacy training must be delivered innovatively, as traditional face to face training
sessions are no longer possible. Even several libraries have developed ‘tele-training’ sessions,
which are training sessions delivered via telephone link-up in areas such as using library’s
electronic sources and searching networked databases through their Intranets or Internet. There is
an increased dependence on information technology to access information resources. As a result,
library users often expect technical support from librarians, and queries regarding network and
access problems become increasingly common. This means librarians must keep abreast of
current technical developments and know when and where to refer clients with problems beyond
their knowledge. These differences have a number of implications for the virtual library, such as
an increased emphasis on value added information. This information should be easy to locate
using tools such as the corporate Intranet. This allows users to clearly discern which information
is most relevant to their work practices, without the benefit of face to face communication.
Given the differences from traditional library services, there are a number of key components for
successful service delivery in the virtual environment:
1. Continued Visibility : The Virtual Library has to maintain an everyday presence in the
virtual environment by activities including: posting news items on the Intranet home page,
writing feature articles for the newsletter etc. and inviting people into the library when they are
traveling in the vicinity.
2. Policies and Agreements: Users are often unsure of the service boundaries in the virtual
environment. Highly visible policies outlining the virtual library’s role and service level
agreements means both parties have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The Virtual
Library’s service level agreements and policies detail the services provided by the library, clients
obligations, request turnaround times and borrowing privileges etc.
The virtual environment has had a dramatic impact on the way team members operate. As
emphasized by Cascio (1999) who believes one of the most challenging aspects of virtual teams
is the absence of physical interaction and the lack of synergy associated with verbal and nonverbal communication (Cascio, 1999). As with servicing remote clients, working in the virtual
team increases the importance of communication and willingness to interact via new electronic
tools (Mohrman, 1999).
Design and Planning of a Virtual Library:
The design of a comprehensive Virtual Library and its proper implementation, needs the
examination of the feasibility of how best to create, operate and expand, taking into account of
the availability of present infrastructure etc. In this context, the issues mentioned below must be
1. Institutions to be included (Universities, other training institutions, libraries etc).
2. Access modalities (institutional and/or individual).
3. Content themes (faculties and subjects to be covered in connection with higher and tertiary
4. Content form (access to existing materials and the need to create new content in English,
and/or other national languages; content in the public domain; inclusion of commercially
5. Content delivery (combination of online and offline ICT approaches and products).
6. Content access (cataloguing and indexing), including relationship with the Union Catalogue.
7. ICT infrastructure and equipment needs/availability at institutions concerned (including
connectivity and networking capacities, use of freeware, tariff negotiations; suitability of
equipment to climate and local conditions).
8. Architecture of the virtual library (access and centralised vs. decentralised services).
9. Training needs (to set up, manage and use the Virtual Library).
10. Links to already existing national virtual library and virtual laboratory projects.
11. Partnerships with other regional and international virtual library initiatives.
Principles of Development of Virtual Library Collection:
Six principles have been identified that drive the development of a Virtual Library Collections
as enumerated below:1. Priority of Utility : Usefulness is the ultimate reason behind all collection decisions.
Predicting utility is, however, notoriously difficult.
2. Local Imperative: Local collections are built to support local needs, and expenditure of local
resources must have a demonstrable local benefit.
3. Preference for Novelty: Although historical collections are essential for research, only limited
resources can be devoted to the collection and maintenance of older material.
4. Implication of Intertextuality: To add an item to a collection is to create a relationship
between it and other items. Building a collection always creates new textual relationships.
5. Scarcity of Resources: All collection development decisions have to balance scarce resources
– funding, staff time, document size, user time and attention.
6. Commitment to the Transition: More and more information will become available in digital
form. Libraries are responsible for promoting this transaction and assisting users to adjust to it.
Advantages of Virtual Libraries:
1. Virtual libraries provide immediate access to a range of resources not available in physical
collections. Virtual libraries allow unprecedented access to information and ideas. “A paradigm
shift takes place from libraries as collectors of items to libraries as facilitators of access to all
kinds of information, provided by anybody, located anywhere in the world, accessible at any
2. Physical libraries operate with designated hours, virtual libraries are available anytime and
anywhere where there is an Internet connection.
3. Virtual libraries offer opportunities for learning that are not possible in their physical
counterparts. Virtual libraries complement other virtual learning environments, such as those
provided in distance education and courses offered online, and like virtual learning
environments, providing flexibility of time and place.
4. Virtual libraries often contain more up-to-date information than physical collections. Their
sources can be searched more efficiently than those in physical libraries, and the information
they contain can be updated more frequently.
5. Well-designed virtual library collections are organized and managed to increase productivity
and efficiency of the user.
6. Virtual libraries empower the user and promote informal learning.
7. Virtual libraries can be customized for particular schools, grades, and subjects. This variety of
formats in presentation and navigation is quite different from that of a physical library. Thus,
virtual libraries support specific communities of interest, thereby, creating global communities of
8. Virtual libraries break down the physical barriers between users and information sources.
Through the use of audio and video, virtual libraries can also make resources available to users
that are visually and hearing impaired, and they make these resources available in their homes.
Virtual libraries of the future may integrate voice, video, and text for users involved in distance
education in remote locations.
1. Babini, D. (2005) Latin America and the Caribbean Social Science Virtual Libraries Network.
(Open access to full-text social science publications from Latin America and the Caribbean: the
case of CLACSO’s virtual libraries network). In: Proceedings 50th Annual Conference of the
Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM), Gainesville,
2. Ball, D. (2006) Positioning librarians as essential to the new Virtual Learning Environments.
In: Proceedings 27th Annual International Association of Technological University Libraries
2006 Conference, Porto (Portugal).
3. Chiweza, D.S. (2006). The potential for Virtual library services to promote teaching and
research and reduce the digital divide: a case study of the University of Malawi. (Accessed from:
http://www.ascleiden.nl/pdf/elecpublconfchiweza.pdf on 08.01.2007).
4. Gapen, K. G. (1993). The virtual library: Knowledge, society, and the librarian. In: L.M.
Saunders (Ed.), The Virtual Library: Visions and Realities, pp.1-14. Westport: Meckler.
5. Haddad, P. (2001) “From Digitization to Virtual Reality: Is Global Knowledge a Blessing or a
Threat?” (Accessed from: http://www.nla.gov.au/nla/staffpaper/ 2001/ on 08.01.2007).
6. Hirwade, M.A and Hirwade, A.W. (2004) Virtual Libraries: Challenges for 21st Century. In:
C.P. Vashishth and M.P. Satija (Gen Eds.) Library and Information Profession in India, Vol.1,
Part-II: Reflections and Redemptions (Dr.P.S.G. Kumar Festschrift). Delhi: B.R.Pub. Corp., pp.
7. Lancaster, F.W. (1983) Future Librarianship: preparing for an unconventional career. Wilson
Library Bulletin, Vol.57 (9), pp. 747-753.
8. Witten, I.H. and Bainbridge, D. (2006) How to Build a Digital Library. Amsterdam; Morgan
Reliability of virtual library system:
Virtual Library System contains reliable hardware, both server and storage array, featuring hot
plug disk drives, standard redundant power supplies and fans as well as Hardware RAID 6
protection, the real reliability is for your data protection process. Support for IRS (Insight
Remote Support) allows HP to be notified in the event there are issues with your VLS9200.
Simplifying the process by which storage is shared means fewer errors occur, allowing your
process to run more smoothly and faster.
Virtual libraries are facing big challenges in their efforts to build a foundation for sustainable,
ongoing effort. To develop a successful Virtual Library System several components such as,
library-based, open and cooperatively developed content and software within a centralized,
focused, cooperative organizational efforts are necessary. Virtual Library has to support the
users’ community, by providing accurate, reliable, and affordable access to all the desired
scholarly and educational electronic/internet resources. Several Virtual Libraries have claimed
the vital new areas in scholarly and educational information service by way of technological
provisions. Virtual Libraries are the new vision of the Libraries of future. The development of
Virtual Library will take place when libraries transform themselves into three dimensional
electronic information centres. It will be possible when data storage, data representation and
image processing technologies mature to cope with the great amounts of graphically represented
data held by the Virtual Libraries.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Features of Virtual
Function of Virtual
Virtual Library and
Design and Planning of
Principle of development
of Virtual Library
Advantages of Virtual
Reliability of Virtual