Digitisation of Chennai’s public libraries remains on paper
Despite allocation of Rs 213 cr, many lack basic automation and tracking facilities
Log books and stamp pads in a public library that are used to track books yet to be returned by members
CHENNAI: While Tamil Nadu expands its modernisation mission for State-wide libraries offering e-books, e-journals and other forms of digitisation to selected libraries, and also encourages the use of open-source software for cataloguing in these libraries, the city’s public libraries are still running entirely on paper.
Across Chennai, there are 13 full-time libraries, 5 central libraries, 1 district central library, and 121 branch libraries.
While major institutions like Anna Centenary Library receive State attention and resources, the majority of the city’s local libraries still lack even basic automation. In many full-time and branch libraries, everything from membership registration and book lending to inventory maintenance is still done manually. Without real-time tracking or automation, these places are struggling to keep up in a digital-first era.
In one branch library in north Chennai, now functioning from a makeshift space due to the Metro Rail construction, the absence of digital systems is evident. “We have books that need to be returned that date back to 2022. Everything is manually noted and updated. Previously, we had a larger footfall, resulting in more data and registers to handle,” said a library staffer, referring to operations before the relocation.
Librarians across the board stated that user registrations, lending logs, cataloguing, and visitor tracking were all still managed on paper. In full-time libraries with thousands of members and high circulation volume, staff admit to the challenges of maintaining lending records or tracking overdue books without digital systems.
While the State government launched significant end-user-focused initiatives, such as an e-catalogue system in 2023 and access to e-books, the backend working systems remain largely undigitised. In the 2024-25 Tamil Nadu budget, the government had earmarked Rs 213 crore for modernisation and digital upgradation of public libraries.
However, ground implementation in Chennai is still limited. Local libraries lack even basic automation tools like RFID chips, which help track books electronically.
M Rajesh Kumar, District Library Officer, told DT Next, “Around 20 libraries in Chennai are being shortlisted for upgradation with digitisation being part of the plan though a timeline was not specified.”
