Preservation and digitization in modern and heritage libraries of Jammu Province: an analytical study

Twenty-two heritage and modern libraries in the Jammu province of Jammu & Kashmir were studied to understand the digitization status and types of services offered to users. Much of the data were collected from the respective institutes/library websites wherever these were available. For libraries that did not have websites or where the websites were not updated, the librarians of the institutes were interviewed to gather data. The findings show that most of these libraries maintain a unique collection of manuscripts and rare documents of historical importance that need to be preserved for future generations. A few of the libraries have initiated digitization projects to preserve the rare collection of documents. We recommend that the information scientists in Jammu province should continuously make efforts to take up the process of digitization in libraries to serve their users in an effective manner and preserve the knowledge for future generations.