DIGITAL LIBRARIES VS PHYSICAL LIBRARIES

  THE WORLD OF DIGITAL LIBRARIES The rise of the internet and digital libraries transformed how information is accessed and shared, changing the role of libraries and increasing their influence. Today, libraries continue to evolve, combining physical and digital resources to meet the needs of diverse communities (Rohatgi and Sharma 2023: 9). The emergence of digital libraries began started long time ago. Linde (2006: 28) stated that “in the second half of the 1990s, several university libraries started building digital collections, making them publicly available. So we can say, digital libraries are organisations that collect, organise and make digital content available to a specific group of people. They provide access to digital resources and ensure they are preserved for long-term use (Linde 2006: 19). Now everything is digitized, libraries and archives have long been responsible for collecting, preserving and sharing human knowledge and culture with the advent of digital techn...

 UNDERSTANDING PHYSICAL LIBRARIES Generally, physical libraries are buildings where people can go to borrow and read books, magazines, and other materials. They have shelves of books, comfortable reading areas, and librarians who help in finding what the user needs. Libraries play a vital role in acquiring, preserving, and sharing information with the public, regardless of its format. They provide a valuable service that often goes unnoticed. To truly thrive, libraries should be at the forefront of adopting new technologies and innovations (Shanthakumara and Ravinder 2018). Physical libraries serve as cultural hubs with rare and unique materials, such as special books, archives, and manuscripts that cannot be found online. They also preserve local history and provide valuable information about a specific area. Unlike the internet, where information often comes at a cost, libraries offer free access to these resources. For those who are seeking specific and reliable information, phy...