Digital Didi Changing Mindsets, Practices and Narratives
There are number of heart-warming stories like this which have emerged out of relentless efforts of Indian Public Library Movement (IPLM) launched by NASSCOM Foundation with the support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. IPLM is undertaking the digitalization process of district libraries in a number of states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala etc., and transform them into a self-sustainable open space, where communities can seek knowledge, engage with each other, enrich themselves, and indulge in holistic intellectual development. DEF is also a partner in this movement.
DEF is managing thirteen district libraries in ten districts in Telangana, and transforming them into digital and social spaces for local communities to utilize them to enhance their knowledge, skills and social interaction.
IPLM has truly grown into a movement, and constantly adding more libraries and communities in its fold. This also means there is no dearth of success stories; the kind of stories that can inspire, motivate and revitalize. However, a story is as good as its narrator. A weak story told well can move mountains; and a good story told poorly, would fail to invoke even a sigh.
So a three-day Story-telling workshop was organized for twenty five librarians of the district libraries which are part of IPLM. It is the librarians who are the first point of contact and agents of change in a library. They can increase the engagement of locals in their region by inspiring and motivating them through success stories in their library and others. The participants were made to identify and share the success stories in their library in their own words. Thereafter, they were navigated gently into the craft of story-telling with characters, formation of structure, using dialogues, finding a hook, art of narration, using impactful words, inducing emotions and building curiosity through pauses and so on.
The workshop proves that we all have a story-teller inside us. If we have the imagination of a child and the passion to share, then we have the power to inspire others.
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