Background:

Research, academics and also general users from various sectors are today depending more on digital information. Digital Information today serves as an important knowledge asset. While the proliferation of the digital data and information services heralds a new and exciting era, it also presents many issues and challenges. The common user is often clueless about the existence of resources that are useful. The problem is akin to having large collection of printed materials in the form of books and journals but only when it is organized and services are provided, it is called a 'library'. In fact immense amount of information are digitized under several projects carried out by various Agencies and Govt. Departments like MOC, HRD, DIT, CDAC, Prasar Bharati, AIR, State Govts, etc. Most of them are available on the web, but are dispersed. There is no comprehensive database built for all such resources. The true potential can only be exploited for use by the masses when it is usefully organized and presented in user-friendly services through multilingual federated search interfaces.

Digital era has also brought in 'digital divide' and has marked the society into digital haves and have-nots. It is no longer a matter of choice but rather a compulsion to find ways and means of bridging the gap between the two sections. Virtual library will go a long way in filling up the gap.

The target users of NVL will be: students, researchers, doctors, professionals, and novice users, including educationally, socially, economically, physically disadvantaged groups. They can be built incorporating many modules to cater to information needs.