If we have a library, we should be able to avail its services too and that is exactly what OpenBook makes it easier for you to do.
The library of the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology boasts a plethora of brilliant resources such as books and journals on the topics of design, business and more. However, the library and its resources are underutilised.
The Srishti College buildings are spread over a large area of Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The College Library is housed in one such building but its distance from most of the other campuses makes it difficult for students to access it hence reducing the number of students visiting the library.
Research
VISITS TO THE LIBRARY:
We visited the library and spoke to the Librarians and students to understand:
1. The types of books and their categorisation, and popularity of the material
2. The process of using/issuing/returning the books in the library and any troubles faced due to it.
3. The student's relationship to the library
4. The traffic and visitation hours
SURVEYS and INTERVIEWS:
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To understand the student's perspective, we wanted to get a wide variety of students to participate in our research such as those from different years, majors, and campuses.
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To enable this, we created a google form with a wide range of questions, answers to which would enable us to understand what the underlying problem was.
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We also supported the survey with in-depth interviews with students and faculty.
QUESTIONS PURSUED in the survey:
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Which year are you studying in?
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Are you aware of the Srishti Library?
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How often do you use/visit the library in a semester?
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How often do you refer to the material from the library?
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For what purposes have you used the library?
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What is your experience with the material from the library?
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What issues do you face when using the library?
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What would enrich your library experience?
We had 67 responses to the survey and about 15 in depth interviews.
Findings
1. "The Library is Too Far Away"
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Over 60% of students feel the library is too far from campus and not worth the 40-minute round trip.
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Most students walk, with only a few using bicycles.
2. "The Library Closes Too Soon"
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The library is open 8 AM–5:30 PM on weekdays and from 8:45 AM on weekends.
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Classes run from 9 AM–4 PM, leaving little time to visit, especially with travel time and co-curricular activities.
3. "I Don’t Know What the Library Offers"
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Students lack awareness about library resources.
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Since using the library offers no tangible rewards, there’s little motivation to visit.
4. "Check-Out and Return is a Hassle"
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Books must be issued and returned directly to the librarian.
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A late fee is charged if books aren’t returned within a 1-month period, which discourages students.
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Many forget to return books due to busy schedules, leading to overdue fees.
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To avoid this, students either stop borrowing books or prefer to use the library for on-site work only
5. "I Don’t Like the Way the Library Looks"
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Some students feel the library’s ambience is too plain and uninspiring, making it unappealing for creative work.
Ideation
We explored ways to address the library’s challenges of distance, ambience, and underutilization. Recognizing that improving the library’s ambience alone wouldn’t be enough, we considered solutions to bring the library closer to students and make it more accessible:
1. Creating a digital catalog of library materials.
2. Designing engaging spaces on campus for library use.
3. Setting up mini-libraries on campuses with books rotated monthly from the main library.
4. Implementing an online book delivery system.
Our key challenge was not just improving accessibility but also motivating students to actively engage with library resources.

OUR SOLUTION
We created Srishti Open Book Library, an online platform that reimagines how students interact with the library by integrating digital access, personalization, and convenience. The platform bridges the gap between physical and digital, making library resources more accessible and engaging.
Key Features:
1. Online Library Catalogue:
Browse the library’s contents, read blurbs, and discover resources to encourage engagement and word-of-mouth.
2. Integrated Online Resources:
- Links to Blackboard (Srishti’s web management system) for unified notifications and updates.
- Links to Cantadora for accessing external resources like films and journals.
3. Notifications:
Reminders for book returns, overdue alerts, and updates on new arrivals or wishlisted books, sent via Blackboard.
4. Customization & Categorization:
- Personalized recommendations based on preferences.
- Easy sorting by categories for faster navigation.
5. Wishlists
Save books for future reference or get notified when unavailable books are ready for issue.
6. Issue/Order/Delivery
- Books can be browsed online, ordered, and delivered to other campuses twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays).
- Students can borrow 2 books at a time, and faculty up to 5.
7. Faculty Recommendations
Faculty can share curated reading lists on Blackboard with direct links to library books.
8. Gamified Reading Goals
Students can set reading goals, receive reminders, and get positive reinforcement when goals are achieved.
9. Additional Features
- Peer reviews, book ratings, recommendations, and a familiar interface similar to platforms like Netflix.
- Future potential for archiving and accessing student research materials.
Through the Srishti OpenBook Library, we aimed to address key issues faced by students and improve engagement with library resources.
This project was exciting for our team as it involved translating a physical experience into a digital one. Studying models like Netflix helped us design a user-friendly, resource-focused platform tailored to student needs.
Future Plans
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Expand the platform to unify resources from Cantadora and the OpenBook Library, bringing all knowledge into one system.
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Enable faculty and students to upload resources, with librarian screening to ensure quality.
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Create more welcoming spaces on other campuses and extend services to N1, depending on student response.