Sugamya Pustakalaya: 


Getting Started

Sugamya Pustakalaya overview

The Sugamya Pustakalaya is the aggregator of accessible versions of books available in India. This library has been created by DAISY Forum of India to provide access to books to persons with print disabilities. It is poised to become the largest collection of books in accessible formats. A one-stop resource for the reading requirements of all those persons who due to blindness, weak eyesight or any other disability cannot read the standard print.

Bookshare, the largest International online library for persons with print disabilities is also integrated into Sugamya Pustakalaya. All the titles available in Bookshare library for India can be searched and downloaded through the Sugamya Pustakalaya.

Note that persons without disabilities are not entitled to use the books downloaded from Sugamya Pustakalaya. Sharing or circulation of content downloaded from Sugamya Pustakalaya is prohibited and may lead to legal penalties.

The following are the key stakeholders and beneficiaries of Sugamya Pustakalaya.

  1. Persons with print disabilities: They can get access to this library through any of the DAISY Forum of India member organization. For the first time in India, these individuals will be able to log into the website, search for accessible format versions of books created anywhere in the country and download it to start reading.

  2. Organizations producing accessible content: These organizations will be able to upload their books collection to the Sugamya Pustakalaya and thereby reach out to print disabled across the country. They will also get a robust mechanism for storing their books and maintaining membership and book distribution data.

  3. Organizations serving the print impaired, Universities, schools and libraries: These organizations can take up DAISY Forum of India membership to be able to download books from the Sugamya Pustakalaya for their local members/students. They will be able to provide access to enormous amount of accessible material like never before.

  4. Publishers: Mainstream publishers can take up membership of DAISY Forum of India and can directly contribute accessible versions of their publications.

These stakeholders are given log in accounts on Sugamya Pustakalaya with different privileges. For example, the content producers can only upload books whereas the persons with print disabilities can only download books. The Sugamya Pustakalaya secretariat supervises the overall process and has the rights to register organizations and publishers.

Anyone can visit the Sugamya Pustakalaya website and checkout the collection of books. The user account details are required only when content is to be downloaded.


Individual (End User) registration

Individuals with print disabilities need to take the following steps to create an account on Sugamya Pustakalaya with book download privileges.


  • Open  https://library.daisyindia.org/signupLink.action

  • Click Register as end user

  • Provide the required information. Make sure all the information you submit here is correct and complete. Choose the library to which you want to send your membership application.

  • Your membership request will be sent to the DFI member organization you selected.

  • You will be intimated by email/SMS when your membership request is approved by the DFI member library. You will then be able to log in, search and download books.


End User functions

The following features can be used without logging in.

  • View Libraries: On the Sugamya Pustakalaya home page click on the Libraries link. The list of all participating libraries (DFI member organizations) will be displayed. Click on any library name to see more details e.g. contact details, number of books available from the library etc.

  • Apply for membership: On any library page click on "Become a member" to start the application process. Fill up the online form and submit it with your disability certificate.

  • Search Books: The Search box is available at all times on the Sugamya Pustakalaya. Type the title, author or publisher of the book you need and click the Search button. Books matching your search criteria will be shown in a table. This table will show the Book title, Author, Publisher and Library name. Without logging into the website further action e.g. view book details or download is not available.

  • Advanced search: The Advanced Search link is available on all pages of Sugamya Pustakalaya. On clicking this link, a form is displayed which allows you to perform an advanced search on the basis of Title, Author, Publisher, ISBN, Synopsis, Library, Language and Education Category. The more details you provide the better results you will get.

  • Browse catalogue: The Browse section is also available on all pages of the Sugamya Pustakalaya. Portal. The different browsing options are Authors, Categories, Language, Latest arrivals, Text Books and Periodicals. Using any one of these links, you can browse the books collection available in the Sugamya Pustakalaya. For example, clicking on Languages will show the list of Languages available in the Library. Further clicking on a language e.g. Hindi will show a list of all books in Hindi language submitted by all participating libraries.

 

Individuals with print disabilities once logged in can avail of the following features:

 

  • Download books: When you search for books after logging in, the title of the book can be clicked to see more details. At the bottom of the page you can select the download format and then click the Download link.

  • Request books offline: On the book details page described above, the Request offline link can be clicked to send a request to the library to provide this book by other channels e.g. CD by post. Note that when the selected book is from Bookshare Library, Request Offline option is not available.

  • Create and view wish list: On the book details page mentioned above, the Add to wish list link can be clicked to short list this book for downloading in future. Members can click the My wish list link under My Shelf section to see the list of books added to the wish list. Books can be removed from wish list in this view.

  • Download Books from Bookshare: When the Download link is clicked for a book which is from Bookshare Library; the user is prompted to provide the Bookshare credentials. When the username and password provided by the user is correct the file download process starts.


An important point to note here is that all Bookshare titles are not available for distribution in India. When the user tries to download such books, an appropriate message is displayed after providing the Bookshare username and password.

  • Place request for new book: Users can place request for addition of books currently not available on Sugamya Pustakalaya. To do so, click on New Book Request. The list of books requested by other members is displayed. The status of requested books e.g. Pending or Initiated or is also shown in this table.


If the book desired by the user is not in the request list then the Place new book request link should be clicked. Provide the requested information about the book and click Search in catalogue. If similar books exist, then a list will be displayed. If you are satisfied that the book you need is not in the catalogue already then click the "I want to continue with new book request" link. Now provide more information about the book in the given form and if available you can also upload a copy of the book in PDF or other digital format. Click Submit to complete the process.

Subscribe to periodicals: Sugamya Pustakalaya has the capability of providing magazines and newspapers in accessible formats. To search for available titles, click on Periodicals under the Browse section. Choose criteria for search and click Search Periodical button. All the Periodicals available from DFI Libraries will be listed. Click the checkbox next to the Periodical name and format that you want and click the Subscribe button. You will now receive intimation of release of next issues of the selected Periodical.

  • View history of your activity: Click on My History under My Shelf. Now you can see information about the books accessed by you with date and time.

  • View and edit profile: Click on My Profile under My Shelf section. Now you can view the following:

    • Membership information – Status of membership in different libraries and roles if any.

    • Personal information – Can change email or phone or language preferences from this screen

    • Disability information – Can also view Disability Certificate if uploaded earlier.

    • Preferences – Can choose the mode of receiving notifications.


  • Apply for membership of more libraries: Individuals with print disabilities have the option of taking up membership of more than one library listed on Sugamya Pustakalaya portal. Individuals may want to do so to have more options of taking books offline from different sources. Click on My Libraries under My Shelf section. Now click on Become member of secondary library. The list of libraries will be displayed. Choose your preferred library and click Submit button to send your request.

Registration process for Organization, Library, School and University


First, such organizations need to become a member of DAISY Forum of India. For more information see www.daisyindia.org.


Then the following process needs to be followed to create an account on Sugamya Pustakalaya.


  • Open https://library.daisyindia.org

  • Click Register now

  • Click Register as Library

  • Provide the required information. Make sure all the information you submit here is correct and complete since it will be visible to the public. In particular provide a good description of your organization in not more than 300 words.

  • Provide the logo of your organization in a jpg file of less than 1 MB size.

  • You will need to provide contact details of the key person (in-charge of library) in the next step.

  • On completion of the registration process, you will receive an email with login id and temporary password.

  • Your membership request will be sent to DFI who will approve it. You will get intimation by email when your membership is approved.

  • After this you should login to the website. You will be prompted to change password.

  • Your account will be designated the Super admin status. You will be able to create other roles for your library.