Authors: Dr. Bipul Chakraborty
Abstract: Libraries and Information Centers (LICs) have increasingly become pivotal institutions in fostering community resilience, knowledge dissemination, and social development, particularly during disasters. This study quantitatively examined the impact of Library and Information Science (LIS) services and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on disaster resilience, knowledge services, and social development within the framework of NEP 2020. A structured survey was conducted with 250 respondents, including library professionals, ICT coordinators, and community beneficiaries. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation and linear regression, were employed to test five null hypotheses. The results indicated that LIS services significantly enhanced community disaster resilience (r = 0.62, p < 0.01), ICT adoption improved the effectiveness of library services (β = 0.57, p < 0.01), and library services positively contributed to knowledge dissemination and social development (r = 0.59, p < 0.01). Library practices were found to be significantly aligned with NEP 2020 objectives (r = 0.54, p < 0.01) and positively influenced policy recommendations for disaster management and educational planning (β = 0.51, p < 0.01). The findings underscore the transformative role of LIS and ICT in modern libraries and highlight the importance of integrating library services into national disaster preparedness and educational frameworks (Dada, Hamza, & Mohammed, 2025; Naik & Cholin, 2022; Basu, Dutt, Ghosh, & Ghosh, 2020).
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17214076
