Impact Factor : 6.225 
PAPER ID:IJIM/Vol. 10 (X)February/111-114 /13
AUTHOR: Dr. Vinod Kumar
TITLE : NEP 2020 AND THE CHANGING ROLE OF LIBRARIES
ABSTRACT:The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India represents a paradigm shift in the country’s educational landscape, advocating for holistic, multidisciplinary, flexible, and learner-centric education. This transformative policy document implicitly and explicitly redefines the role of libraries, moving them from peripheral, passive repositories of information to central, dynamic nexuses of teaching, learning, and community engagement. This research paper investigates the changing role of libraries as mandated and implied by NEP 2020. It argues that libraries are no longer merely support services but are critical infrastructure for achieving the policy’s ambitious goals of fostering critical thinking, creativity, lifelong learning, and inclusive access to knowledge. Through a comprehensive literature review and thematic discussion, the paper explores the new dimensions of the library’s function: as a physical and digital learning commons facilitating multidisciplinary inquiry; as an active pedagogical partner in curriculum delivery and information literacy; as a catalyst for digital equity and open access; as a preserver and promoter of indigenous knowledge; and as a vibrant community space. The paper also addresses the significant challenges in this transition, including infrastructural deficits, skill gaps among library professionals, and budgetary constraints. It concludes that the successful implementation of NEP 2020 is inextricably linked to the strategic reimagining and robust resourcing of academic and public libraries. For this evolution to occur, a concurrent “National Library Policy” and a commitment to transforming Library and Information Science education are essential.
KEYWORDS: National Education Policy 2020, Academic Libraries, Learning Commons, Digital Libraries, Information Literacy, Multidisciplinary Education, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Librarian Competencies, Library Transformation.