Nowadays, many readers are relying on eBooks from digital libraries and online education platforms to get what they want. This growing demand gave rise to the digital library market which is expected to reach $13.5 billion by 2031. NGOs can take advantage of this opportunity and set up their own digital library to provide resources to their community. 

This is a more cost-effective approach for NGOs running on a limited budget. But how do you set up an online library, especially if you are an NGO? In this blog, we are going to look at how to build an online library as an NGO and expand your community’s access to knowledge.

Gathering Knowledge Beyond The Borders

It’s important that all libraries can access quality materials for learning. This means that NGOs need to work on creating an online library that includes extensive information from many sources. However, the issue is that resources, like online journals and research papers, can only be seen if you are in certain regions. If you’re not in those regions, you may wonder how you can create a truly comprehensive library. 

Well, this is where you can use location-based servers like US proxies to overcome the hurdles of restrictions that are based on regions. These servers work by running the website traffic via a proxy based in the US which means an NGO can see academic papers that previously they would not have been able to access unless they were in the US. 

An additional benefit here is that you can use the same proxy system to see quality learning platforms in the US whilst keeping your connection secure to prevent any of your sensitive data from being leaked. 

After getting all the required resources, they can integrate them into their online libraries and curate all relevant materials to provide their communities with international knowledge. 

Building And Curating A Digital Library

You can’t just simply put the resources you gathered online without any mentions of source or organization; a user-friendly and efficient online library needs careful planning and the right tools. For this, you can start with open-source platforms such as DSpace or Greenstone for custom solutions to build your own digital library. They are also cheap and adaptable, making them perfect for NGOs running on a tight budget. 

You need to also curate content – users of your library must be able to find what they need. Take a look at your NGO’s mission, vision, and values, and organize materials into clear categories that reflect your community’s priorities. You can use metadata tagging to help with SEO and ensure your resources come on search results. If you serve a global purpose, you need to also support multiple languages in your library and optimize it for low-bandwidth regions – use a proxy server to help with that. 

Empowering Communities Through Knowledge

Digital libraries are not just platforms for information – they also provide opportunities. NGOs must make sure they provide the highest quality of learning resources to empower the users to drive educational achievement, economic growth, and social development. 

You need to also collaborate with local schools and provide some sort of value along with the resources you provide since 85% of Americans aged 16 and older prefer libraries to coordinate with schools and others. 

For example, if you are an NGO working in rural healthcare, you can set up a rural digital library that trains local health workers on the latest medical guidelines and case studies. 

Scaling Your Library’s Impact

NGOs can use the help of technology and strategic partnerships to scale their resources across the world. They can use Google Drive, Amazon S3, or cloud storage solutions to secure large volumes of data. AI can help with understanding and predicting user behavior and trends and adjusting resources accordingly. 

As stated before, NGOs must also collaborate with local schools and universities to spread their message and provide resources to information-hungry youth. You can also develop an app to provide more access and build a loyal community as 35% of Americans prefer it to access library resources. 

Final Thoughts

With the rise of technology and community growth, building an online library for an NGO goes to show how much they care about providing knowledge to their community and empowering their mission. The steps to create an online library might be too technical, but there are unlimited resources available that can help the NGO spread its mission to the entire globe and cause an impact.