What is NDLI?
The National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a digital repository that provides access to educational, research, cultural, and scholarly resources from numerous national and international institutions. NDLI serves learners, researchers, educators, librarians, and lifelong learners through a single, integrated platform.
Who can benefit from NDLI?
NDLI is designed for a wide range of users, including:
- School students
- College and university students
- Teachers and faculty members
- Researchers and scholars
- Librarians
- Professionals
- Lifelong learners
There are so many Digital Libraries. How is NDLI different from them?
NDLI will provide a single window search facility to act as a one-stop shop for all digital educational resources. Information can be personalized based on the education level, choice of language, difficulty level, media of content and such other factors while other Digital libraries may not include all these choices. NDLI provides interface support for the h1ing vernacular languages and thus one can select the language of his/her choice to search or browse through NDLI. In other words, it is like a 'customised service' provided in a 24x7 integrated environment to suit a user's requirement and will be like a single 'go-to' shop for any requirement.
Can I use NDLI on my mobile phone?
Yes. NDLI can be accessed through both desktop and mobile devices. Users can also install the NDLI mobile application to access contents more conveniently.
Is NDLI free to use?
Yes, all contents and services offered through NDLI are available to users free of charge. However, access to certain copyrighted contents may involve licensing costs, which are managed by NDLI. These resources are made available under national licensing agreements established between NDLI and the respective content providers.
What types of resources are available through NDLI?
NDLI provides access to a diverse collection of resources, including:
- Books
- Research articles
- Theses and dissertations
- Audio/Video recordings
- Lecture notes
- Question papers and Solutions
- Manuscripts
- Reports
- Learning materials
Which languages are supported by NDLI?
NDLI supports multilingual access to resources. Users can search for content in multiple Indian languages and English, while the interface is available in numerous Indian languages to make learning more accessible.
How can I contact the NDLI support team?
If you need assistance, you can use the Contact Us section and send an email or phone call to the support team.
How can my institution collaborate with NDLI?
Institutions can collaborate with NDLI by becoming content partners, establishing institutional repositories, joining NDLI Club initiatives, or participating in outreach and knowledge-sharing programmes.
Is registration mandatory to use NDLI?
No. Many resources can be explored without registration. However, creating an account allows you to access additional features such as:
- Personalized recommendations
- Access to Nationally Licensed contents
- Participation in selected activities and services
How do I create an NDLI account?
You can create an account by following these steps:
- Open the NDLI portal
- Select Log-in from the top header
- Select Register Now
- Enter the required information
- Verify your email address
- Complete the registration process
What information is required for registration?
You may be asked to provide the following information:
- Name
- Email address
- Address
- Password
- Educational level
- Institution details
Is there any fee for creating an account?
No. Registration and account creation are completely free of charge.
I did not receive the verification email. What should I do?
You can try the following steps:
- Check your spam or junk mail folder.
- Ensure that you entered the correct email address.
- Request a new verification email.
- Contact the NDLI support team if the problem persists.
Can I access my account from multiple devices?
Yes. Your account can be accessed from multiple devices, including desktop computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
Can I use the same account on the NDLI website and mobile application?
Yes. The same credentials can be used across all supported NDLI platforms.
How does NDLI protect my account information?
NDLI employs security measures such as encryption, authentication mechanisms, secure communication protocols, and controlled access policies to safeguard user information.
I forgot my password. How can I reset it?
Follow these steps:
- Open the NDLI portal
- Select Log-in from the top header
- Select Account Recovery
- Enter your registered email address
- Follow the instructions sent to your email address
- Create a new password
How do I update my profile information?
You can modify your profile information by signing in to your account and navigating to the Profile section.
How do I search for a resource?
Simply enter one or more keywords in the search box. You may search using:
- Titles
- Author names
- Subjects
- Institutions
- Publishers
- Topics and concepts
Can I refine my search results?
Yes. NDLI provides multiple filters, including:
- Subject
- Educational Level
- Content Type
- Author
- Content Provider
- Jurisdiction
- Resource Type
- Language
- Access Type
- Publication Year
Does NDLI support multilingual search?
Yes. NDLI currently supports searching in English and multiple Indian languages, enabling users to discover content in their preferred language. Resources themselves may be available in numerous Indian and foreign languages.
Can I browse resources instead of searching?
Yes. Users may browse resources according to categories such as:
- Subject area
- Resource type
- Educational level
- Language
- Source institution
- Collection type Browsing is particularly useful when users want to explore a topic rather than search for a specific resource.
Why am I unable to access some resources?
Some resources are openly accessible, while others are available for the registered users of NDLI through licensing agreements. In certain cases, uUsers may need to register and log in to freely access nationally licensed content. Registering in NDLI is completely free.
Is the search facility available on mobile devices?
Yes. NDLI Search & Discovery is available through both the web portal and the mobile application, allowing users to access learning resources anytime and anywhere.
How can I improve my search results?
For more precise results, you can:
- Use specific keywords
- Apply multiple filters
- Check spelling and phrasing
- Use author names, titles, or subjects
- Explore related terms and categories
- Refine results iteratively
Who can use NDLI Search & Discovery services?
The service is designed for everyone, including school students, college students, researchers, teachers, librarians, professionals, job aspirants, and lifelong learners. Different user interfaces and filters are designed considering the different type of users and their requirement of contents.
Is registration required to access NDLI resources?
No. Many resources available through NDLI can be accessed without registration. However, registration and login may be required to access personalized services and certain licensed resources.
Are all resources in NDLI freely accessible?
Most resources are freely available to users, even without logging in to NDLI portal. The contents obtained through National Licensing and/or crated exclusively by NDLI may require free registration at NDLI through email id. However, some copyrighted resources may be subject to access restrictions imposed by publishers, institutions, or licensing agreements.
Why am I unable to access a particular resource?
A resource may be inaccessible for one of the following reasons:
- The resource is available only to authorized users.
- Access is restricted by the content provider.
- The resource has been moved or removed from the source repository.
- Temporary technical issues are affecting access.
Why am I redirected to another website when I open a resource?
NDLI functions primarily as a content discovery platform. While metadata is indexed by NDLI, the actual content is often hosted by the source institution, publisher, repository, or digital library.
What does "Open Access" mean?
Open-access resources can be viewed, downloaded, and used without subscription fees, subject to the terms and conditions specified by the content provider.
What are nationally licensed resources?
Nationally licensed resources are ususllay paid materials made freely available through agreements between NDLI and content providers. Access conditions may vary depending on the terms of the license.
Can I download resources from NDLI?
Downloads are available only when the content provider permits them. In some cases, users may be allowed to view the content online but may not be able to download it.
Can I access NDLI resources from mobile devices?
Yes. NDLI resources can be accessed through web browsers and supported mobile applications, allowing users to continue learning from any location.
Does NDLI host all the content available on the platform?
No. NDLI aggregates metadata from numerous repositories and institutions. While some resources are hosted directly by NDLI, many are maintained by the original content providers.
Can I access resources in multiple languages?
Yes. NDLI provides access to resources in English as well as numerous Indian and international languages.
What should I do if a resource link is broken?
If a resource link does not work, you should:
- Refresh the page and try again.
- Verify that you have the required permissions.
- Search for alternative versions of the resource.
- Report the issue through the NDLI support system.
What services are available through NDLI?
NDLI offers several services, including:
- Search and discovery of learning resources via it's digital repository
- NDLI Club activities
- Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) services
- Institutional Digital Library (IDL) services
- Training and awareness programmes
- Digital preservation services
Are NDLI services available free of charge?
Yes. NDLI provides its services free of charge to users. However, access to certain copyrighted resources may depend on licensing agreements with content providers.
What is the NDLI Club?
The NDLI Club is an initiative designed to promote collaborative, experiential, and lifelong learning through workshops, seminars, competitions, reading activities, and various academic events. Educational institutions can establish their own NDLI Clubs to encourage student participation.
What is the Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) service?
The IDR service enables educational institutions to create and maintain their own digital repositories using NDLI infrastructure. Institutions receive technical assistance, secure storage facilities, and increased visibility for their digital collections. This facility is provided to premium institues by NDLI free of cost.
What is the Institutional Digital Library (IDL) service?
The Institutional Digital Library (IDL) service allows institutions to create customized digital library portals tailored to their academic requirements while leveraging NDLI technologies and infrastructure.
Does NDLI support users with disabilities?
Yes. NDLI offers accessibility features that help users with diverse needs access educational resources more effectively. These services are intended to make learning more inclusive and equitable.
Does NDLI conduct training programmes and workshops?
Yes. NDLI regularly conducts training sessions, workshops, webinars, and awareness programmes for students, teachers, librarians, and institutions.
Can institutions collaborate with NDLI?
Yes. Schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and research organizations can collaborate with NDLI through content integration, repository hosting, digitization projects, and outreach activities.
How can I obtain assistance regarding NDLI services?
Users may contact the NDLI support team through the official portal for assistance related to registration, content access, technical issues, institutional partnerships, and other services.
What are Digital Preservation Services in NDLI?
Digital Preservation Services in NDLI help educational institutions, libraries, archives, museums, and research organizations preserve their valuable digital collections for long-term access and use. These services ensure that digital resources remain secure, authentic, discoverable, and accessible despite changes in technology, storage media, and file formats. The service may include:
- Scanning and preservation
- Metadata creation and management
- Discoverable through NDLI
