Noida, June 16, 2023. Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) and NatWest Group India have partnered to launch the NatWest Library, a groundbreaking digital platform aimed at revolutionizing knowledge access and fostering evidence-based decision-making in the social sector. The library, available both digitally and physically at ISDM's NCR campus, is set to make a significant impact on social purpose organizations (SPOs), professionals, researchers, academicians, and students.
The NatWest Library brings together carefully curated resources on a wide range of development and management topics, aiming to address pressing issues such as health, education, poverty alleviation, and climate change. The platform offers users the opportunity to explore a wide range of resources, including open access and subscribed online databases, newspapers, journals, magazines, and millions of eBooks, facilitating easy and comprehensive access to valuable knowledge. The initial collection boasts over 2 million open access eBooks, 517 journals, 4,413 international newspapers, 85 international academic presses, and 8 United Nations databases. The physical library houses 3,034 books presently, with plans to expand the collection to 7,000 volumes.
This partnership between ISDM and NatWest Group India aligns with the bank's commitment to supporting sustainability and societal transformation. The official launch ceremony took place at ISDM's Noida campus and was led by Tania Chatterjee, Head of Sustainable Banking, NatWest Group India, and Sharad Agarwal, Founder Director of ISDM.
Commenting on the launch, Ms. Chatterjee expressed her excitement, stating, "We are excited about the launch of the NatWest digital and physical library in collaboration with ISDM. The library will provide access to the most up-to-date resources on sustainability and development-related emerging trends, information, practices, and frameworks. This state-of-the-art digital library will serve as a great platform for students, academicians, and practitioners to access knowledge and information that will equip them to develop evidence-driven projects and influence the social and environmental ecosystem."
Membership to the NatWest Library will be facilitated through an institutional integration mechanism, ensuring customized and streamlined access to content relevant to respective users.
Sharad Agarwal, Founder Director of ISDM, emphasized the significance of the library launch for the social sector, saying, "The launch of the library is a significant milestone for ISDM, and more importantly, for the social sector. The NatWest Library provides ISDM the opportunity to open a world of important and critical knowledge products, books, and journals to researchers, development professionals, and students. The vision of a just, humane, equitable society through the tenets of Development Management must begin with equity in being able to acquire appropriate knowledge for communities and the planet. We welcome SPOs, researchers, and others to come draw from this indispensable digital library platform."
ISDM has committed to increasing accessibility and expanding the library's resources to make them more contextual to the development sector's requirements. The institution aims to achieve this by actively engaging with stakeholders and incorporating continuous feedback.
