Prompting the Mind: Reading in the Age of AI – A National Reading Day Webinar by SFIT

 

In an era where Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the way we access, consume, and interact with information, the role of libraries is evolving like never before. While technology continues to reshape learning ecosystems, libraries remain at the heart of knowledge creation, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

To commemorate National Reading Day 2026, the Learning and Information Resource Centre (LIRC) of St. Francis Institute of Technology (SFIT) is organizing a thought-provoking webinar titled:

Prompting the Mind: Reading in the Age of AI

Enhancing Library Visibility in the Digital Era

The webinar aims to bring together library professionals and information practitioners to discuss how AI is influencing reading habits, information discovery, digital engagement, and the future of library services.

Meet the Speaker

The session will be led by Dr. Sonali Karekar, Librarian at MKES Nagindas Khandwala College (Empowered Autonomous College), Malad. With extensive experience in library and information sciences, Dr. Karekar will share valuable perspectives on adapting library services to meet the expectations of today's digitally connected users.

Why This Webinar Matters

Artificial Intelligence is changing the information landscape. Search engines, recommendation systems, digital assistants, and AI-powered content discovery tools are redefining how people find and engage with knowledge.

This webinar will explore:

• The evolving reading habits of digital-age learners
• The impact of AI on information discovery and retrieval
• Strategies to enhance library visibility and user engagement
• Opportunities and challenges for library professionals in an AI-driven environment
• Building future-ready libraries that remain relevant and accessible

Event Details

📅 Date: 19th June 2026
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
💻 Platform: Google Meet
👥 Target Audience: Library Professionals
💰 Registration Fee: ₹100

All registered participants will receive an E-Certificate.

Join the Conversation

As we celebrate National Reading Day, this webinar provides an excellent opportunity for library professionals to reflect on the future of reading and explore innovative approaches to promoting knowledge access in the digital age.

We invite librarians, information specialists, academic professionals, and knowledge managers to participate in this enriching session and contribute to shaping the future of libraries in an AI-powered world.

Let's read, learn, and innovate together in the age of AI. 📚🤖✨

Report on Knimbus Training Session: "Effective Use of Subscribed Resources” - 16th May 2025

 

The Learning and Information Resource Centre (LIRC) of St. Francis Institute of  Technology organized a hands-on training session on 16th May 2025 titled “Effective Use  of Subscribed Resources” in collaboration with Knimbus Digital Library Services. The  training was aimed at enhancing awareness and usage of the digital resources subscribed to  by the institute through the Knimbus platform. 

Resource Person: 

The session was conducted by Ms. Kanishka Jindal, Senior Executive from Knimbus. With  a clear and practical approach, she engaged participants through a live demonstration of the  platform's capabilities.

Key Highlights of the Session: 

• Introduction to the Knimbus dashboard and user-friendly search features • Tips on advanced filtering, keyword optimization, and citation tracking • Accessing publisher-specific content such as IEEE, Springer, and McGraw-Hill • Exploring personalized features like Saved Searches, Alerts, and Notes • Overview of remote access options for off-campus research 

• Q&A interaction to address participant-specific queries and technical issues

The training on "Effective Use of Subscribed Resources" successfully met its objectives of  enabling participants to confidently utilize SFIT's digital library through Knimbus. It  reinforced the role of digital platforms in supporting research, teaching, and learning,  aligning with the institute’s commitment to academic excellence. 

IEEE Live Webinar Invitation on World Standards Day: Relevance of IEEE standards in an Engineer's Career Growth

 

Relevance of IEEE standards in an Engineer's Career Growth

Dear Sir / Madam, Greetings from IEEE-EBSCO! We are glad to invite you for our online webinar on 'Relevance of IEEE standards in an Engineer's Career Growth' on 14th October 2021, from 11:00 AM IST onwards.    Abstract Importance of IEEE Standards for students and faculty in enhancing their career and education Importance of understanding standards as young entrepreneurs and young engineers Importance of standards development and its impact on technology advancement Getting involved in standards development in India

REGISTER FOR WEBINAR

Source: E Mail received from IEEE EBSCO dated 12th October 2021.

Webinar on Competitive Exams with a special focus on GATE

As part of the Lecture Series organized by NDLI Club, a Webinar was held on 7th August 2021 from 5 pm to 6pm for the students of Third Year and Final Year of Engineering. The theme was "Competitive Exams with a special focus on GATE".

Resource Persons:

Mr. Santosh Chapaneri (Asst. Prof. - ExTC)

Ms. Jovita Serrao (Asst. Prof. - ExTC)

The Webinar began with imploring God's blessings with the recitation of the College Anthem. Ms. Madhura Angchekar (BE CMPN) and Mst. Shrirang Joshi (SE ExTC) introduced the Resource Persons.

Asst. Prof. Jovita Serrao, one of the resource persons of the webinar, began with sharing the statistics on the number of engineering colleges and students in India. She then moved on to giving tips on how to prepare for competitive exams such as GATE keeping in mind the need to pursue higher education in institutes of National Importance such as the IITs. 

Asst. Prof. Santosh Chapaneri explained in detail on how to devote time for competitive exams, what  books are available for GATE, the structure of the exam etc. He gave a complete insight on how students can pursue their GATE studies. Finally both Jovita Madam and Santosh Sir clarified doubts of students regarding exams and careers. Overall webinar gave a new insight for students and was received well by the participants.

Mr. Paul Fernandes (Head - NSS Cell) thanked the resource persons and participants and concluded the webinar with a positive feedback from the attendees as reflected in the Chat window.

As a follow up activity to this Webinar, a mock Aptitude Test based on Mathematics was conducted.

Key takeaways:

1. To spread awareness about competitive examinations among the students, and to create and sustain interest in the respective field.

2. To introduce the students to the nature of GATE, its syllabi, structure, and preparation for it.

3. To instil a basic knowledge of the necessary preparations: pre-examination preparation, post-examinations.

Number of Participants: 80

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYzqx78CcJU

Webinar on Read Effectively by Ms. Deepa Panakkal on 15th May 2021

To realize the dream of transforming the education system and making it truly relevant for the challenges of 21st century, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was approved by the Govt. of India on 29th July 2020. Implementation of the NEP can begin with effective reading. A webinar to this effect was organized by the Library and NDLI Club of St. Francis Institute of Technology on 15th May 2021.

Number of Registrations: 100

Resource Person: Ms. Deepa Panakkal, Asst. Professor, Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities (FE), SFIT

Platform: Google Meet

The event began by imploring God Almighty's blessings followed by introduction and welcome by Mst. Shrirang Joshi (SE ExTC) and Ms. Madhura Angchekar (TE CMPN) respectively.

Ms. Deepa with her usual contagious gust of enthusiasm took over the session with great clarity and engaging experience about the importance of reading, its role in overall development of a human being. 

She highlighted on Reading as a Skill while citing LSRW (Listening Speaking Reading Writing).She strongly focused on the varied reading strategies. Eye fixation and Speed of reading are the major challenges while reading for a longer period of time and one needs to develop such habits over a period of time.

Ms. Deepa kept the online participants on their digital toes by engaging them in many short quizzes and self evaluation tests based on reading.Speed Reading was one such activity which was praised by all.

The webinar ended with a question and answer session moderated by Mst. Bhuvnesh Nemade (TE ELEC) and a Vote of Thanks by Mr. Paul Fernandes (Head - NSS Cell, SFIT).

Feedback of the Session

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTjiBdZCdyY