FG launches digitization of 57-year-old national library

The Federal Government has begun digitizing the 57-year-old National Library of Nigeria (NLN) and automating its services to the global standard.

NLN was established by Act No. 6 of 1964, with the National Librarian/General Manager of the Library, Professor Chimwe Anunobi, claiming that some of the National Library's information resources were already weak and deteriorating in due to age and use.

Anunobi, who spoke at a briefing to reporters in Abuja on some of his milestones to mark his one year in office, said modest progress had been made over the past year in efforts to reposition the National Library of Nigeria for effective functioning and effective services.

"My effort so far is seen as building bridges to connect the old and the new, leveraging technology," she said.

She noted that while digitization activities are ongoing, the development and deployment of the National Repository of Nigeria (NRN) is approximately 70% complete.

The NLN boss said: "The National Library is about 57 years old with consequent information resources of sixty years old. Therefore, it is not out of place that some information resources are weak and deteriorated due to of age and use.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

"To save and preserve them, we are committed to the digitization of this weak heritage aimed at preservation, increased availability and wider accessibility by taking advantage of information and communication technologies.< /p>

"We hope to complete and go live for public use by the end of November 2022. The NRN houses in electronic form all Nigerian heritage that has been deposited since its inception to date by authors, printers or publishers, in accordance with the law on legal deposit.

"We deployed KOHA library automation software for cataloging and classification at the National Library. On April 4, 2022, we launched our Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), the window of all the resources hosted by the National Library of Nigeria.

"This will allow users to virtually check the materials we have and their exact locations, without physically searching our shelves," she said.

Anunobi further added that the NRN would be accessible to all Nigerians and beyond regardless of status, qualification or location, saying digitization was not only designed to increase the visibility of heritage Nigerian intellectual, but also to enable the creators of this intellectual heritage. heritage have a return on their investments.

She, however, called on the media, especially news houses, to deposit electronic copies of their publications with the NLN to facilitate the digitization process, explaining that the digitization of archival information would start from the chamber Lagos strong.

She noted that some media houses have complied with this request while NLN is waiting for other media publishing companies to join the initiative.

Anunobi revealed that by leveraging technology, NLN under her leadership designed and developed a fully ready-to-deploy virtual library, which she believed would provide the reading public anywhere in the world with access to operations and services of the National Library.

The head office of NLN is in a rented apartment located in the Central Business District, FCT, Abuja, but the National Librarian told reporters that following the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund) would support the completion of the abandoned headquarters construction project.

She explained that TETFund has set aside funds and, through the Minister of Education, will present the estimate for the completion of the project to the President for approval and start of work on the site.< /p>

EDITORIAL: The passing of Queen Elizabeth II

FG starts digitizing 57-year-old national library