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Hina Durrani
ISLAMABAD, Sep 01 (APP):The National Library of Pakistan, which is among the prominent libraries of the capital, has transformed with time and facilitated reading lovers through modern digitization in recent years.
Established in 1951, the library serves as the topmost knowledge resource centre of the nation as well as the fountainhead of library development in the country. The library strives to develop a significant collection of human knowledge, a comprehensive collection of national literary heritage, and excellent library services for the promotion of a knowledge-based society in Pakistan.
In an exclusive interview with APP, Director General of the National Library of Pakistan, Yasir Arfat, said that the tender regarding the digitization of the library’s newspaper and rare books collection was started in December 2018 through the PSDP project.
Proper work on the digitization process began in 2019 and project was completed in 2021. The total budget allocated for this project was over 42 million rupees.
“We are using DSpace software to store and preserve the data of books and old newspapers. We have digitized newspapers from 1968 to 2015 and also digitized 11000 rare books and 580 manuscripts. We have established a separate Digitization Section where we have deployed Digitization experts to monitor and maintain the functioning of this software. We have also deputed staff to guide researchers/visitors on how to use this software to access their desired data,” he told.
“National Library of Pakistan plans to establish a smart digital library to modernize its services and enhance public access to knowledge resources. The Chinese Embassy has also expressed its interest in setting up a state-of-the-art, digitally equipped corner within the Library. This collaborative effort aims to promote technological advancement, cultural exchange, and stronger bilateral ties between Pakistan and China,” he explained.
He further shared that they would soon launch a fellowship programme for researchers and writers to engage them in data and research activities, and the DSpace software will be helpful for them in acquiring the data.
Discussing the technical challenges, he noted that the library currently owns a book scanner, but it is outdated and does not meet current digitization standards. To address this, the library has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), which is being equipped with a specialized Newspaper scanner. “This scanner will help the library to scan, store, and preserve valuable data for archiving newspapers,” he added.
Talking to APP, Rahat, M.Phil student and frequent visitor, said, “I have been visiting the library since 2018 for book references for my thesis. Collecting data from books was crucial at the time.”
He shared that after the digitization of the library, collecting data from old books has become easier for him. He only needed to give commands for books and other relevant research material to the DSpace software installed on the library’s computers to extract the desired data. Daily tasks have become much easier than before.
“Students, academia, researchers and innovators can use this software under the auspices of the library, he underlined.