Research in any field depends on access to pre-existing information. Advanced research material is published in various journals and can be purchased from the databases of international publishing houses. An individual or organization needs instant access to the latest trends, creations, and research in order to continue their research work so that they can continue their work without any interruption and not be affected in any way.
A digital library is a library in which content is stored in digital format and accessed via computer, laptop, or mobile. This content can be stored locally and accessed from anywhere. The budget allocated for education in Pakistan is always insufficient.
Especially when we look at the higher education sector, the fact becomes even more apparent that the amount set aside for this is even less, while the library is not even among the priorities. Some educational institutions have invested in digital libraries, but the trend has not yet taken root in all walks of life.
Another important issue with digital libraries is that we need to create and preserve our own research materials. Pakistani researchers are publishing their research in international journals, which discuss local issues. Our access to this content is limited because these magazines have to pay for full access. One solution to this problem is to create an online repository, where local and international research materials are fully available for Pakistani researchers and authors.
In this regard, a mechanism can be devised in which the research and publication material of Pakistani researchers can not only be collected and stored but also disseminated through an online platform. It is possible to set up such a platform with the help of major publishing houses through legislation or agreement. Access to public or private sector research is a critical need in Pakistan at this time.
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One of the purposes of transforming the University Grants Commission into a Higher Education Commission was to promote the research trend in Pakistan. HEC’s National Digital Library Program has been instrumental in promoting a research environment in Pakistan. The program has made it easier for researchers from public and private higher education institutions to access expensive online journals and research databases. The eBook Support Program helps researchers gain access to key materials and reference books on a variety of subjects.
Even small libraries can store a large collection of books as one hard drive can hold 150,000 color PDF books and their catalog data. Providing books online is not a difficult task, for example, Netflix and Amazon. Library owners can buy about 200,000 e-books online. Hundreds of books are brought to the computer every day at the Boston Public Library and the Library of Congress. There are still about 2 million websites that allow readers to access and read free books.
We also have the opportunity to create an online library that is accessible to all. We need 10 million books to compete with the Boston Public Library or Yale. We can get 10 million books for 16 160 million in four years.
The first digital library in Pakistan was launched in January 2004. With the help of this library, universities and research institutes can access up to 5,000 international journals. It is also helpful in sharing and providing distance education. The facilities provided in the PERN Digital Library include 1,100 magazines and journals as well as digital video conferencing services and lectures.
Today, data is being digitized in almost all libraries in Pakistan so that academic and non-academic curricula are easily available to students. The Higher Education Commission is making it possible for students to access e-books as well as academic journals under its National Digital Library program. The library has more than 75,000 books, journals, and articles. Similarly, the cyber library project of the Ministry of Information Technology aims to provide content on the Internet in national and other local languages. The library has books on religion, literature, history, and scientific subjects.
