Edo Govt. to digitalise public libraries to encourage reading culture – Obaseki

The Edo Government will digitise public and school libraries as part of its effort to revive reading culture and make books accessible on mobile platforms, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, has said.

Obaseki made the statement when he received the report of the Joint Implementation Team on Public and Secondary School Library System in Edo in Benin on Tuesday.

The governor said that in an era of technology, digitalised library services were needed to promote the reading culture and move pupils away from home videos.

“Our plan is to facilitate every local government headquarters with solar panel electricity to power offices and libraries to be set up.”

The governor said that even government materials needed to be preserved through digitisation as it was difficult getting ready materials from past regimes, such as the Samuel Ogbemudia Midwest administration.

He gave an assurance that the state library services would be given a facelift through the provision of state-of -the art facilities, such as laptops, iPads and desktop computers.

The governor reiterated the need to give back to the people in the area of human capital using the library to create a sustainable learning environment in the education sector.

He commended members of the team for living up to the confidence reposed in them and assured them that their recommendations would be considered.

He, however, noted that government would seek the services of professional librarians with the right frame of mind to help manage public library facilities.

Earlier, the Chairperson of the committee, Prof Grace Sanni, thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve on the committee

Sanni gave insight of the committee’s recommendations to include the need for government to employ professionals in the management of public libraries.

She said the committee recommended, among others, the establishment of e-library in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

The team also recommended the encouragement of the private sector to take library development as part of corporate social responsibility to give opportunities to the physically challenged to use modern library facilities, she said.