Iloilo prov'l government to launch e-Library
To answer Ilonggos' needs of wide scope of facts and information, the Iloilo Provincial Government will launch the e-library (electronic library) on October 26, 2007.
The launching is simultaneous with the signing of memorandum of agreement between the Iloilo Provincial Government represented by Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr. and the National Library Director Prudenciana C. Cruz.
The e-library project, being managed by the National Library of the Philippines, maintains digitized, wide resources of materials as it links to various libraries such as that of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), University of the Philippines (UP), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Bookworms need not go to the Philippine National Library in Manila to look for books since the e-library has the direct access to all data and collections of books of the said library.
The e-library further provides digitize resources which are produced locally such as but not limited to theses and dissertations, scholarly publications in humanities, social sciences and science and technology and materials that represent the country's cultural heritage.
The databases bank collections of various materials/resources and programs like EBSCO Complete Academic Packages which includes Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, Biomedical Reference Collection Expanded Edition, Business Source, Computer Sources, ERIC, Information Science and Technology Abstract, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Sociological and MAS Ultra; Britannica Online; IEEE Computer Society Library; and Xprefer Plus that includes full text of 150 books from over 30 world class publishers on art, bilinguals, biography, business, dictionaries, encyclopedias, food, geography, history, languages, etc., among others.
In the meantime, the National Library through the Philippine e-Library Project, will provide three internet-ready computers for the Iloilo Provincial Library and Archives e-library. Another seven units will soon be granted to cope with the demands of the users and the reading public.
Once launched, the e-library will open its gate to students, researchers and the reading public for free. However, they need to secure an ID from the Iloilo Provincial Library and Archives to avail of the services of this state-of-the-art library.
Invited guest for the launching are Vice Gov. Rolex T. Suplico, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, municipal mayors and vice mayors, municipal librarians, representatives from the Department of Education, CHED, DOST, DA, IPG Department Heads, NGOs, students and 5th District Board Member Jesus Salcedo, Jr., Chair, Committee on Education and Information.