Sharjah: For the first time, readers will get free online access to digitised rare books, manuscripts, regular books, and other publications in possession of libraries and other establishments in Sharjah.
The announcement of the Sharjah Libraries Digital Repository Project was made by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) during the Library Conference at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Wednesday.
SBA Chairman Ahmad Al Ameri said the project would grant internet users anywhere in the world access to a vast body of material at Sharjah libraries and other establishments.
“All audio-visual, historical as well as illustrated publications will be accessible. This project will also give new life to all libraries,” Al Ameri said.
Visitors to the repository’s site, which will be revealed at a later stage, will be able to browse scanned or digital versions of a wide selection of books, research papers, government documents, photos, maps and other materials.
The content will be supplied by libraries in Sharjah as well as participating universities, research centres, museums and government departments.
The project also allows access to various libraries’ database indexes in one place, enabling users to access the resources they need through one website and doing away with the need to visit separate libraries. Readers will be able to surf the content at leisure or enter specific searches from home or on the go.
“As the first of its kind in the Arab world, the project will provide scientific and intellectual content on the internet with no limitations or obstacles and without prejudice to the intellectual proprietary rights of its respective authors,” the SBA said in statement.
The repository will also have streaming of multimedia content such as videos and audio tapes and enable reading of rare books by a page-turning function. The digital avatars will also be of books at Al Hosn Museum, manuscripts at Al Qasimia University, Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies, as well as Iqra magazine, Department of Culture and Information’s Al Rafed magazine, and other publications.
Joining the collection will be free books in the public domain, historical materials with outdated legal protection, content originally produced for the public by individuals or entities, in addition to studies and research.
The project won praise from the American Library Association (ALA), the co-organiser of the library conference, which ends on Thursday at Expo Centre.
ALA president Sari Feldman said libraries today must constantly keep up with new technology and changing people’s expectations, stressing that “digital inclusion” was a necessity rather than an option nowadays.
“It’s less about what we librarians have for people, but more about what we can do for, and with, people,” Feldman added.
She added that librarians have the resources to train people in responsible use of technology related to literature and research. Feldman said it was a little known and “startling” fact that more than 25 per cent of Americans don’t have a computer with internet access at home.
