Libraries play a crucial role in supporting literacy and education, and are essential gateways to knowledge and culture. In institutions of higher learning, it is crucial to constantly improve resources and services to ensure consistent information, communication and transformation of students.
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology’s Library recognized the importance of this and recently established a JKUAT Information Bureau Center. This is an initiative aimed at bringing together all information concerning the university since its inception and eventually digitizing it for easy access in a bid to meet ISO certification requirements.
Speaking on the innovation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua, noted that the digitization process would be critical in making information available at the click of a button. He also expressed his hope for a bigger library in the future, which would be able to accommodate a museum and the information center under one roof.
“This is a significant step towards achieving a more modern, digitized library that will be able to cater to the changing needs of students and researchers. By digitizing its resources, JKUAT Library will make it easier for students and researchers to access information, and also ensure that the university’s history is preserved for future generations,” said Prof. Kinyua.
University Librarian, Dr. Roseline Mangira, further added that the JKUAT Information Bureau Center would ease the handling and storage of information, and there is a need for a heavy-duty flat-bed scanner to ensure its digitization, so that it will appear in the institutional repository. The staff at JKUAT Library were excited about this innovative idea and are looking forward to its fruition.
Source: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology