The Librarians Registration Council
of Nigeria (LRCN) has demanded from the National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA) and local software developers in the country to come
up with user-friendly mobile application (mobile app) for library service nationwide,
ITRealms reports.
The Council led by the Registrar and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Prof. Michael Afolabi made this demand while on
courtesy call to the Acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji in
Abuja, said technology has revolutionized the daily lives of individuals and
the library service should not be an exemption where service could be delivered
to users and students on any smartphone or other internet enabled devices which
would make users stay connected to libraries service irrespective of their
location.
He also said, that the importance of
NITDA as “a very strategic stakeholder has made it imperative to call on the agency
for exchange of views on how to fast track the ongoing collaborations between
the two organisations.
“To us, NITDA is a world class
intervention agency in the ICT sector; intervening remarkably in different
sector of the nation’s economy. We are glad that your organisation has emerged
an international brand, exporting best practices,” he said.
The council, Afolabi said, is
developing standards for different categories of library and have commenced the
review and set benchmark for library schools in Nigeria adding the commission
is partnering with a number of governmental and nongovernmental organisations
in order to make meaningful contribution to the education sector and library
and information subsector in particular.
He urged the Agency to finalize work
on the e-library standard it formulated and set machinery in motion to commence
the advocacy for the standard so that Nigeria public would understand and
benefit from this policy.
“On our part, we have gradually
commenced a silent advocacy to create awareness about the availability of new
standards for e-libraries in Nigeria. Our Stakeholders often receives this news
with excitement.
In his response to the requests made
by the Council, the NITDA Acting Director General, Dr. Vincent Olatunji assured
his guests that the Agency is committed to enhancing the relationship that
exist between the two organisation adding that NITDA's mandate empowers it to intervene on
other sectors and education is one of
the sectors.
“It is on this note we want to change
the traditional outlook of our library to virtual library. Last week we
commissioned one at Ekiti State University and by October another one will be
commissioned in Yola. We have awarded eight virtual libraries this year to
impact on our educational sector.
He said the agency would work with
other stakeholders in software sub sector of ICT industry to come with apps for
e-library. “Our focus is to develop home grown solutions in our Software drives
to address challenges that are peculiar to us. We will work with Institute of
Software Practitioner of Nigeria, (ISPON), Young Innovators of Nigeria, (YIN)
and our specially created purpose vehicle Office for ICT innovation and
Entrepreneurship to look at the request for developing apps on e-library.
Dr. Olatunji said work is on the
final stage on the policy on standard formulated by NITDA assuring them that
the standard would soon be unveiled to the general public. He equally advised
them to intensify their advocacy campaign for easy buy in by Nigeria.
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