Librarians should play vital role in eSri Lanka initiative -ICTA chairman

''Librarians have an important role to play in the eSri Lanka initiative'', said ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Chairman, Senior Presidential Advisor and Peradeniya University Chancellor, Prof P.W. Epasinghe. He was the chief guest at the Sri Lanka Library Association's 52nd Annual General Meeting at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, recently. He outlined the possibilities librarians had in accelerating Sri Lanka to be a regional knowledge hub.

Prof P.W. Epasinghe presents an award

The ICTA Chairman explained how the islandwide Nenasala's, or digital resource-based centres or libraries were an ideal network making the benefits of ICT to reach the people. While dwelling on the six-pronged program of ICTA to implement the eSri Lanka initiative, Prof Epasinghe said, "Librarians are in a better position to offer their cooperation in building Sri Lanka as a knowledge hub of the region.

Library Associations and the Sri Lanka Library Association in particular, are in an ideal position to take Sri Lanka on the path to Sri Lanka becoming a Wonder of Asia''.

Countrywide libraries for digital content is a concept initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He also traced the origin of Nenasalas. ''About five years ago, only some privileged city-dwellers had access to the internet. President Rajapaksa in his far-sighted vision wanted computer knowledge to be taken to the village. This vision is now spelled out in what one might call libraries for digital content. These are the 667 centres islandwide under the 1000 Nenasala project.

ICTA designed this project and implemented it. "These centres or wisdom outlets provide an islandwide service in bringing the benefits of ICT to the rural population.

These have been set up in easily accessible and convenient locations. Each Nenasala is equipped with three to four personal computers with internet access, a laser printer, scanner, web camera and other accessories.

The concept of shared computing (sometimes called 'Virtual Desktops') is now implemented in Nenasalas. The excess power of a PC is leveraged for powering multiple computing sessions at once. A 'virtual desktop' experience is provided through the access devices to each end user using their own monitor, keyboard and mouse", the prof said. Underlining the role ICTA plays in the development of content available in libraries including Nenasala's, Prof Epasinghe said,"The means of accessing content and services were thus implemented but it was also necessary to create relevant content for users.

ICTA, therefore, implemented the e-society program which entailed creating an empowered knowledge-based society.

One of the strategies of ICTA's e-Society program is to facilitate the development of innovative locally relevant language content.

The key library function of sorting in local languages was a pervasive library function, he said. "As you know much more than I do, libraries have to deal with sorting. They have to deal with large volumes of information material.

They could be printed material, such as serial publications, magazines, monographs or books. With the commencement of the digital age, information material could also be videos and CDs. Now when one has an ocean of such materials, he is lost. It is here that we need the service of the librarian who solves the problem. His basic methodology is sorting.

''The GIC (1919), the Government Information Centre is quite well known now. When a citizen needed some information from a Government Department some time ago, the task was cumbersome. He had to find a contact person in the relevant department, meet him or telephone him and ask him.