Workshop Discussing Digitizing of African Public Libraries Underway in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa January 15/2019 A two-day workshop aimed at understanding the challenges faced across the African continent to access digital information opened at Ethiopian National Archives and Library Agency (ENALA) hall today.

The workshop also aims to design blue print for a Digital Public Library of Africa in order to ensure that people have access to information that improves the lives of future generation.

The Network for Digital Public Library of Modern Africa (Net DiPLoMA) project, which is financed by the government of England, plans to network digital public libraries of modern Africa.

Net DiPLoMA Country Director, Solomon Tefera said the workshop will  discuss about technological, human resource, policy research and capacity related challenges for building digital library linking the existing digital collections and services in Sub-Saharan African countries and elsewhere in the world.

He added that the workshop helps to find solutions that provide information for low income users through digitalizing African public library.

Net DiPLoMA Project Director, Gobina Chowdhurry said the project works for the realization Digital Public Library of Africa by addressing challenges in both supply and demand sides of the beneficiaries.

Bottom up approach, building the existing activities and initiatives of institutions and government agencies and bodies, capacity building and analyzing the data are unique features of Digital Public Library of Africa, he added.

He stated that the National Steering Committee of member countries will supervise the implementation of the project.

The participants of the workshop and member countries of the National Steering Committee are Ethiopia, Kenya, and Malawi.