Kenya’s Principal Secretary of the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy (ICT&DE), Eng. John Tanui, has advocated the digitisation of library services during an official visit to the Ministry Library on Wednesday, 15th November.
The Ministry Library, located on the 7th floor of the TelePosta Towers, serves as a resource centre for the Ministry staff and the public. Eng. Tanui was welcomed by the Director of Library Services, David Kengere, and his team of librarians, who gave him a tour of the library and its facilities.
Eng. Tanui appreciated the work of the library staff, and commended them for their efforts to provide quality information and services to the users. He also shared the government’s vision and strategy to digitise its records and digitalise its services, in line with the Digital Economy Blueprint that was launched in 2019.
He said that the digitisation and digitalisation of the government’s information and services would enhance efficiency, transparency, accountability, and accessibility, as well as create new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Eng. Tanui advised the library staff to embrace digital transformation and to digitalise their library services as well. He believed libraries should provide searchable links for its online resources, such as e-books, e-journals, e-reports, and e-databases, to enable users to access them easily and conveniently.
Libraries should also adopt the latest technologies and standards for the management and preservation of its digital and physical collections, such as cloud computing, metadata, and digital preservation.
Furthermore, Eng. Tanui recommended that the library should allocate a more spacious room for accommodating its users, especially those who need to use the computers and the internet. He believed the library should provide a conducive and comfortable environment for the users to access and use the information and services that the library offers. He also encouraged the library to conduct regular user surveys and feedback sessions to understand the needs and expectations of the users, and to improve the quality and relevance of the library services.
Eng. Tanui concluded his visit by thanking the library staff for their hospitality and professionalism, and assured them of his support and collaboration. He said that the library plays a vital role in the development of the ICT and the digital economy sector, and urged the library staff to continue to work hard and to innovate. He also invited the library staff to visit the ICT&DE offices and to learn more about the projects and programmes that the department is implementing.
