Institute's Library Goes Online.
By Shareen Han

Bandar Seri Begawan - Students of Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) will now be able to access library resources in digital form, following the signing of a contract worth more than ' $900,000 between the institute and local IT solutions provider ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd.

Dr Hjh Naemah-Hj Basir, acting director of ITB, said that the project will expand the existing ITB library system's functionality, especially the accessibility of its archive collection and to provide online academic databases for ITB students and other registered users.

The contract incorporates the design, supply, upgrading, installation, migration and commissioning of software and hardware to implement an integrated Electronic Resource and Information, Services (e-RIS).

In short, it involves digitisation work for the institute's archive collection and subscription to online databases.

"Through this project, ITB not only can upgrade its library services and its current personnel, but it also enables the library to positively react to the current trends of ICT developments," she said yesterday.

In her welcoming address she further noted that library personnel need to undergo continued training to adapt to any changes or developments in the world of information and library.

"This signals the change in the traditional role of librarians or information officers to become more dynamic, aligning their expertise and provision of services in the areas of information communication technology',

Dr Hjh Naemah said that the project along with two previous e-government projects for ITB - Network Engineering Education Resources Implementation and Hardware and Software Infrastructure - are aimed at supporting the government's drive towards its e-government initiatives.

She added that ITB will be the second academic library to embark in a digitisation project after the Universiti Brunei Darussalam library. "These developments will enable ITB to uphold the challenging role towards continuous provision of high quality education and support its image as one of the progressive higher institutions in the country, she said.

She also hoped that the project will cater to the academic and research needs of both lecturers and students of ITB, as well as relevant external users.

Dato Paduka Hj Idris Hj Abas, managing director of ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd, meanwhile, explained that the e-RIS project consists of a few main components, including converting the ITB library's collection of media such as journals, reports, photographs, video and audio.

He said that all the materials will then be catalogued into the server of ITB's library.

Dato Hj Idris explained that a web-based library management system called Digital Media Collection Management System (DMCS) is put in place for the convenience of librarians and other users.

"Users are able to search for items in ITB's library via the Internet and view accurate content of the digitised materials."

"With this, there is no need for the users to come to the library. This is what I call reaching out or accessibility," he added.

Lim Jock Cheng, director of ICT at the Ministry of Education signed the contract on behalf of ITB and the ministry, while ZimacSilicon Technologies was represented by its managing director.

Witnessing the signing ceremony was Hjh Norjum Hj Mohamad Yusop, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education.

Madam Tay, general manager of ZimacSilicon Technologies, said the nine-month project will start this year.

Institute Technology Brunei is a higher education institution established in the 1980s, and offers academic programmes in engineering, business management and information technology.

ZimacSilicon Technologies was established in 2005 as an IT solutions and service provider in the sultanate.

It has a Sarawak based partner, Silicon Net Technologies Sdn Bhd, in providing the Digital Media Collection Management System.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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