RP libraries go digital

These days, you don’t have to leave home to do what you need to do or get what you want. Thanks to the Internet, practically everything—from bill payments, airline reservations, food delivery, medical assistance, and what-not—is just one mouse click away. That’s why everyone’s trying to keep up with the increasing demand for anything online—including libraries and museums. Wired librarians At the 30th Manila International Book Fair, the country’s research institutions showed that they, too, are wired to the Web. In a lecture organized by the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL), officials from the country’s record-keeping bodies discussed digitization and digital archiving. “It is high time that we, librarians and information professionals, should be made aware that digitization is the way to do things now," said PAARL president Elvira Lapuz. Echoing Lapuz’s view, representatives from the National Museum, the National Archives, and the National Library likewise shared how they’re going digital. For starters, they have taken photographs of their artifacts, as well as scanning documents and converting them into computer files. Timeless challenges Elenita Alba, head of the Education Division of the National Museum, revealed that they have started cataloging their more than four million specimens. She explained though that it would take a while before all their artifacts are digitized. She attributed the delay to the lack of manpower and the fact that their field researchers do double duty as record-keepers. Professor Edgardo Quiros, chief of the National Library’s information technology department, pointed out that while they have most of the necessary equipment, museum personnel often lack the skills or experience to actually maximize the use of these instruments. Chief Administrative Officer Virginia Darlucio of the National Archives added that the problem with restoring and preserving historical documents (such as Spanish royal decrees and Japanese war crime records) is the lack of continuous funding from the government. Despite the odds, Alba, Quiros, and Darlucio attest that they and their colleagues remain committed to doing their tasks. “We may lack the resources, but we do not lack the willpower," Darlucio assured. Share and share alike Digitizing resources is an easily attainable goal with ample budget and technical support at hand. That, of course, is just half the job. As Lapuz emphasized, “It does not stop with digitizing materials. They should be shared and the easiest way to do that is by [making them available online]." Librarians and archivists certainly want to make these resources available to the public. But they still have to deal with copyright laws, which they feel limit the dissemination of information from their institutions. After all, they share guest speaker Caloocan City Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon’s vision of “limitless knowledge" in the 21st century. Though it may take some time before access to knowledge—whether digital or not—becomes truly unrestrained, there’s no doubt that the dedication of the country’s information professionals will help make it happen. The book fair was held at the SM Mall of Asia last September 16-20, 2009.- GMANews.TV