The National Library’s efforts, widely praised for promoting education, art, and cultural heritage, represent a vital endeavour in safeguarding Pakistan’s intellectual resources and making them accessible to the nation’s scholars.
Founded in Islamabad in 1951, the National Library of Pakistan stands as the nation’s largest collection of printed material, serving as the official legal depository under the Copyright Ordinance of 1968.
This legislation ensures the preservation of “the best copy” of all publications in Pakistan, safeguarding the country’s literary and journalistic legacy for future generations.
Digitisation Campaign: Objectives and Achievements
To tackle the overwhelming data influx and financial limitations, the library embarked on a digitisation initiative in 2018, focusing on 16 major newspapers spanning 1968 to 2015. Over 5.4 million pages, in both English and Urdu, have been digitised, at an impressive pace of 15,000 pages per day during peak periods. The library is now integrating Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to enhance accessibility, allowing efficient keyword searches across its extensive records.
Streamlining Access for Scholars and Students
The digitisation effort aims to revolutionise information retrieval for researchers by replacing laborious manual searches with digital access, empowering users to locate materials in minutes. This ongoing process includes digitising post-2016 publications and rare manuscripts. Collaborations with government agencies also mitigate duplication, ensuring a streamlined approach to preserving the country’s printed heritage.
In-House Expansion and Future Ambitions
Initially outsourced, the digitisation process has since been brought in-house, enabling the library to reduce costs and improve efficiency through skilled staff and advanced equipment. Plans to digitise 1,500 magazines and the Gazette of Pakistan from 1949 onward highlight the library’s commitment to expanding its reach and preserving historical records.
Recognition for Contribution to Culture and Education
The National Library’s efforts, widely praised for promoting education, art, and cultural heritage, represent a vital endeavour in safeguarding Pakistan’s intellectual resources and making them accessible to the nation’s scholars.
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This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
