Libraries called on to go digital

Libraries called on to go digital

JAKARTA (JP): The State Ministry of Research and Technology on
Tuesday called on all information departments in the government,
local administrations and private sector to establish a digital
library to improve their services to the public.

The ministry suggested that digital libraries should be
established in universities, national parks, zoos, museums,
language centers and even at the botanical garden in Bogor, South
Jakarta, to allow information to be stored in a database.

The ministry will provide between Rp 20 million and Rp 50
million as an incentive to these organizations to digitalize
their data, on condition their proposal is approved by the
ministry's committee.

Proposals should be submitted to the ministry by Aug. 31.

Further information on how to establish digital libraries can
be found at http://www.ristek.go.id.

Assistant to the deputy of the development of information
network Utari Budihardjo said the funds for the program would be
taken from the ministry's 2002 budget.

"Hopefully we will also receive financial aid from private
companies, which can take advantage of digital libraries for
rapid search and retrieval of information," she said.

She said digital libraries were needed to store intellectual
properties such as students' dissertations, research reports, and
the government or local administrations' policies, which have yet
to be published.

If such information is digitalized, institutions can exchange
information between them and the public can easily access them,
she said. (bby)