With the permission of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, from 24-26 May 2016 in Da Nang city, National Library of Viet Nam in accordance with Library Department organize Summarizing Conference for the information technology application of public library system (2006-2016).
Attending the conference there were Mrs. Vu Duong Thuy Nga – Director of Library Department; Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga – Director of the National Library of Viet Nam; Mr. Pham The Khang – President of Vietnamese Library Association; Mr. Huynh Van Hung – Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Da Nang; Mrs. Almuth Meyer-Zollistch – Director of Goethe Institute in Ha Noi and about 150 delegates from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ministry of Information and Communication; Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, leadership representatives and information technology’s staffs from libraries in the country, experts from Germany, technology partnerships in the country…
In the spirit of seriousness, responsibility, straightforwardness, democracy and science, 14 reports and discussed opinions at the conference are focusing on sharing and exchange the following contents: Situation and results of the information technology application, evaluating advantages, difficulties, challenges, defiance as well as specify strategies, plans and propose solutions for the applying effectively information technology to the public libraries’ activities in the upcoming period.
Accordingly, from 2006 to 2016, public library system has made significant achievements in IT application, such as:
- IT infrastructure is strengthened, many libraries have attention of local authorities and were invested by large, depth projects. Library system at grassroots level applies IT quite strong.
- Libraries have developed and served effectively the digital collections to the users, many new or prepared projects are concentrated on developing digitized information resource, creating large digital collections.
- Library’s products and services are more diverse, user’s support is better, capable of disseminating on mote devices, especially on smart mobility devices.
- IT’s staffs at libraries were recruited with good quality. There emerge individuals are able to handle the professional tasks may occur and create potential solutions for practical applications that bring useful results at local libraries, typically in public libraries of Binh Dinh, Can Tho, Tien Giang, Phu Yen province…
Besides these outstanding achievements, the Conference has identified the existing limitations in IT application of the public libraries:
- The level of IT application is not equal, there is a big gap of development between libraries in the South and the North, and this gap tends to larger gradually.
- Using of too many library management software in the same system leads to the difficulty in mutual support when needed. Some software haven’t got professional standards, so it is difficult when communicating, sharing or integrating data.
- Annual budget for IT’s activities is still low, not equal with position, responsibility, effect of IT in library’s activities.
- IT librarians’ ability is limited generally, has not improved much in the last 1 years. The professional training and cultivating has not conducted regularly.
- There are many shortcomings relating to regulations, remuneration policies for IT officials in both income and opportunity to improve skills.
- The coherence in the system is not good leads to low efficiency, overlap and waste.
- The loose coordination between professional management agencies and state management agency to orient, evaluate and review the good samples and experience. Libraries are expecting the new regulations and policies of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that may help to solve the difficulties and obstacles.
To promote the achievements of the past 10 years and identify the existing shortcomings, preceding the development requirements in the new period, the Conference agreed to set the orientations and goals for IT application at public libraries until 2020 as the following:
- Contribute actively to theoretical and practical side, and propose opinions to state management agencies complete the regulation and policy relating to IT application at library’s activities to become strengthened legal basis for the strategic, long term and stable development of libraries.
- IT application has to follow the regulations and policies of the Party, Government and Planning of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
- Continue to develop, consolidate and complete the IT infrastructure. Propose the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to invest continuously in IT infrastructure and digital information resource for public libraries, the investment may focus on key areas.
- Complete and improve the application software, especially the management software for digital library, promote the application on digital collection’s management, give priority to study of open source code software. Strengthen the promotion, sharing of software utilities, effective tools developed by librarians.
- Promote the development of digital information resources, prioritize monograph, rare materials, and documents are outside of scope of copyright protection.
- Increase the information’s exploitation, integration, sharing, especially between libraries of the Association or common area.
- Unify and standardize continuously the professional standards, create favorable conditions for information integration and sharing domestically and internationally.
- Improve rapidly the IT human resource’s quality, develop the inherit staffs, and build the reasonable treatment policies in both income and training, create friendly working environment for IT librarians can improve their competence, strengths and long-term commitment to the library.
- Continuous to raise awareness of the local authorities, library managements and librarians about the importance of Information Technology in library’s activities.
Photos of the same event:
Overview of the Conference
Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga – Director of the National Library of Viet Nam delivers speech at the Conference
Mr. Nguyen Huu Chien – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Da Nang delivers welcome speech at the Conference
Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga – Director of the National Library of Viet Nam gives a souvenir gift to Mr. Huynh Van Hung - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Da Nang
The Chairman Union manages the Conference
Mrs. Vu Duong Thuy Nga, Director of Library Department, gives comments about “Reality of IT application in public library system in Viet Nam and the upcoming orientations”
Mrs. Nguyen Ngoc Anh – NLV’s Deputy Director presents the summarizing report of IT activities in public library system 2006-2016.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hue – Deputy Director of Tien Giang public library presents a paper “Step by step approach to J-JSIS software, an outstanding candidate for digital library application”
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung – Director of QuangNinh public library presents a paper “the implementation and application of IT in Quang Ninh public library’s library”
Mrs. Almuth Meyer-Zollistch – Director of Goethe Institute in Ha Noispeaks at the Conference
Mrs. Hannelore Vogt – Director of Cologne Library, Germany, presents a research “Library in digital era: the creative services and time changing”
Mr. Pham Xuan Thu – General Science Library of Da Nang, presents paper “Applying IT to serve the material finding at Da Nang library”
Mr. Tran Viet Phuong, Library of Goethe Institute Hanoi presents paper “Renovation Project for Goethe Institute library’s space in Hanoi”
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nha – Can Tho Library presents paper “Several outcomes of IT application in activities of Can Tho library”
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thuy – Deputy Director of Yen Bai Library presents paper “Digitizing materials at Yen Bai Library: Real conditions and solutions”
Mr. Ha Duc Thanh – Director of digital library center, CMC company, presents paper “The implementation, support iLib software at public libraries and development orientation for iLib”
Mr. Trinh Xuan Giang – IDT Company presents paper “Application of RFID technology in management and automation of library”
Mr. Pham The Khang – President of Vietnamese Library Association, speaks at the Conference
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tu Anh – Director of Nghe An Library speaks at the Conference
A souvenir picture of the delegates
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News, photos: Le Duc Thang