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Digitization and Preservation of Library Project (DPLR)

Introduction:

The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) in Nepal has initiated a mission to digitize and preserve public library resources with technical assistance (TA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The TA supports to develop plans and policies for digitization and preservation, capacity development of library staff and small-scale piloting of digitization and preservation of public library resources by establishing a national virtual library. In this TA, MOEST will start from three libraries-Nepal National Library (NNL), Kaiser Library (KL) and Dilli Raman Kalyani Regmi Memorial Library ((DRKRML). Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) signed a contract with ADB for project management consulting services including a user satisfaction survey after piloting and leading the university consortium for the academic benefit of the project. The project is entitled ‘Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources’ (DPLR). 

Funding Agency: e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund (EAKPF), the Republic of Korea, through fund management of ADB.

Consortium universities: Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal Open University (NOU) and Tribhuvan University (TU)

Project Period: March 2024 to January 2026

Principal Investigator: Dr. Shesha Kanta Pangeni

The major activities of the project are:

  1. Development of planning documents (short, medium and long term) for digitization and preservation of library resources.

  2. Development of policy for digitization and preservation of library resources.

  3. Capacity development plan and conduct training for the library staff.

  4. Piloting of digitization and preservation of library resources. 

  5. Project Management including steering committee meetings, satisfaction surveys and coordination.

Accomplished activities of the project:

1. Introductory meeting with ADB team: 

The team of KUSOED comprising the team leader and Project Coordinator of the DPLR project had a meeting at ADB. From ADB there were representatives Rudi Van Dael, Principal Social Sector Specialist, Mr. Pushparaj Subedi, Librarian and Ms. Anne Thapa Magar. The meeting discussed the inception mission and the visit of representatives of NLK to Nepal to assess the needs of the library and develop plans based on their need assessment for capacity building and piloting.

2. Introductory meetings with three public libraries [13, 14 and 17 March 2024]

The team of KUSOED and representative of ADB visited Nepal National Library, KU center library, Kaiser Library, Dilliraman Library and libraries of consortium universities namely Tribhuvan university and Nepal Open University. KUSOED shared information regarding project and its objectives. In addition, the libraries shared their status of resources and their efforts in digitization and preservation. These visits helped to strengthen the collaboration between libraries and project and support in project’s implementation. 

3. Meeting at Ministry of Education, Science and Technology [27 March 2024]

The team of Dr. Shesha Kanta Pangeni and Prativa Rai from KUSOED and Rudi Van Dael, Pushparaj Subedi and Anne Thapa Magar from ADB had a meeting with Mr. Ima Narayan Shrestha, Joint Secretary and his team at MOEST. The objectives of the meeting were to introduce the project team to representatives of the Ministry, to share the updates of the project and to receive the feedback of the ministry. As discussed in the meeting, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) sent a letter of request and circular to all participating libraries and universities to support for the successful implementation of the project, dated on April 26 2024.

4. Developed tool for the need assessments survey in the following areas [March 28 to April 27 2024]

  • Policy Development in Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources

  • Policy for Virtual library

  • Plan Development on Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources

  • Piloting on Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources.

  • Capacity Development in Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources.

5. Developed inception report of project [March 28 to April 27 2024]

The team developed inception report of the project covering the details of completed activities and planned activities, their methodology, procedure and expected support of NLK and ADB in each stage of preparation and implementation. The report also included tools for need assessment, M&E framework for the project.

5. Conducted Need assessment [19, June 21, July 3 and July 04 2024].

After the finalization of the need assessment tools, the researcher of the project had meetings and discussions with the chief librarian and library staffs of three public libraries (Dilliraman Library, Kaiser Library and National Library). The objectives of assessment were to identify the needs of library in terms of human capacity and infrastructures of digitization and preservation of library resources. Similarly, the assessment was to explore the status types or resources in the library and their needs and recommendations for the policy and plan of virtual library.

6. Developed a report of needs assessment [July 05 to July 20 2024)

KUSOED collected data from three libraries namely Dilliraman Library, Kaiser Library and Nepal National Library using the assessment tools developed by the team. There was interview with chief librarian and library staffs of these three libraries. After the data collection, KUSOED worked to transcribe data and data was organized in the format and developed into the report. The team shared the findings of assessment among public libraries, universities and organizations working for libraries in the startup workshop of the project. 

7. Startup Workshop and Needs Assessment Preliminary Findings Sharing [2 August 2024]

KUSOED organized a startup workshop with the objective to share the information of project among stakeholders including public libraries, universities, library professionals and ministry. The workshop had information sharing of project, its objectives and activities. Similarly, it shared the findings of assessment carried out with the libraries followed by the group work on designing framework on policy and planning, digitization and preservation, capacity building program and piloting.  

8. Visit to Madan Purashkar Pustakalaya and National Archive [23rd August and 25th August 2024]

Team of KUSOED visited two libraries namely Madan Purashkar Pustakalaya and National Archive  The major objectives of the visit were to explore the works of institutions for the digitization and preservation of library resources. Similarly, the meeting was to understand how these organizations can collaborate with the project. (Please refer to Annex VI for the report of the visit)

9. Workshop on ‘Developing Capacity Building Plan’ [3rd September 2024]

KUSOED organized the workshop on ‘Developing Capacity Building Plan for Digitization and Preservation of Library Resources’ with three public libraries with the aim to discuss their specific needs regarding human resources and infrastructure for digitization and preservation of library resources. The discussion helped in identifying needs of library in detail and develop plan of capacity building program