Digitising Learning: E-Library

By Mr. Sheikh Maideen Abdul Rafik, Head Librarian, Skyline University College

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Everything is going digital. Learning is not an exception. Online learning resources are becoming popular because of their accessibility. Now, you can read books and learn something anytime and anywhere through digital libraries.

Academic institutions and organisations are now prioritising digital innovations when it comes to imparting knowledge and information. Most of these institutions focus on creating digital libraries.

What is a digital library?

A digital library holds a collection of documents, books, journals, magazines, articles, newspapers, videos and online resources that are organised in an electronic format and available on the Internet.

Benefits of the Digitisation of Libraries

Digitisation of libraries have many benefits, from improving learning material accessibility to its preservation so future generations can still use it.

  • Convenient Access: Digital libraries or e-libraries provide users with convenient access to various resources available over a distant geographical area. The materials in digital libraries are also accessible anytime and any day.
  • Space-Saving: We all know how much space books consume, and the stress we go through having to walk around in search of particular material. As there’s no physical space needed for electronic books, there will be more space for other things. Through the internet and cloud storage, digital libraries overcome this limitation, expanding students’ horizons in learning.
  • Resource Preservation: Because physical libraries and resources are bound to certain factors that affect their durability, an organisation needs to exert more effort to keep the state of books in good condition. Online libraries are useful in the scientific society since they act as storage for important research data, information, and findings. Thanks to digital libraries, the online copies of studies and research can be protected and collected to create a virtual heritage of information for the coming generations.

The advantages of creating an online library are undeniable. Skyline University College invests in its digital library to make learning more convenient and thrilling for students. Currently, it has 12 online library databases and each database contains millions of books. Skyline subscribes to EBSCO, ProQuest, EBook Central, and IGI-Global and it uses virtual learning technologies like Simulation and Gamification, among others, to achieve its goal of developing a future-ready generation.