The International Information & Library Review (2012) 44, 132e146

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/ i i l r

Building digital libraries in Bangladesh: A developingcountry perspective

Nafiz Zaman Shuva*

Department of Information Science & Library Management, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

KEYWORDSDigital libraries;Digitization;Bangladesh;Digital librarydevelopment;Access to Information(A2I);Bangladeshgovernment

* Tel.: þ880 1710953233; fax: þ880E-mail address: nafiz_z@hotmail.c

1057-2317/$ - see front matter ª 201http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iilr.2012.

Abstract This paper describes the ways used to build digital libraries in Bangladesh as well asthe problems that might be encountered during digital library system development. It showsthe existing status of digital library development, particularly the status of digitization inBangladesh as well as government initiatives to build digital library system. Finally, severalsteps are proposed by the author for one possible approach to build an effective digital librarysystem.ª 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction

The term digital library has become one of the mostfrequently used terms in the library and information sciencearena. Digital libraries are complex with diverse aspects andcannot be captured by a simple definition. The term digitallibrary is currently used to refer to systems that are veryheterogeneous in scope and provide different functions.These systems range from digital objects and metadatarepositories, reference-linking systems, archives, andcontent administration systems to complex systems thatintegrate advanced digital library services (DELOS, 2006).

Borgman (2000), one of the most influential researcherson the subject, defined digital libraries as “a set of

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2 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved07.002

electronic resources and associated technical capabilitiesfor creating, searching, and using information” (p. 42). Inthis regard, they are an extension and enhancement ofinformation storage and retrieval systems that manipulatedigital data in any medium (text, images, sounds e static ordynamic images) and exist in distributed networks. Thecontent of digital libraries includes metadata that describevarious aspects of the data (e.g. representation, creator,owner, reproduction rights, etc.) and consist of links orrelationships to other data or metadata, internal orexternal to the digital library (p. 42).

Comparatively, the Digital Library Federation (1998)defines a digital library as an organization that “providesthe resources, including the specialized staff, to select,structure, offer intellectual access to, interpret, distribute,preserve the integrity of, and ensure the persistence overtime of collections of digital works so that they are readilyand economically available for use by a defined communityor set of communities.”

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Building digital libraries in Bangladesh 133

Meanwhile, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)(1995) identifies five elements common to all definitionsof the digital library:

(1) The digital library is not a single entity;(2) The digital library requires technology to link the

resources;(3) Linkages between digital libraries and information

services are transparent to users;(4) Universal access to digital libraries must be a goal; and(5) Digital library collections are not restricted to docu-

ment surrogates but include digital artifacts that haveno printed equivalent.

Benefits of the digital library

Numerous benefits are associated with digital libraries,including:

� Library access from anywhere: Digital libraries areaccessible anywhere. Individuals with a computer withan Internet connection can use the library from wher-ever. There’s no need to visit the library in order toread a favorite book or collect required information.Patrons can search the library and collect desiredinformation from their desktop, home, or office.

� Access 24/7: A digital library has no time and spaceboundaries. Patrons can access the library at anytime.For instance, it is possible for Norwegians to searcha digital library of Bangladesh at 9 p.m. in Norway whenit is late night in Bangladesh. Traditional libraries areonly open for certain time periods and require patronsto be physically present to access materials.

� Broader access: The digital library system bringsgreater access to users. It is possible for a diverse rangeof patrons to access more information and oftensimultaneously. For example, in a traditional librarythere could be one or two copies of a book restrictingonly two users to use the book. But, in the case of thedigital library, more users than the number of copiescan access the same item.

� Information sharing: Through the digital library, it hasbecome easier to share information with other organi-zations/library and information centers. Now, anylibrary or information center can seek information fromanother library or information center without physicallyvisiting the entity.

� More current information: In a digital library system, itis easy to update information without spending muchtime and labor. For example, it is difficult to update theinformation contained within traditional printed cata-logue cards over the catalogue information on digitalformat.

� Less time and labor: The digital library systemdecreases the amount of time spent searching andretrieving information. Users can search and locatedesired information in a shorter time frame and withless effort than through the traditional library system.

� New forms of access: A digital library can meet simul-taneous access requests for the same electronic

document by easily creating multiple copies of therequested document. A digital library can serve a muchlarger population of users. A digital library can provideaccess to content in different and more current formsincluding animation, graphical, audio and videoformats; support post-processing of information (e.g.,conversion of a spreadsheet to a graphical form); andadapt to the special needs of physically disadvantagedusers.

� Improved preservation: Through metadata and infor-mation exchange protocols, digital libraries can easilyshare information with other digital libraries andprovide enhanced access to users. Since electronicdocuments are not prone to the same wear and tear asits physical counterparts, digital libraries facilitatepreservation of special and rare documents and arti-facts by providing access to digital versions of theseentities (FAO & UNESCO, 2005).

Current state of digital library development inBangladesh

In Bangladesh, the computer was first introduced in 1964,with the installation of an IBM 1620 computer at the AtomicEnergy Commission (BASIS, 2005). Subsequently, the use ofthe computer was established at the Institute of StatisticalResearch and Training (ISRT) in 1964 followed by theBangladesh University of Engineering and Technology(BUET) in 1968, Janata Bank in 1969, Adamjee Jute MillsLtd. in 1970, and the Bureau of Statistics in 1973.

The 1980s are considered the beginning of the automa-tion era for libraries and information centers in Bangladesh.The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research,Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) Library and Agricultural InformationCentre (AIC) were pioneers in creating bibliographic data-bases on specialized fields using microcomputers (Khan,1989). Recently, in light of the changing attitudes ofinformation users in getting specific information, a numberof libraries and information centers in the country havetaken the initiative to establish an appropriate system forproviding desired information to users through automationfacilities.

The Internet arrived in Bangladesh with UUCP e-mail in1993 and IP connectivity in 1996. In mid-June 1996, theVery Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) base data circuit wascommissioned for the first time in the country. Thereafter,Internet connectivity was established and made availableto the public.

Nowadays, use of computers and Internet has dramati-cally increased in Bangladesh though a significant digitaldivide exists throughout the country. Fig. 1 shows theaccess to ICT in Bangladesh.

As the Fig. 1 shows, over 98 percent of the population inBangladesh has no e-mail access and about 97 percent hasno computer access. The same scenario exists in thecountry’s libraries as most of the libraries especially school,college and public libraries in Bangladesh are still unable tooffer ICT-based services for its users.

As a result, full-fledged digital library systems have notyet been developed in Bangladesh. However, some publicand private university libraries have recently realized the

Figure 1 Access to ICT in Bangladesh. Source: BangladeshBureau of Statistics (BBS), HIES 2005 & 2010 (provisional).

134 N.Z. Shuva

importance of building digital libraries and initiatedprojects to develop digital library systems. Therefore, theauthor of this paper conducted a survey to assess the ICTand digitization status in different types of libraries inBangladesh with a primary focus on university libraries. Anonline questionnaire was prepared and sent via e-mail tolibrarians of public and private universities (personalized e-mail was sent to all librarians of public and privateuniversities having access to subscription-based electronicresources), different organizations and institutions. Inaddition to sending personalized e-mail, a link to thequestionnaire was mailed to the Google group accounts forthe Library and Information Science Professionals,Bangladesh Group and its 329 online members and theBangladesh Association of Librarians, Information Scientistsand Documentalists (BALID) which has 183 members.

Phone contact was also made with the librarians workingto build digital libraries/institutional repositories to findout information about their projects and the problems theyhave faced while planning or implementing digitizationprojects. Library and Information Science (LIS) profes-sionals were asked to participate if they had any ongoingdigitization projects or if they were planning to initiatedigitization in the near future. Therefore, libraries eitherengaged in digitization projects or planning digitizationefforts mainly responded to this questionnaire. The resultsof the survey are illustrated in Table 1.

As Table 1 indicates, digitization projects in libraries ofBangladesh increased after 2005. Many libraries initiateddigitization projects, which led to full-fledged digitallibraries. Regarding the use of software for building digitallibraries/institutional repositories, most libraries opt forfree, open source (OS) software. Since Bangladesh isa developing country and its libraries face a shortage offunds, open source, free digital library software provides aninexpensive way to build digital libraries. Based on theresponses, it was found that East West University Library,Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statis-tics, Eastern University Library, Bangladesh, andBangladesh National Museum created digital libraries usingGreenstone software, an open source program. On theother hand, ICDDR,B, BRAC University, IndependentUniversity, and Bangladesh Agricultural University success-fully created institutional repositories using Dspace.

Except for the National Library of Bangladesh, all of thelibraries surveyed offer Internet service. Public universitylibraries and libraries affiliated with government organiza-tions are still unable to build a full-fledged digital librarysystem. For instance, the Dhaka University Library, one of

the largest and oldest public university libraries inBangladesh, is unable to build a digital library system. It isthe public expectation that Dhaka University Library willlead the digital library movement in Bangladesh. Addi-tionally, libraries like the Rajshahi University Library haveprinted materials on very important research that should bedigitized and available for use throughout the country. BothDhaka University Library and Rajshahi University Librarysubmitted projects on building digital libraries to theHigher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) ofUniversity Grants Commission; however, neither wassuccessful in obtaining funds from the commission.

With the exception of one library, the National HealthLibrary and Documentation Centre (NHLDOC), all librarieshave access to online databases and are members ofBangladesh INASP-PERii Consortium (BIPC). A Memorandumof Understanding was signed in 2006 between theBangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) and InternationalNetwork for the Availability of the Scientific Publications(INASP) that granted Bangladesh membership to thisnetwork. Through this network, a large number of journalsfrom world-renowned publishers are made available to theBangladesh stakeholders who can download these journalsat anytime. Later, all public and private universities,research institutes, laboratories in the country wereinformed of this network and were invited to join. Conse-quently, a number of universities and research organiza-tions participated in the network.

Thereafter, the Bangladesh INASP-PERii Consortium(BIPC) was formed with the Primary Contact Officers ofthose participating organizations. BIPC is operated bya National Coordination Committee with Director, BAS, ascoordinator with all Primary Contact Officers as members.BIPC formed an Advisory Committee headed by the Presi-dent of BAS with heads of institutions as members. Anonline journal network under the Program for Enhancementof Research Information (PERii) started in 2006 on a freesubscription trial run. In January 2007, Bangladesh startedsubscribing to INASP electronic resources (BAS, 2009).

Table 2 shows that BIPC has increasingly more memberseach year, except for 2010. Currently BIPC has 44 members(see Attachment 1): 33 university libraries and 11 speciallibraries. Bangladesh has 34 public universities (UGC,2009a), 54 private universities (UGC, 2009b), and twointernational universities (UGC, 2009c). Of the 34 publicuniversities, 17 universities have access to BIPC resourceswhile 14 universities from private universities and the twointernational universities also have access to BIPCresources. Yet, half of the public universities and two thirdsof the private universities have no access to subscription-based electronic resources. Some public and privateuniversity libraries and other organizations and institutionsthat are not part of BIPC still have access to free onlinedatabases for Bangladesh, e.g. AGORA, etc.

Furthermore, BIPC continues to expand its resourcesover the years to the benefit of those libraries. Table 3indicates the number of resources offered by BIPC from2007 to 2011.

The above table shows that BIPC continuously adds newresources to its list (see Attachment 2 for a list of theircurrent resources). Selection of electronic resources mainlydepends on the INASP who sends a list of resources offered

Table 1 Status of digitization and availability of ICTs in Bangladesh libraries.

Type oflibrary

Name of library Year ofestablishment

Year digitizationwas initiated

Number of staffmembersinvolvedin digitization

Name ofsoftware usedfor buildingdigitallibraries/institutionalrepositories

Fundingauthority

Availability ofonlinedatabases

Availability ofintegratedlibraryautomationsystem

Internetservicesavailable forusers

Academic AsianUniversity forWomen

2006 e e e e BIPC LibraryManagementSystem (in-housedeveloped)

Yes

Ayesha AbedLibrary, BRACUniversity

2001 2007 2 Dspace INASP BIPC KOHA Yes

BangabandhuSheikh MujibMedicalUniversityCentral Library

1965 2007 6 Dspace University,BangladeshGovernment,UGC andDevelopmentAgency

BIPC KOHA Yes

BangladeshAgriculturalUniversityLibrary

1961 2003 8 Dspace University BIPC KOHA Yes

BangladeshUniversity ofEngineeringand Technology(BUET) CentralLibrary

1962 To be initiatedfrom early 2013

e e UGC-HEQEP BIPC BUETLIB

BangladeshUniversity ofProfessionals

2008 2010 University BIPC Customized Yes

ChittagongUniversity ofEngineeringandTechnology,Central Library

1962 To be initiated soon e e e BIPC e Yes

ChittagongVeterinary andAnimal

1996 Planning e Dspace is to beused

e BIPC e Yes

Build

ingdigita

llib

rarie

sin

Bangla

desh

135

SciencesUniversity(CVASU),Central LibraryDaffodilInternationalUniversityLibrary

2002 2008 15 Bright Soft(Malaysia)

University BIPC KOHA Yes

DhakaUniversity (DU)Central Library

1921 Not yet started e e e BIPC DhakaUniversityLibrarySoftware

Yes

DhakaUniversity ofEngineeringand Technology(DUET) Library

1986 Not yet started e e e BIPC DUET LibraryManagementSystemSoftware

Yes

East WestUniversityLibrary

1996 2010 5 Greenstone Waikato,NZ, & UNESCO

BIPC KOHA Yes

EasternUniversityLibrary

2003 2012 2 Greenstone University BIPC KOHA Yes

JahangirnagarUniversityLibrary

1970 e e e e BIPC WINISIS Yes

InternationalIslamicUniversityChittagong,Library &InformationDivision

1995 To be initiatedfrom October 2012

2 staffs are tobe employed

Fedora isto be used

University BIPC e Yes

IndependentUniversity ofBangladeshLibrary

1993 2012 1 Dspace University BIPC KOHA Yes

KhulnaUniversity ofEngineeringand Technology(KUET) CentralLibrary

1974 e e e e BIPC KOHA Yes

(continued on next page)

136N.Z.Sh

uva

Table 1 (continued)

MilitaryInstitute ofScience andTechnology,Library

1998 e e e e -BIPC To be acquiredsoon

Yes

PatuakhaliScience andTechnologyUniversity(PSTU) CentralLibrary

2001 2012 7 PSTUAutomation-LibraryManagementSoftware

University BIPC PSTUAutomation-LibraryManagementSoftware

Yes

RajshahiUniversityCentral Library

1955 e e e e BIPC e Yes

RajshahiUniversityEngineeringand Technology(RUET), CentralLibrary,

1964 2012 2 Dspace University BIPC KOHA Yes

ShahjalalUniversity ofScience &Technology,Sylhet

1987 2011 8 Dspace University BIPC KOHA Yes

SoutheastUniversityCentral Library

2002 e 4 Dspace University BIPC KOHA Yes

StateUniversity ofBangladeshLibrary

2002 To be initiatedsoon

e e e BIPC CustomizedSoftware

Yes

UnitedInternationalUniversity (UIU)Library

2003 e e e e BIPC KOHA Yes

Nationallibrary

NationalLibrary ofBangladesh

1972 To be initiatedsoon

e A software fordigital library isto be acquiredthrough tender

Government ofBangladesh

e A software forLibraryManagement isto be acquiredthrough tender

No

National HealthLibrary andDocumentationCentre(NHDOC)

1974 2003 Acquisition ofsoftware isunder process

World HealthOrganizationandGovernment ofBangladesh

IndividualSubscription toonlinedatabases

Acquisition ofsoftware isunder process

Yes

Build

ingdigita

llib

rarie

sin

Bangla

desh

137

Special

libraries

Bangladesh

Bureauof

Educa

tional

Inform

ation

andStatistics

(BANBEIS)

Library

and

Docu

mentation

Center

1977

2008

7Greenstone

Gove

rnmentof

Bangladesh

eKOHA

Yes

Bangladesh

BankLibrary

1972

2006

6Library

Manage

ment

System

Software

Bangladesh

Bank

BIPC

Library

Manage

ment

System

Software

Yes

TheInstitute

ofCost

and

Manage

ment

Acc

ountants

of

Bangladesh

(ICMAB)Library

1977

2011

1e

ICMAB

Mirror

Yes

Library

and

Inform

ation

ServicesUnit

(LISU),

ICDDR,B

1962

1986

3Dspace

ICDDR,B

BIPC

Alice

for

Windows

Yes

Table 2 Membership growth of BIPC.

Year No. of participating libraries

2007 172008 232009 362010 312011 44

138 N.Z. Shuva

for Bangladesh. The BIPC’s Coordination Committee thenselects resources from this list. BIPC offers technicalsupport to the participating libraries.

Public libraries of Bangladesh should play an importantrole in providing electronic resources services to users;however, even in the age of ICT, it is unable to establish anICT division and offer ICT-based services to its users. TheNational Library of Bangladesh introduced an ICT division in1997, but no progress has been made except for the crea-tion of records in the CDS/ISIS. This division is now oper-ating with three workable computers. Furthermore, theNational Library of Bangladesh produces the NationalBibliography of Bangladesh, but still does not have thecapability to host it online.

Even though a large number of research publications areproduced in Bangladesh’s public universities, no majorefforts regarding the creation of an institutional repositoryhave been initiated so far. As demonstrated in Table 1, twoof the largest public university libraries in Bangladesh,Dhaka University Central Library and Rajshahi UniversityCentral Library, are still unable to initiate a successfuldigitization program. The status of other public universi-ties libraries is almost the same. Jahangirnagar, ChittagongUniversity, Jagannath University, etc. are still unable toestablish a digital library system. In comparison, someprivate university libraries, e.g. BRAC University, East WestUniversity, Independent University and North SouthUniversity, are in a better position than the publicuniversity libraries and offer time befitting services to itsusers. Additionally, Ayesha Abed Library, BRAC Universityrecently introduced library services through mobiletechnology.

Digitization projects

Despite a general lack of development of digitizationprograms, the following are examples of the few projectsby libraries in Bangladesh:

� National Archives of Bangladesh: A five-year(2002e2007) project titled “Digitization of DistrictRecords Collected from 1760 to 1900” was initiated by

Table 3 Number of resources available through BIPC.

Year No. of resources

2007 112008 152009 162010 232011 41

Building digital libraries in Bangladesh 139

the Bangladesh government in July 2002. Districtrecords are the correspondence throughout the districtduring the East India Company’s rule. Costing about 7.5million taka, this project digitized 150 District recordsonto CD and more than 1000 records onto DVD. Thisproject initially aimed to digitize about 5000 volumes ofdistrict records, but due to administrative complexity,inadequate staff support, lack of equipment, lack ofadequate funds, and supply of uninterruptible elec-tricity, the project did not see its successfulcompletion.

� Digitization project of BANBEIS: This project digitized400 books, reports, and statistical documents mostfrequently used by its patrons from April to June 2009.

� Newspapers: Almost all national newspapers provide anelectronic format of the newspaper on a daily basis.They also digitized news clippings with archival/refer-ence value.

� Others digitization projects/programs in Bangladesh: In2005, a project by the Liberation War Museum,Bangladesh and the North Carolina Center for SouthAsia Studies aimed to preserve the historical documentsof the war of liberation of Bangladesh, but was notsuccessfully accomplished.

� An initiative to turn the Jatiya Sangsad (NationalParliament of Bangladesh) into an e-parliament wasjointly taken by the parliament secretariat and theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Aspart of this initiative, all the documents in the parlia-ment library will be digitized and made available forlocal use. The Secretariat of the Bangladesh Govern-ment also started to digitize important documents andproducing electronic versions of the documents as partof the administrative process.

� The Bangladesh ICDDR,B Library has been a pioneer increating and maintaining an institutional repository. Sofar, they have 3450-item digitized collection.

� Other national and international organizations, e.g.WHO, Bangladesh, maintain institutional repositories inBangladesh.

� Ayesha Abed Library, BRAC University, one of the leadingprivate university libraries in Bangladesh, successfullyimplemented an institutional repository of 1260 itemsusing Dspace and also offers library services throughmobile technology. They received funds from INASP tosupport the creation of an institutional repository.

� East West University (EWU) library, another leadingprivate university library in Bangladesh, received grantsfrom Waikato, NZ, and UNESCO to build a digital library.They successfully installed Greenstone in 2011 anddigitized 1200 collections as of April 2012.

Need to establish digital libraries nationwide

The current government of Bangladesh pledged to build‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021, the golden jubilee year of theindependence of Bangladesh. In response, several initia-tives have been taken to ensure e-services to citizens andto reduce corruption at the national level and to ensureefficient e-governance including Access to Information (A2I)

Programme with technical assistance from UNDP inSeptember 2006 to support the e-governance cell at thePrime Minister’s Office.

As part of the government’s vision to build DigitalBangladesh by 2021, several initiatives have been taken.Brief descriptions of the some of the projects/initiativesare provided which relates to digitization, digital informa-tion, online portals, and funding digital library projects.

� The National Web Portal of Bangladesh aims to provideup-to-date information about government servicesthrough a one-stop online portal. This portal offersinformation related to law and order, agriculture,education, market prices of products, banking, entre-preneurship, passports, health system, governmentholidays, tourism, postal service information, govern-ment ministries, parliaments, etc. From this portal,anyone can download government forms for passports,driver’s licenses, birth certificates, etc. Information ispublished in both Bengali and English languages tomake the portal accessible to both local people andforeigners requiring such information. The NationalWeb Portal of Bangladesh received recognition asa winner of the Manthan Award South Asia in 2009.Launched in 2004 by the Digital Empowerment Foun-dation in partnership with World Summit Award,Department of Information Technology, Indian govern-ment, and various other stakeholders, the ManthanAward is an initiative in India that recognizes the bestpractices in e-content and creativity. It further aims topromote digital content inclusiveness throughout SouthAsia (Digital Empowerment Foundation, 2010).

� The Bangladesh government as part of its e-citizenservice introduced a portal to download governmentforms. This portal contains digitized versions ofdifferent forms required by local people. Now anyonefrom any part of the country can download the formand fill up it at home and submit it to the respectiveoffices, eliminating the need to visit a governmentoffice. The portal is designed in Bengali to ensuremaximum use by the local population.

� The Support to Digital Bangladesh (Access to Informa-tion) Project at the Prime Minister’s Office built anonline knowledge bank, Jatiyo e-Tathyakosh. This isa national e-content repository with the largest pool oflivelihood contents in Bengali delivered throughaudioevisual, text, and animation formats (Fig. 2).

Jatiyo e-Tathyakosh contains information on Bangladeshand its people, agriculture, education, health, law andhuman rights, tourism, employment, non-agricultureentrepreneurs, environment and disaster management,industry and commerce as well as science and technology.Until November 10, 2011, it contained 8000 separate itemswith 90,000 pages of material. Three hundred organizations(government organizations, NGOs, private organizations,and international NGOs) provide content to Jatiyo e-Tathyakosh (Access to Information, 2011a).

� The District Web Portal, established in January 2010,offers information on socio-economic development,

Figure 2 Snapshot of Jatiyo e-Tathyakosh accessed on April30, 2012.

140 N.Z. Shuva

history, and culture of each district of the country. Thisportal was designed and developed by the Access toInformation (A2I) Programme, a United Nations Devel-opment Programme (UNDP) supported project.

� ICT Facilitated Education, part of the A2I project,intends to make teaching and learning more effectiveand enjoyable for both students and teachers using ICT.This initiative aims to establish multimedia classroomsin 500 schools, 15,200 secondary schools, and 5300Madrasa through Ministry of Education of Bangladesh by2013. It is expected that through this initiative, multi-media classrooms, digital content, and teacher trainingwill improve the overall quality of learning in primaryand secondary classrooms by promoting effective andparticipatory learning and eliminating unnecessarymemorizing techniques (Access to Information, 2011b).

� Primary and secondary level text books published bythe National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB)have been converted to e-books and are availableonline for immediate download by the students withthe technical assistance of Access to Information (A2I)of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

� The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh,on behalf of the Ministry of Education (MoE), iscurrently implementing the Bangladesh Research andEducation Network (BdREN) under HEQEP with assis-tance from World Bank. It will be a high performancedata communications network that will provideconnectivity among education and research institutionsin both public and private sectors. BdREN, with itsmulti-gigabit capability, aims to connect all universi-ties, research institutions, libraries, laboratories,healthcare, and agricultural institutions across thecountry to support geographically dispersed academics,scientists, and other researchers with reliable access tohigh-end computing, simulation tools, and datasets.BdREN will also be connected to other regional andtrans-continental Research and Education Networks(RENs) (e.g., TEIN3). It will link the faculties andstudents of Bangladesh to the global academiccommunity and learning resources (BangladeshResearch and Education Network, 2012).

� The Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project(HEQEP) is an undertaking by the government’s Ministryof Education with the assistance of the World Bank. Theproject attempt to improve the quality of teaching-

learning and research capabilities of the tertiaryeducation institutions through encouraging both inno-vation and accountability and by enhancing the tech-nical and institutional capacity of the higher educationsector. The University Grants Commission of Bangladeshis the implementing agency of the project (HEQEP,2010).

HEQEP study

HEQEP commissioned an investment study on digitallibraries in 2010. It found that the use of computer andnetwork technologies in major public universities isreasonably high but that newer universities lag furtherbehind in technological development (Ahmed, 2010). Allprivate universities are connected to the Internet,however, improvements are required in terms of band-width, campus network services, and number ofcomputers for public access in the universities. This studyproposed that UGC-BdREN Digital Library Consortium(UBDLC) for universities in Bangladesh offer better accessto a wide range of electronic resources and services. Inaddition, this study revealed that there are insufficiencieswith print resources, journal subscriptions, access todigital resources, and digitization projects in public andprivate universities in Bangladesh. This study emphasizedthree core elements for the proposed UGC-led digitallibrary: (1) formation of a consortium to access electronicresources; (2) creation of a union catalogue for themember university libraries; and (3) building institutionalrepositories for self-archiving of university resources(Ahmed, 2010). Khan (2006), in a paper titled A GlobalPerspective on University Libraries and a Roadmap forBangladesh Digital Library Consortium, proposed estab-lishing the Research and Education Network andBangladesh Digital Library Consortium (BDLC). He pre-sented a roadmap to build a federated digital librarysystem in Bangladesh and received support from the Ful-bright Scholar Program.

� Recently, Bangladesh University of Engineering andTechnology (BUET) received a grant from the AcademicInnovation Fund of Higher Education Quality Enhance-ment Project (HEQEP) of UGC, Bangladesh. Theproject, “Digitalization of Central Library of BUET,”received funding for two years, from April 2012 toMarch 2014. The ten general objectives of the projectas given in the proposal are:(1) Develop library management software for providing

Access to Information efficiently according to aninternational standard.

(2) Build a sustainable digital collection of publications,dissertations, and audioevisual materials of BUET.

(3) Ensure instant remote access to digital resourcesfrom on and off-campus.

(4) Connect the BUET Central Library to the knowledge-sharing network of the globe.

(5) Enhance the teaching and learning environmentsthrough a web-based library system.

(6) Build facilities to share the resources of BUET amongthe growing number of universities in Bangladesh.

Building digital libraries in Bangladesh 141

(7) Develop the Integrated Library Management Systemsusing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

(8) Build a library security system using Closed CircuitTelevision (CCTV) to observe the service quality ormonitor illegal activities centrally.

(9) Maintain the library materials and Information andCommunication Technology (ICT) equipment ina controlled environment using air conditioningsystems. This will also create a comfortable studyenvironment inside the library.

(10) Offer orientation, presentation, and training activi-ties to improve the productivity of personnelinvolved in the library management.

� Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University(CVASU) also received a grant of 9 million BDT fromHigher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP)of UGC. “Modernization of Central Library and Estab-lishment of an E-resource Centre at CVASU” expects toprovide following benefits after successful completionof the project:- Students and faculty will have access to an e-resourcecenter and e-library facilities as well as Wi-Fi Internetconnection;

- The central library will be enriched by the logisticsand digital devices from this sub-project; and

- Quality teaching and learning environments will beensured through access to the information super-highway by teachers and students.

� The National Library of Bangladesh recently receiveda grant of 93 million BDT from the Ministry of CulturalAffairs to modernize the facility. The project should becomplete in June 2013. Some of the objectives of thisproject are:- Develop a digital library infrastructure and facilitatefull-text digital conversion and preservation ofcollections;

- Create a digital Repository of National Librarycollections;

- Provide online access to electronic documents of theNational Library collections; and

- Facilitate e-learning for students and researchers.

It is expected that after successful completion of theproject, the National Library of Bangladesh will have a full-fledged digital library by the end of 2013.

� A project called “Implementing ICT in GovernmentPublic Libraries” has been undertaken by the Ministry ofCultural Affairs to help develop digital public librariesby offering necessary ICT support to 64 governmentpublic libraries in Bangladesh. The 51 million BDTproject was funded for two years from July 2010 toJune 2012. For this project, each divisional publiclibrary received three computers, one scanner, onemodem for Internet connection, and one server. Eachdistrict public library received two computers, onescanner, and one modem for Internet connection. Sofar, 3.75 lakh pages of old newspapers have been digi-tized and another 4 lakh old newspapers were supposedto be digitized for public use. A number of donatedbooks have also been digitized for free download fromthe public library portal. Additionally, authors can

donate their books for public use provided that thebook is not banned or creates political/religious unrest.

An initiative was taken under A2I in 2009. As part of thisinitiative A2I supported building the web portal as well asdeveloping library management software for publiclibraries. They also helped create databases of collectionsat Sufia Kamal National Public Library, Dhaka, and NarsingdiDistrict Public Library. A2I offered 14 computers and a fewprinters to the Sufia Kamal National Public Library.

Except for government initiatives, a project thatdeserves appreciation is Bangladesh Journals OnLine (Ban-glaJOL). The International Network for the Availability ofScientific Publication (INASP) initiated the project in June2007 and officially launched it in September 2007. Bangla-JOL aims to promote the awareness and use of Bangladesh-published journals in all disciplines by providing access totables of contents (TOCs), abstracts, and full text on theInternet. BanglaJOL uses the Open Journals System createdby the Public Knowledge Project based in Canada. Bangla-JOL project digitized a significant number of journals pub-lished by different universities which had not beenpreviously available online. As of April 2012, there were 81journals with 531 tables of contents listing 7309 articleswith the full text of 6438 available in a PDF format(BanglaJOL, 2012).

Despite the many digital library projects, substantialsupport still has not been provided to the governmentlibraries in Bangladesh. Though UGC proposed theBangladesh Research and Education Network, there’s nocentral coordination to build standard digital librariesnationwide by the Government of Bangladesh.

As presented earlier, only half of the public universitylibraries provide access to subscription-based electronicresources. This creates a digital divide among the studentsand faculty members of the public universities. Moreover,two thirds of the private universities have no access tosubscription-based electronic resources. Though privateuniversities charge higher tuition fees, administrations ofthe majority of the private universities seem to be reluc-tant to develop more efficient library services and investingin the library’s expansion.

When considering the present situation, in order toensure electronic resources access to all libraries inBangladesh and to build a coordinated digital library systemwithin the public universities and other governmentlibraries and research institutions, there is no alternative totake “Bangladesh National Digital Library Development”initiative. This initiative might be taken under the existingAccess to Information (A2I) programme of Prime Minister’sOffice (PMO).

Therefore, this author believes that a National TaskForce on Digital Library System Development (NTFDLSD)should be formed under the support of A2I. The primeobject of such an NTFDLSD would be to assess the nationalstatus of ICT in library and information centers inBangladesh and create a standard for digital library devel-opment and provide timely support to different types oflibraries in establishing their digital library. It should benoted here that two private universities in Bangladesh arehelping to build a digital library system. East West Univer-sity library performed Greenstone Library Software

142 N.Z. Shuva

installation and Ayesha Abed Library of BRAC Universityperformed Dspace installation in some libraries inBangladesh. They charge some fees for the installation andtechnical supports. As part of government’s pledge to buildDigital Bangladesh by 2021, it should offer free digitallibrary development support to any libraries, especiallyfree/low cost technical support for government librariessuffering from funding shortages.

The following proposal provides one approach tobuilding a Digital Library System for Bangladesh, and theauthor proposes this approach to provide a possible modeland to encourage discussion. The National Task Force onDigital Library System Development (NTFDLSD) should workas an institution to support building digital libraries. The A2Iprogramme operates under the supervision and coordina-tion of Prime Minister’s Office and as the Prime Minister ofBangladesh is very much keen to fulfill her vision of buildingDigital Bangladesh by 2021, this author believes that theideal head of the task force would be the Prime Minister ofBangladesh.

The government should consider library development asan important activity to build library-based educationnationwide. The Secretary, Ministry of Science, Information& Communication Technology; Secretary, Ministry ofEducation; Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs;Chairman, University Grant Commission; a representativefrom the Department of Information Science & LibraryManagement, University of Dhaka and University of Raj-shahi; a representative from the Bangladesh ComputerCouncil; a representative from the A2I programme; anda representative from the Library Association of Bangladesh(LAB) could work together as a task force. This futureNTFDLSD is demonstrated in Fig. 3:

Additionally, InformationTechnology development expertsfrom the Bangladesh Computer Samity and other prominentacademics might serve as members of the task force.

The core responsibilities of the task force should aim toimprove the ICT status of all types of government librariesand introduce a digital library system. This task forceshould also work for the digitization of cultural heritage. Itcould achieve these goals by introducing a digital librarysystem in government libraries of Bangladesh in phases as itis likely not feasible to digitize government librariesimmediately. Table 4 shows three proposed phases forlibraries targeted for digitization.

Based on the Table 4, during the first phase of devel-opment, ministerial libraries based in Dhaka, the

Figure 3 Proposed National Task For

Legislative Information Centre, the Bangladesh CentralPublic Library, the National Library of Bangladesh, and theNational Health and Documentation Centre would getpreference. During the second phase, remaining govern-ment libraries including judicial libraries based in Dhakawould be targeted. Public libraries in district towns andgovernment offices with libraries in the district town ofBangladesh would be included in the second phase devel-opment. During the third phase, all remaining governmentlibraries would get preference for development. Thedevelopment process could take a total of three years,allowing one year for each phase of libraries. Long-termgovernment projects are typically postponed, especiallywhen the government administration changes hands, thus,a three-year maximum development timeline would ensurethat digitization is implemented.

The task force should work with the University GrantsCommission (UGC) in implementing the proposed UGC-BdREN Digital Library Consortium (UBDLC) and should guidelibraries intending to build a digital library system. This taskforce should be responsible for offering training and tech-nical support before and after the digital library systemdevelopment. UGC should compel private universities toimprove the ICT status in their libraries and introduce elec-tronic resources in order to build a digital library system.

Building digital library involves various activities, andFig. 4 highlights the major steps involved in developinga digital library that might be relevant to the task force intheir planning:

As Fig. 4 indicates, digital library development starts withdetermining the organization’s vision and reasons forimplementing a digital library. The next step involves anassessment of organizational strengths and weaknesses andhow it will develop its digital library. Here the availability offunding, staff’s strengths, and infrastructure of the organi-zation should be evaluated. If these preliminary steps aresuccessfully achieved, then the initiation of the develop-ment begins. The design and plans for content, layout,software, metadata standards, protocol, copyright, etc. areconsidered next. This step is one of themost important stepsas the digital library system’s performance depends oncareful planning of these foundational elements. Contentmight be included from the in-house digitization programand/or from an external source, i.e. online databasesubscription while adhering to copyright laws.

The layout of the digital library must be user-friendlyand users may be involved during the design process. Digital

ce on Digital Library Development.

Table 4 Proposed three-phase development of government libraries.

1st Phase 2nd Phase 3rd Phase

All ministry libraries based in Dhaka Remaining government librariesincluding judicial libraries basedin Dhaka city

All remaining government librariesincluding rural areas

Legislative Information Centre, BangladeshNational Parliament

Public libraries in district townof Bangladesh

Bangladesh Central Public Library Government offices having librariesin the district town of Bangladesh

National Library of Bangladesh and NationalHealth Library and Documentation Center

Building digital libraries in Bangladesh 143

library development software is an important issue. Asdiscussed earlier, there are many open source softwareoptions that might be used in building digital libraries inBangladesh including Greenstone, Fedora, Dspace,Keystone, etc. Selection of the software depends on thenature of the need. When an institution or universityrequires a digital repository for research publicationsproduced by its faculty member or the researchers, thenDspace is more appropriate for this purpose. If an organi-zation needs to create one digital collection in a simpleform within a short amount of time, Keystone or EPrints aregood options. For an organization responsible for digitizingcollections from libraries, archives, and museums andhosting them in a single digital library system, Fedora is themost suitable since it provides a customizable modulararchitecture. Finally, Greenstone software is an easy-to-use customizable digital library system which might servethe purpose of publishing books in an electronic format(Pyrounakis & Nikolaidou, 2009).

After the successful design of the digital library system,the organization should test their new service. This can beaccomplished by system testing experts or a pre-defineduser group. When the digital library system works seam-lessly, its ready for its intended users.

Figure 4 Steps involved in d

Regular maintenance and updates of the new system arecrucial to the survival of the digital library. Finally,continuous feedback from users is imperative to sustainingan effective and user-friendly digital library system.

Problems with digital library development inBangladesh

Some of the major constraints hindering digital librarydevelopment efforts in Bangladesh libraries are:

1. Lack of sufficient funds: At the moment, the mainfunding source for public, national, university, andother government libraries is the Government ofBangladesh. Due to a lack of sufficient funds, notableICT-based development projects are non-existent inlibraries where the source of funding comes from thegovernment. Some development projects were initi-ated with the support from international donoragencies, e.g., UNDP; however, these were notsuccessful due to a lack of support from theadministration.

igital library development.

144 N.Z. Shuva

One notable project to introduce automation at theUniversity of Dhaka Central Library was taken in 1998 withthe financial support from UNDP. This project purchasedcomputers and acquired Integrated Library AutomationSoftware GLAS (Graphical Library Automation System).Recently though, as the authority is unable to pay themaintenance charges, use of GLAS has been dropped.

Due to this shortage of government funds, libraries arestill unable to establish an ICT division within the organi-zation. Without the proper ICT facilities, it is not feasible toimplement and promote electronic resources in thelibraries of Bangladesh. Moreover, subscription-basedelectronic resources are quite expensive.

2. Lack of ICT knowledge and skills: It is noted in this studythat in public university libraries, national libraries,public libraries of Bangladesh, there are a significantnumber of staff members who do not have strong ICTskills. Without a qualified, ICT knowledgeable staff, it isnot possible to build a digital library system andmanage its electronic resources.

3. Bureaucratic complexity: Acquisition of equipment andmaterials in government-supported libraries is slow dueto the procedures involved. It takes a long time toacquire a single item due to the lengthy administrativeprocedures. For example, to purchase software for anylibrary, the library has to tender for applications fromthe software developers, form a committee to scruti-nize the applications received, and recommend one ormore of companies and send this information to thegovernment for funding support. All these formalitiesusually take more than one year to process. Likewise,the same procedure would be applicable in buildinga digital library system.

4. Inadequate salaries for library professionals: In additionto a lack of funds allocated to the operation oflibraries, library professionals are paid salaries lowerthan other professionals with the same educationalqualifications. This compels qualified LIS professionalsto leave the library sector and work in a more lucrativeprofession such as banking.

5. Lack of government concentration on building a digitallibrary system: It has been seen that the currentGovernment of Bangladesh as part of its pledge to buildDigital Bangladesh by 2021 supports several projects tooffer e-citizen services while also neglecting develop-ment of modern libraries in government offices. Nonational efforts have been taken to build a digitallibrary system in the public universities. Though fewprojects on digital library development have beengranted recently, they are not adequate to fulfill thegovernment’s goal of a Digital Bangladesh.

6. Lack of digital library coursework in LIS curriculum ofBangladesh: In Bangladesh, two public universities i.e.,University of Dhaka and University of Rajshahi, twoprivate universities i.e., Darul Ihsan University and AsianUniversity, and the National University of Bangladeshoffer LIS courses. Analyzing the curriculum of LIS coursesat different levels, it is clear that there are no specificcourses on digital libraries as of December 2011. Thoughthere are courses in the curriculum that focus on ICT in

the library and information center, library automation,and Internet studies, there is no course specificallydedicated to building a sustainable, workable digitallibrary system. However, in 2011, the Department ofInformation Scienceand LibraryManagement at RajshahiUniversity did introduce a course called “DigitalLibrary,” and in 2012, the Masters Session students ofInformation Science and Library Management at theUniversity of Dhaka are required to take a course titled“Digital Library System” which aims to offer hands ontraining for building a digital library system andproducing qualified digital librarians.

As part of this study, detailed discussion with librarians/persons responsible for digital library/institutional reposi-tory development was conducted. Several phone conver-sations as well as personal visits to libraries were madeduring the current study to identify problems faced whileplanning a digital library system, building a digital library,and digitizing collections. These librarians mentioned thefollowing problems:

Insufficient budgets to run the existing digitizationprogram;Lack of financial support to build a digital library/institutional repository;Unable to convince the authority to allocate funds fordigitization programs;Limited number of skilled staff to work with digitiza-tion programs;Problems selecting appropriate software for digitallibrary;Lack of infrastructural facilities;Low speed of Internet connection and frequent fluc-tuations in electricity;Lack of coordination with ICT department in buildinga digital library system;Administration’s disinterest in continuing digitallibrary and digitization projects;Lack of training on practical digital library systemdevelopment;Problems locating local experts in building a digitallibrary system;Facing problems with copyright issues; andLack of adequate staff to run a digitization project.

These are the challenges faced by LIS professionals whilerunning digitization programs or while planning to intro-duce one.

Recommendation and conclusion

Unless the government improves the national ICT infra-structure, building an effective digital library systemnationwide is not possible. At this time, in order to estab-lish a digital library system nationwide, this authorcontends that the formation of a National Digital LibraryDevelopment Task force is necessary. This proposed taskforce would be responsible for building a digital librarysystem in government libraries and offer guidance tolibraries planning to build a digital library system in

BIPC members in 2011.

Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology (AUST)American International University (AIUB)Asian University for WomenAtomic Energy Commission (AEC)Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE)Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU)Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University(BSMRAU)

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU)Bangladesh BankBangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(BCSIR)

Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM)Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation inDiabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM)

Bangladesh National Scientific and Technical DocumentationCentre (BANSDOC)

Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC)Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)BRAC UniversityChittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET)Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU)Daffodil International University DIUDhaka UniversityDhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET)East Delta University

Building digital libraries in Bangladesh 145

Bangladesh. The task force should conduct a nationwidesurvey on the status of ICT infrastructure in differentlibraries to assess the current state of technology use inlibraries. Based on the results, the task force could thenpropose a development plan and help libraries with inad-equate funds build a digital library system.

Additionally, practical digital library developmentcourses should be integrated into the LIS curriculum atdifferent levels of education. Library and InformationScience institutions should introduce different types oftraining programs for unskilled library professionals.

Furthermore, the Library Association of Bangladesh(LAB) and Bangladesh Association of Librarians, InformationScientists and Documentalists (BALID) should organizeseminars, workshops, and training programs to createawareness among librarians and to produce skilled LISprofessionals who will be able to lead digital librarydevelopment programs in their respective institutions.

International cooperation is a must in the library field,and international agencies like UNDP, UNESCO, and WorldBank should offer funds for developing countrywide digitallibrary system. International LIS associations like theInternational Federation of Library Associations and Insti-tutions (IFLA) should also help organize training/workshopson building digital libraries in Bangladesh.

The government should involve LIS faculty members andprofessionals in all information development activities ofthe country. At least one LIS faculty member should workon each and every digital library projects/program under-taken by the government to ensure the successful estab-lishment of a digital library system.

The Government of Bangladesh pledged to build DigitalBangladesh by 2021 by offering technological facilities ata mass level and incorporating ICT in every aspect ofgovernment operations. The government has initiated manyactivities to improve ICTuse in different levels, including theNational Web Portal, Digitizing Land Management. Unfortu-nately, the government is not yet able to develop a nation-wide library development programmes to digitize traditionallibraries and coordinate initiatives to ensure library-basedlearning nationwide. Initiatives to build a digital librarysystem nationwide to ensure equal access to electronicresources for all public and private universities and devel-oping government libraries are crucial if the governmentaims to realize its goal of a Digital Bangladesh by 2021.

East West UniversityEastern UniversityICDDR,BIndependent UniversityInstitute of Micro FinanceInternational Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC)Islamic University of Technology (IUT)Jahangirnagar UniversityKhulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET)Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST)North South UniversityPatuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU)Rajshahi University (RU)Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET)Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST)Southeast UniversityState University of Bangladesh (SUB)

Acknowledgment

The author of this paper gratefully acknowledges the supportof the librarians of various institutions involved in digitiza-tion activities. The author is indebted to the respondents ofthe questionnaire prepared for the current study. Enormoussupport was received from Dr. MA Mazed, Director ofBangladesh Academy of Sciences. Without his support itwould not be possible to gather detail information about theBIPC. The author is very much grateful to the currentChairman of the Department of Information Science andLibrary Management Dr. SM Zabed Ahmed who offeredvaluable information and continuous support to write thispaper. Continuous supports have been received from thePresident of Library Association of Bangladesh Dr. M.

Nasiruddin Munshi and the Secretary General of the Associ-ation Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman. Shah Abdul Kabez, DeputyLibrarian, BUET, Md. Habibur Rahman, Librarian (In-charge),CVASU, Dr. Nikil Chandra, Deputy Director, andMd. MaksudurRahman, Maintenance Engineer, Sufia Kamal National PublicLibrary and Mizanur Rahman, Project Director of Moderni-zation of National Library of Bangladesh greatly helpedgetting information on their ongoing project of digitallibrary. Without their wholehearted support it would not bepossible for the author to gather detailed information oncurrent initiatives of DL development in Bangladesh.

Attachment 1

United International University (UIU)University of Asia Pacific (UAP)University of Chittagong

146 N.Z. Shuva

Attachment 2

List of resources offered by BIPC through 2011

1. Acoustical Society of America2. American Astronomical Society3. American Chemical Society (ACS)4. American Institute of Physics (AIP)5. American Physical Society (APS)6. American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engi-

neers (ASABE)7. American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE)8. Annual Reviews9. Beech Tree Publishing

10. Cambridge University Press11. Cochrane Library12. De Gruyter Online Journals13. De Gruyter LIS journal collection14. EBSCO (including CMMC)15. Edinburgh University Press16. Geological Society17. INFORMS18. IEEE19. Institute of Physics (IoP)

Publishing

20. International Forestry Review21. Mary Ann Liebert22. Nature Publishing Group (NPG)23. NRC Press24. Optical Society of America (OSA) e Optics Infobase25. Oxford University Press journals26. Palgrave Macmillan (hosted on NPG)27. Policy Press28. Professional Engineering

Publishing (PEP)

29. ProjectMUSE30. Royal College of Physicians31. Royal Society32. SPIE33. Springer (Enhanced package)34. Symposium journals35. University of Chicago Press36. Wiley-Blackwell37. World Bank e-library

e-Books

38. OUP: Oxford Scholarship Online39. Taylor and Francis e-Book bestsellers40. De Gruyter LIS books collection

e-Databases

41. World Bank WDI, GDF, ADI, GEM

Of the selected resources 1, 4e5, 8e9, 11, 15e16, 21,24e27, 31, 34, 35 and 41 are available free of cost.

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