Miri IT library wins top national award for technological innovation

MIRI: The Pustaka Negeri Sarawak Information Technology library branch here has won a top national award from Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) for technological innovation.

Pustaka Miri IT Library was chosen as a 5-star award winner under the Augmented Reality Technology category at the MPC 2019 productivity and innovation conference held in Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre.

The MPC awarded Pustaka Miri with a 5-star rating for being the best organisation this year in the country in augmented technology.

Pustaka Miri, in a statement on Friday (Nov 15), said MPC gave the award to Pustaka Miri for having created a digital collection and databank of actual paintings and artworks done by Sarawak artists.

"Our IT library has collections of paintings and artworks by Sarawak artists stored in our digital databank using augmented reality technology.

"These collections are accessible to the public and there are even video descriptions about these artworks and paintings.

"The MPC gave us recognition for innovative industrial development in technology advancement," said the statement.

Pustaka Sarawak Innovative Creation Circle team received the award from the MPC management last week.

Augmented reality is an interactive cyberspace experience that intertwines real-life images with exciting computer-generated audio and visual encounters.

Pustaka Miri is an electronic hub for library research and also an exhibition venue for scientific inventions and robotics display created even by schoolchildren.

State Education, Science and Technology Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong had earlier this year praised Pustaka Miri for being not just an education hub but also a hub to explore artificial intelligence.

Manyin, who came here for a science and maths expo, said even kids as young as five years old are coming to Pustaka Miri to hone their skills in computer technology innovations and artificial intelligence like robotics and digital inventions.

"We in the state government are very encouraged by the fact that even very young kids are showing keen interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects as can be seen here in Pustaka Miri.

"The state is going digital and high-tech and my ministry is laying a very solid foundation by exposing Sarawak kids to STEM at a very young age.

"We want to create skills in STEM among our kids even before they start schooling.

"My ministry is in the midst of preparing a Cabinet Paper on STEM education in Sarawak," he had said.

Manyin said Pustaka Miri often brings together school kids from kindergarten, primary and secondary schools and colleges and universities as well as professional IT companies.

It showcases dozens of interesting scientific projects every year.

He praised Pustaka Sarawak for playing an active role in enhancing IT developments in the state.