KUCHING: The Sarawak Library is working with six other libraries in the country under the Ubiquitous Library Pilot Project or “U-Library,” which is expected to be launched in July.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said U-Library would enable members to borrow books through the Internet and have them delivered directly to their homes from the participating libraries through Pos Malaysia.
The six participating libraries are the National Library, the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) Library, and the Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang librararies, he said when winding-up the debate on his ministry at the state assembly here yesterday.
On library development in Sarawak, Dr Chan said the state had 260 static and nine mobile libraries, with one state library, one branch in Miri, 54 divisional or district libraries and 168 village libraries under the local authorities.
He said there were another 36 village libraries, seven mobile libraries, and two multimedia mobile libraries or e-Pustaka funded by the federal government through the National Library.
“These libraries have a total of 4,508,017 items, both printed and non-printed.
The total number of registered members stands at 608,088. Borrowing transactions made last year is 2,734,108,” he said, adding that ICT (information and communications technology) facilities with Internet connections were available at 195 libraries or 75% of the libraries. — Bernama
