A REVIEW OF DIGITAL RESOURCES AMONG DIFFERENT TYPES OF
LIBRARIES IN BANGLADESH
SHARIFUL ISLAM
1
& SK. MAMUN MOSTOFA
2
1
M Phil Researcher, Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
2
Lecturer and Head (Acting), Department of Library and Information Science, Darul Ihsan University,
Dhanmondi Dhaka, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
A library without digital resources is like a king without a kingdom. But sad stories continue in most of
the developing countries specially the night mares is a reality for the libraries of Bangladesh. Most of the
libraries (including national, public, academic, special) in Bangladesh have no electronic/digital resources or
very limited resources. In this reality, aims of this paper is to explore the present status of digital resources in
different types of libraries and as expected the findings were shocking. As this paper was based on secondary
resources, the findings shows that there were no digital or electronic resources available at the collections of
national and public libraries, some digital resources were found in case of special libraries and a notable number
of resources were found in the academic and university libraries though still the collections need to be increased
in numbers, in that regard this paper concludes with some specific guidelines to increase digital resources in
university libraries.
KEYWORDS: Digital Resources, Electronic Resources, Libraries, Libraries of Bangladesh
INTRODUCTION
The rapid growth and uses of emerging technologies has changed the traditional library into automated, electronic,
virtual and digital library. This revolution has completely changed the library scenario, especially in an academic setup.
This revolution is the need of the hour to make research more productive, to disseminate information and to establish a
strong network system among all university libraries to quench the information thirst of the clientele. It is the wish and
desire of a modern library to apply and enjoy the benefits of emerging technologies in its library daily housekeeping
routines and future developments.
Developments in emerging technologies have had a tremendous impact on all kinds of libraries and information
resource centers over the last two and half decades. The concept of library automation in Bangladesh is not new, but the
situation is still not leveled with developed nations.This study depicts the status of digital resources among different types
of libraries in Bangladesh. The areas covered in this paper are: available library services and resources, digital library
infrastructure, status of library automation in university libraries including national, public, academic, special and ways for
their improvement.
Objectives and Methodology
The prime objectives of the study is to explore the status and availability of digital resources among different
types of libraries in Bangladesh. More specifically the objectives of the study are:
International Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences (IJHSS)
ISSN 2319-393X
Vol. 2, Issue 1, Feb 2013, 109-120
© IASET