2nd Coordinated Digital Library Workshop

The 2nd. Coordinated Digital Library Workshop, organized by the Department of Library Information Services, CIIT, Islamabad was successfully completed on July 09, 2009, at the Chak Shehzad Campus, Islamabad.

Initiated by Mr. Raja Muhammad Ibrahim, Senior Librarian, CIIT, the two-day workshop, on July 08-09, was organized in collaboration with the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), UK.

The Workshop, which was skillfully conducted by Raja Muhammad Ibrahim, (senior Librarian), Syeda Nasreen Sultana, (librarian), and Hafiz Abdur Rehman, ( Deputy Librarian), was enthusiastically attended by 50 faculty members, Library Staff and MS and PhD students from various department of CIIT, Islamabad.

The main objective of the workshop was to promote the �efficient� use of the HEC digital library at CIIT One of the chief objectives of the workshop was to enhance the awareness level of the intellectual community of CIIT about hundreds of vitally important e-resources, available free of cost, through the HEC Digital library. The workshop also aimed at improving the students�, the faculty members� and the library staff�s skills and expertise in searching and accessing the required material in the digital environment.

During the day long workshop, which was based on �hands-on� training, the participants, along with a detailed orientation of the digital library, were trained in various techniques and searching strategies, which are considered essential for a fast, easy access to numerous electronic resources. The resources available at all the 19 databases of the digital library were included in the training. Various searching options, techniques and searching strategies were practically demonstrated by the trainers to the participants. The participants were then asked to complete different research assignments on their workbooks. In the end the participants were also briefed about the resources available at the E-brary.

One of the chief characteristics of the workshop was the practical assignment which stimulated great interest among the participants. The �interactive� training workshop which continued without a single dull moment, finally concluded on a vote of thanks by a number of e participants who highly appreciated the initiative.