Readers refer to documents at the Provincial Library.
The library currently utilizes Velarry 4.5 digital library management software and has developed a website to cater to online readers. Every year, the library continues to expand its collection of electronic resources and digitizes on-site materials and geographical documents to enhance its electronic information database.
The shift to digital resources is evident as the number of visitors physically coming to the library has decreased while online readership has significantly increased. This shift reflects the growing demand for digital materials among readers. To further promote reading culture, the Provincial Library collaborates with Tra Vinh University's Learning Resource Center to provide free access to digital resources, making it convenient for students to access e-books from the library anytime and anywhere using computers and smartphones.
Truong Ngoc Van from Tieu Can district shared her thoughts: "I often visit the library's website to find study materials, which has been helpful for my studies. For leisure, I enjoy reading books on subjects like science, marine affairs, and cultural arts of the Southern region. I believe that people can learn positive things from suggested books and the messages they convey, leading to a more positive life."
Lam Van Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Provincial Library, believes that digital transformation is crucial for making breakthroughs in the library sector and enhancing the services provided to readers, attracting a larger audience to the Provincial Library. The library's digital transformation plan includes expanding various online services, such as issuing reader cards, facilitating online book borrowing and renewals. Moreover, readers can now access and read the library's electronic documents via devices such as smartphones, computers, and laptops.
Presently, the Provincial Library boasts more than 220,000 physical books, over 15,000 digital documents, and more than 800 audio books, covering a wide range of subjects. In the future, the Provincial Library is determined to continue implementing digital transformation activities to better serve its readers.
To promote reading culture further, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will establish a document gallery at the Provincial Library by the end of 2022. This gallery will allow readers to explore and study precious documents, including nearly 200 book titles, stories, poems, and literary works. Many historical documents, such as leaf books, "History of Tra Vinh Province," "We Built Uncle Ho's Temple," "Remaining with Time," and other scientific, technological, environmental works, as well as documents about President Ho Chi Minh, will be showcased and introduced.
Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the province and delegates visit the document exhibition room
In the era of Industry 4.0, the Provincial Library is actively developing new products, focusing on audio-visual materials to cater to readers' preferences. The library has introduced various products, featuring content related to patriotism, the spirit of heroic struggle, resilience, and the defense of the homeland, as depicted by the past generations of writers and artists from Tra Vinh. Examples of these works include "Remembering the Ship without Number," "Mother with a Gun," "Vien Chau - Works Spanning the Years," and more.
Duong Hoang Sum, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Tra Vinh Province, stated that the introduction of the document gallery at the Provincial Library is a meaningful initiative to foster a reading culture. The Department will continue to support and guide the Provincial Library in managing the gallery effectively, promptly collecting and adding valuable books to enhance people's understanding of the province's traditional values and history, thereby promoting a strong reading movement within the community.
During the era of integration and development, the digital transformation program in library activities is considered a crucial task in forming a modern library network. Through this initiative, data synchronization between the provincial and district levels is essential for advancing the library sector and offering more efficient services to readers, contributing to the overall intellectual growth of the population and promoting the socio-economic development of the province, ultimately leading to a more prosperous and thriving community.
Minh Thuy
Khiem Hoang (translator)