Digitizing local knowledge

Guided by the provincial library staff, I searched for works about An Giang . With just a few simple steps on the computer, a wealth of results quickly appeared. From literary works and research papers to notes about life, people, and the locality, everything was quickly found, saving much more time than the previous manual search method.

Every year, the Provincial Library's document digitization work is planned systematically and continuously, with an average of about 50 documents digitized annually, contributing to the formation of a rich digital information resource that effectively serves the research and information needs of readers. On average, the digitized documents of the Provincial Library attract more than 1,500 visits per week, with the majority of readers being students. The Library will prioritize digitizing document groups with unique and long-lasting value, such as local history, cultural documents of the province, and local newspapers and magazines. Ms. To Huynh Mai, Deputy Director of the Provincial Library, said that prioritizing the digitization of local knowledge stems from the urgent need to preserve and promote the unique cultural values of the province. Currently, there are approximately 1,374 An Giang provincial documents covering various fields such as culture, history, customs, and beliefs available on the EmicLib electronic library management software to serve readers in the digital environment.

Some documents have been digitized and updated on the software by the Provincial Library for readers to access. Photo: TUONG VI

Tran Hai Phuong Vy, a student at Vo Van Kiet Junior and Senior High School in Rach Gia ward, is sitting in front of a screen, intently researching materials. Vy performs the search and note-taking operations quite skillfully. Vy says she is working on a research paper about the Oc Eo culture. “Thanks to the digital library, it’s easier for me to find things. I can view many sources at once, and the images are clear, making it easier to understand,” Vy happily says.

Upon arriving at the library's Technology and Communications Department, I encountered Mr. Le Thanh Nguyen, a staff member of the department, diligently digitizing documents. Beside him was a specialized scanner; each page of the document was carefully turned, neatly positioned, and then scanned. After the scanning process was complete, the data would be transferred to the next departments for further processing.

When asked about the difficulties of document digitization, Mr. Nguyen said: “The volume of documents needing digitization is increasing, while equipment is sometimes limited in processing speed and storage capacity, which somewhat affects the progress. The amount of raw image data generated after each scan is quite large, and there is no truly optimal storage solution yet, so the data is easily scattered and difficult to control. After completion, the volume of digital documents continues to increase rapidly, putting even greater pressure on storage.”

According to Ms. To Huynh Mai, the unit will continue to promote digitization, prioritizing local knowledge resources as these are "unique assets" deeply rooted in the province's identity. "We will gradually upgrade our facilities, invest in more specialized machinery and equipment to improve the quality of digitization. At the same time, we will perfect the storage infrastructure to be more synchronized, secure, and stable. In the long term, the library aims to build a systematic digital data repository, enabling users not only to easily search but also to access local knowledge more deeply and comprehensively," Ms. Mai stated.

Leaving the library, I was excited not only because I had found the materials I needed, but also because I could clearly see that the efforts to digitize local knowledge were gradually yielding results.

TUONG VI

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/so-hoa-tri-thuc-dia-phuong-a481868.html