In a landmark event that signals a significant leap in the accessibility of knowledge and information, the National Library of Nigeria has unveiled its state-of-the-art Multi-Disciplinary E-Library Platform, ‘Boldscholar.’
The unveiling took place on Friday during the 42nd international convention of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA),at the Chinua Achebe International Conference Center, Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja.
The Multi-Disciplinary E-Library Platform represents a milestone achievement for the National Library of Nigeria, which has long been dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. This innovative digital platform is a response to the ever-growing demand for easily accessible and diverse academic resources in a rapidly evolving information age.
During her speech, the National Librarian, Prof Chinwe Anunobi, expressed her enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing its potential to empower stakeholders in the world of information.
Prof Anunobi said, “For us in the National Library,we are happy that all the online publications by Nigerians are collated and stored in a safe space.We are also assured that their access from the National Library Internet Protocol (IP),is unhindered and unique.
“The platform will serve as one amazing database that will provide a win-win opportunity for all stakeholders in the world of information including authors, publishers, printers,users and the National Library as the nation’s memory.The platform will ensure that history is preserved.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,Boldscholar will break the jinx as the first of it’s kind in Nigeria and indeed sub-saharan Africa. I therefore recommend that you key into the facility as provided, explore,exploit and maximize the benefits it offers.”
Also speaking at the event the Chief Executive Officer, Boldscholar Mr. Chukwuemeka Godswill, said “The platform was developed to create online visibility for books published by Nigerian authors, for easy access to scholars and aggregate journals published by Nigerian tertiary institutions for global visibility and Impact Factor acceleration.
Speaking further he said “The platform will also fastrack the proliferation of e-learning in Nigeria and across Africa by providing easy access to digital resources required for online studies,as well as provide easy access to education resources for the visually impaired through audio books.”
Godswill added that Boldscholar will also enable Nigerian tertiary institutions and authors to generate revenue from their intellectual property (journals and books) through a system that makes them earn revenue for every page accessed by researchers.
