LCWU inaugurates digital library for research

VC says university will arrange special workshops to train scholars to use its database

LAHORE: A state-of-the-art digital library was inaugurated at the postgraduate Block of the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) on Tuesday. Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani cut the ribbon along with Vice Chancellor Dr Uzma Qureshi and visited different parts of the library. The minister also inaugurated Book Fair in main ground of the Campus wherein 25 leading publishers set up their stalls.

LCWU Deputy Chief Librarian Sania Awais said the digital library was equipped with one hundred computers and had numerous facilities like a collaborative room for group learning, cubes for senior researchers, printing rooms for all printing solutions and a finishing room for assignments.

She added that a section has been allocated for outdoor studies where students can study their own books and notes in an ideal environment. “Contents, services and environment are the basic elements of a fantastic library and we have made our best to achieve that standard. Software has been installed to facilitate visually impaired persons. Wheelchairs will be available on demand for their access to the library,” she explained.



Dr Qureshi said LCWU was focusing on quality research and the digital library will support its mission. All databases of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) will be available in the digital library and LCWU will arrange special workshops to train scholars to use this database, she added.

Dr Qureshi said that LCWU had established six PhD Research Resource Centers for 16 departments. She said that their purpose was to promote research culture in the varsity. Through these PhD Research Resource Centers and digital library, the graduate and postgraduate students will get sufficient place and a peaceful environment to conduct their research.

Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani appreciated the efforts of the vice chancellor and her team to promote the culture of research. The minister said that higher educational institutions were supposed to generate knowledge. It was mandatory for universities and higher educational institutions to shift their focus from the transmission of dated knowledge to the dissemination of contemporary information, relevant to the needs of a changing world, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2018.