The Quezon Provincial Library (QPL) and the Librarians Association of Quezon Province-Lucena have partnered with the Department of Science and Technology through the Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) in bringing to Quezon province the country?s first digital library called the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Station or Starbooks.
DOST?s Starbooks is an offline digital library lodged in a pod, which contains thousands of digitized science and technology resources in various formats such as full textbook titles, livelihood videos, research, and other information materials.
DOST recently made the formal turnover of nine units in seven locations in the province, an initial step in upgrading the province?s library collections in science, technology and mathematics (STM).
According to Ismaelinda Cabana of the QPL, the need to upgrade the book collections of the school libraries in the country could eventually improve the quality of education. She added that students involved in research need more reference books on science, technology and mathematics.
In an earlier interview, DOST assistant secretary Raymund E. Liboro affirmed the department?s commitment in helping the SUCs boost their STM library collections amidst costly acquisitions by alternatively tapping Starbooks. ?Starbooks could just be the simple solution that we need in raising the level of our aptitude in science and mathematics,? he said.
Last year, Encyclopedia Britannica was integrated in all Starbooks pods to broaden its target audience to include elementary and secondary students.
DOST-STII aims to install said digital library to all libraries and barangays in the country to help students access a wealth of S&T information for free. Barangay folks too shall have access to livelihood opportunities as videos on said subject area are included in the collection.
The formal turnover of Starbooks units between DOST-STII and the QPL was held in the last week of April at the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in Lucena City. Among the schools that received the Starbooks are the QPL, Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Maryhill College, Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc., Sacred Heart College, Lucena City Library, St. Joseph Academy, and the two national high schools of West Palale and Luis Palad.
Aside from the units that were turned over, DOST-STII gave a quick orientation to several library personnel on how to efficiently operate the pods.
One of the main features of the Starbooks is its vast collection of free local and international STM materials. These information are easily accessed by students offline. Users can freely read and print its content but they can not copy or save its digital contents to any external device.
Updating the Starbooks content is also very convenient as DOST-STII is able to do this online.
