MMUST Launch First Digital Library With 60,000 Books
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has opened the country’s first digital library, which contains over 60,000 eBooks.
The digital library, a collaboration between MMUST and the Diversity Education Institute (DEI-Africa), will allow students to learn at their leisure.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as secondary school students, will be able to access and read library materials in various digital formats such as eBooks, audiobooks, and video books at any time and from any location using either a smartphone or a computer.
The digital library will help to foster a reading culture among students, allowing them to excel not only in languages but also in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.
Aside from the low enrollment in science-related courses in higher education institutions, students enrolled in STEM courses have performed poorly.
“The digital library has over 60,000 e-books and our main mission is to improve STEM education performance in Kenya,“ said Dr. Catherine Aura, who is the director at the Directorate of International Relations and Academic Linkages.
Students will be able to access learning materials regardless of their location, which will help to increase school retention and improve outreach programs.
According to Jacob Misisi, who oversees virtual library sessions, many students have been deferring their course work, particularly in Open, Distance, and e-Learning, and have even dropped out due to the inability to obtain study materials from the library.
"Now that will be a thing of the past as you can access our library from anywhere around the globe.”
At the same time, DEI-Africa appointed the university as the administrator and owner of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education International Conference (STEMEIC).
Prof Solomon Shibairo, Vice Chancellor of the institution, and Alphonse Furuma, CEO of DEI-Africa, were present at the ceremony.
At the same time, DEI-Africa appointed the university as the administrator and owner of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education International Conference (STEMEIC). Prof Solomon Shibairo, Vice Chancellor of the institution, and Alphonse Furuma, CEO of DEI-Africa, were present at the ceremony.
“As a university, we are honored to have the opportunity of running the STEMEIC conference and the digital library. I want to assure you that the two are in safe hands.
“The university management has been supporting DEI and MMUST projects and will continue to support future collaborations,” Prof Shibairo said.
According to Shibairo, the university administration will ensure that thousands of Kenyans can access the digital library at no cost in order to accelerate research and innovation.
The digital library is a plus for the university as the institution will be vital in increasing the literacy levels in the country,” said Shibairo.
He noted that the digital library is a boon for the university because the institution will be critical in raising literacy levels in the country.
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According to Mr. Furuma, the digital library receives new books every day from international authors, writers, and publishers, and the resources will be regularly updated and monitored before being backed up so that they are always available online.
He added that this will be a relief for parents who cannot afford the cost of online books, despite the fact that reading is an important component of education.
MMUST Launch First Digital Library With 60,000 Books
