AKU-FAS Seminar

‘New Directions for Libraries in the Internet Age’

The planned Aga Khan University Faculty of Arts and Sciences (AKU-FAS) held its first academic seminar on November 10 and 11, 2005, titled ‘More than Books: New Directions for Academic Libraries’.

For this important topic, the University had invited an international panel of experts who had hands-on experience of setting up libraries. Ms Lorin Ritchie, University Librarian of the American University of Sharjah, UAE, was the Guest Speaker at the seminar. Together with moderator, Mr Ernie Ingles, Head Librarian and Vice Provost of the University of Alberta, Canada, the experts gave informative presentations on the changing look and feel of libraries in the 21st century. Ms Ritchie, a specialist on electronic resources for libraries, challenged universities and their libraries to work in partnership with information technology managers in order to transform the services offered by libraries to students and faculty.

Ms Ritchie remarked, “Library staff are changing their own work so that it becomes more relevant within their evolving institutions, and it has become imperative for library and information technology professionals to work together to deliver library services and information available through new technologies, giving students and faculty access to the library even in their homes and residence halls.”

Ms Ritchie also examined the way in which Pakistani universities can have improved access to print and electronic collections. She encouraged faculty to become more involved in building collections, and discussed methods by which librarians can make their libraries more central to the learning and research objectives of faculty and students.

The keynote address was delivered by AKU President Mr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, in which he said that the primary objective of AKU-FAS would be for students to develop their capacities for critical analysis and apply these skills to an understanding of their own cultural and religious traditions. “Today’s libraries are no longer just repositories of information but a place where individuals can actively engage with their environment through multi-media presentations or online collaborations,” he said.

This is the first academic event for AKU-FAS, which is presently at the planning stage. The library at AKU-FAS is planned to be the largest modern library of its kind in Pakistan with space for over 500,000 volumes as well as electronic resources. It will be equipped with the latest information technology system and upon its completion, would be considered as one of the most modern and well-equipped libraries in the country.