Karachi University (KU) International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) Director Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, while talking to visiting librarians at National Library of Chemical Sciences, KU-ICCBS on Wednesday said that the existence of libraries and their proper use has become an indicator to evaluate the pace of progress of any country. Pakistan needs to have more libraries in every corner of the country to accelerate the pace of economic and social progress.
The ICCBS director said that now technology was driving the role of libraries, which revealed that Pakistani librarians needed to be acquainted with the latest library system. National Library of Chemical Sciences would offer various modern library courses free of cost to Pakistani librarians, he added.
He said that this national library was considered to be one of the largest libraries of this region, which contained more than 25,000 printed books, 50,000 online books and 25,000 online journals, while adding that the latest chemical database was also exclusively available at this library.
“The national library is going to offer various courses on the latest library system free of cost to acquaint Pakistani librarians with the most modern techniques and systems. In this regard, National Library of Chemical Sciences had held a national workshop on ‘ICCBS Library System’ in which a large number of librarians, not only from Karachi but also from other parts of the country, participated with enthusiasm. The workshop was organised by senior librarian Farrukh Hussain Zai and his team,” he informed.
Furthermore, he said that the old system had become obsolete and had to replaced with the latest system. The National Library of Chemical Sciences would be open for all Pakistani professors, doctors, scientists, and research scholars of chemistry and other allied subjects.
Moreover, Dr Muhammad Iqbal said, “The library is an integral component of ICCBS library network, with sister libraries established at the Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, Industrial Analytical Centre, Plant Biotechnological Wing, Pakistan Biotechnology Information Centre, Centre for Bioequivalence Studies and Bio-assay Research, Third World Centre for Chemical Sciences, and the LEJ National Science Information Centre. Hence, ICCBS had the largest national library network of chemical and biological sciences, he added.
