1. Libraries and Digitization : Bangladesh perspective Muhammad Hossam Haider Chowdhury Librarian, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) MEETBdREN 2015 Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban University of Dhaka

2. Computers in Libraries of Bangladesh Computerization have got momentum in libraries of Bangladesh in 80s. Pioneers for computerization of Libraries – – ICDDR,B – BARC CD-ROM use for literature search started also from 80s.

3. Electronic Resources in Bangladesh Started in the new millennium. Oxford Journals possibly the first bundle electronic resources was used in the libraries of Bangladesh. Bundle electronic resources subscription started through the subscription to Jstor by 2002.

4. Consortia in Bangladesh In August 2005 Bangladesh University Grants Commission exchange some ideas with some university librarians of Dhaka on forming a consortium. Professor Monirul Haq, then Member of UGC, presided over that meeting. In 2006 under the leadership of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences a consortium was formed with the assistance of INASP. In 2012 Bangladesh University Grants Commission formed another consortium for the universities of Bangladesh.

5. Research4Life AGORA – Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture ARDI – Access to Research for Development and Innovation HINARI – Health InterNetwork OARE – Online Access to Research in the Environment Over 6000 institutions, 100 countries, 35000 titles

6. Uses of Digital Resources Downloading of articles indicates that users have much interest on it. IUB’s downloading from 2004 to 2007: – (Source: IUB Annual Report 2008) Platforms2004200520062007 Emerald Insight Information not available 12,34035,41852,570 JSTOR1,9811,6896,1088,447 OUP Journals92312460253 ProQuest Subscription not started 3,426 Grand Total2,07314,34141,98664,696

7. Digital Resources Preservation Some organizations initiated to preserve electronic resources in their own servers. There is also initiatives for local resources digitization. Open source software become popular in the libraries for local resources digitization though some libraries developed their own software. However, BanglaJOL, with the assistance of INASP, trying to digitize articles published in Bangladeshi journals.

8. Digitization in Libraries of Bangladesh At present a good number of libraries have initiatives to digitize their own contents. Along with the scholarly materials the archival contents are also taken into account for digitization. Initiatives are taken by librarians, but organizational mandates in many cases are absent. Legal issue needs to be addressed for digitization.

9. Some Issues of E-resources Universities, specially libraries, should have high speed internet connection with WiFi and also adequate workstations. Librarians need training to maximize the use of resources and digitization. End-users also need training on use of electronic resources. Pay per view cannot be materialized efficiently due to uncomfortable provision of payment. So government needs to make this system easy.

10. Conclusion Embedded librarianship needs to be practiced in the era of electronic resources. Faculty members help is essential to make electronic resources popular and project of digitization of scholarly materials successful. UGC may have a unit to train library professionals of the university to cope with the new demands of services.