The National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) has again been recognised for its work in providing equitable access to electronic content.
At the 2024 Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) conference in Guyana, Nalis received the EBSCO Acurilean Award for Leadership in the Use of Technologies to Expand and Facilitate Access to Electronic Content. Nalis also won this award in 2022, a media release said.
EBSCO Information Services, headquartered in the US, provides various types of products and services to libraries around the world.
In presenting the award recently, Donna Daley, EBSCO’s regional sales manager for the English-speaking Caribbean, recounted Nalis’ adoption of initiatives consistent with best practice, and its journey with her company, which began in May 2009, the release said.
Back then, Nalis began the provision of database subscriptions, which gives access to proprietary information that is not freely available on the internet, and would otherwise be provided at an exorbitant cost to information-seekers.
Nalis said in 2020, as the world was thrust into lockdown because of the pandemic, it expanded its online offerings to include digital magazines via the Flipster portal, giving people access to more e-resources.
In an effort to streamline the provision of e-resources, in 2023, the authority said it introduced the top rated OpenAthens (making remote access simple) and EBSCO Discovery Services, which provides users with a Google-like interface which enables access to all the library’s resources, including its print collection from one location.
Also in 2023, Nalis began the process of adopting Folio, a new integrated library management system, provided by EBSCO. The expected date for full adoption is July 31, the release said.
This new system will allow for the creation of processes and the manipulation of the library’s systems to suit the needs of users. The US Library of Congress, the National Library of Australia and about 200 other national libraries use Folio which is deemed a superior, flexible and affordable library services platform, the release said.
Other major awards Nalis has received include: the 2023 OCLC Award for Innovative Co-operation Initiatives in the Caribbean for the creation and promotion of co-located libraries, along with a wide range of digital library services, to underserved communities; the 2012 COSTAATT Partnership Award; the 2010 Ministry of Public Administration Excellence in Service Delivery Award; and the 2004 Prime Minister's Innovating Award for Services Excellence to Persons who are Blind and Visually Impaired.
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