For Ngo Thi Kim Ngan, a staff member at Di An Junior High School in Di An Ward, integrating the eNetViet library management software has really proven effective.
She explained that digitization allows her library to swiftly connect with local and neighboring schools to properly balance book resources; moreover, that makes it incredibly easy to closely track students’ search demands to assess reading trends, thereby facilitating the most suitable plans to continually replenish book supplies.
“Digital transformation genuinely helps both us and the students become far more proactive in disseminating and absorbing knowledge,” Ms. Kim Ngan shared. “They can rapidly search, carefully select, and confidently propose the books they urgently need, while we can instantly figure out the exact topics they want to explore in order to actively seek and recommend appropriate titles.”
The digital transition at Di An Junior High School’s library is largely viewed as an inevitable step for the entire grassroots library network in HCMC. Historically, this grassroots system was accurately organized under a multi-tier model, cascading from the city level down to wards and communes, and finally to wards and communes, which facilitated the broad allocation and robust circulation of book resources.
When transitioning to a two-tier local government model, it’s widely recognized that the library system needs a corresponding restructuring. In that pressing context, digital transformation undeniably remains a pivotal solution to reliably maintain connections and efficiently exploit shared resources.
Deputy Director Vinh Quoc Bao of the General Sciences Library of HCMC shared his perspective on this massive shift. “In today’s landscape of vigorous change, digital transformation is an absolute prerequisite that the entire library system in HCMC simply can’t delay,” he noted.
“Like here at the General Sciences Library, we’re determinedly building a digital capacity robust enough to perform as a ‘distance-free coordination center’ for 168 ward, commune, and special zone libraries, alongside school ones, all without heavily relying on an intermediary administrative apparatus. And it’s the exact same story for grassroots libraries; without a highly effective digitization system, they can’t connect with coordination centers, nor can they link up with one another to seamlessly exchange books. In the end, it’ll be remarkably difficult to operate effectively without it.”
Parallel to the substantial benefits it actively brings, the process of building digital libraries also raises several complex requirements regarding intellectual property protection for digital assets.
According to Deputy Head Thai Thu Hoai of the Library and Publishing Faculty (HCMC University of Culture), the most tremendous challenge for grassroots libraries during this digital transition lies in precisely defining the legal scope of rights for each distinct type of digital resource, whether that includes the specific rights to digitize, securely store, lend, widely share, or financially exploit them online.
If it isn’t executed well, casually ignoring copyright will inevitably lead to numerous legal risks. “As a general rule of thumb, libraries embarking on digital transformation should proactively establish a highly synchronized copyright management mechanism,” Deputy Head Thai Thu Hoai explained.
She emphasized heavily applying advanced technology to tightly manage access rights, accurately record ongoing usage histories, and strictly ensure traceability whenever necessary.
“In the long run, to ensure a harmonious balance between strict copyright protection and readers’ pressing needs, functional units need to collaboratively construct a well-oiled coordination mechanism between libraries, publishers, authors, and digital resource management agencies,” she shared.
Digital transformation is rapidly unlocking vast opportunities for the grassroots library system in HCMC to thoroughly transcend traditional limitations of physical space and antiquated service methods, steadily moving toward a more interconnected, sharing-oriented model that serves readers much more effectively.
However, only by harmoniously resolving the inherent friction between the public demand for knowledge access and the rigid protection of intellectual property rights can the digitization process truly maximize its predominant value and smoothly forge a solid foundation for a modern library system in this new developmental phase.
“Ultimately, digital transformation helps libraries bypass spatial and temporal boundaries, reliably creating optimal conditions for readers to freely access resources anytime and anywhere. This will serve as a crucial cornerstone to effectively build a lifelong learning society, passionately develop a modern reading culture, and successfully form a strong national digital knowledge ecosystem, aligning with the library sector’s developmental trends in the upcoming era.”
Deputy Head of the Library and Publishing Faculty (HCMC University of Culture)
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