LAUNCHED…Datin Paduka Sharifah officiating the e-Pustaka witnessed by Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hj. Hamid Bugo, Chairman of Board of Management, Pustaka Negeri, and Puan Rashidah Haji Bolhassan, the Acting CEO

Sarawak is the latest recipient of one mobile unit of e-Pustaka from the Federal Government along with Pahang, Kedah, Melaka, and Selangor.

Launched by the Minister of Educa-tion, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Musa Mohamad on 12 May 2001, the project aims to narrow the e-divide between schools in the urban and rural areas.

On 25 Septem-ber 2001, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office, YB Datin Paduka Hajjah Sharifah Mordiah launched e-Pustaka at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak in Kuching.

Extending Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the public is a challenge to Sarawak with her 2 million people spread across an area about the size of Peninsular Malaysia.

There are about 150 secondary schools and 1,249 primary schools in the State with only 6 included under the ‘Smart School’ pilot project.

While Telekom Malaysia and Mimos are actively promoting TmNet and Jaring services to the public, there is still a significant number which failed to realise the significant of ICT either due to lack of infrastructure or relevant skills and knowledge.

E-Pusaka is an innovative online ICT-related service based on the present mobile library services handled by the Ministry of Environment & Public Health Sarawak. Equipped with 1 server, 8 notebooks, 1 printer, 1 generator, internet connection facility and a collection of CD-ROMs and books worth RM50,000.00, the Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is fortunate to have such sophisticated mobile multimedia facility.

Services rendered

E-Pustaka Mobile

The 2 categories of services rendered by the mobile e-Pustaka will be in Information Literacy Classes and Access to CD-ROM databases and ICT-related books.

The complete training module include Introduction to Computers, Productivity tools, online information sources, trends in ICT and a mini ICT project.

The whole module is designed to be completed within 20 contact hours. E-Pustaka will visit selected schools around Kuching. As a pilot project, 5 primary schools will be selected and e-Pustaka will visit the schools once a week.

Both teachers and students will have the opportunity to experience the electronic classroom courtesy of e-Pustaka. And the surrounding villages will have the opportunity to experience e-Pustaka when the mobile unit will do its rounds during the school holidays.