The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), in partnership with the National Library of Nigeria, has unveiled an e-library powered by artificial intelligence during the association’s forty-second annual convention. The president of the association, Camillus Ukah, in his welcome address, highlighted the achievements of the association and reflected on the dedication and commitment of passionate writers and literary scholars in the country. He encouraged Nigerian youth to embrace reading and writing towards shaping the future of the nation.
Ukah said that authors in Nigeria have worked tirelessly to cultivate a love for reading and writing among the youth because they recognise the vital role that creativity plays in shaping the future of the nation. “Together, we have empowered young minds to find their voices, embrace their identities, and contribute to the rich literary tapestry of Nigeria,” he said. Also speaking at the event, Nigerian Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, reiterated the importance of Nigerian cultural heritage and the literary works on society.
National Library unveils innovation tagged as Bold Scholars.
He described ANA as indispensable and commended the association’s consistency in supporting the country’s education system. The minister said that it is important to note that these literary works, which have been in existence as early as the 19th century, have contributed immensely to preserving the culture and tradition of the Nigerian society, as well as the trials of political challenges and problems of the nation. Meanwhile, Chinwe Anunobi, Nigerian National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer, unveiled an innovation tagged as Bold Scholars.
It is described as a transformative database that is set to revolutionize the National Library’s approach to collecting and preserving information resources in Nigeria. According to the librarian, the National Library has been doing it religiously in the traditional format, but with a portion of ICT, it becomes very difficult for the agency to gather resources that are published in electronic format. Mrs. Anunobi, who is a professor, said, “Initially, we didn’t have any choice but to submit CDs and Flash Drives for us. However, we discovered that those that were published directly online did not match electronic publications, and it became difficult for us to crawl them or to get them into the memory of the country.”
Partnership between national library and Bold Scholars mutually beneficial.
Anunobi further noted that the partnership of the national library with Bold Scholars is a win-win situation that will enable the national library to collect and archive all electronic resources published in Nigeria, making authors and readers accessible. Also, Chukwuemeka Godswill, the founder of Bold Scholars, explained that the database aims to create visibility for Nigerian literature, providing authors with a global stage and readers with affordable access to a treasure trove of literary works. According to him, a good number of Nigerian authors write books in their shops, but this time people are going to see not just within the nation but beyond this country.
Also, he said that the readers are also going to begin to see content coming from Nigeria. With this database, Nigerians, especially students, will begin to see resources coming from indigenous society. He added that the platform is designed for affordability, which he noted will allow users to pay a nominal fee of N1,000 to access a vast library of books. He said that the approach will help students save money and expand their access to educational resources.
Authors’ permission needed before their work can be published.
Mr. Godswill revealed that the team is working with the National Library of Nigeria on this project because the platform cannot bring up people’s books that it is not authorized to. So the author is the one who will add the book himself. When they upload their books, people will see what to read on the platform. This will serve as a national electronic book platform like other private platforms such as Okadabooks, that have been operating for a while.
Related Links
Association of Nigerian Authors: Website Bold Scholars: Website
