By Jankay Kujabi
The Gambia National Library Service Authority (GNLSA) on Friday inaugurated a Digital Research Centre at its Brikama branch in the West Coast Region to improve access to information and promote reading among students and the public.
The facility is equipped with computers and online resources intended to enhance research and expand access to academic materials, including journals and other digital content, alongside traditional library services.
GNLSA Director General Bakary Sanyang said the introduction of digital services was part of efforts to modernise the country’s library system and bridge the gap between traditional learning methods and digital knowledge systems.
“We must recognise that library service in this country dates back to 1944 with the British Council Library. The Brikama library itself came later, around 1990 to 1992. But as knowledge becomes global, we felt the need to gradually move towards the digital space,” Sanyang said.
He said the centre would strengthen access to information and support education in a rapidly changing global environment.
Donor Maimuna Bah, who supported the project through the Rotary Club, said her contribution was inspired by her own experience growing up with limited access to books and electricity.
She said many children in The Gambia face similar challenges, adding that the initiative aims to help bridge the education gap and improve learning conditions.
The project, supported by Bah and her husband Nate McQueen of the Emerald City Rotary Club in Seattle, Washington, includes workstations, chairs, tables and air conditioning units.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Louise Moses Mendy, said the centre would promote reading, research, independent learning and academic excellence.
The GNLSA said the initiative forms part of wider efforts to modernise services and respond to growing digital needs among users.
