The Ministry of Education and ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (ZST) yesterday signed an agreement contract to upgrade the library service at the Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB)

The contract incorporates the design, supply, upgrading, installation, migration and commissioning of software and hardware for the implementation of an integrated Electronic Resource and Information Services (e-RIS), involving digitization work for its archive collection and subscription to online databases.

The signing took place at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. Attending as guest of honor to witness the ceremony was Puan Hjh Norjum Binti Hj. Mohamad Yusop, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education.

Signing on behalf of the Ministry of Education was Mr. Lim Jock Cheng, Director of ICT, and witnessed by Dr. Hjh. Naemah Binti Hj. Basir, Acting Director of Institute of Technology Brunei. Meanwhile, signing for ZimacSilicon Technologies (ZST) was YB Dato Paduka H. Idris B. H. Abas, Managing Director of ZST, and witnessed by Mas Roslee B. YB DP H. Idris, Director of ZST.

Dr Hajah Naemah, the Acting Director of ITB, in her welcome address said that libraries today no longer offer traditional based services but libraries that are extending beyond the physical walls of a building, by including materials via electronic means. Therefore through the implementations of this project, ITB students and other registered users will be catered with online access to these digitized resources. This upgrade subsequently shows the significant need for libraries personnel to undergo continuous training in order for them to become adaptable to any crucial developments taking place in the Information and Library world.

Meanwhile, in the project overview of eRIS, YB Dato Paduka H. Idris said the main objective of the project is to assist in the management of the digitized ITB Library archived materials. The eRIS project consists of a few main components including converting the ITB library’s collection of media such as journals, reports, photographs, video and audio.

In addition a library management system called Digital Media Collection Management System (DMCS) is implemented to ease the use for the librarians and their users. It is a web-based system, which includes functions for searching, cataloging and viewing of the digitized materials via the Internet for ITB library users.

He also added that he hopes this system becomes an invaluable asset to all local learning institutions as it accelerates the learning process for students.

ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (ZST) is a local IT solutions and service provider established in early 2005. Its formation was intended to respond to the ever-increasing demand for the innovative use of ICT. Besides providing support to the local IT industry and related services in Brunei Darussalam, ZST builds, integrates and manages IT infrastructures, specifically tailored to individual needs. For more information please visit http://www.zimacsilicon.com.bn

ZST’s partner in providing the DCMS solution is SiliconNet Technologies Sdn Bhd, which is a Sarawak based company. DCMS is one of the components in the ANGKASA library management system. ANGKASA has been implemented throughout most of the libraries in Malaysia (including public and tertiary institute libraries).