• Dubbed Vtabu, the virtual library aims to encourage a reading culture and provide an avenue through which one can grow and hone their skills in a particular field, anytime and anywhere.
•In a speech read on behalf of President William Ruto by CS Namwamba, Ruto declared July 12, as the annual national reading day.
Image: HANDOUT
Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts CS Ababu Namwamba has officially launched the first virtual library containing more than 200,000 digitised books, periodicals, research papers and government publications.
Announced in September 2022, the virtual library accessible from any internet-enabled device globally will also host e-books downloadable for offline reading.
According to former Sports, Heritage and Culture CS Amina Mohamed, the government through Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) was establishing the online library at a cost of Sh250 million.
Dubbed Vtabu, the virtual library aims to encourage a reading culture and provide an avenue through which one can grow and hone their skills in a particular field, anytime and anywhere.
CS Namwamba also launched a two-tier data centre where state agencies and other public institutions can lease cloud storage services as well as a digitisation hub where Kenyans can seek to upload their books, newspapers, photographs and records.
Speaking at the launch at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi on July 12, 2023, CS Namwamba emphasised the importance of technology and innovation in knowledge growth.
This, he said, aims to enhance Kenya’s global competitiveness, economic growth and job creation initiatives through online and content generation related careers.
“ The Virtual Library with its Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) materials will greatly support young learners to easily identify their talents and work to nurture these skills as their future career opportunities,” he said.
CS Namwamba added that the Talanta Hela initiative is meant to promote youth's creativity as well as talents and the virtual library is a platform they can use to monetise their literary works.
“I, therefore, urge the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to partner with KNLS in promoting knowledge sharing in schools, higher learning institutions and TVETs,” he said.
The virtual library has an assortment of resources accessible for free, especially children's content and general information e-books for any subject studied at Pre-School, Primary, Junior and High School, tertiary to the university level.
Fiction and non-fiction works have also been included as well.
VTabu also includes journals, children storybooks, cartoons, photography, wildlife, tourism, culture, science, information technology and CBC education materials which are available online.
VTabu, however, attracts a nominal daily membership fee of Sh20 fee payable via wireless payment platforms.
One can also pay a weekly fee of Sh100, a monthly fee of Sh500, a bi-annual fee of Sh1,500 and an annual membership fee which is set at Sh2500.
In a speech read on behalf of President William Ruto by CS Namwamba, Ruto declared July 12, as the annual national reading day.
KNLS CEO Charles Nzivo invited state agencies and other organisations to use the KNLS data facility for cloud storage services as well as the KNLS Digitisation Hub for digitisation of vital documents, pictures and maps.
He further noted that KNLS has also been using their digital platform to offer on-demand digital skills training such as coding, digital marketing, graphic design, and ICT skills to youths seeking to enhance their creativity and innovativeness.
“This will enable them to venture into the digital jobs available online,” Nzivo said.