Under the
agreement, the English-language NetLibrary eBooks in Biology
and Life Sciences; Business, Economics and Management;
History; Literature; Technology, Engineering and
Manufacturing; and many other subject areas will be available
electronically anytime, anywhere through the NetLibrary eBook
platform. The eBook collection is the largest and most
comprehensive of its kind in the Asia-Pacific
region.
"This agreement
goes beyond territorial borders and brings together people and
institutions interested in providing electronic resources to
meet the needs of all libraries in the region. Together, we
have created a comprehensive program of innovation and service
to libraries—for all library users," said Prof. Hsianghoo
Steve Ching, University Librarian at the City University of
Hong Kong. Prof. Ching was formerly Library Director of Feng
Chia University in Taichung, Taiwan, where he led the Taiwan
eBook Network (TEBNET) effort to bring NetLibrary eBooks to 11
university libraries.
"As broadband
internet access becomes more popular in the region, students
will prefer self-directed learning over directed learning,"
said Dr. Jerry Yu, Chief Information Officer at the City
University of Hong Kong. "This 'Super eBook Collection' fits
well into our global learning model, allowing students the
freedom to generate their own academic discussions and to
share resources in order to achieve better academic results."
Dr. An Chi Liu,
President of Feng Chia University, said that "an eBook library
is an indispensable learning platform for today's
knowledge-based society. It allows students to access the
world's most updated e-publications and benefit from the
latest literature. Through electronic platform storage, search
and loan of books have been upgraded to further relieve the
physical burden on libraries."
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Fan Sun-lu, Taiwan Deputy Minister
of Education, emphasized the importance of cooperation among
libraries beyond jurisdictions and boundaries. "This agreement
helps nurture a generation of new talents, facilitate
international academic exchange and also support online
teaching and learning," she said.
"Today's students are much more Web
focused and Internet oriented," said Andrew H. Wang, Executive
Director, OCLC Asia Pacific Services and New Initiatives. "If
the information is not available to them online, some students
are not interested. NetLibrary eBooks are available online, 24
hours a day, seven days a week. Students don't have to be in a
library to find and access these books."
NetLibrary a division of
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and a leading
platform for full-text digital content in libraries worldwide,
offers access to more than 107,000 full-text eBook titles to
academic, public, special and school library users
worldwide.
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