February 04, 2016: Ignite (Formerly National ICT R&D Fund) organized a workshop on “Role of ICT in Digital Preservation Manage­ment in Libraries and Documentation Centers” in collaboration with Quaid-i-Aram University at the DRSM library, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islam­abad.

The objective of the work­shop was to introduce and equip the library professionals with effective digital preserva­tion management programs based on ICT tech­nologies. Addressing the inau­gural session, Mr. Wasim Hashmi, General Manager – Monitoring, Ignite (Formerly National ICT R&D Fund), high­lighted the activities and objec­tives of the Fund. He informed the audience of the available funding streams and the initiatives taken up for capacity building in the arena of ICT and nurturing it to­wards sustained development of an R&D culture in Pakistan. Joint Industry-academia re­search is one of the key vehi­cles being used to promote innova­tion in the ICT industry and to promote a research culture in the academic institutions of Pakistan.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Javed Ashraf, Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam Uni­versity, lauded the efforts of organizers and appre­ciated the initiative. He stressed the need for library professionals to learn state-of-the-art library management tools and solutions and apply them to improve the current library management protocols.

The resource persons of the workshop included Mr. Muhammad Anwar Ejaz, Chief Librarian Quaid-i-Azam Uni­versity, Ms. Bushra Almas Jaswal, Chief Librarian, FC College University, Lahore, and Mr. Ashraf Sharif, System Li­brarian, Agha Khan University, Karachi. A large number of li­brary professionals from Rawalpindi and Islamabad participated in the workshop.