Digital transformation helps libraries in the Army effectively serve research, training and coaching work.

Colonel Mac Thuy Duong - Director of the Military Library said that the library in the Army has taken full advantage of and promoted the application of IT in organizing, managing, exploiting and sharing information resources; proactively researching, proposing, implementing projects and plans to modernize libraries, build digital libraries, develop digital information resources, etc. for information agencies and libraries in the army.

Colonel, MSc. Mac Thuy Duong - Director of the Military Library said that in the context of the strong development of the fourth industrial revolution, digital transformation has become an inevitable trend in all areas of social life, including the library industry.

Digital transformation not only helps libraries improve management efficiency and serve readers better, but also contributes to building a learning society and promoting the development of reading culture. However, this process also poses many challenges, requiring libraries to have appropriate strategies and solutions to successfully implement the digital transformation goal by 2030.

According to Colonel Mac Thuy Duong, digital transformation of libraries is the process of applying digital technology and digital platforms to all library activities, from resource management, data digitization, service provision to building a modern learning and research environment. Digital transformation does not stop at digitizing documents, but also includes changing operating models, developing new services, personalizing user experiences and connecting and sharing data between libraries.

Digital transformation helps libraries: Improve management efficiency, save resources; Expand access to information resources for readers at all times; Diversify services, meet the increasing needs of society; Promote cooperation and connectivity between libraries, create an open knowledge ecosystem; Contribute to building a learning society and developing a reading culture.

According to Colonel Mac Thuy Duong, as a part of Party work and political work in the Vietnam People's Army, the activities of libraries and reading rooms in the Army play an important role as special tools and resources to serve research, consulting, decision-making, policy planning, building military and defense guidelines and strategies; serving training and coaching; contributing to reading orientation, information orientation, developing reading culture, improving the spiritual and cultural life of officers and soldiers inside and outside the Army.

In the context of the world and Vietnam tending to systematize, automate, modernize, synchronize, and intelligentize in management, processing, exploitation, sharing, and provision of information and documents, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has promoted the application of IT from building network infrastructure, military data transmission lines (Tslqs) to ensure data connection to strategic and campaign hubs and some tactical-level units in key directions and areas. The command and control information system is operated from the ministry down to the units. The electronic information portals of the units are built and upgraded, facilitating the connection, sharing, and exploitation of information and documents throughout the army.

Along with that, information agencies and libraries in the Army have taken full advantage of and promoted the application of IT in organizing, managing, exploiting and sharing information resources; proactively researching, proposing and implementing projects and plans to modernize libraries, build digital libraries, develop digital information resources, etc. for information agencies and libraries in the Army.

Up to now, the Ministry of National Defense has built a shared digital library system on the Tslqs Network with more than 40 libraries belonging to military science information agencies (libraries in academies, schools, research institutes) participating, integrating data into the System (more than 2 million document records are integrated, exploited, and shared on the System). 100% of libraries in academies and schools have connected to the Tslqs Network, built websites on the Tslqs Network, the Internet, integrated data into the shared digital library system, used integrated library management software of CMC Company, built digital libraries, built full-text databases, digitized documents, equipped with modern IT and security control devices such as automatic, semi-automatic/manual scanners, security gates, magnetic tags, magnetic tags, demagnetizers, applied barcodes to management, circulation, borrowing and returning documents; equipped with surveillance camera systems,...

At the Military Library: Investing heavily in technology infrastructure, developing digital library services to serve the specific needs of the industry. Currently, there are nearly 500,000 books and nearly 2,000 types of newspapers and magazines, more than 20,000 digital documents with modern technical infrastructure equipment. Every year, the unit adds more than 4,000 document titles with more than 10,000 copies, nearly 400 types of newspapers and magazines in national and foreign languages ​​and many valuable online and offline digital information resources, meeting the needs of information and documents on-site and remotely of readers inside and outside the Army.

In general, the system of libraries and reading rooms in the Army has gradually promoted the application of IT and modern science and technology in professional and technical activities. However, according to Colonel Mac Thuy Dung, the implementation is still slow, the investment is not really synchronous, the effectiveness of IT application has not been fully promoted, the gap between agencies and units at all levels is still too large, activities towards modern library services are still modest,... creating many difficulties and limitations in the process of operation and exploitation of information and documents of grassroots libraries.

Electronic Reading Room of the Military Library

Colonel Mac Thuy Dung said that digital transformation in library activities is an inevitable development in line with the development trend of smart and useful science and technology, improving service capacity, promoting the development of reading culture and building the current Vietnamese cultural value system.

Digital transformation in the library sector is a new policy, requiring great attention and investment from the State and the Army, the decisive participation of functional agencies, and the efforts of officers and employees of the Library sector so that the digital transformation process of the library system and reading rooms in the army can achieve many outstanding milestones and turning points, becoming an effective model in the digital transformation activities of the entire army.

That is, to soon build and operate a system of digital libraries and reading rooms, with a rich, diverse, and high-quality source of digital information resources along with superior digital products, services, and utilities that maximally meet the needs of users anytime, anywhere; have the ability to connect, communicate, integrate, analyze, process, exploit, and use information resources together, contributing to improving the quality and efficiency of the system of libraries and reading rooms in the army, effectively serving the work of research, training, coaching, entertainment, improving the spiritual and cultural life, developing a reading culture for officers and soldiers in the entire army, meeting the requirements and tasks of building and defending the Fatherland in the new situation of the Vietnam People's Army.

Solutions on awareness, policy, infrastructure, data, technology, human resources and cooperation need to be implemented decisively, creatively and in accordance with actual conditions. Colonel Mac Thuy Duong believes that with determination and joint efforts, the Vietnamese library system in general and the military library system in particular will complete the digital transformation goal, contributing to building a learning society and sustainable development of the country in the digital age.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/chuyen-doi-so-giup-cac-thu-vien-trong-quan-doi-phuc-vu-dac-luc-cong-tac-nghyen-cuu-dao-tao-huan-luyen-20251018114659556.htm