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As it expands its network to include resources from the regions, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) eLibrary will give users all over the internet access to a wider array of science and technology (S&T) information in agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR).
The first of its kind, the DOST-PCAARRD eLibrary is an online service facility providing access and information on publications, theses/dissertation, and other literature and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials related to AANR. It is maintained by the DOST-PCAARRD.
With the availability of information on AANR crucial to the attainment of the national agenda on food security and poverty alleviation, DOST-PCAARRD saw the need to link up with the Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) of DOST to design and develop the Science Library Integrated Management System (SLIMS). As the system running the eLibrary, the SLIMS was designed to facilitate an efficient and prompt dissemination, sharing, exchange, preservation, access, and retrieval of its resources. In its earlier phases, the eLibrary was customized from the modules of DOST Science and Technology Information Network of the Philippines (ScINet-Phil) Integrated Library Management System (SILMS), eventually evolving to SLIMS. It involved the digitization of thousands of AANR-related resource materials from DOST-PCAARRD’s Scientific Literature Services, the Council’s traditional library.
As the project embarks on its fourth phase, the Council is setting up its knowledge network of eLibraries in the regions through the customization and deployment of the SLIMS to the Council’s research and development (R&D) consortia for a more effective management and content development of the eLibrary.
Through the project, “Augmenting and Strengthening the eLibrary Services in the Regional R&D Consortia Base Agencies,” DOST-PCAARRD aims to strengthen its eLibrary services not only in its main domain, but also in the regional R&D consortia base agencies through the establishment of eLibrary system subdomains and content build-up. All available AANR resources in the consortia base agencies will be inventoried, digitized, and integrated into the current DOST-PCAARRD eLibrary system, which is readily accessible 24/7. Users will be able to access and retrieve AANR resource and reference materials from all over the country with just a click of a button.
The DOST-PCAARRD eLibrary was launched in 2020 as part of DOST-PCAARRD’s GALING-PCAARRD Kontra COVID-19 Program to efficiently and promptly disseminate and share AANR and other S&T information to its partners in the R&D network and the general public despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, the information service has more than 9,800 resources in its repository with more than 13,500 registered users and 28,600 downloads.
New users and interested parties may visit the eLibrary at https://elibrary.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/slims/. Signups for new accounts and unlimited downloads are all free of charge.