Hamid (third right) visits the reading corner in Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, accompanied by (from left) Dr Rashidah and Lo. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak should continue to stay updated to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing world, opines its board of management chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamid Bugo.
He said that this was especially so as Pustaka prepares to be the champion in providing knowledge and information resources for Sarawakians.
“The digital economy is not just a concept anymore; it is a practice that will become highly dominant. Human knowledge and technologies are constantly changing to become faster, with a focus on doing more with less. Thus, there is a crucial need for us to stay updated to keep up.
“Pustaka should look in the direction of the Internet of Things (IoT) and ensure that we have the proper integrated systems so we can access, transfer or utilise data even when we are not there. We cannot run from IoT; instead, we should embrace it especially if we want to reach global standards,” Hamid said.
He made this call during the Pustaka Chairman’s Annual Address and Appreciation event at Pustaka Negeri, Petrajaya here yesterday.
Meanwhile, to ensure that Sarawak’s documentary heritage is well-preserved, Hamid said that Pustaka will be starting the development of the Sarawak State Archives Building soon, which is expected to be completed in 2022.
“Once ready, it will become the best-equipped archive facility in the region. We are not only concerned on printed archives, but digital archives as well as a result of digital records produced by computerised systems by the Sarawak Civil Service,” he added.
Pustaka would also continue to enhance their level of cooperation both with local agencies and universities, as well as their global counterparts.
“Partnerships and collaborations remain strategically important to us. We reach out to beneficiaries in urban and rural areas in our collaborative outreach programmes, and we also collaborate with other government agencies, non-govenrmental organisations, private sectors and communities in order to give a better impact to our target groups,” Hamid stated.
Meanwhile, according to Pustaka Negeri Sarawak CEO Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, 2020 would be a memorable year for them as it marked their 20th anniversary.
“2020 is a very special and significant year to Pustaka, as we are celebrating our 20 years of existence and to commemorate this milestone, numerous activities have been lined up for the year-long celebration which will benefit all ages.
“One of the programmes is our annual tree planting at various locations within Pustaka’s park, which we kicked off after our aerobics session earlier this morning. A total of 20 species of young plants will be planted to mark our 20th anniversary celebration,” Dr Rashidah said in her speech.
Among other activities that took place yesterday was the launching of the community park Le Tour De Park, where various gardens such as the Swing Garden, Butterfly Garden, Community Garden, Herbal Garden and Sensory Garden have taken root.
“This is a programme designed to help the public enjoy and appreciate the plants and animals that can be found here. Appreciation of the environment is becoming more and more important as we are facing climate change that could ruin the world we currently borrowed from our children.
“Ensuring a world that is clean and healthy for future generations is our collective responsibility and knowedge about the environment is a pre-requisite to helping us deliver this common task,” Dr Rashidah stressed.
Hamid also launched Beat Space, a learning space provided to expose its members, the public and music enthusiasts on the theory and practical of various music equipment, as well as Aesthetic Space, which allows individuals to learn about visual arts, creativity and imagination.
Also present during the event were Pustaka board members Dr Rita Manurung, Lo Khere Chiang, Ismail Mohd Hanis and Datu William Patrick Nyigor.
