C. Valley pilots online science library

By Benjie S. De Yro

Friday 27th of July 2012

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, July 27 (PIA) -- A local government-run high school here has set up an online science library, the first in Cagayan Valley, through a program developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The Tuguegarao City Science High School adopted the science and technology academic and research-based openly operated kiosk station (STARBOOKS) of the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute (STII).

STARBOOKS is a one-stop science and technology (S&T) information system that contains thousands of digitized S&T research in various formats, said Director Urdujah Tejada of DOST-2. The system comprises information in text, video and audio formats.

The information is placed in specially designed “pods” set in a user-friendly interface.

Tejada said Tuguegarao City was the first to respond to the project from among the local government units in the region. It was learned that under the agreement forged between DOST-STII, the schools will provide the computers and incidental expenses for its operation while the agency provides information on S&T.

Allan Taule, chief of staff of STII director Raymund E. Liboro, said the STARBOOKS project was launched last year. To date, the country has 73 sites for this, including that of the newly established Tuguegarao City Science High School and of the DOST Region 2 office in this city.

“It is the business of STII to communicate the latest information and knowledge on science and technology,” Taule said during the launching of STARBOOKS at DOST Region 2.

He said that through STARBOOKS, users can have access to the latest data and information contained at DOST, Philippine eLib project sources, freely available online resources and subscribed databases.

Director Tejada called on local government units and the academe to take advantage of the services of STARBOOKS. (PIA)