Community digital library: Digital solutions to provide information to the people

Community Digital Library is an initiative of Cao Loc District Union in digital transformation. Instead of having to go to the one-stop division at all levels to look up legal documents listed when needed, people just need to scan a QR code to be able to log in to the community digital library to access information… anytime, anywhere via smartphone.

At the “one-stop” section of the People’s Committees at all levels, there are public documents according to regulations for people to grasp and implement. These documents are printed on paper and hung on the board for people to look up and learn. This partly helps people understand the procedures that need to be carried out, the legal documents of the State agencies, however, going directly to the “one-stop” division of the communes and districts with the people, especially people in remote areas is a difficult problem. To solve this problem, Cao Loc District Union has taken the initiative to build a community digital library to support people to access legal documents.

People in Phu Xa commune, Cao Loc district scanned QR code to log in to the community digital library

Mr. Nguyen Trong Khanh, Secretary of the District Union, said: The Community Digital Library is an initiative of Cao Loc District Youth Union implemented in March 2023 to provide information resources about legal documents for the people in the district; gradually build and develop reading culture; serve the needs of people’s research, study, entertainment, etc.

Implementing the building of a community digital library, the District Union has researched and hired an online digital application provider. The community digital library is designed with 16 directories including: public services of Lang Son province; law; information technology; Central resolutions; Ho Chi Minh; history, geography, medicine – health; Agriculture, Forestry and fishery; skill; culture and arts; sport; Vietnamese literature; movie; comics… in each folder there are many subfolders. Most of the information included in the digital library is legal documents and documents that are publicized at the district and commune one-stop division; guiding the performance of public services; legal documents…

In order to upload documents to the library, the District Union staff group collected and scanned legal documents listed at the district and commune 1-door division into the library from official sources such as Websites of ministries, branches, Provincial People’s Committees, People’s Committees of districts… For documents with the red stamp of the issuing agency, the group uses a scanner to scan all documents put into the library to ensure legality. In particular, legal documents are often revised, supplemented, and adjusted, which can be difficult for non-professionals to grasp. To put it into the library properly, enough and timely, it takes time for research and expertise, therefore, the District Union has coordinated with the Justice Department to implement. After uploading information and documents to the digital library, Cao Loc District Union conducted QR code encoding. The QR code for accessing the community digital library is printed on an information board and attached at one-stop division of the communes and towns in the whole district.

To access this library, people only need to use a smartphone to scan a QR code to log in and look up the necessary information. Here, hundreds of useful information suitable for a wide range of readers from cadres, civil servants, farmers, children… For those who are carrying out administrative procedures, there is a directory guiding the implementation of administrative procedures with specific illustrations; with farmers who have the know-how to get rich from animal husbandry, animal husbandry in the direction of biosecurity, growing safe vegetables; for those interested in law or research there is a legal bibliography; Central resolutions…

Mr. Dinh Van Hung, Cao Loc town, Cao Loc district said: Through the Youth Union’s propaganda, I learned about the community digital library. When I have time, I often go to the library to study the rules to know and obey, I also like the materials that provide essential life skills in the library.

During more than a month of working outside office hours and weekends, the Cao Loc District Youth Union’s team has put more than 3 gigabytes of data with hundreds of documents and information into the directories of the community digital library. Legal documents are regularly promulgated, changed, edited and updated, so there is no end time to uploading documents to the community digital library. In the coming time, Cao Loc District Youth Union will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to research and collect legal documents into libraries to serve people in the district.