National e-Library to be launched in Thailand in early 2019

BANGKOK, November 14 (TNA) - The Thai government, in cooperation with all relevant parties, plans to launch its new "National e-Library" Project in early 2019, aimed mainly to provide people of all ages and from all walks of life with their equal access to knowledge sources. Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Kobsak Pootrakool told journalists on Wednesday, after chairing the latest meeting on the project with the relevant parties, that the Thai government is accelerating completing the development of the National e-Library within the coming weeks to be a New Year gift for the public. Kobsak acknowledged that the Thai government and the relevant parties, including the Ministry of Education, the National Library of Thailand, the Digital Government Agency (Public Organization) and others, are scheduled to jointly launch the National e-Library Project on the Children's Day in January 2019. "The project came from the idea and order of Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha to provide the public, including students and people of all ages and from all walks of life, with unlimited and equal access to useful sources of knowledge and all other kinds of information through the Internet as if they have their own individual libraries", the minister stated. The minister said he, himself, believed that the National e-Library Project will also promote the reading habit among people, especially students and youths, to keep developing themselves further, and will help reduce spending on paper books for children by their parents, while making a change for better in the country's learning process, in which teachers and lecturers can access to sources of relevant information to support their students more practically and comprehensively. According to the minister, the Thai government-supported National e-Library Project, under which a total of more than 100,000 e-books and e-documents will be offered, will be divided into two main systems, including general information and useful knowledge for youths and the general public. (TNA)