A non-profit making organisation, Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries (ZODML) has strengthened its operational activities by opening its website officially to the members of the public.
The library, which is considered to be the biggest free online library in Nigeria targets mostly students in public schools, particularly at the tertiary level nationwide.
Before now, the library was operating mostly on physical services in the underserved communities, local schools as well as correctional centres in some parts of the country with users accessing materials – books, journals, articles and so forth free of charge.
Addressing journalists at the launch on Thursday, in Lagos, the co-founder and chairperson of the library, Mrs Ifeoma Esiri said even as the library is now online as a new normal brought which is about by the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown, it would still be operating physical service at no fewer than 19 correctional centres across the country for inmates.
She said both the online and physical libraries are very rich in materials and resources and with many of them factoring in the school curriculum in their compositions.
She said many students particularly in the public universities from across the country had already identified with the e-library, using the materials, resources and learning tools for their studies.
While acknowledging that the physical books and other useful reading materials would continue to exist notwithstanding the increasing acceptability and the use of digital libraries globally, Mrs Esiri explained that what is required for prospective users of the library anywhere they are across the globe is to log into the website given as zodml.org and register at no financial cost to them.
“They will have unhindered 24 hours and all days service access to the library with more than 300,000 materials,” she added
She, however, promised that the organisation would from time to time upgrade the website and its contents to make it more effective and rewarding for users.
She commended all corporate bodies and individuals who have been in one way or the other support to the cause.
