A large national library on the campus of the National University of Battambang (NUBB) in Battambang province will be inaugurated next month to let students conduct more research on subjects and technical skills in areas such as agriculture and technology.
NUBB rector Sok Khorn told The Post on October 10 that the library holds more than 30,000 different books. The books are sponsored by ministries and other state institutions while some have been ordered through the Higher Education Improvement Project.
The library, which can accommodate up to 50 visitors at a time and also boasts a large swimming pool, has two floors and covers an area of 900sqm on the NUBB campus, the largest in the north western region of Cambodia.
Students and the public can study and research in this library but they need to apply for a membership card so librarians can easily manage enquiries.
According to Khorn, it will also be equipped with an additional e-library that will allow students to read and download hundreds of thousands of books stored in the e-libraries of partner countries and institutions at any time.
“When setting up this library, we set out two major missions: first, it will be a human resource training centre and second, a research centre. It will not only be a place for studying, preparing theses and increasing knowledge but will also double as a research centre for agriculture and technology as well,” he said.
He added that in the future, the library will also be a place for business training where everybody can study and research. A laboratory will be set up to test construction materials and food from Siem Reap and provinces bordering Thailand such as Banteay Meanchey, Pailin and Oddar Meanchey, as transportation infrastructure will be better in the future.
Lon Srey Mey, a freshman of the 17th generation at NUBB, said she expected that when the library is inaugurated, students can read those more than 30,000 books to increase their knowledge and to further research the subject that she is studying at the university.
She said the library not only has books but is also equipped with an e-library whereby students from outside can access its resources.
“In the past, there was no such library. I hope it will contribute to building students’ reading and research to gain more knowledge as it also has an e-library,” she said.
