It is needed in this digital era to develop a common platform for libraries at the national level so that access to electronic resources can be offered to users at lower cost and finest fund utilization.
A PSDP project of PASTIC entitled “Modernization of PASTIC National Science Reference Library for Effective Resource Sharing among S&T libraries in Pakistan” has been approved. One of the core objectives of this project is to develop a consortium of S&T with R&D libraries of Pakistan (CSTRDLP).
Pakistan Scientific & Technological Information Centre (PASTIC) a minor PSF working under Ministry of Science & Technology is a premier national organization of S&T Information Management and Dissemination. PASTIC supplies S&T information as per need of researchers from universities, R & D organizations, and the industry.
PASTIC has been motivated for establishment of libraries in addition to librarians for effective resource sharing by creation of Union catalog, to digitization and automation of libraries by training and distribution of WinISIS software.
All the central, national and departmental libraries of universities, National Centers of Excellence and Scientific organization condensed to create latest library tools for resource sharing by the consortium.
The first meeting in this regard was held on at PASTIC, QAU campus, Islamabad. Information professionals from all provinces have attended the meeting. The current status of library data at institute level, potential risks in the development of the consortia, set rules, procedure, responsibilities, guidelines, etc. was the agenda of meeting. A working committee was founded to hold them responsible for the formulation of rules and regulations for this consortium.