Afghanistan Public Library joins ECO digitalization, education, and research committees

KABUL: The Ministry of Information and Culture said in a statement today that Afghanistan’s Public Library has obtained membership in the “Digitalization, Education, and Research Committees” of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
According to the statement, Afghanistan’s membership was achieved during the seventh meeting of library heads from ECO member countries, held in Turkey, with a delegation led by Dr. Rafiullah Samim, head of the ministry’s libraries.
During the meeting, the delegation provided comprehensive information about the current status of public libraries in Afghanistan, recent positive changes, and existing challenges hindering their operations.
The statement noted that representatives from ten countries and Asian organizations participated in discussions about developing digital archives among member countries, protecting rare works, and sharing professional capacities and experiences.
Additionally, the Afghan delegation engaged with library heads from Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey, and Kazakhstan to discuss expanding collaborative efforts.
Turkey has also committed to providing its newly designed library management system, known as “Kashaf,” free of charge to Afghanistan, and will assist in training specialized personnel.
This comes as the Ministry of Information is currently establishing a book evaluation commission within the ministry and holding regular meetings.