New Digital Libraries Improve Learning at Uganda ’s Health Training Institutions

Pharmacy students in Uganda. Photo by Tommy Trenchard for IntraHealth International.April 06, 2018Thousands of students  now have 24/7 digital access to academic materials thanks to two new digital libraries.Until now, thousands of Uganda ’s medical, nursing, health management, and allied health students had to share a small, cramped library with too few resources for the growing number of students. Many students were simply unable to check out the reference and academic materials needed to study effectively for their coursework an d exams.Through its USAID-fundedStrengthening Human Resources for Health Activity, IntraHealth International helped the Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences of Mulago (UIAHMS) and Kabale University transform their small libraries from traditional hard-copy to digital collections.”Students used to go as far as Makerere University to access fairly good library services, which still were insufficient due to the high numbers of students,” says Alfred Otim, principal of UIAHMS.Now, over 3.000 students from Makerere University Medical School, UIAHMS, and Kabale University are using the new digital libraries —and the number of study materials students are accessing has tripled since the schools launched the new systems.Over 3.000 students  are using the new digital libraries—and the number of materials they are accessing has tripled.“On a daily basis, between 150 and 200 books are downloaded,” said Juliet Bulyaaba, the...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news