By Charles Mkoka
DODOMA, Tanzania— TLSB has launched a national digital library network that allows citizens to search books and access information online, as the government seeks to expand access to knowledge and strengthen the country's reading culture.
The Tanzania Library Services Board (TLSB) said the online platform enables users to register digitally and browse materials available in libraries across the country.
"We have already started implementing the service and many citizens, particularly in Dar es Salaam, have begun registering and using it," Edward Yifungo, a librarian at the Dodoma Regional Library, said during Public Service Week celebrations in the capital, Dodoma.
The platform currently connects 43 public libraries nationwide through a shared digital catalogue, allowing users to identify books and other resources available in participating libraries.
TLSB said the initiative forms part of the government's broader push to digitise public services and improve access to information.
The board has also expanded its reach beyond urban centres through community libraries, opening its first two centres in Makobika village in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region, and in Bustani in Kilimanjaro Region, with additional sites under preparation.
Officials said the programme supports Tanzania's national development goals by bringing information services to communities that previously had limited access to educational resources.
Beyond lending services, the Tanzania Library Services Board also serves as the country's national repository for publications, issuing International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) for books and journals.
Authors, publishers and institutions are encouraged to register and deposit their publications to preserve Tanzania's documentary heritage and make materials available to future researchers.
The board said its libraries also collect and preserve publications and information produced by government institutions, creating an archive that can be accessed by scholars and the public.
Officials stressed that fostering reading habits among children remains a priority.
"One of the major functions of libraries is to build a culture of reading, and that culture starts with children," Yifungo said. "If we begin at an early age, we can build a nation that values reading and lifelong learning."
The digital library initiative comes as Tanzania increasingly embraces technology in public service delivery and seeks to expand access to information and educational materials across the country.
