The Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) has unveiled an e-granary server referred to as “the Internet in a Box” at its Nakuru branch. The facility offers instant access to over 32 million digital resources for researchers with insufficient internet access.
According to Joseck Olala, the ICT officer at Kenya National Library Services, the platform provides instant access to a broad variety of educational resources including websites, books, audio, video and journals. “The information contained within the e-granary can be shared between readers. A single e-granary joined to a wireless or wired LAN (local area network) can serve very many users.”
The e-granary server comes with an inbuilt proxy and search engine that imitates the internet experience. It also comprises of inbuilt tools that permit subscribers to make and edit limitless offline websites as well as upload local materials.
Approximately six percent of the information within the e-granary digital library is not accessible on the public internet as majority of the materials need payment or subscription.
The platform can be used by companies to store their records, which cuts down the cost of connectivity. This is actually one of the key projects by the US Embassy since it collaborated with the KNLS.
The e-granary server was donated by the US Embassy under the American Corner project.