By Andrew Walyaula
waliaualaandrew0@gmail.com
Thedigitization of the McMillan library which started in 2020 will cost Shs 10 million. The digitization is described in Nairobi’s annual development plan for the financial year ending Jun 30, 2023.
The move seeks to allow the public to access Kenya’s archives among other reading materials.
Apart from the Nairobi County Government, the British Council and Book Bunk are also involved in the project which will enable e-learners, library users, researchers and readers across the world to access Kenya’s history.
Six million will be channeled towards automating services at the facility while three million will be for digitizing materials.
The digitization also aims to transform two other libraries into accessible and safe community spaces.
The project will also offer training to a cohort of Nairobi residents on promotion, management, and care of collections through workshops by the African Digital Heritage Foundation.
The McMillan library is the oldest in Nairobi and second largest in Kenya. It was built by Lady Lucy McMillan in 1931 as a memorial to her husband, Sir Northrup McMillan who died in 1925.
It is the only building protected by an Act of Parliament: The McMillan Memorial Library Act Cap 217 of 1938, which was revised in 2012.
