The Science and Technology Academic and Research Based Openly Operated Kiosks, or STARBOOKS, is again named as a Priority Program, Project, Activity (PPA) under the 2018 National Priority Plan. This means that institutions who will partner with STARBOOKS can claim full tax deductions.
The National Priority Plan, crafted by the National Economic and Development Authority, is a list of the government’s priority programs, projects, and activities for different sectors of the country such as health, infrastructure, and education. For two years in a row, STARBOOKS has been named as a priority program under education.
Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia recommended that the DOST should “strengthen its advocacy to generate private sector donations” for the project.
Developed by the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute, STARBOOKS is a digital library that serves as one-stop repository of S&T information that can be updated regularly. It provides offline access to over 500,000 digitized journals, publications, technical and project reports, theses and dissertations, and directories.
STARBOOKS also contains both local and foreign S&T sources in text, video, and audio formats which can be accessed even without internet connectivity.
STARBOOKS plays a vital role in providing Filipinos S&T educational resources, especially to public libraries and school that have inadequate resources, especially in remote provinces. Since its implementation in 2012, STARBOOKS has already been installed in 2,627 sites across the country. Each year, STARBOOKS aims to expand its reach and add content with the help of partners. It has earned several awards for its unique and highly-relevant service.
STARBOOKS will be among the interesting exhibits at the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) this coming July 17-21, 2018 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. In line with the theme “Science for the People: Innovation for Collective Prosperity,” STARBOOKS will be featured under the exhibit cluster “STI @ School.”
The NSTW is DOST’s annual event that highlights the significant contributions of science and technology to national development. Exhibits, seminars, and demonstrations on topics in line with disaster preparedness, health, agriculture, and transportation will be held to emphasize S&T’s importance as a solution to pressing problems in our country.
