Members of Parliament have called on the Government to increase funding for libraries and research institutions amid rising costs of accessing scholarly information and the need to modernise library services.
The MPs said adequate investment in libraries was essential to supporting education, research and evidence-based policymaking, urging institutions to embrace innovation and collaboration to meet changing information needs.
They made the remarks during the 6th Kenya Libraries and Information Services Consortium (KLISC) International Conference in Mombasa, which brought together librarians, information professionals, university representatives and delegates from across East Africa and beyond.
The conference was held under the theme, “Innovate to Elevate: Collective Solutions for Sustainable Libraries.”
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee, Turkana West MP Daniel Nanok, said access to reliable information was critical to the work of Parliament and other public institutions.
He noted that decisions made by legislators must be informed by evidence and knowledge, adding that libraries play an important role in providing access to credible research materials.
Nanok commended KLISC for bringing together universities, research institutions and colleges to pool resources and negotiate access to electronic journals, databases and other scholarly materials that individual institutions would struggle to afford.
However, he warned that the rising cost of subscribing to electronic resources, most of which are priced in foreign currencies, continued to put pressure on institutional budgets.
“Access to research and scholarly information is, in a very real sense, public infrastructure for a knowledge economy. It sits alongside roads, power and connectivity as something that either enables or constrains the research and education agenda this country has set for itself,” he said.
Nanok pledged to engage relevant government offices, including the Ministry of Education, to explore ways through which the Government could partially fund electronic-resource subscriptions negotiated by KLISC on behalf of its members.
He urged the KLISC Governing Board to formally engage his committee and the National Assembly on the proposal, describing access to scholarly information as a shared national investment.
He said such support would benefit public universities and research institutions by making essential academic and research materials more affordable.
The committee chairperson also highlighted Parliament’s contribution to strengthening Kenya’s library and information management framework through the Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Bill, which he sponsored, seeks to amend the Books and Newspapers Act (Cap. 111) to modernise the country’s legal deposit framework and provide for the preservation of books and other published works in both physical and digital formats.
Once enacted, the proposed law will allow the Parliament of Kenya Library to serve as an additional repository for the country’s published literary and intellectual heritage.
Nanok said the reforms would strengthen the preservation of Kenya’s intellectual heritage while enabling libraries to respond to emerging technologies and changing information needs.
He added that libraries must embrace innovation to remain relevant as centres of knowledge while continuing to fulfil their core responsibility of preserving and providing access to information.
KLISC Chairperson Prof. Arnold Mwanza urged institutions to ensure that innovation remained people-centred, cautioning that technological advancement should not overshadow the needs of library users.
“As we embrace innovation, we must keep people in mind,” he said.
Meanwhile, MP Samuel Gachobe called on Parliament to support libraries through adequate budgetary allocations and resources.
He said libraries must continue evolving to remain relevant as centres of information and knowledge.
Gachobe cited the Library of Congress in the United States as an example of the importance of investing in institutions that preserve knowledge and provide public access to information.
The 6th KLISC International Conference provides a platform for library and information professionals to exchange experiences, showcase innovative initiatives and explore collaborative approaches to sustaining access to scholarly information.
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