Five years after it was devastated by the ravaging flood, the soft
launch by President Prof. Worsak also marks the first-ever major
facelift for the library that was constructed nearly four decades ago.
In a touching speech at the inauguration, Prof. Worsak recalled the
fateful day on 21 October 2011, when flood waters swamped the AIT
campus and devastated the ground floor of the AIT library. For two
months the ground floor of the AIT library was under water, and it
seemed like a hopeless situation, Prof. Worsak reminisced. But this
crisis also provided an opportunity and the Institute decided to
rebuild the library as a showcase of user-friendly learning space,
using the latest technology and digital publications.
Graced by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Honorary Chair of the
International Advisory Committee of AIT’s Library Modernization
campaign, Prof. Worsak launched a fundraising drive that yielded nearly
80 million Baht. Engraved names of donors on glass panels is one of the
many ways in which sponsors have been acknowledged; besides a tree-like
panel highlighting the major donors, and naming of rooms and facilities
after significant benefactors.
Prof. Worsak remarked that the new AIT Library is a learning space
where “multimedia facilities, digital repositories, and wonders of
modern technologies and interior design converge to create a learning
space and meeting places for scholarly discussion and intellectual
reflection.”
He added that the soft opening would allow users to ascertain and
ensure that all library systems are functioning properly, and that an
official opening of the library will be scheduled later in the
year.
Witnessed by members of the AIT community sporting the badge "I'm @
Modern AIT Library - First Day Badge," the opening of the library saw a
number of events beginning with a merit making ceremony on 17 January
2017. The soft inauguration on 20 January was following by
demonstration and training of library facilities and equipment.
The highlights of the modernized library include a
video-teleconference room, online studio, group study rooms, online
search, ebooks and eJournals, self check-out and a 24-hour book drop
facility. The cynosure of all eyes was “LibRobo,” a robot designed by
AIT’s Mechatronics Laboratory that circulates around the reading areas,
and fetches returned books.
M.L.Thanisa Choombala of AIT’s Language Center was the emcee of the
inauguration. Later in the evening, a concert was organized by the AIT
Students’ Union at the Knowledge Garden — a unique green serene place
specially designed for users and strategically located in the library
compound.
LINKS
MODERNISATION PLAN: of the AIT library modernization
plan can be viewed at this link: http://modernlibrary.ait.ac.th/
SPEECH: The inaugural speech by President Worsak can
be read here: https://oldweb.ait.ac.th/news-and-events/2017/news/profworsaksoftopeningspeech.pdf
PHOTO ALBUMS
Merit Making (17 January 2017): http://tiny.cc/9zsmiy
Soft Opening (20 January 2017): http://tiny.cc/wysmiy
