The 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Parliamentary Libraries of Eastern and Southern Africa (APLESA) began in Swakopmund.

This year's event is being held under the theme Parliamentary Libraries and Democracy in the Digital Age.

The Speaker of the National Assembly highlighted the role parliamentary libraries play in equipping legislators with information to execute their duties effectively.

Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that parliamentary libraries are sources of institutional memory, housing everything from legal documents and historic records to expert research. 

She noted that there has been a significant shift towards digital libraries that can provide access to books, audiovisual materials and other documents over the years.

The speaker stressed that Namibia's parliamentary library is embracing digital transformation through several initiatives aimed at modernising information services.

"The National Assembly strategic plan and the E-parliament strategy support the digitisation of parliamentary processes by improving access to online documents such as committee reports and order papers. Furthermore, the library envisions establishing a central digital archive to provide easy access to key parliamentary records such as debates."

Although digital libraries come with benefits, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said parliaments are still faced with numerous challenges, including insufficient funding allocated to ICT infrastructure.

"We ought to be aware of the negative effects, such as infringements of copyright laws, particularly when digitising and distributing material. There is therefore a need to ensure that these challenges are addressed. Lack of digital literacy can also severely hinder access to and use of digital resources. We need to capacitate the stakeholders."

APLESA president Dr. Isaiah Munyoro also addressed the gathering.

"Looking ahead, we remain committed to strengthening training and capacity development initiatives, ensuring that parliamentary libraries evolve as dynamic institutions and contribute to democracy in between the APLESA conference we are going to host and to hold capacity-building workshops. We assure you we are going to start with Namibia as our case study."

Twelve countries from eastern and southern Africa are attending the conference.