HEC National Digital Library Program – A Comprehensive Guide

The evolution of technology has significantly simplified various aspects of our lives, including education. In the era before the internet, to properly research, one had to go through many books, articles, journals, etc. However, now you can do the research with just a few clicks. But still, there are some limitations and access issues. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) has solved this by introducing a digital library for students, teachers, and researchers. HEC oversees all matters concerning higher education in the country. Its responsibilities range from formulating and implementing higher education curricula to attesting degrees, along with providing scholarships at both national and international levels. In this article, we will cover all details about the HEC National Digital Library programme.

What is the HEC National Digital Library Programme?

The National Digital Library Programme (NDLP) is a nonprofit e-learning platform with an extensive collection of e-books and research material. The digital library’s website indicates the availability of approximately 75,000 electronic content items for researchers to access at their convenience.

One of the key responsibilities of the Education Commission is to promote research in the country. To fulfil this duty, the commission collaborates with various national and international organizations, granting researchers access to scholarly articles. This platform not only benefits students and researchers but also plays a crucial role in enabling faculty members to deliver quality content to their students.

Digital Library Resources

A user can access countless high-quality databases and peer-reviewed journals with the help of the national digital library programme.

A user will have access to two types of resources:

• Basic Resources
• Premium Resources

Basic Resources

These resources are made available to affiliated universities, colleges, and academic and research institutes across the country.

These resources include:

• ASTM
• INFORMS
• Ovid
• PQDT
• Springer Link
• Taylor & Francis (T&F)
• Wiley

Premium Resources

To get the premium resources, universities have to apply for it. A limited number of private universities offer premium resources as they are a bit expensive. These include:

• ACM
• ACS
• AIP
• Emerald
• IEEE
• IOP
• JSTOR
• Science Direct
• Scopus (HEC Only)
• Web of Science (HEC Only)

Affiliated Institute with HEC Digital Library

Several public and private institutes are affiliated with the National Digital Library Programme. Here are some of the most well-known universities in both sectors that provide HEC digital library facilities to its students:

Public Universities

• Air University (Islamabad)
• Institute of Space Technology (Islamabad)
• Quaid-e-Azam University (Islamabad)
• COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (Islamabad)
• Kinnaird College for Women (Lahore)
• King Edward Medical University (Lahore)
• University of Engineering & Technology (Lahore)
• Dow University of Health Sciences (Karachi)
• Pakistan Naval Academy (Karachi)
• NED University of Engineering & Technology (Karachi)
• University of Karachi

Private Universities

• Capital University of Science & Technology (Islamabad)
• Riphah International University (Islamabad)
• Foundation University (Islamabad)
• Punjab Law College (Rawalpindi)
• Lahore School of Economics
• University of Management & Technology (Lahore)
• Lahore University of Management Sciences
• University of South Asia (Lahore)
• Aga Khan University (Karachi)
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah University (Karachi)
• Commecs Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences (Karachi)
• Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (Karachi)
• PAF-KIET (Karachi)
• Institute of Business Management (Karachi)

These are the lists of some famous universities. If you wish to see the complete list of universities and research institutes affiliated with the HEC national digital library, you can visit the following webpage, http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/institutes.php.

How to Access HEC Digital Library

If you are looking to access HEC digital library as an individual you first need to make sure your institute is affiliated with the e-library. If your institute is associated with this learning platform, then all you need to do is follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Visit http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/institutes.php
• You will find the institutes to be divided according to the sector they belong to
• Click on the sector your institute belongs to
• You will now find the institutes to be divided as per the region they are located in
• Click on the name of your institute
• You will be redirected to a page, that shows the list of content you will be allowed to access
• Contact the institutional representative regarding the matter, they will provide you with the credentials to access the material

How to Register for HEC Digital Library

In case your university isn’t associated with the National Digital Library Programme, visit the webpage and follow the below-mentioned steps: http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/app_form.html

• Download the form
• Fill the form
• The information you will require will include the name and type of institution, details about the contact person, signature of the applicant and  the head of the institution
• Once the form is filled, make sure there are no spelling mistakes and send it to Mr. Muhammad Asim Khan at the following email address: [email protected]
• The subject line of the email must be “Registration Form”

Both public and private educational institutions are eligible to apply. Now that you know about the HEC online Library registration process, let’s take a quick look at the eligibility criteria for it.

Eligibility Criteria

The National Digital Library cannot be accessed at an individual level; one can access it only through an affiliated institute.

The institutes need to fulfil the eligibility criteria, to be registered with the digital library. Here is the eligibility criteria for this program:

• Degree-awarding public and private sector universities that HEC recognizes
• Institutes operating under HEC-recognized institutes
• Non-profit research institutes
• Teaching hospitals
• Higher education colleges
• Other organizations that are recognized by HEC

Institutes that cannot access the National Digital Library fall under the below-mentioned criteria:

• Universities not recognized by HEC
• Military institutes or the ones affiliated with the military, except the ones recognized by HEC
• Atomic or nuclear research and development institutes

Terms and Conditions

Before registering your institute with the HEC digital library, you must thoroughly go through the terms and conditions put forward by HEC. Here are some of the conditions that you must follow if you wish to avail the services:

• Participants must not take any of the materials for financial advantage
• Copyrights of all the publishers affiliated with the National Digital Library must be respected
• You can not use downloaded copies for public use
• All educational institutions accessing the digital library must strictly adhere to all the terms and conditions mentioned above.

You can find the detailed terms and conditions on the Digital Library’s webpage.

FAQs

Q. Does the subscribing institute have to undertake an agreement for DL access?

Ans: Yes, the subscribing institute has to execute an agreement with HEC for compliance with the terms and conditions of the subscribed resources.

Q. Can an individual subscribe to HEC DL?

Ans: You can subscribe to HEC DL at the institutional level. An individual can get access to digital resources through a library or facility established at any institution or HEC (main office or regional centres).

Q. What are basic resources?

Ans: These resources are provided countrywide to universities, colleges and other academic and research institutes.

​Q. What are Premium Resources?

Ans: These resources are provided to limited public and private sector universities/institutes based on demand and availability of licenses.