Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) conducted its maiden library week from 19th to 22nd August 2025. The event took place at the two MUST campuses; Town and Kihumuro Campus. The first two days 19th to 20th were at Town campus while the last two days were at Kihumuro. The teaching and non teaching staff of MUST, library staff, the gallant undergraduate and graduate students actively participated in this event.
The Dean of Students, Mr. Emmanuel Kyagaba launched the library week on Tuesday 19th August at the Town Campus. He congratulated the library team for coming up with innovative ways of increasing the visibility of the library in the University. In his speech, he inspired the students most especially the first years to take advantage of the variety of library resources to enrich their different academic pursuits on campus. He reminded the patrons that we are living in a dynamic world where almost all the traditional ways of doing things are being disrupted by the emerging technologies however the library service remains a very critical component of higher education. Both staff and students ought to recognize it, celebrate and actively engage with it as the very heart of their academic life in the university.
The theme of this year’s Library Week was: Empowering minds, increasing access and enriching the future. Throughout the week, a series of exciting and enriching activities were done. Among these were;
- Library Tours – Patrons, most especially first years were guided around the library buildings where they were shown the different library collections, spaces, and services.
- Book Exhibitions – MUST community is made up of different scientific disciplines. All these disciplines are supported by the rich library collection. The exhibition showcased the curated selections from the library print and digital collections, rare finds, topical themes, and faculty publications.
- Patron Registration Drives – This being the beginning of the academic year 2025/26, there was no better time to register new library users and enable them to unlock access to all the library services and collections.
- Library Systems Demonstrations – Firsthand demonstrations on how to search smarter and access library databases efficiently was done. Patrons were shown how to make the most of the library catalogue and other discovery tools.
- E-Resources Access Sessions – The patrons got a chance to see and learn how to navigate the wealth of electronic journals, e-books, databases, and academic tools available at their fingertips, anytime, anywhere.
The library week was an opportunity to recognize the library as not just a repository of books, but as a partner in academic success. The students discovered the role of the library in their academic journey. The faculty and researchers also appreciated the role the library plays in supporting their quest for knowledge, innovation and academic excellence as they engage in teaching, research and community engagement. To the library staff, we are very grateful: for their tireless commitment in maintaining these library spaces where knowledge lives and grows. Let’s all continue connecting with the boundless possibilities that MUST library can offer.
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