"Hibrary Online Library" Now Open to the Public to Promote Lifelong Learning
On February 3, 2022, Ms. Kanokwan Vilawan, Deputy Minister of Education, presided over the handover ceremony of the Hibrary Online Library Network Innovation, jointly developed by Hytexts Interactive Limited and Siam Chulamongkol Co., Ltd., to the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education (ONIE), Ministry of Education.
This project is an expansion of the success from the "35 Online Public Libraries" initiative, which offered free e-book access to people nationwide. To date, the system has recorded over 13,500 reading sessions, more than 4,500 e-book loans, and over 80,000 minutes of total reading time.
To further scale this progress, Hytexts Interactive Limited collaborated with Siam Chulamongkol to develop the Hibrary online library platform for ONIE. The goal is to create a model that can be extended to other educational agencies, enabling students and the public to easily and equitably access knowledge anytime, anywhere—truly fostering a lifelong learning society.
- Hibrary Online Library: Expanding Learning for All
Mr. Alexandre Hummel, CEO of Hytexts Interactive Limited, a company under Central Retail and the developer of the Hibrary platform, emphasized the importance of digitizing knowledge and delivering it through online systems. With the advancement of the internet, information can be transmitted and processed swiftly to support economic and social development and expand educational opportunities.
In Thailand, the use of digital media and e-books for education and entertainment has been rising steadily, in line with evolving media consumption habits and the growth of mobile, tablet, and e-reader usage. Publishers and content producers have adapted by offering more content in digital formats. Combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, this shift has accelerated the transition into the digital age.
The Hibrary system was designed to minimize development and maintenance costs for organizations while allowing more resources to be allocated toward acquiring new e-books and learning materials.
- Over 10,000 Legal Titles Available for Access
The Hibrary platform provides access to a wide range of digital content, including e-books, e-textbooks, e-magazines, and e-newspapers. These span all genres and include new releases and bestselling titles—over 10,000 legally licensed titles from more than 100 publishers.
Hibrary not only promotes legal content use but also generates revenue for publishers with a transparent and standardized rights management system. Publishers can track usage by organization and time period.
- Seamless Experience for Readers and Librarians
The user-friendly application supports PDF and EPUB formats, text-to-speech functionality for accessibility, and is available on iOS, Android, and via the web. Administrators can easily manage resources such as e-books, videos, and podcasts, while accessing in-depth usage analytics without incurring annual maintenance fees. The system is continuously updated to keep up with the latest OS versions and user needs.
Though launched just one year ago, Hibrary has seen rapid adoption and satisfaction across institutions. Weekly content updates and word-of-mouth recommendations have fueled its ongoing growth.
- Broad Adoption Across Institutions
Hibrary is now in use by a wide range of organizations, including government agencies, private companies, universities, schools, and public libraries. Notable users include:
- National Library of Thailand
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health
- Office of the Civil Service Commission
- Electricity Generating Public Company Limited
- PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited
- Kasetsart University
- King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
- King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
- Wattana Wittaya Academy
- Kasetsart University Laboratory School
- Kamnoetvidya Science Academy
- Satree Phuket School
- ...and many more.
- 1,500 Free E-books at ONIE Public Library
Mr.Phasitsadtakun Jullamonthon, Director of Information Technology at Siam Jullamonthon Co., Ltd., explained that the pandemic significantly impacted both formal and informal education, prompting a shift to online learning and limiting physical access to libraries.
To address this, Hibrary offers a turnkey solution to digitize library services. Through successful pilot programs and reading initiatives, ONIE adopted the Hibrary platform as a prototype at the Wang Chan Kasem Learning Center.
Now open for trial to staff, students, and nearby communities, the platform offers access to over 1,500 free e-book titles, with projected users reaching 3,000.
- Expanding Further Across the Country
With Ministry of Education support for legal digital content and growing demand from institutions, Hibrary is expected to expand nationwide. It aligns with the vision for modern education—ensuring equal access to resources and learning opportunities across all areas.
Interested organizations of any size can learn more or request a trial at www.hibrary.me, call 02-024-6690, or contact@hibrary.me
