In this fast pace world, the concept of e-learning is thriving.

It is all because of the

convenience provided by modern technologies like smart devices and high-speed
internet services. Owing to the easy availability of such electronic resources, the
concept of free online education in Pakistan also picked up the pace from the very
beginning of the twenty-first century.

Consequently, a much-need step was taken by the authorities in this regard. The
Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan launched the National Digital Library
Program (DL) in 2004. It was the very first digital library in Pakistan operating at a
national level.

Shortened as HEC Digital Library, this platform is based on non-profit e-learning

services. In this blog, we’ll find out more about this e-learning platform in Pakistan and
how it is benefiting the students all over the country.

MORE ABOUT HEC DIGITAL LIBRARY

HEC Digital Library is a non-profit e-learning portal (Source: HEC Official Website)
Based on a wide collection of e-books and research materials, the HEC National
Digital Library Program facilitates university and college students all over the country.
HEC online library can also be beneficial for faculty members of such educational
institutions. One of the biggest pros of this e-learning programme is that it’s a non-
profit platform. This makes it a good resource for free online education in Pakistan.

HEC Digital Library works in collaboration with many national and international
organisations. It helps it provide services like online research databases, e-journals,
and magazine subscriptions. Pakistan Research Repository, IEEE Computer Society,
and Chemical & Engineering News are a few fine examples in this regard. They have
also partnered with EBSCO Information Services to provide free internationally-
recognised medical journals.
As per HEC Digital Library’s official website, its database comprises a collection of
75,000 electronic contents. These contents are categorised as high-quality e-journals,
internationally-recognised e-books, research articles, and magazines. 

In the next section of our piece, we’ll discuss all the major educational institutions that
are affiliated with the programme.

HEC DIGITAL LIBRARY AFFILIATED INSTITUTES

Here we have put together a list of some of the major public and private sector
universities that are affiliated with the HEC National Digital Library Program. 

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

 Air University (Islamabad)

 COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (Islamabad)

 Institute of Space Technology (Islamabad)

 National University of Technology (Islamabad)

 Quaid-i-Azam University (Islamabad)

 Kinnaird College for Women (Lahore)

 University of Engineering & Technology (Lahore)

 King Edward Medical University (Lahore)

 Dow University of Health Sciences (Karachi)

 NED University of Engineering & Technology (Karachi)

 Pakistan Naval Academy (Karachi)

 University of Karachi

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

 Capital University of Science & Technology (Islamabad)

 Foundation University (Islamabad)

 Riphah International University (Islamabad)

  Punjab Law College (Rawalpindi)

 Lahore School of Economics

 Lahore University of Management Sciences

 University of Management & Technology (Lahore)

 University of South Asia (Lahore)

 Aga Khan University (Karachi)

 Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (Karachi)

 Mohammad Ali Jinnah University (Karachi)

 PAF-KIET (Karachi)

 Commecs Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences (Karachi)

For the complete list of universities and research institutions in this regard, you can
visit www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/institutes.php  from your web browser.

HOW TO ACCESS THE HEC DIGITAL LIBRARY

If you’re wondering how to access the HEC Digital Library, then you should take a
look at the following process, elaborated in a few simple steps.

 To access the digital library, first of all, you need to visit the above-given
address.

 Once you log on to the website, you’ll see a list of public/private and
research institutes, sorted region-wise. 

 Click on the name of your educational institution. It will redirect you to a

page with e-learning material. 

 Your university will provide credentials to access such material online.

 You can also download e-books, online research materials, and magazine
publications.
This is how you can access the digital library, which is a part of the non-profit HEC
National Digital Library Program.