Regional Work shop on Information

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Regional Work shop on Information Knowledge
Management for Development Addis Ababa
27th-30th Mar, 2006 The Role of Governments in
Planning Developing Digital Libraries in
Developing Countries Paper presented by
Prof..Radia Adam Mohamed
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• Introduction
• The second half of the 20th century witnessed a
  real, drastic organic changes in the global
  society affected many scholarly fields such as
  administration, business management, economics
  etc.such fundamental changes could not be
  compared to any thing , but to those changes
  caused by the industrial revolution took place in
  the c18th the c19th
• The Information Revolution
• The Electronic Communication Revolution
• ICT

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• Why Know
  About It
• For Use
• effectively and productively at different levels
  (4Rs)
• - personal rationale
• -workforce rationale
• -educational rationale
• -societal rationale
  
  

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• ICT benefits Tips
• Information capabilities
• new technologies for prosperity and welfare
• But!!!
• Drawbacks
• -predictability(lacking)
• -complexity
• -novelty

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• The ICT Environment
• Three main core issues covers ICT environment
  adequately
• - Information Technology
• - Digitization in particular
• - knowledge or information- based economy
• These are our concern especially when relating
  ICT to development in developing countries LDCs,
  and countries with economies in transition
• - ICT IS ATOOL OF CHANGE
  
  

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• Salient Facts to be Borne in Mind
• There is a correlation between telecommunication
  and economic growth manifested in economic
  transactions
• reduction in cost
• Think of the (E) culture new modalities
• quick house hold services
• fast adequate connectivity
• data transmission
• access to remote areas
• distance education capacity building
• 
  
  
  

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• ICT traditional societies
• Sudan case
• Introduction of ICT should go hand in hand with
  social mobility
• Two distinct social strata
• Impact of ICT is expected to transform lie life
• the remarkable tiger- leap of Sudatel should not
  be overlooked.
• TRUE internet is still is an urban phenomenon
  But!
• wireless technology is gaining momentum, mobile
  society is nearing
• Distribution of ICT is not even

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• ICT Pre-requisites
• Favourable social conditions conducive to
  diffusion
• Affordability to set the right infrastructure
• Knowledge expertise for adequate utility
• Right contact with he source origin of
  technology to maximize benefits minimize
  inhibition alienation
• E, Rogers suggests that diffusion occurs rapidly
  between homophiles

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• Digital Transmission Up date
• ICT is a technology that doesnt take a rest
• Evolution of almost all the existing services is
  prompt sudden
• DBS
• TV- based activities
• Wireless services
• Cable TV

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• Digitization
• Hot issue ,
• Librarians , concerned involved
• Definition process of converting any thing
  physical or analogue item in to electronic
  representation or facsimile
• Has many good qualities
• Availability of information
• Access
• Directness/ Physical location not needed (user/
  indexer)
• Build up virtual communication
• 
  
  
  
  

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• Immediacy of accession
• Reduction of cost / maximum gaining as a result
  of efficient connectivity inter-operability of
  numerous data
• D Baker gives a good account of gains if we go
  digital
• -Quick multiple access points to materials
• -Provision of alternative access to originals
  
• - Preservation of the physical originals
• - Enhancement of the content
• -Integration of Information to other type of
  provisions
• -I integration of different media/
  collections via one access

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• Digital Libraries
• Virtual Libraries are transforming the image of
  Information provision
• Definition A library that maintain all or a
  substantial part of its collection in computer-
  processible form as an alternative, supplement,
  or complement to the conventional printed and
  micro-film materials that currently dominate
  library collections
• Real challenge here is how to correlate
  traditional methodologies with new technologies
• ICT industry in itself is a great solid
  contribution to the GDP (USA)
• World is calling now for Information Society
  Knowledge- based economy

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• Knowledge Management
• Shift from Information management to Knowledge
  management is often referred to as the Paradigm
  Shift
• Application of KM means
• generating new knowledge
• accessing valuable knowledge from out side
  sources
• using accessible knowledge in decision-making
• Embedding knowledge in processes, products, and/
  or services
• Representing knowledge in documents, databases
  and software
• Facilitating knowledge growth via culture
  incentives
• Transferring existing knowledge into other parts
  of the organization etc.

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• 
  
  
  
  
  Essence of KM
• Asset Utilization
• Knowledge Evaluation
• Knowledge Improvement
• Knowledge Accumulation
• Knowledge Generation
• Knowledge Sharing
• Knowledge Production

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• Policy for ICT. Acquisition in DCs
• For development sustainability ICT is a priority
  issue
• Bridging the gap in opportunities for those with
  limited access
• Inequality continues to exist even in developed
  countries
• Inequality is seen in
• -terms of level of technology
  (Infrastructure)
• -terms of level of connectivity Internet
  Hosts,PCs,Internet users etc.
• Level of access Level of income, which is a true
  measure of the digital divide

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• What do we need ?
• In a nut shell
• General policy Vision, policies on ICT
  environment
• Network Infrastructure
• Technology development
• Technology diffusion
• Diffusion in business
• IT skills education, training, initiatives
• Global International Co-operation
• These visions should be interpreted in to
  practical steps

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Practical Steps 1- Adequate Connectivity 2-
Access 3- Last but not least Policy
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• Role of Governments in developing Strategies
• Visions
• ICT is an enabler of sustainable development
• ICT is the right catalyst for social change
• DL helps bringing innovations via RD
• Clear-cut visions are reflected in adequate
  planning retrospective, current futuristic
• Sudan Visions should address the following
  aspects
• 1- Endorsement of ICT in development
  establishment of DLs
• 2- To educate the 90 of the illiterate
  population
• 3- To cater for availability of required
  Information

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• Practical Steps cont.
• Legislation
• National Body
• Infrastructure
• Capacity Building
• Current Awareness

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• Sudan Attributes for DLs
• Basic Information
• Status of ICT/ ICM in the Sudan
• Wire line Telephone Net work
• Installed lines 1,5000,000
• Subscribers 990,000
• Switches 238
• International Gateways 2
• Fiber routes(km) 6600

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• Gezira Telephone Net work
• National back bone
• Internet Connectivity
• Fundamental issues are overlooked
• -Affordability
• -Accessibility
• -ICT in development is incidental
• - Capacity building not well catered for

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• Evaluation of present Situation
• Mobile Network
• PCs
• DLs in the Sudan
• National Electronic Library SNEL
• Some Basic Information
• Conclusions

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Thank YOU FOR BEING WITH ME RADIA