Information policy: Content and challenges for an effective knowledge society

Information policy is the set of strategies and actions defined at a geographical or institutional level in order to satisfy information needs expressed by people and assure development goals. With the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), new stakeholders appear, including both information producers and consumers, raising problems relative to authenticity, reliability, and evaluation of information, and also the problem of full and effective use of information technology. As information policy aims at providing access to timely information, it should attempt also to make people fluent with technology. Toward achieving this objective some challenges are faced which are related to access to technology, computer literacy, ability to read and write, and early childhood development.     

The role of educational information systems for survival in information society and the case of Pakistan

The study reviews the important role of information systems and their impact on educational planning and development. It also attempts to identify gaps in the provision of information needed by educational administrators who are key planners of education enterprise in Pakistan. It intended to determine their views about the development, objectives and needed services of a user centered information system for educational administrators. To achieve these objectives, a literature review, questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted. Thus, the educational administrators (i.e., registrars/deans/chairpersons in universities and principals of schools and colleges) were identified as the target population for the survey and were selected through cluster sampling. The respondents were from the Punjab province and Islamabad Capital Territory. In total, 297 (99%) responses were received and analyzed quantitatively. Interviews of purposively selected educational administrators were also conducted for a more in-depth understanding of respondents’ points of view. This triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods helped in understanding the phenomena under study. Recommendations and conclusions are also drawn in the light of findings of the study. The study is the first one of its type that tried to probe the gaps in the process of accurate/valid information supply to educational administrators and planners. This gap is causing serious challenges for education in Pakistan.     

Managing indigenous knowledge for sustainable agricultural development in developing countries: Knowledge management approaches in the social context

This paper is based on a PhD study (Lwoga, 2009) that sought to assess the application of knowledge management (KM) approaches in managing indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. This study used a mixed-research method which was conducted in six districts of Tanzania. Non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups were used to collect primary data from small-scale farmers in the selected districts. A total of 181 farmers participated in the semi-structured interviews, where the respondents ranged between 27 and 37 per district. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted in the selected districts. The study revealed that IK was acquired and shared within a small, weak and spontaneous network, and thus knowledge loss was prevalent in the surveyed communities. There were distinct variations in the acquisition of agricultural IK both in different locations and between genders. Information and communication technologies (ICT), culture, trust, and status influenced the sharing and distribution of IK in the surveyed communities. The research findings showed that KM models can be used to manage and integrate IK with other knowledge systems, taking the differences into account (for example, gender, location, culture, infrastructure). The paper concludes with recommendations for the application of KM approaches for the management of IK and its integration with other knowledge systems for agricultural development in developing countries, including Tanzania.     

Measuring ICT usage quality for information society building

In 2003 the World Summit on Information Society made a call for measuring the state of Information Society (IS) building between countries. The purpose of the measuring was to assess and compare IS practices around the globe as well as share best practices. A number of measurement tools have since been developed, and a number of previously constructed tools have been employed to fulfil this goal. Even though many variations in terms of indicators have been employed, the construction of measurement tools is subject to certain limitations. One limitation is that they do not incorporate these indicators on the actual levels of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage off the country's stakeholders. This paper analyses the most currently used indices for measuring the state of Information Society building from the perspective of their constituent indicators. Based on the analysis, an alternative framework for IS measurement, addressing the important aspects of ICT usage quality, is developed based on data from the EU member states. By applying the framework on measuring of ICT usage quality at Romania, Cyprus and Estonia, the usefulness is tested positive, and the need to evaluate the actual levels of ICT usage for the purpose of better policy-making, while establishing an information society, is accentuated.     

公众信息素养教育:全球进展及我国的对策

信息素养自20世纪70年代在美国被提出之后,受到世界各国的普遍重视,联合国教科文组织、IFLA、欧盟委员会等国际组织均致力于通过教育提升全球公众的信息素养。本文通过系统梳理国内外公众信息素养教育领域的研究成果和实践探索资料,以及政府文件、会议记录、重要机构或项目的报告、指南、年鉴等文献,总结全球公众信息素养教育实践与理论研究的渊源、演变历程和实践现状。研究发现当前全球公众信息素养教育存在三个突出问题:整体水平不高,发展不平衡,研究滞后于实践。为提升我国公众信息素养教育水平,建议尽快出台专门政策和标准,鼓励多元主体参与,力求覆盖各类受众,采取多种教学方式,大力培养师资,合作建设资源,搭建交流平台和传播中国声音。表1。参考文献84。     

An empirical analysis of e-participation. The role of social networks and e-government over citizens' online engagement

The aim of this paper is to further explore the drivers behind the decision of citizens to engage in social and political participation on the internet, since mixed empirical evidence has been found in the literature. Using data from the 2011 survey on the use of information and communications technologies by households and individuals in Spain, the following two types of e-participation are analyzed: reading/giving opinions about social/political issues and signing/taking part in online petitions/public consultations. Relying on an updated version of the resources approach, we investigate as to what extent e-participation is explained not only by traditional participation-related resources (i.e., socio-economic characteristics) but also by digital skills, social networks and the online development of public administrations. Results show that, while online participation is mainly associated with internet-related skills, there is a significant gender gap. Interestingly, the unemployed tend to engage socially and politically online more than the rest of the population.     

Information policy, information access, and democratic participation: The national and international implications of the Bush administration’s information politics

Much of information policy is focused on establishing the parameters of information access—ensuring or limiting access to certain types of information. Given how central information access is to virtually every aspect of society, policy can be seen as one of the most significant forces influencing the information society. Recent events, however, have fueled changes in the ways that some governments use policy to shape access, none more significantly than the United States. This paper examines the meanings of and relationships between policy and access, as well as their key roles in society and democratic participation. Following an examination of the historical and social impacts of policies about access, the article analyzes the perspectives of the Bush administration on how policy should shape information access as an illustration of the relationships between policy and access. The paper examines the issues raised by the Bush administration’s views on access and policy and the implications of their policies for the United States, for the global information society, and for research related to information. Ultimately, the paper raises questions about the extent to which information policies about access can be used for overtly political purposes, what might be described as “information politics,” without significantly altering the meaning of information access in a society.     

e-Government Adoption Model (GAM): Differing service maturity levels

This research has as its objective the discovery of the critical factors that enable citizens to adopt e-Government (e-Gov) at different stages of service maturity. To accomplish the objective, this research has explained the related concepts and theories and developed a research framework grounded on a strong theoretical and literature review background. The empirical study was conducted in Canada, which is a leader in providing mature e-Gov services. From our results, we have observed two ontological differences from the present literature in the adoption behavior of e-Gov where organizational and financial perspectives have distinct implications over parsimonious technology adoption behavior. First, technology adoption model (TAM), diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), and theory of planned behavior (TPB) cannot capture and specify the complete essence of e-Gov adoption behavior of citizens. Second, e-Gov adoption behavior also differs based on service maturity levels, i.e., when functional characteristics of organizational, technological, economical, and social perspectives of e-Gov differ. Our findings indicate the critical factors that enable citizens to adopt e-Gov at different stages of service maturity. Public administrators and policy-makers have potential implications from the findings of the adoption behavior of e-Gov at different maturity levels.     

Examining China's triple-network convergence plan: Regulatory challenges and policy recommendations

Technological convergence has challenged the wisdom of regulators around the world for years, especially since the boom of the internet in the early 1990s. Different approaches have been proposed to replace the legacy “silo” regulatory model. This is now a compelling issue in China, the world's largest developing country. The historical separation between telecommunications and television and the strict “silo” type of regulation have resulted in an asymmetric market where phone companies control the conduit and broadcasters dominate the content. However, the Chinese government has turned the convergence of telecommunication, television and internet into a national strategy. According to the State Council's ambitious plan, the Chinese government aims to achieve a competitive converged information industry and an accompanying clear, scientific and efficient regulatory regime by 2015. Drawing on the theory of fragmented authoritarianism, this paper examines China's uneven path to triple-network convergence. Theoretically, this paper complements the existing research on China's information policy, which is mostly one-shot and sector-specific, with a complete treatment of convergence policy evolution that involves both telecommunications and television. Practically, this paper finds that there are two remarkable characteristics in China's convergence policy-making, namely, the causal relationship between institutional and policy change and the consistent policy objectives, which will continue to shape to future to come. Based on the above findings, a sketch of the future regulatory regime and relevant policy recommendations are provided.     

澳大利亚中小学生信息素养教育实践与启示

文章通过网站调查,对澳大利亚各级政府、行业协会、中小学校等主体推动中小学生信息素养教育实践进行分析,并对我国中小学信息素养教育发展提出如下建议:修订国家课程计划,制定中小学各阶段无缝衔接的信息技术国家课程标准;发挥行业组织作用,充当各级政府与图书馆员沟通的桥梁和纽带;落实地方政府责任,因地制宜制定地方性信息素养教育创新策略;营造良好的校园氛围,注重教师与馆员协作以促进信息素养融入各学科教学;构建家校共育模式,鼓励社会力量参与中小学信息素养教育。     

Strategizing for Public Policy: The Information Literacy State Proclamation Project

This article describes a project designed to raise the awareness of policymakers about the importance of information literacy to achieve societal goals. Issues benefit from the governmental support, prioritization, mandates, and funding that can result when there is policy behind them. Studies indicate that many people lack the ability to draw on quality sources of information for a variety of purposes. Attention by policymakers would accelerate the inclusion of information literacy in settings such as education, workforce training, citizenship preparation, and lifelong learning. One way to raise awareness of policymakers is by recommending a proclamation to government executives.     

图书情报学（LIS）核心内容及其人才培养

采用历史文献法、比较法,从图书情报学（LIS）学科的历史、现况及与相关学科的对比三个方面,论证了LIS的核心内容。从文献与知识、信息与知识两方面看,知识的揭示、评价、组织、利用等是其核心内容;从文献的组织程度上看,二次文献、三次文献、各种专题数据库的编制及快报、述评论文的编写是其核心内容;从知识的形态、内容和效用看,知识内容和效用分析、评价、利用等是其核心内容;从组成信息、知识、智能系统的四大要素来看,知识与人员是其核心内容。在核心内容的基础上提出了核心课程、人才培养、学科与事业发展的构想。参考文献8。     

Exploring the Application of Information and Communication Technologies in the Acquisition of Information Resources in Three Academic Libraries in North-West Nigeria: Preliminary Findings

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) incursion has brought a lot of changes to libraries activities. ICTs are used to manage libraries more efficiently and in meeting customers’ demands more appropriately at the right time. Despite the contribution of ICTs to library and information work, many libraries are yet to adopt these technologies especially in the acquisitions of library materials. This study was carried out in three selected university libraries in North West Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: determine the influence of performance expectancy on academic librarians’ intention to use ICT for acquisition; establish the influence of effort expectancy on academic librarians’ intention to use ICT for acquisition; find out the extent of social influence and facilitating conditions on academic librarians’ intention to use ICT for acquisition and lastly to proffer recommendations. This study adopted a positivistic approach and used a questionnaire administered to 224 librarians to collect data in the three selected libraries. The study is guided by the Unified Theory Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) developed by Venkatesh. Findings from the study reveals that academic librarians are supportive on the use of ICT in their work; ICTs are significantly important, trainings were organized mainly for librarians on general use of ICT not only on acquisition, but also on the general issues related to library activities; librarians also have the knowledge necessary to use ICT for acquisition in their libraries. The study recommends among others that the parent universities should increase the funding of their libraries with adequate supervision, so that such funds are well utilized for ICTs application; university libraries should continually sponsor their academic staff on modern computerized ways of using ICTs to source for materials and the acquisition of information resources in academic libraries should be given all the seriousness it deserves by enacting legislation to allocate a reasonable percentage of the university’s budget to it.     

Resource Sharing in the ICT Era: The Case of Nigerian University Libraries

The paper examines how information and communication technology can be utilized for resource sharing among university libraries in Nigeria. It was based on the study and review of recent library and information science literature on both print and electronic resources. It discusses the meaning of information and communication technology, resource sharing practices, and how information and communication technology facilitates resource sharing. It traces the history of resource sharing among Nigerian libraries. The current state of information and communication technology application and utilization in Nigeria and its university libraries is revealed, with emphasis on university libraries that are located in different zones of the country. The paper examines challenges facing Nigerian University Libraries with respect to information and communication technology application and utilization for resource sharing, as well as to areas of library operations to which information and communication technology can be applied and utilized for resource sharing. It concludes by proffering solutions for viable information and communication technologies–based cooperation among university libraries in Nigeria.     

Graduate Business Students and Business Information Literacy: A Novel Approach

Currently the literature examining formal business information literacy (BIL) instruction and graduate business students focuses on the collaborative efforts between individual librarians and business school faculty members to bring information literacy into the classroom. This article argues that all graduate business students need formal BIL instruction to succeed in their studies and as business leaders. The unique decade-long collaboration between Hofstra University's Axinn Library and Frank G. Zarb School of Business is examined.     

Assessing internet access and use in a medically underserved population: implications for providing enhanced health information services

Background: The relationship between health information seeking, patient engagement and health literacy is not well understood. This is especially true in medically underserved populations, which are often viewed as having limited access to health information. Objective: To improve communication between an urban health centre and the community it serves, a team of library and information science researchers undertook an assessment of patients’ level and methods of access to and use of the Internet. Methods: Data were collected in 53 face‐to‐face anonymous interviews with patients at the centre. Interviews were tape‐recorded for referential accuracy, and data were analysed to identify patterns of access and use. Results: Seventy‐two percentage of study participants reported having access to the Internet through either computers or cell phones. Barriers to Internet access were predominantly lack of equipment or training rather than lack of interest. Only 21% of those with Internet access reported using the Internet to look for health information. Conclusion: The findings suggest that lack of access to the Internet in itself is not the primary barrier to seeking health information in this population and that the digital divide exists not at the level of information access but rather at the level of information use.     

Finding the skills for tomorrow: Information literacy and museum information professionals

This paper presents results from 21 semi-structured interviews with museum information professionals who were asked about their experiences working with information resources, tools, and technologies in museums. The interviews were analyzed to develop an understanding of the information literacy skills of museum information professionals. This paper presents the results of this analysis, and discusses the state of information literacy in museums, and the increasing need for museum information professionals to possess information literacy skills. The results illustrate how information literacy is defined by information professionals in museums, and how perceptions of information literacy and its importance to museums have changed over time.     

基于ACRL《高等教育信息素养框架》的大学信息素养教育生态系统构建——以香港城市大学图书馆为例

[目的/意义]理解ACRL《高等教育信息素养框架》（简称《框架》）中阈概念之间蕴含的逻辑关系以及教育层次，是构建大学信息素养教育生态系统的前提与基础。[方法/过程]将《框架》中信息素养的逻辑架构做立体层次性分析，以此为基础对信息素养的教育架构进行说明，并结合香港城市大学图书馆开展的"灯塔历史文化研究"项目案例，阐释大学信息素养教育生态系统构建的方法与过程。[结果/结论]信息素养教育生态系统的构建是以培养学生判断力、分析力、研究力为核心，包含通识教育、技能教育、拓展教育，以及多方人员和组织共同参与合作的完整教育过程，是培养学生信息素养可靠稳定的教育体系。