A study of the factors involved in the development of information technology in higher education libraries in the Arab countries with special reference to Kuwait
[Thesis]
Al-Anzi, Khalid Sghayyer
De Montfort University
1995
Ph.D.
De Montfort University
1995
The developed countries are_moving swiftly and steadily towardselectronic information handling and exchange. The speed ofthis progress needs to be matched in Higher Education librariesin the Arab countries to cope with the advancement of researchand scientific activity. There are hundreds of academiclibraries in Arab countries with an enormous wealth of librarycollections and a rapid growth of potential library users.This study aims to investigate the main factors involved in thedevelopment of IT, Arabisation, cooperation and telematics, inthe AC Higher Education libraries with special reference toKuwait. Kuwait has suffered severely owing to the Iraqiinvasion in August 1990. Most of its Higher Educationlibraries are in the process of being rebuilt. Therefore, thisstudy comes at a suitable time to analyse the requirements forthe implementation of IT at this stage.critical literature review has been carried out to examinethe three main aspects namely,, IT, Arabisation, cooperationand telematics. A questionnaire survey was conducted inselected university libraries in AC. A field work study and acomprehensive survey including questionnaires, interviews andobservations, were conducted in the Higher Education librariesin Kuwait specif icallY. This included a detailed study ofuser opinions, regarding IT, Arabised library system andcooperation and telematicsThe study shows that university libraries in AC are still at anearly stage in the development of IT, Arabisation andcooperation and telematics and most of the progress in thisfield is to be found in certain GCC countries.Although KU and PAAET are the only two Higher Educationalinstitutes in Kuwait their libraries lack IT, Arabisation andcooperation and telematics. Library users are dissatisfiedwith the current traditional library system and services beingused and offered in these libraries. Both librarians andlibrary users, although they have limited IT backgrounds, havehigh expectations and positive attitudes to the importance of-the above IT facilities for improving their library services.The study identifies the main critical issues affecting IT,Arabisation and cooperation and telematics in Kuwait HigherEducation libraries and explores possible solutions andpractical recommendations. This study also considers whetherthe results of the Kuwait study could be generalised to applyto other similar Arab countries