Building Knowledge Societies Abdul Waheed Khan Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Durban ::: 19 August 2007 E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century Bonn :: November 2006 New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Libraries and Knowledge – Library mottos ….. sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. Library of Congress, USA Acting as a referral centre purveying full and accurate knowledge. National Library, India Knowledge for the nation National Library, South Africa The world’s knowledge The British Library, UK

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Central Role of Knowledge for Development Knowledge Economic Growth Cultural Enrichment Social Development Political Empowerment

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Millenium Development Goals

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Turning information into knowledge Apply information Adapt to social and local context Develop skills, know-how, experience Be empowered Understand information

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Human Development Index Human development seems to slowly advance in all parts of the world Trends of the Human Development Index (HDI) Source: UNDP Human Development Report, 2006

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Digital Divide Access to ICTs grows steadily, but ‘digital divide’ persists. Percentage of world population with telephone subscriptions, PCs and internet connections, Source: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2006

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Social Transformation “Half a hectare of land and one year of labour were required to feed one person in 1900; whereas that same half-hectare now feeds 10 persons on the basis of just one and a half days of labour”. UNESCO Science Report Agricultural Society Industrial Society Knowledge Societies Machines to multiply muscle power Knowledge to multiply brain power

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Technology Transformation

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August A World of Contrast Ignorance Poverty Marginalization Exclusion Knowledge Prosperity Globalization Inclusion Knowledge Divide or Digital Divide

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO’s concept of Knowledge Societies Freedom Inclusiveness Diversity Empowerment

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO and library development Importance of library work since creation of UNESCO Linked to UNESCO’s mandate to:  Advance mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples  Maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge  Assure the conservation and protection of the world’s inheritance of books Flagship projects (Library of Alexandria, National and University Librtary of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Library of Latvia)

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August Libaries and WSIS Relatively high profile of libraries at WSIS Several references to libraries in WSIS documents including:  Develop national policies and laws to ensure that libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions can play their full role of content - including traditional knowledge - providers in the Information Society, more particularly by providing continued access to recorded information  Support to digitization projects and protection of digital heritage  Projects to the development of virtual libraries  Support to development of standards for metadata

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO/IFLA cooperation - General Enable libraries and librarians to participate more fully in the emerging information society Implementing jointly Geneva Plan of Action Establishing common strategic approaches and projects to implement library-related parts Focus on  libraries and community access  information literacy  role of libraries to ensure cultural diversity.  new digital and hybrid library services worldwide,

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO/IFLA cooperation – Digital Libraries Potentials  Enhance universal access  Enhance culturally and linguistically divers content of the web  Create ubiquitous library services  Make local content globally available Challenges  Sustainability of digital library infrastructure, capacity building and availability of local content  Multilingualism  Governance, funding  Regulatory challenges (intellectual property regimes, censorship)  Architectural options: usability, metadata, interoperability  Long-term preservation

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO/IFLA cooperation – Networking Develop and publish national (and local) standards and guidelines for libraries Provide model library services to demonstrate ‘best practice’ Initiate and offer professional librarian training programmes Help to identify funds for library projects Initiate and fund research projects related to library activities and development

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESVO/IFLA cooperation - Library manifestos Two declarations of principles to guide creation and operations of public libraries and school libraries worldwide:  Public Library Manifesto (1994) Public library as a living force for education, culture and information, and essential agent for fostering of peace and spiritual welfare  School Library Manifesto (1999) Defining and advancing the role of school libraries and resource centres in enabling students to acquire the learning tools and learning content that allow them to develop their full capacities; to continue to learn throughout their lives; and to make informed decisions.

E-Learning: Universities in 21st Century New Delhi ::: 6 August 2007 Building Knowledge Societies Durban ::: 19 August UNESCO/IFLA cooperation - Preservation Memory of the World Programme Charter on the preservation of the digital heritage