This keynote address was made at the second international conference of the Lebanese Library Association in Beirut under the title of Thinking together: innovate, share, preserve and access.

1. Thinking Together:
Innovate, Share, Preserve and Access
Lebanese Library Association Conference
Lebanese American University,
Beirut, Lebanon
May 18-20, 2016

2. The changing role of libraries in
the knowledge-based economy and
sustainable development
Dr Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Vice-President
Knowledge, Research and Ethics
e-Marefa

3. Introduction
Changes in the environment:
• Globalization;
• Domination of English language on the Internet;
• Exponential increase of vetted and un-vetted information on
the Internet (flood);
• The level of penetration of information and communication
technology (connected world) including mobile technology;
• Awareness of the climate change, environment, global health,
global warming, etc.
• Social media and participation by individuals, society and
crowd-sourcing;
• Transparency and more democratic access to information
(openness);
• Persistence of the know-do-gap;
• Emerging of the knowledge economy.

4. Introduction
• Internet penetration and social media in the Arab world;
• Humble presence of Arabic language on the Internet;
• Bias towards social sciences, religion and arts in the Arabic
Internet content;
• Increased capacity for computing power using Arabic
language;
• “Unmeasured” increase in knowledge production in the Arab
world;
• Emerging of knowledge economy in some Arab countries. The
shift in economic production from material-based to knowledge-based. Some Arab
countries have developed strategies for future knowledge economy;
• Emerging of a generation of knowledge workers in the Arab
world;

5. Introduction
• The library user has changed:
• Empowered by availability of and access to technology
and media (ubiquitous access);
• Empowered by availability of and access to information
not necessary in the local library;
• They are global citizens, multidisciplinary, multilingual
and self-aware;
• More aware of global issues: climate change, economic
crisis, Arab "spring;
• More person-centered;
• Part of social, knowledge and/or professional networks.

6. Introduction
Have libraries changed from their traditional
role of?
– managing the lifecycle of the library collections
such acquisition, organization, maintenance,
circulation, weeding, etc.
– connecting users to these collections through
catalogues, indexes, bibliographies, etc.
– Users of information technology innovations.

7. What is knowledge society?
• A knowledge society generates, shares and makes
available to all members of the society knowledge
that may be used to improve the human condition. A
knowledge society differs from an information
society in that the former serves to transform
information into resources that allow society to take
effective action while the latter only creates and
disseminates the raw data.
Source: Castelfranchi, C. (2007). Six critical remarks on science and the construction of
the knowledge society. Journal of Science Communication, 6(4), 1-3.

8. What is knowledge economy?
• A knowledge economy is one where organizations and
people acquire, create, disseminate, and use knowledge
more effectively for greater economic and social
development.
Source: World Bank: a framework for knowledge based
economy.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/WBIPROGRAMS/KFDLP/0,,contentMDK:2026
9026~menuPK:461205~pagePK:64156158~piPK:64152884~theSitePK:461198,00.html#Knowledge
• The Knowledge Index is "…the country's ability to
generate, adopt and diffuse knowledge". The KI is the
simple average of the normalized scores of a country or
a region on the key variables in three knowledge
economy pillars -education, innovation and ICT.
Source: World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/

9. What is sustainable development?
"Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own
needs."
Source: World Commission on Environment and Development’s
(the Brundtland Commission) report Our Common Future.
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).

10. UN Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
officially known as “Transforming our world: the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”,
are an intergovernmental set of aspirational
Goals with 169 targets. The Goals are contained
in paragraph 54 of the United Nations Resolution
A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015.
Source: https://documents-dds-
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N15/291/89/PDF/N1529189.pdf?OpenElement

11. Knowledge-based
Sustainable Development Goals
Knowledge (information and data), research,
innovation and information
technology in the SDGs

12. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Para 15 of the resolution stated that “The spread
of information and communications technology
and global interconnectedness has great potential
to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital
divide and to develop knowledge societies, as
does scientific and technological innovation
across areas as diverse as medicine and energy”.
• Para 24: ensuring universal access to …
information and education.

13. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Para 25: should have access to life-long learning
opportunities that help them to acquire the
knowledge and skills needed to exploit
opportunities and to participate fully in society.
• Para 27: a healthy and well-educated workforce
with the knowledge and skills needed for
productive and fulfilling work and full
participation in society.
• Para 48: Data and information from existing
reporting mechanisms should be used where
possible.

14. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 2c: …access to market information,
• Goal 2.3: double the agricultural productivity
and incomes by … equal access to land, other
productive resources and inputs, knowledge,
financial services, markets and opportunities
for value addition and non-farm employment
• Goal 2.5: … from the utilization of genetic
resources and associated traditional
knowledge, as internationally agreed.

15. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 3.7: ensure universal access to sexual and
reproductive health-care services, including for family
planning, information and education.
• Goal 4.4: expand enrolment in higher education,
including vocational training and information and
communications technology.
• Goal 4.7: ensure that all learners acquire the
knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development.
• Goal 5b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in
particular information and communications
technology, to promote the empowerment of women.

16. Knowledge-based SDGs
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote
inclusive and sustainable industrialization and
foster innovation
Goal 9.c: Significantly increase access to
information and communications technology
and strive to provide universal and affordable
access to the Internet in least developed
countries by 2020”.

17. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 9.5: substantially increasing the number of
research and development workers per 1
million people and public and private research
and development spending.
• Goal 12.8: ensure that people everywhere have
the relevant information and awareness for
sustainable development and lifestyles in
harmony with nature.
• Goal 12c: integrate sustainability information into
their reporting cycle.

18. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 14.5: conserve based on the best
available scientific information.
• Overall goal: Enhance scientific research and
increase investment and support in
agricultural research, research and
development of vaccines and medicines, clean
energy research and technology,.

19. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 16.10: Ensure public access to
information and protect fundamental
freedoms, in accordance with national
legislation and international agreements.
• Goal 17.6: access to science, technology and
innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on
mutually agreed terms.
• Goal 17.8: enhance the use of enabling
technology, in particular information and
communications technology.

20. Knowledge-based SDGs
• Goal 17.16: mobilize and share knowledge,
expertise, technology and financial resources, to
support the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals.
• Establish a forum on science, technology and
innovation for the SDGs and an online platform to
facilitate access to information, knowledge and
experience, as well as best practices and lessons
learned, on science, technology and innovation
facilitation initiatives and policies”.

21. Libraries and the SDGs

22. What is a library?
A building or room containing a collection of books
and periodicals for use by the public or the members
of an institution. • a collection of books held in a
library. • an organized collection of films, recorded
music, etc., kept for research or borrowing: a record
library.
This traditional definition of a library is from the
Concise Oxford English Dictionary. The challenge
is how to redefine the role and purpose of the library
on the light of the 2030 Agenda.

23. Libraries and the SDGs
• Libraries were not mentioned in the UN
resolution cited above;
• IFLA welcomed the UN 2030 Agenda (the
SDGs);
• Students, academicians, researchers, policy
and decision makers, professionals and the
public in general have always used libraries to
access knowledge resources to fulfil their
information needs;

24. The challenge to libraries
• Can we redefine libraries as they play an active
role in the knowledge economy by enabling
members of the society to?
– Generate;
– Share; and
– Make available to all members of the
society knowledge that may be used to improve
the human condition.

25. Libraries and the SDGs
• There is a link between the functions of libraries
and the objectives of the World Summit on
Information Society (WSIS)
(http://www.itu.int/net/wsis/);
• The stereotype of libraries as stores of books,
documents and archives need to change to
become knowledge centers;
• Knowledge centers contribute actively in the
knowledge cycle (knowledge production,
knowledge organization, knowledge sharing and
knowledge utilization).

26. Can they save lives?
• “We need to understand libraries as places of
education and nourishment for everyone – there is a
terrible sense that libraries are just an add-on to a
council building, but they save lives.”
Stephen Fry (http://www.thebookseller.com/news/fry-libraries-save-lives-328111)
• Lack of healthcare knowledge leads to delays in
seeking health care. It leads to errors in diagnosis and
it leads to ineffective or even harmful treatments.
People are dying for lack of knowledge. Neil Pakenham-
Walsh, Coordinator, HIFA (http://www.hifa2015.org/)

27. Transforming libraries and librarians
• Libraries need to become:
– more responsive to needs,
– more proactive,
– more network-based,
– more individual-centric,
– more specialized,
– more of a place to enable access,
– more integral to the mother organization’s
functions,

28. Transforming libraries and librarians
• Libraries need to become:
– part of a technical configuration (not
administrative);
– more target-oriented;
– mainly digital and electronic;,
– technology savvy and capable of building
alliance with ICT professionals;
– more driven by key performance indicators for
monitoring and evaluation;

29. Libraries work for the SDGs

30. Libraries are best positioned to
contribute to the SDGs
• Commit themselves to ensuring public and free
access to information (information for all). The
library is a place for enabling universal access to
information;
• Contribute to bridging the digital divide and to
develop knowledge societies by making ICT
available to their clients;
• Rationally use information and communications
technology, to empower citizens including women
and those in remote areas;

31. Libraries are best positioned to
contribute to the SDGs
• Uncompromised commitment to provide
universal and affordable access to the Internet. All
libraries should be connected to the Internet
• Better understand the information needs in the
community by making available and accessible
market information, employment opportunities,
current affairs, etc. especially through mobile
libraries and local information providers;

32. Libraries are best positioned to
contribute to the SDGs
• Active support research and development workers
to access and utilize scientific data and
information to enhance scientific research;
• Ensure making scientific information available,
accessible and enhance knowledge sharing;
• Actively function as a platform to facilitate access
to information, knowledge and experience;
• Properly organize data and information from
existing reporting mechanisms to be easily
accessible;

33. Libraries are best positioned to
contribute to the SDGs
• Facilitate life-long learning opportunities that
help workers to acquire the knowledge and skills;
• Substantially contribute to building capacity for
knowledge utilization through information
literacy programme, awareness and user
education.
• A major and significant change in education of
library, information and knowledge managers.

34. Thank you
Q & A