Information management in the digital environment: knowledge, competence and quality

Beirut 29 October – 1 November 2002.

Introduction:

 Information exists in the modern management of institutions. Organizations that enter globalization tournament became more and more involved in the investment of knowledge as a capital to be preserved and increased, and also with a good and creative administration of its informational fund and immaterial heritage. Investment in the modern administration of information is considered as key condition of enduring competition between organizations however information could not be used and controlled as easy as material property in the present situation characterized by the overspread use of internet digital technology and multimedia, and these are the main causes.

* Managers’ bad interpretation of the complicated information process, because they consider managing information identical to the management of material issues where information is immaterial and information are complicated, enormous, and reproduced continuously and could not be managed unprofessionally. Idea among managers that solutions exist in the computerized systems causes them to deal with any activity in the institution without any objective study.

* The common misleading of the real needs of the different parts concerned by information and without clear understanding of functions and duties of the organizations.

Decision making operations depend nowadays on the advanced systems using computers in addition to the networks such as internet that would remove borders between companies, and it has capabilities that would lead to move deep renovations change in the field of management, economy and commerce. These companies will not only perform its activities through this network but also change will reach all governmental services including information services such as libraries, information, and archives centers. It became clear that economics globalization has been changing ways of commerce, selling and by buying of different types of products (goods and services) using the Internet. It lets the way of concurrence until reaching all activities to what is called electronic economy (such as electronic trade, electronic money and electronic financial transaction systems).

On the other hand, the rapid growth of information technology and especially the Internet technology (next generation internet) has lead to deep move in the professions of information intermediates, the knowledge transporters, and to renovations in the informational functions. We would mention for example:

-Knowledge navigators

-Major facilitators of individual knowledge

-The ultimate search engines

-Information consultants

Issues:

-How would organizations and institutions be redesigned to move from the material to the information?

-How do specialists plan for the general framework to manage human resources in the institutions, competence and knowledge and assure interrelations between different counterparts?

-Would management change the force of Arab libraries and information centers in the era of networks?

-What are the means and approaches to be followed by librarians and information specialties to improve means of seeking and increasing knowledge?

-What are the limits of legal responsibilities of digital information producers and users?

-How information and its policies are planned in the digital environment?

Objectives:

-To provide the appropriate framework to deepen the thought about new concepts of information management such as: performance criteria, total quality and excellence modal.

-The understanding of new innovations in the field of knowledge management and their impact on libraries and information centers.

-To learn from Arab and foreign experiences in the field.

-To study the situation of Arab information service and exchange ideas on means to cope with developments in the fields of knowledge management and total quality.

Topics of the 13th conference:

Topic 1: Strategic management of knowledge.

1.1 - Innovation and concurrence in the process of new knowledge expansion.

1.2 – Knowledge management and its role in creation and production of knowledge transformation, diffusion and sharing (Arab and foreign experiences).

1.3 – The redefinition of functions and naming of technical services related to the management of access to information.

1.4 – Knowledge management and information technology: role of Internet and intranet in knowledge retrieval, exchange and improvement.

Topic 2 : Whole quality in libraries and information centers

2.1 – Quality control of information services in the electronic era: measurement of group performance, technical producer and user services.

2.2 – Total quality in the management of institutions in the Arab world: motivation, excellence and productivity.

2.3 - Human resource management in the information services: redefinition of specialists’ functions and skills; the concept of leadership in the information center administration.

2.4 – Building and equipment of information services:

The new information and common technology and its impact on the architecture of libraries.

Accessing approach to information available in the virtual libraries (internet, intranet, information bases).

Topic 3 : Standards and library legislation

3.1 – Standardization and it role to measure the performance of libraries and information services.

3.2 – Standardization of technical operations and information services in the Arab world and ways of review and improvements.

3.3 – Arab libraries and information services legislation: legal developments in the digital era.

3.4 – Intellectual property rights of electronic information: Authors and user’s right

Topic 4 : Information planning and policies

4.1 – Planning to create or improve national knowledge systems.

4.2 – National information policies.

4.3 – Cooperative program and information networks.

4.4 – Distance learning and the role of libraries.

Topic 5 : Knowledge economy

5.1 – Information trade exchange and globalism: electronic commerce of information supports and marketing.

5.2- Information costs and fees payments

5.3 – Aptitude of individuals and institutions in a concurrent environment.

5.4 – Continuous follow-up of information and strategic planning of institutions.