Correlating Information Centers to Emerging Knowledge-Based Economies

In Amanda Click, Sumayya Ahmed, Jacob Hill, John Martin. Library and Information Science in the Middle East and North Africa. Sage, 2016. Chapter 8 Correlating Information Centers to Emerging Knowledge-Based Economies Patricia A. Wand Data is found in unexpected places Nothing seems more basic than soil but even ‘simple’ soil contains valuable data. Only when the soil is collected, though, and the data is extracted and analyzed, does the data about something as simple as soil become available to inventors and researchers. Between 2007 and 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey collected 5,000 bags of soil, one every 600 square miles from all regions of the lower 48 states. The headline reads: “U.S. soil survey helping researchers dig into nature’s mysteries.” The article announces a project begun in 2001 and discusses the three-year effort to gather soil samples across the U.S. The analysis report, leading to a “snapshot of minerals and chemicals in the ground,” was made available in 2013. The soil data is already being used to solve murder mysteries, map organic carbon and nitrogen levels in certain regions, track acid rain damage to forests, and locate black carbon residue from both ancient forest fires and modern day industrial smokestacks. Even questions about climate change may be partially answered by studying soil (Smith, 2014, A4). Introduction What is the relationship between the number of information centers in a country and its ability to become a knowledge-based economy? Data forms the underpinnings of a knowledge-based economy and without it researchers can’t find answers to questions, citizens can’t know about their government, students can’t learn about their country, scholars can’t generate new knowledge, creative minds can’t innovate; and the rich, cultural resources of a country remain invisible to the world. This chapter focuses on developing sustainable, knowledge-based economies in the Arabian Gulf and examines the role of information centers in those economies. The phrase ‘information center’ refers to any location or repository where information is collected, described, organized, stored, preserved and disseminated; examples are documentation and research centers, digital libraries, archives, libraries, museums, historical centers, archaeological or World Heritage sites. The discussion first lays out the four pillars of a knowledge economy as defined by the World Bank and compares the Knowledge Economy Index for the Gulf States. Expanding the framework to another metric, the study compares the number of information centers in each of the countries and correlates that number with its population. The comparison of information centers to size of population is proposed as a measure of the degree to which a country is prepared to contribute as a knowledge economy. The chapter covers the functions of information centers and the value of networking centers, and offers a few cultural considerations. The paper concludes with a case for a developing country to gather information about its own residents, culture and landmass. Foundations of Knowledge-Based Economies Knowledge-based economies are those societies that derive a large portion of their export income from services they provide rather than from tangible goods they deliver to the world. This paper focuses on the Gulf States, many of which are aspiring to diversify their mineral-based economies and become service and knowledge-based economies. As developing countries shift their base in the global economy from natural resources and agriculture to industry and, increasingly, to knowledge-based services, questions arise regarding factors that lead to economic success in knowledge environments. Knowledge and innovation have played a crucial role in development from the beginnings of human history. But with globalization and the technological revolution of the last few decades, knowledge has clearly become the key driver of competitiveness and is now profoundly reshaping the patterns of the world’s economic growth and activity. Both developed and developing countries should therefore think, with some urgency, about their future under a [knowledge economy] heading (World Bank Institute, 2007, p. ix). Furthermore, the World Bank (2007) points out, “…because their institutions are weak, many developing countries are struggling to find ways to produce relevant knowledge and transform it into wealth, as well as to adapt and disseminate existing knowledge for their development” (p. ix). Much has been written about the information and communication technology infrastructure and the capacity within each of the countries to meet demand in delivering information electronically (Burkhart, Older, & Defense Research Institute, 2003; Calhoun, Drummond, & Whittington, 1987; Hundley et al., 2001). There is wide-spread recognition of the role of education and many countries are investing in their human capital to increase the skill sets that lead to employment and higher productivity in the service sector (Cassidy, 1990). But less visibility is given to the importance of data-gathering and of information centers and their roles in the infrastructure of knowledge economies. Knowledge itself is being put to work to accelerate and deepen the development process and is a major resource for generating wealth and jobs. All types of knowledge, including indigenous and the most traditional, form a ‘world bank’ of intellectual capital, but only if they are recorded, preserved and utilized. 2 Four Pillars Provide the Framework for a Knowledge-Based Economy Researchers at the World Bank focused on factors leading to success in knowledge-based economies and produced a report that serves as a theoretical and practical guide to this discussion (World Bank Institute, 2007, p. 27). Four pillars undergird a knowledge economy: 1. Political and economic systems are stable and credible The government is stable and the macroeconomic system includes incentives for developing business, competing fairly in the market place and complying with regulatory policies. The environment is conducive to risk-taking. Citizens respect and engage in the institutions that govern their political and social lives (Government of Qatar Planning Council, 2007, p. 14). 2. A modern, reliable infrastructure of telecommunications and information technology is established High-tech, high-speed infrastructure of information technology and telecommunications can process, store and deliver information when it is needed. Policies and legal frameworks exist to protect its users; professionals and skilled workers design and maintain it. A variety of stakeholders are mobilized to assure success of this pillar: government, business, individual users, skilled personnel, telecommunication and information service providers, to name a few (Government of Qatar Planning Council, 2007, p. 34). 3. Labor force is educated and skilled A well-educated work force is critical for productivity, creativity and disseminating knowledge effectively. The work force has diverse skills and is open to learning. “Education is a fundamental enabler of the knowledge economy” and improving the quality of education at every level is a priority (Government of Qatar Planning Council, 2007, p. 20). 4. Effective innovation system protects, fosters and supports creativity, innovation and intellectual freedom Firms, research centers, universities, and policies are part of a broad, vibrant sector that collects data and makes knowledge available to support learning and research. The system uses existing knowledge to develop the country on all levels and generates new knowledge for the global information exchange. Information centers are key to this pillar. According to the Government of Qatar Planning Council (2007): The innovation system plays an important role in acquiring, adapting, and disseminating knowledge… . The actors of the innovation system include private enterprises, universities, research institutes, consulting firms, think- tanks, and others. The innovative performance of a country depends to a large extent on how these actors relate to each other as elements of a broader system e.g. in the form of joint R & D, personnel collaboration, cross- patenting, licensing of technology, etc. (p. 28). The World Bank depicts the inter-relationship of the four pillars in a Boolean diagram (Figure 1). 3 Figure 1. Four interactive pillars of Knowledge Economies Source: World Bank Institute (2007), Building Knowledge Economies p.27 At the bottom of the diagram and underpinning all is the first or foundation pillar: the economic and institutional regime. The other three pillars are formed and sustained by stable government institutions and economic systems that are consistent and in place over time. Sitting on top of the government / economic foundation is the information technology and telecommunications infrastructure, which includes the electronic hardware and software that delivers information but does not include the information itself nor the knowledge generated from information. And on top of both are the third and fourth pillars: education of the populace and an innovation system. Education emphasizes high levels of literacy and strong schools from pre-K through graduate education as well as opportunities for life-long learning. The education sector is closely related to its partner pillar, the innovation system, which is the focus of the remainder of this paper. The innovation system pillar encompasses the data, information, and the intellectual content upon

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