Implementing a Maghreb Digital Library for Education, Science & Culture
(Location: Golden Tulip Farah Hotel, Rabat, Morocco - January 25-27, 2007)
Links:
The menu to the left provides links to the Agenda, List of Participants, Travel Information, and Background papers and Presentations. The menu to the right provides links to this information about the workshop in French - that website is hosted by the Moroccan Government. This English language version was funded as part of a grant from the US National Science Foundation to the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology.
Meeting Host:
- Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Meeting Supporters:
- US National Science Foundation
- UNESCO
- Thomson Scientific
- Memnon Audio Archiving Services
- Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
- American Institute for Maghrib Studies
And additional support from:
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- Council of American Oveseas Research Centers
- J. Paul Getty Trust
- Indiana State University
- Moroccan History Institute
- Moroccan National Library
- Simmons College
- Sun Microsystems
- Tufts University
- University of Chicago
- University of Pittsburgh
- US Institute of Museum and Library Services
- US National Endowment for the Humanities
- US Library of Congress
- And others
Background:
Access to digital information in developing countries is a critical issue of international concern. Nearly 20,000 from 174 countries attended the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia last fall, including 50 Heads of state/government and vice-presidents and 197 ministers, and thousands of high-level representatives from global organizations, private sector, and civil society. Needless to say, this meeting enhanced the interest of many Northern Africa entities with respect to the digital world.
The January Workshop focused on the creation of networked digital libraries and how they might be used by individuals and institutions in North Africa. A digital library of cultural heritage of the Maghreb region would facilitate education and scholarship by providing local and international access to cultural heritage resources held by institutions around the world. Such a library also could serve as a security and preservation repository in the case of the loss of physical resources due to fire, theft, or natural degradation. A digital library would have broader applications as well, in terms of education &training, access to information, building an informed citizenry, etc.
The workshop addressed steps needed to implement a digital library for the Maghreb region. Major issues include content development, management structures, tele-communications infrastructure, and training for digital managers and users. The structure for the workshop mirrored a similar meeting funded by NSF and others which was held at the Alexandria Library in Egypt in January 2006. http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~egyptdlw/ (Draft final report of Alexandria - PDF)
The Rabat workshop brought together key constituents in the region and abroad so the vision can be realized. It included presentations, panel discussions and tours. The meeting findings will be incorporated in a report and plan of action that can inform government agencies, libraries, universities, research institutes, grant-making entities, and the private sector.
Attendees included experts in library science, digital information, telecommunications, and Maghreb culture. The participates represented national governments, businesses, libraries, and other institutions. The workshop was open to the public, but attendance was limited to invited and pre-registered participants.
The workshop was hosted by the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Scientific Research and held in Rabat, the capital of The Kingdom of Morocco. The organizers limited the workshop to 75 attendees, including government, private sector, and academic representatives from other countries, such as Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia. A planning meeting was held on October 19 at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia.
The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology was asked to be involved in this workshop as a way of increasing the international attendance at the meeting. FAST members work for agencies, universities and corporations around the world on topics directly related to the workshop theme. Beause the workshop would promote the broader discussion of how technology can advance knowledge and to foster international cooperation, FAST agreed to serve as a fiscal agent for selected international participants. FAST subsequently obtained funding from three entities - the US National Science Foundation, Thomson Scientific and the American Institute of Maghrib Studies.
The US National Science Foundation provided funding to the Fulbright Academy to disseminate information about this workshop. This portion of the Academy's website was funded by NSF.
Coordinating Committee:
- Mr. Zayer El Majid (Directeur de la Technologie, Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Formation des Cadres et de la Recherche Scientifique)
- Mr. Stephen Griffin (Directeur de Programme, Science et Ingénierie du Computer et d’Informatique, National Science Foundation)
- Mr. Eric Howard (Directeur Excécutif, Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology)
- Mr. Said Belcadi, (Directeur du Centre National pour la Rechcherche Scientifique et Technique)
- Mr. Khalid R. Temsamani (Coordonnateur National auprès de la NSF dans le domaine des sciences des Matériaux)
- Mr. Mohamed Smani (Directeur, Association Recherche et Développement Maroc, R&D Maroc)
- Mr. Mohammed Benbouida (Chef de Service des Matériaux et des Produits Manufacturiers, Direction de la Technologie, Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Formation des Cadres et de la Recherche Scientifique)
For additional information:
Financial Sponsors:
If your corporation, agency or organization would like to be a sponsor of the meeting or of follow-up activities, please contact Eric Howard - +1.207.799.3098.
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