[Sigiii-l] Plaza (x4)

[Nadia Caidi]

Dear All,
I join my voice to Michel's to thank the contributors of the Global 
Information Village Plaza for their insights -in a truly multilingual manner. 
Please find enclosed (with their permission) four more position statements 
from students in an "Information and Culture" course. They all have various 
backgrounds and bring their own perspectives and insights into the debate. I 
have removed names according to the authors' wishes. I thank them for their 
contribution. 
Cheers,
Nadia 

POSITION STATEMENT #1:

As a future archivist, soon to be surrounded by many meters of material likely 
accumulated in the city in which I will work or its environs, the effect of 
globalisation on my professional life seems, at first, irrelevant. Globalisation 
is often seen as the negative, overwhelming outcome of information 
technologies that allow the world to communicate, but which also force 
cultural variability to be reduced to simplistic common denominators and 
complex human interactions to the binary abstraction of bits and bytes. 
However, the technology adopted by the global information society does 
support the microcosm of the community and it is that characteristic which 
makes considerations of globalisation relevant to archives professionals. 

A community's archives stand as evidence of its culture - in all its variety - 
and are witness to cross-cultural interactions. Therefore, archives can actively 
balance the tendency of globalisation to reduce cultures to simplistic, 
superficial components -- demanding an international social protocol. Instead, 
archivists can emphasise instead the need to expand communications 
strategies, to adopt pluralist perspectives, and most importantly, to learn how 
others communicate and why. As an archivist, I have a radical new 
opportunity to bring my archives, its contents and contexts, to the global 
information society. If I do this with sensitivity for my culture and other 
cultures, presenting my archives in a fashion appropriate to international 
perspectives, I can ensure that something of my community's culture and its 
diversity is represented. 

By functioning as an information science professional, participating in the 
global information society to learn about international perspectives, 
maintaining my technical literacy and adopting new technologies as needed 
through continuing studies or self-directed learning, I will be able to
cope with ongoing change. Attaining comprehensive interaction with the 
global information society is the keystone to my professional success and 
personal fulfilment. 



POSITION STATEMENT #2:

The technology revolution is not a new phenomenon and continues 
today at a rapid pace.  While the world has become a smaller place, in the 
sense that people with access to information technology no longer experience 
certain boundaries and limitations when searching and obtaining information, 
our existence is often forced to adapt to the new technology.  I interpret the 
“globalization of the information society” as it relates to the widespread 
dissemination of knowledge through information and communication 
technology (ICT).
The globalization of the information society has affected my 
professional role for years; however, the pace of ICT advancement has 
created significant changes.  As a project manager in a large financial 
company, my role has altered significantly in two ways. Firstly, our service 
and product development attempts to remove the human contact between the 
company and our clients.  Secondly, there are remote working opportunities 
that allow me to perform my job without being in an office environment. 
The reason for this change is that we need to be able to service our 
clients twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  It is through ICT that this 
can be managed via the Internet, voice recognition services and other 
methods.  Regarding the second point, with access to work files from a home 
and/or laptop computer and voice messaging systems, I can ‘attend’ meetings, 
access emails and project plan without being in the office.
In order to cope with the change, I need to be aware of ICT advances.  
I also need to take advantage of at-work ICT training opportunities.  The 
information science community should provide up-to-date training literature 
in plain language for all levels of expertise.  The new interfaces should be 
straightforward and user-friendly.  In order for the information society to help 
itself cope, it could hold national and/or international conferences in order 
share ideas and promote uniform practices.  Although we are not globally at 
the same ICT level, if there are cross-border sharing, then development 
assistance may be given to areas that are not as advanced in ICT. 
Regarding my personal life, I know that it will become more harried; 
there is a sense that we need to be available at all times, both for work and 
play.  The ICT advances allow people to communicate through a variety of 
means (email, websites, mobile telephones, voice and text messaging 
services), and therefore places new demands are being available at all hours, 
wherever you are.  As well, ICT removes borders and I believe that I will 
become more political, as the widespread dissemination of information will 
propel me into taking action, in some form, against certain injustices 
throughout the world.
While I admit that the information age in which we live provides us with 
great learning opportunities, I should not succumb to the feeling that ICT is 
running my life.  I should embrace the traditional methods of communication 
and interaction with family and friends.  In order to help me cope with the 
changes, information science needs to ensure that ICT can consist of fun and 
varied tools.  The diffusion of information should be interactive and engaging 
as my attention spans diminishes when staring at a computer screen.  As well, 
sense of human interaction within ICT would assist in the continuation of our 
old communication means.  



POSITION STATEMENT #3:

Globalization of information can be seen as biased towards the west 
or North American in outlook.  This is due to the fact that the majority of the 
media presented is controlled my companies owned by conglomerates who 
are based in the United States of America.  Thus, to me, globalization of 
information is a matter of whose bias are we seeing or from which country are 
we seeing the globalization of media information.  
As a professional, I think my services will still be required, especially 
by researchers and professionals in other fields.  Most people, especially 
professionals in certain fields, do not have sufficient time to find some of the 
information they are seeking, for example when they are prosecuting a case or 
are trying to find research information about some scientist or research 
scientist in their filed.  In this way, I feel my services will be in demand by 
some professionals who require accurate, up to date and authentic or correct 
information not just anything that can be downloaded from search engines 
like Go ogle etc.  
In order to cope with the ever demanding change in technology, and 
media information, one of the things I would do is take classes that are 
offered by the Universities or Community Colleges that I live in, to keep 
myself abreast of the changes and to keep myself informed.  Another thing 
would be to read any information that is given out by the companies involved 
and, if possible, buy the software or necessary technology and service of a 
reliable on-line provider such as Dialog, Informatics, CanWest, QuickLaw 
etc.  In addition, being a member of some of the professional associations will 
help as they will notify their members of changes that are taking place in the 
various media or technology fields.
One thing that the information science community can do to keep is 
keep their members and associates informed about the changes that would 
affect professionals in the information filed.  They could also offer workshops 
to train members and associates who are willing to learn.  
It would certainly be beneficial for the information science community to 
keep abreast of what is going on in the management of information studies 
and technology and, in that way keep the members, associates and students 
informed and aware of the changes taking place.  By offering workshops or 
classes to train professionals in the filed it would be easy and efficient for 
information specialists to be aware, trained and knowledgeable to give other 
up to date information to professionals, researchers and any other people who 
require such information.  


POSITION STATEMENT #4:

Information society.  In a very broad sense, it involves the use and 
manipulation of information by society.  In the job market, the possibilities 
are endless, particularly in a world where information technologies rule the 
landscape and global interconnectedness is the common ‘lingo’.  At present, I 
am engaged in this degree as part of a professional development thrust in 
order to prepare me for the global networking systems that would define our 
new National Library in Trinidad.  The change from teacher to digital 
information professional would be crippling if left unprepared.  Every type of 
information resource will be digitally stored.  

The information science community must endow professionals with the skills 
necessary to deal with such information. It cannot accomplish this unless it 
has equipped itself with the latest technologies, and put systems in place to 
make the global village accessible for all its users i.e. trainees.  It must invest 
in “new” information, channelling its resources to ensure that its users can 
weather the changing global climate.

Access to worldwide resources via communication media and information 
technologies has allowed us to bridge the digital divide, even in the comfort 
of our own homes. The most noteworthy change, I believe, would be the way 
in which we communicate and access most of our everyday resources, for 
instance, shopping. Computers are changing all our personal relationships and 
transactions.  The ‘convenience stores’ of our lives are all online.

Coping with such high-tech resources is simply, in my opinion, a matter of 
discretion. Education on the proper use of these new technologies would 
increase our knowledge and enable us to use them intelligently.  As 
aforementioned, information science’s key role would be in education and 
training.  Professional development, I believe, works in conjunction with our 
personal development, thus influencing all aspects of our lives. 



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nadia Caidi
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto
140 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6
Canada
Tel: (416) 978 4664
Fax: (416) 971 1399
Email: caidi at fis.utoronto.ca