[Sigiii-l] More Plaza

[Nadia Caidi]

(student's contribution)

Many have said that globalization of the information society will be a 
beneficial phenomenon because it will increase the amount of information 
being generated worldwide and enable information to be disseminated to a 
global audience. My fear though, is that the global information society 
will not be global at all. I am concerned that it will mean the 
homogenization and centralization of knowledge so that information will 
only reflect a Western perspective and only be accessible to those with 
financial resources and/or an Internet connection. In truth, I imagine 
the results will be both positive and negative, and this will have to be 
negotiated and monitored by a global community to increase the former 
and keep the latter in check.

This has particular consequences for me both personally and 
professionally. As a feminist I am committed to the notion that “the 
personal is political”. My personal convictions and sense of ethical 
obligation informs how I will conduct myself professionally. As an 
information professional, or one who works in a library and is a keeper 
and disseminator of information, I feel a grave responsibility to ensure 
that information does not become the property of that but a privileged few.

I have made this grand claim many times before but have never really 
thought about what I should be doing to ensure that the globalization of 
information does not result in a diminishment of information. So I did 
sit down and think about it. Some introspection led me to realize that I 
fancy myself an academic and it is here that I will make my biggest 
contribution. I should continue to keep the discussions alive and ensure 
that I consume, debate and contribute to all manner of media and medium, 
particularly those that will broaden rather than diminish global 
knowledges.