Documentation & Information: A Training Course [Archives:1998/12/Business & Economy]
Ahlam Al-Mutawakkil,
Yemen Times
In cooperation with the Yemeni National Committee and UNESCO, the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Sciences (AOECS) organized a training course during March 7-21 on using the equipment and systems of documentation and information .
The Deputy Minister of Education attended the opening ceremony. He stressed the need for such courses to improve the education system in Yemen. “We are preparing a 5-year plan and a 10-year plan, through which we will focus upon important educational utilities, such as libraries. The plans, I hope, will be ready to be executed in September,” said the Deputy Minister.
The course aims to develop the abilities of the employees to use information and documentation utilities for the sake of establishing the ArabNet as a part of the AOECS. The equipment and systems the organization prepares will be Arabized and put to use. In addition, the terms and phrases used in the field of documentation and information will be unified.
Other similar courses are arranged in many Arab countries. These courses come as a preliminary step for holding a national course for all Arab countries. Unfortunately, only six countries, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Algeria, UAE and Mauritania responded to the organization’s plans.
People from ministries and public bodies participated in this course. The next step that the AOECS plans is to make the ArabNet, besides the Internet, to make getting information easier and faster.
The course included many lectures that focused on mapping out libraries by using the modern methods of documentation. The participants visited the National Center for Documentation as well as the American Institute to learn more about communication through the Internet.
There are many theories and methods concerning arranging information by certain techniques, especially through the use of computers. In the AOECS, there is a special demonstration for documentation and information. The organization has arranged many similar courses in different Arab countries, besides having its own magazine and information experts.
The importance of this course lies in opening the way for other Arab countries who need to develop their human resources. Yemen is not the only country that needs such training courses. The AOECS plans to prepare similar courses for UAE, Algeria, Mauritania, Jordan and Syria during this year.
The information and documentation system witnessed a great development during the 1990s. A special law for the National Center for Documentation and the National Center for Information was issued.
Like the developing countries, Yemen started setting solutions for the problems of the information and documentation sectors. Sanaa University established a section for Information and Libraries. The National Committee, as part of the UNESCO, prepares special courses in the field of information and documentation. Moreover, there are scholarships available for Yemeni students to learn and gain more knowledge in this field. All these are serious steps toward a total change for the better in documentation and information during the next 5 years. This only needs more support and responsibility.
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