ICTs Innovations: Case Studies

6 May 2006, UNEP, Nairobi

By Serge Bounda

Chief, Sergio Vieira de Mello United Nations Library

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTMESA UNIVERSITY PROGRAMME

BACKGROUND

UNEP Library created in 1973

The Library inherited the documentation of the Stockholm Conference

Library computerized 1986

Significant stocks of scientific journals

THE UNITED NATIONS LIBRARY AT NAIROBI

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Reference and loan services

SDI

Online services (including an online catalogue)

Training

Guided tours

UNEP line of products

FACILITIES AVAILABLE

• Cyberspace

• Reading room/ meeting room

• Periodicals room

• Conference room

• TV studio

• Radio studio

• Videoconference Facilities

1. Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE)

2. Environmental Information Centre in Iraq

3. Cyberspace for the local community

4. Training on ICTs – e.g. Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya

CASE STUDIES ON ICTs INNOVATIONS

1. WHAT IS OARE?

• Global public- private partnership to expand access to environmental research in the developing world

• Environment is a global concern

• Lack of access to environmental information, especially online resources

• Success of HINARI and AGORA

PARTNERS IN OARE

• Yale UniversityA leader in the management of online journals and international library initiatives

Played a key role in developing HINARI

Involved in a number of the state-of-the-art digital library projects

• Cornell University Key role in developing the AGORA journal

collection, outreach and training

• WHOLed the development of HINARI that provides

access to research in the medical sciences

• FAOLiased with Cornell University and WHO to

develop AGORA which is focused upon the needs of agriculture/food security community

• UNEPEnvironmental conscience of the United Nations and its environmental advocate to the world

Leading agency to implement OARE

Mission : “to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations”.

SEVERAL LEAD PUBLISHERS

• Elsevier

• Blackwell

• CABI

• Kluwer

WHY OARE?

• Build environmental content

• Help over 900 environmental institutions in developing countries get free access to online journals

• Build institutional partnerships among environmental institutions in developed and developing countries

• Develop independent national organizations capable of gathering and disseminating environmental information

• Reinforce publisher partnership for development

• Narrow the digital divide

• Contribute to the Millennium Development Goals

(esp. Goal no. 7)

WAY FORWARD

• Pre-testing phase - On-going

• Partners meeting - July 2006

• Launch of OARE - October 2006

On-going as from November 2006:

• Institutional registration and enrolment

• Training and capacity building

• Promotion and publicity

• Evaluation

2. ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTRE, IRAQ

• Working closely with PCoB Geneva

• Set up an Environmental Information Centre in the Ministry of Environment, Baghdad

• UNEP donate publications (USD 90,000), furniture (15,000)

• Training in Nairobi for 4 staff members – October 2005

• 2nd Training to be held end May 2006

3. CYBERSPACE

• Over 25 computers with rapid access to the Internet

• Access to Online reference sources – dictionaries, encyclopaedias etc

• Subscription to online databases – Lexis Nexis, Science Direct, Economist Intelligence Unit etc

• Selective Dissemination of Information

4. TRAINING OF ICTs

• Uganda – Mountains of the Moon University Librarian

• Zimbabwe – ILO/ARLAC Information Officer

• Kenya – Local librarians, Interns

Contact us:

Sergio Vieira de Mello UN LibraryUnited Office in NairobiGigiri ComplexTel: (254 20) 7623105Fax: (254 20) 7623404E-mail: serge.bounda@unep.org

THANK YOU