“New Trends in Academic Libraries in the GCC”
Dr. Saif Al-Jabri, Sultan Qaboos University Muscat
Monday, March 7
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Level 3, Sea View Room, University Library
(Reception to follow)
Dr. Al-Jabri directs the Information Center at the College of Economics & Political Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the State University of Management in Moscow, Russia. He also received his Master’s Degree in Information & Library Science from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, U.S. He has published more than 40 scientific articles and studies in Arabic, English, and Russian.
In the information era, the role of the academic library has changed, not only in building collections and gathering resources but also in information dissemination and services. In particular, in the GCC, open access, open education, social outreach and user involvement are some of the trends beginning to affect library planning.
Dr. Al-Jabri will discuss how these changes are leading libraries to review their policies, enhance their staff and services, and re-think their budgets to address these challenges.