National libraries and regional cooperations: a framework for ECO national libraries
| Published date | 04 April 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-07-2014-0118 |
| Pages | 196-212 |
| Date | 04 April 2016 |
| Author | Azam Najafqolinejad,Mohammad Hassanzadeh |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
National libraries and regional
cooperations: a framework for
ECO national libraries
Azam Najafqolinejad
Department of Knowledge and Information Science,
Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, and
Mohammad Hassanzadeh
Department of Knowledge and Information Science,
Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the cultural integration, the role of national libraries
in regional and international cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) national libraries’
barriers of cooperation and drivers of their cooperation and to propose a framework (conceptual and
operational) for their cooperation.
Design/methodology/approach – Data collection tool of this survey was a researcher-made
questionnaire, sent to 30 individuals and experts involved in cooperation of ECO National Libraries
from eight institutions. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha. It
was 0.91. In this study, for awareness of activities between ECO national libraries and extraction of
drivers, some documents were studied, and preliminary data were collected by informal interviews with
meeting stakeholders and participants.
Findings – The lack of stability in management positions was one of the major barriers in cooperation of
the ECO national libraries. Other major obstacles in this context were lack of continuous communication,
lack of common protocols and standards, lack of planning, lack of a central coordinating organization,
bureaucracy, etc. Geographical proximity, common history and heritage, common resources, Islamic and
cultural factors, importance of information and knowledge, requirements of the international system and
political and security requirements were considered as drivers. An information centre was proposed for their
active cooperation. Iran is better to host the information centre.
Originality/value – National libraries as the scientic and cultural memory of nations and heirs of
written heritage should cooperate and share their valuable scientic and cultural heritage to the future
generations.
Keywords Cooperation, Barriers, Information centres, Frameworks, Drivers, ECO national libraries
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Regionalism, strategic foreign relations, cultural affairs and economic dimensions act as the
basis of convergence and development of cooperation in many parts throughout the world.
Regional cooperation in several regions of the world has been proven to be a signicant
factor resulting in remarkable developments in certain strategic aspects of the region,
political measures, economic orientations and realization of real development (Akhbari et al.,
2011, p. 8). Countries have acknowledged that they ought to have some complementary and
so-called shared economics and certain cultural goals (Khodaparasti, 2010). In apparent
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
EL
34,2
196
Received 26 July 2014
Revised 11 March 2015
Accepted 23 March 2015
TheElectronic Library
Vol.34 No. 2, 2016
pp.196-212
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-07-2014-0118
convergent behaviour – or conversely, divergent behaviour – of countries in regional and
international organizations, centripetal and centrifugal forces have positive or negative
roles. Richard Hartsorne (as cited in Haggett, 1996) believed that the existence and survival
of a country heavily depends on a dynamic balance between centripetal and centrifugal
forces. This is true about cooperation as well. Centripetal forces cause the further integration
of the region. In light of regional integration, those responsible can speak with one voice on
the international level. By joining together in a number of areas, there can be gains that could
not certainly have been achieved on their own (Soomer, 2003). A history of interaction and
cooperation within the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the political
convergences conrm that. Examples of such cooperation can be found in the ECO countries.
The ECO countries are Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic
Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan. The
ECO region is one of the major cultural and civilization-making regions of the world. This
area is culturally and linguistically the most homogeneous region of the world, and other
areas do not have such links and connections. Similarities across the region, from Balkh and
Bukhara, Peshawar and Kabul, Shiraz and Dushanbe, to Isfahan and Istanbul, are live
evidence and symbols of a common history, with a similar past, similar values and living
together (Anwar, 2009). Common resources and works with some symbols and different
evidences sustaining them, such as written heritage, are extracted from this common culture
and similar backgrounds. Cooperation among these countries rst appeared in economic
elds and, more recently, is visible in cultural ones. Scientic and cultural centres, especially
national libraries as the nation’s main scientic and cultural memories, have the unique role
in introducing these written heritages. In recent years, ECO national libraries have
established a union called ECO Federation of Libraries and Archives (EFLA) in a rst
meeting of the heads of ECO national libraries in 2007 (Report on the First Meeting of the
Heads of ECO National Libraries, 2007). National Libraries play a fundamental role in
information society. They are the collectors and stewards of our heritage; they are organizers
of human knowledge in books and resources. Libraries provide added value by cataloguing,
classifying and describing knowledge, and, as public institutions, they assure equality of
information access. They take the knowledge of the past and the present and store it for the
future. Library collections in different countries represent their cultural identities. National
libraries can establish a consortium for serious cooperation as national consortium models.
It is notable that a consortium is composed of three components: Collaboration ⫹
Networking ⫹Resources ⫽Consortium (Waghmode, 2014).
In this paper, cultural integration, the role of these national libraries (included in ECO
countries) in regional and international cooperation, barriers to cooperation, drivers of
cooperation and a framework for cooperation are studied.
Cultural integration
Cultural and written heritage consists of tangible and intangible, natural and cultural
and movable and immovable assets inherited from the past. This heritage is of
extremely high value for the present and the future of any nation. Access to
preservation, education and dissemination of intellectual heritage is essential for the
development of people and their culture [The International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions (IFLA, 2014a,2014b)]. The societies based on cooperation
between nations are in the course of achieving common moral and material links in
197
National
libraries and
regional
cooperations
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