Electronic Document Delivery in Academic and Research Organizations in the Gulf States: a case study in Kuwait

Abstract

Outlines the nature of research and publishing in Arabic, the attempts to encourage resource sharing in the Arab Gulf States, the existing arrangements for interlibrary lending and the development of electronic document delivery systems that facilitate interlibrary lending. A case study examined the availability of relevant technology and personnel with appropriate expertise in three major libraries in Kuwait: Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, and the National Scientific and Technical Information Center. Questionnaires and interviews, intended to assess staff attitudes and perceptions, were used to examine the reasons why the Ariel system of Electronic Document Delivery appeared to have not yet been adopted, although it has been increasingly used in other parts of the world for more than 10 years. The paper notes that the adoption of this new technology in Kuwait is supported in principle, but is hindered by lack of awareness, skills and motivation, and speculates about the wider implications for the Gulf States.