Levels of information technology (IT) applications in Muslim world libraries

Abstract

The utilisation of information technology (IT) has become an indicator of a country's wealth level. Countries, which fail to prepare for information technology and do not use it properly, are likely to lose their global competitiveness. Muslim countries have paid little attention to leverage the benefits offered by the IT use in their library and information centres. The first part of this paper reports the status of information technology applications in libraries and information centres of Muslim countries. The second part of the paper reports the level of hardware, software, and IT‐based resources available in libraries and information centres in Pakistan. The third part of this paper discusses the problems hindering the wider use of information technology in libraries and information centres in Pakistan. Based on the findings of the survey and documentary research the final part of this paper puts forward overall suggestions to solve the problems hindering the wider use of information technology in libraries and information centres in general, and in Muslim countries in particular.