Preparing geographical information specialists (GIS Librarian) in Arab libraries and information centers: reality and the future

Abstract

Geographic information sources are important sources in libraries and information centers because they work to represent information or statement in the form of an internationally agreed-upon drawing or chart. Geographic information is of interest to a wide range of beneficiaries in the fields of: politics, economics, agriculture, geology, environment, population studies, city planning and facilities...etc., which would work to support research, studies, and Arab issues in the previous fields through enormous capabilities. It provides support for decision making at all levels. In order to develop the workforce in the field of libraries and information to keep pace with information technology in the twenty-first century; We had to think about planning well to prepare high-level library and information specialists who are able to optimally deal with geographic data through geographic information systems. In this paper, we attempt to initially identify what these systems are, the various forms of their uses in Arab libraries, the functional qualifications required by these systems, and how can we prepare a library specialist with the ability to deal with these systems? We will also work on extrapolating a proposed description of the Geographic Information Systems curriculum to include it within the curricula of Arab library and information departments and schools. We will also discuss the process of analyzing and describing (the job of a geographic information specialist), which will work to develop methods and capabilities for the workforce in the field of libraries and information in order to prepare them to optimally deal with geographic information systems.