Scanning the information infrastructure of Pakistan: A step towards the development of a national educational information system

Abstract

Purpose

This paper is part of a doctoral research which aimed at proposing a national information system for educational administrators in Pakistan. However, this paper only aims at identifying what an information system is composed of and does; defining the information infrastructure (i.e. libraries/information centers and networks) needed for the development of a national educational information system; identifying the nature and design of the information infrastructure in Pakistan; and ascertaining the problems and gaps existing in the information infrastructure of Pakistan and why they exist.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on review of the available literature. For the literature search, valid sources of published and unpublished information were consulted (i.e. books, journal articles, reports, conference/workshop proceedings, theses and dissertations).

Findings

Many library/information centers and information networks are working in the educational domain of Pakistan. The position of academic, national and special libraries is also presented in this review. The basic weakness traced in this review is in the infrastructure of library/information centers and information networks and disintegration of available information sources. The information does exist within libraries/information centers and information networks but the educational administrators have problems in tracing this information. As a result, available information is not being utilized properly in educational planning and development in Pakistan. There is a need to pool the existing information sources, services and networks in one place to form a well‐integrated information system that may provide a holistic and complete overview of education enterprise for realistic planning and resource allocation.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to present the current position of the available libraries/information centers and information networks within the educational domain of Pakistan. Such a review may help the designers of educational information systems.

Citation

Shafique, F. and Mahmood, K. (2012), "Scanning the information infrastructure of Pakistan: A step towards the development of a national educational information system", Library Review, Vol. 61 No. 7, pp. 511-525. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531211288254