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Environmental concerns in the
knowledge industry: literature
review
Sabiha Zehra Rizvi, S.M. Shafi and Nadim Akhtar Khan
Department of Library & Information Science,
University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
Abstract
Purpose – The paper aims to explore and identify the recent contributions to the literature available
about various environmental issues associated with the Knowledge Industry, from conception until
dissemination of knowledge to end-users from the sources available.
Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature survey was performed in an attempt to
identify substantial works published to date concerning environmental issues coupled with the
Knowledge Industry. A range of online scholarly databases, search engines and websites of recognized
international as well as national organizations and publishers was searched, to spot out the substantial
works carried out in the area. Varied search terms such as “environmental issues of paper industry”,
“paper consumption for books”, “books and carbon footprint” “environmental issues in pulp and paper
industry”, “computers and carbon footprint”, “publishing industry and environment”, “internet and
environmental issues” and “green computing”, etc. were used for retrieving the literature.
Findings – The literature review connotes that hardly any systematic study or scholarly output
which can facilitate the precise and accurate facts about environmental issues coupled with the
Knowledge Industry is available, although the size of the industry and its effect on the environment is
quite large.
Practical implications – It is evident from the scrutiny of literature existing that there are still areas
for advanced exploration on the topic of environmental concerns of the Knowledge industry; and study
paves the way for the concerned organizations and institutions (such as Libraries and Publishers),
at global level, to take substantial measures to overcome hazardous effects from the industry.
Originality/value – The paper is the first ordered and thorough attempt to review the literature and
provide a summary of adverse effects of the Knowledge Industry on the environment.
Keywords Publishers, Information technology, Books, Knowledge industry, Book industry,
Information communication technology, Environmental issues, Carbon footprint
Paper type Literature review
Evolution of the knowledge industry
Harmony between man and environment is the essence of healthy life and growth.
Therefore, maintenance of ecological balance and a pristine environment has been
of utmost importance. Variant needs of man have always led him to exploit various
natural resources accordingly and to change the environment for his own benefits. The
compilation of written knowledge is a practice as old as human civilization itself. Man did
not learn how to write all at once. His early attempts were very crude (Gunaratne, 2006).
From the very beginning when man started to conserve his ideas and information in the
form of symbols, pictures and writing, to pass it to the next generations, he knowingly or
unknowingly promoted the cause for environmental destruction. In ancient times, “the
materials upon which written records were made have included stone, clay, metal, wood,
wax tablets, ivory, leaves, bark, papyrus, parchment, etc.” (“Materials for records”, 1920).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0024-2535.htm
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61,7
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Received 18 September 2012
Accepted 21 September 2012
Library Review
Vol. 61 No. 7, 2012
pp. 526-537
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0024-2535
DOI 10.1108/00242531211288263
From time to time, someone invents a product with an unforeseen and massive impact
on society. This has been true since the Chinese pounded linen to make paper,
and unwittingly provided the mass means for disseminating and storing knowledge
(Jukes, 2005). The invention of paper-making, an obvious improvement over:
[...] cumbersome predecessors like cave walls, clay tablets and parchment, revolutionized the
art and science of writing in a way not rivaled again until the invention of the printing press
and the PC (both of which are still dependent on that ancient support, paper!) (Reyden, 1999).
The subject of the environmental impact of paper and its production has been under
the spotlight recently. It is one of the few industrial goods manufactured from natural
sustainable materials. Paper plays such a beneficial role in our civilized society that its
intrinsicmerit should not in any way be damagedby production processes which fall short
of the best available technology that does not involve excessive costs (Harrison, 2010). The
biggest milestone in the history of scholarly communication was invention of the printing
press, “a capital and resource-intensive industry that contributes too many environmental
problems, including global warming, human toxicity, eco-toxicity, photochemical
oxidation, acidification, nitrification, and solid wastes” (Blazejczak and Edler, as cited in
Kuik (2006)).
In an era of information explosion and widespread use of digital information
resources, application of information communication technology (ICT) has become
inevitable. The choice for a knowledge user in today’s world is enormous-printed and
digital knowledge products can be accessed through a myriad of means and platforms:
through the books (conventional and online), through online subscription, through a
library, through various online e-books, e-journals, databases, digital libraries, and off
late through search engines. With the introduction and increasing use of computers in
information handling several new methods and approaches have been developed for
access to knowledge over the past five decades or so (Chowdhury, 2010):
There seems to be growing awareness about the environmental impact of Internet use,
including both consumers’ PC’s and the industrial-scale electricity-consumption of the
enormous data warehouses where most web servers are stored (Stabe, 2006).
The main catalyst for this change is the realization that energy consumption is growing at
a staggering rate, far beyond that for which we have prepared. The corollary for ICT is that
as an industry, it is responsible for significant environmental impact (Yousif, 2010).
A thorough exploration of literature reveals that hardly any systematic study or
scholarly output which can facilitate the precise and accurate facts about environmental
issues coupled with the knowledge industry is available, although the size of the
industry and its effect on the environment is quite large. However, diverse studies about
the position of above said concerns are available at global level covering environmental
issues like deforestation, carbon footprint, eco-toxicity, etc. associated with the paper
and book industry, ICT (including computers as a key component of the knowledge
industry) and publishers which are part and parcel of the knowledge industry from
creation to distribution and use of knowledge.
Environmental impact of the paper and book industry
Continually growing demand for paper is putting pressure on the world’s forests and
resulting in the loss and degradation of forests (Yang et al., 2008). Diminishing forests
Environmental
concerns
527
is one of the key concerns that paper industry is facing. The paper industry can so easily
become the be
ˆte noire when it comes to environmental discussions regarding the future
of the planet. “Over 40 percent of trees that are logged globally are used to make paper”,
and paper consumption is growing at unprecedented rate (Mehta, 2009, p. 68). As
per Milliot (2008) cutting of trees accounts for nearly 63 percent of the industry’s carbon
footprint. Cheremisinoff and Rosenfeld (as cited in Ince et al. (2011)) describe that pulp
and paper industry is one of the most water and energy consuming industry in the world.
This industry uses the fifth largest energy consumer processes; approximately 4 percent
of total energy is used worldwide. It has been estimated that 500 million tons of paper,
etc. per year will be produced in 2020. Three different raw materials are used in as
non-wood fibers and wood materials; soft and hard woods. Additionally, 100 million kg
of toxic pollutants are released every year and wastewaters are generated from this
industry. Laplante and Rilstone (1995), Thompson et al. (2001) and Fernandez (2009)
report massive effects of paper and pulp industry on environment like emissions of
hazardous chemicals into atmosphere, generation of high quantity of wastewaters,
acidification, etc. and measures taken to reduce such ill effects in Quebec, Philippine and
UK, respectively. The World Bank Group (1998) reports the significant environmental
impacts of pulp and paper industry resulting from the pulping and bleaching processes.
In some processes, sulfur compounds and nitrogen oxides are emitted to the air, and
chlorinated and organic compounds, nutrients, and metals are discharged to the
wastewaters. Hill et al. (2002) describe how the paper industry generates a large variety
and quantity of wastes, much of which may be land filled, including tree bark, flume grit
(dirt and contaminants carried with logs), sludge from wastewater treatment,
green-liquor dregs and lime mud, wood knots and screenings, mill garbage, and some
waste metal and paper. Zaidi et al. (1992) point out that paper industry is currently facing
the challenge of substantially reducing the discharge of conventional and toxic
pollutants to the receiving environment without compromising its competitiveness.
Global paper consumption is currently running at more than 350 million tons per year
and fast approaching an unsustainable one million tons per day. Godelink (2011) cites
a report by Book Industry Environmental Council (BIEC) which reveals the carbon
footprint of the industry as 12.4 million metric tons (carbon equivalent), or 4.01 kg CO
2
per book. The largest contributor to this footprint, according to this report, is the logging
and manufacturing of paper, which constitute 87.3 percent of total carbon emissions. US
book industry is a pioneer in estimating the environmental issues coupled with the book
industry and recommending the possible solutions to rise above such hazardous effects.
A report released by Eco-Libris (2008) focused on the environmental issues associated
with the book world in USA reveals that more than 1.5 million metric tons of paper is
utilized each year. The trees that are cut down annually to produce books sold in the USA
are more than 30 million in number. Paper-making, including the pulp and paper
manufacturing components, is far and away the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions (Lukovitz, 2009). A research report commissioned by Book Industry
Study Group (BISG) and Green Press Initiative (GPI) entitled Environmental Trends and
Climate Impacts: Findings from the US Book Industry (2008) tracks a wide variety of
environmental indicators, including energy use by all participants of the book industry
in all segments, environmental policy development, transportation of books, resource
consumption, the certification and conservation of forests, and the production, disposal,
and recycling of paper. As per study, 62.7 percent of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is released
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from forest and forest harvest impacts of book industry followed by 26.6 percent
emitted from paper production and printing impacts. While as distribution and retail
impacts are responsible for 12.7 percent production of CO
2
and 6.6 percent from
publisher’s impact and energy used in offices, etc. An incredible study by Chowdhary
(2010) figures out the carbon footprint of printed knowledge products, generating
massive amount of CO
2
. The book industry in UK and the USA alone produces about
1.8 million tones and about 11.27 of CO
2
, respectively. CO
2
emissions from worldwide
journal publishing industry are estimated to be about 12 million tones. The production
and distribution costs of digital knowledge products are negligible compared to the
environmental costs of production and distribution of printed knowledge products.
From tree to paper mill to printing plant to our homes (and beyond), each book emits a
path of carbon dioxide (Barone et al., 2008). The book market is undergoing a phase of
transition. Developers are introducing new formats, manufacturers are building new
devices, companies are creating new business models, and most importantly – new
readers are making the leap from paper books to e-books.
Experts agree that e-books and e-readers are gaining momentum and are poised
to make the breakthrough that will significantly change the book industry (PWC, 2010).
In recent years, e-books have become important portions of university library budgets
and many libraries have also experimented with lending out e-readers to enable a better
and more mobile reading experience than a PC’s or desktop (Anscombe, 2012). The shift
towards e-books is having a significant influence on every part of the book industry,
from publishers working to reinvent their value proposition to brick and mortar
bookstores fighting for their future (Godelink, 2011). The e-book refers to the digital
media equivalent of a conventional printed book. Such documents are usually read
on PC’s or on dedicated hardware devices known as e-book readers or e-book devices
(Chakrabarti and Gurey, 2009). Amazon.com revealed that sales of e-books were now out
stripping the sales of hardcover books, with the possibility that their sales will double
that of hard covers by the end of the year. With the appearance of Apple’s iPad and
its stunning sales of four million units in its first four months, Barnes & Noble dropped
the price of its Nook e-reader and Amazon announced the release of a cheaper version of
its Kindle. All of which has media gurus heralding that publishing will finally go
paperless. But the New York Times recently calculated that the environmental impact of
a single e-reader – factoring in the use of minerals, water, and fossil fuels along the
manufacturing process is roughly the same as 50 books. At present, the average e-reader
is used less than two years before it is replaced. That means that the nearly ten million
e-readers expected to be in use by next year would have to supplant the sales of
250 million new books not used or rare editions, 250 million new books, each year just to
come out footprint-neutral (“The price of the priceless revolution”, 2010). The fact is that
wasteful practices have been devaluing book publishing for decades as the production
of both types of books (printed as well as e-book) cause carbon emissions, though books
engage extra energy for transporting from publisher to bookstore. The carbon footprint
of an e-reader such as Amazon’s Kindle is equivalent to 22.5 physical books, according
to a report by Cleantech Group. It found a physical book typically has a standard carbon
emission of around 7.5 kg compared to an average of 168 k for an e-reader such as
the Kindle. Researchers have also looked at the water use for paper books and estimate
book production uses 8 l of water per book compared to 299 l for an e-reader
(Boshart, 2011). The report, prepared by GPI takes into account the average lifecycle
Environmental
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529
of e-reading devices, and even accounts for the general impact of the iPad (in terms of the
production process used in making one) when compared to that of the average book.
Using Apple’s own published environmental report regarding the iPad; GPI determines
that an iPad is responsible for 130 kg (287 lb) of CO
2
equivalent GHG emissions over its
average lifetime. The average printed book, by contrast, is responsible for only 8.85 lb
(Riehle, 2011). Machlup (as cited in “Education: the knowledge industry” (1962)) says
that knowledge spreading is indeed a definable industry, which in 1958 produced goods
and services worth $136.4 billion. The knowledge industry can be seen as an opportunity
to reduce pollution and environmentally harmful consumption of natural resources.
Eco-issues related to ICT
As the environment changes around us, so too are changing our traditional ways
of collecting, storing and disseminating information. From traditional industry to newly
emerged nanotechnology, technologies and products have been developed that improve
our quality of life. As the products that are made become more diversified, society
and industry have lost sight of the potential polluting impact that these products have on
the environment. The consequences are not only restricted to public hazards, pollution,
and rapid depletion of resources, but also the sustainability of humankind (Gong and
Wang, 2011). When computers first became popular, people predicted that they would
revolutionize the modern society into “Paperless Society”. To date, however computers
have not only failed to reduce the amount of paper consumed, but have actually
increased paper consumption. Billions of research reports, memos, letters, reports, rough
drafts are effortlessly created each year by PC’s (Saini, 2005). Technology has a history
of impacting our environment, largely in a negative way. Scientists believe that the
adverse effects of many technologies have led to global warming, acid rain, pollution,
and other negative impacts on the environment (Denson, 2008). As an industry, the ICT
sector currently contributes in the range of 2-2.5 percent of the global GHG emissions
but this figure is likely to grow (Daniel, 2010). Most ICT products consist of different
components, e.g. micro-chips, semiconductors, printed circuit boards, liquid crystal
displays, and batteries. The manufacture of many of these components has hazardous
effects on environment.
The production of semiconductors causes significant air emissions (acid fumes,
volatile organic compounds and doping gases), water emissions (solvents, cleaning
solutions, acids, metals) and wastes (silicon, solvents):
Overall, the manufacture of ICT equipment causes a variety of detrimental environmental
effects, related to energy consumption, water use and emissions of acids, metals, volatile
organic compounds, chlorinated solvents and other substances. The ecological damage caused
by computer manufacture is growing across several environmental domains (waste, energy,
GHG emissions). With regard to waste, it has been found that 98% of the material used in PC’s
production goes into the waste stream and only 2% becomes part of the product (Berkhout and
Hertin, 2004).
130 million PC’s are produced annually on global level. The billionth PC’s was produced in
2002 and unit sales continue to increase. PC’s are nearly ubiquitous and create
environmental problems at all stages of the equipment lifecycle. During manufacture,
huge amounts of material – including toxic materials and energy are used. Packaging,
distribution and use consume additional materials and energy. When no longer needed,
the vast majority of computers are not reclaimed or recycled. PC’s are major contributors
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to an immense and rapidly growing global electronic waste problem. E-waste is both
valuable as source for secondary raw material, and toxic if treated and discarded
improperly. Rapid technology change, low initial cost and even planned obsolescence
have resulted in a fast growing problem around the globe. E-waste includes computers,
telecommunications items and products used for data processing and entertainment
products that have been discarded by their original users (Osuagwu and Ikerionwu, 2010).
Global carbon emissions of ICT industry continues to grow as calculations showed
that emissions related to PC’s and laptops, which accounted for 48.5 percent of all global
ICT emissions in 2009, will nearly quadruple by 2020 (Rice University, 2010). The life cycle
of computers from their manufacture and operation to their disposal – negatively affects
our environment. More than 80 percent of electronic equipment including computers
and PC’s in USA ends up in landfills as toxic waste, taking up space and leaching mercury
and lead into the soil and water supply (Kaestner, 2009). Gartner (as cited in Cayzer (2010))
in ICT industry has been charged with causing carbon emissions that amount to 2 percent
of the world’s total. But sustainability is also an opportunity, especially for the IT
industry, because of the potential to create innovative products and services aimed at the
sustainability market. Some examples would be: travel replacement technologies (video
conferencing, remote access and so on), eServices, paper reduction and virtualization.
Daniel (2010) considers the carbon footprint diminished by ICT industry from tools and
devices like audio and video conferencing, e-mail communication, multimedia
applications such as music downloading (as contrasted to CD-based distribution, cloud
computing (reducing space), paperless news and document delivery services, electronic
libraries and remote operations (a network, a data centre or a site from a remote localized
position), wireless/paperless remote order entry, web-based services and even more
greening opportunities arise when one considers the entire ICT space).
It is evident that within a digital environment with less physical production of
knowledge products, there will be less paper, less ink, less production and transportation
of physical knowledge products, and all these will eventually result in a reduction
of carbon footprint. So, environmental savings from a digital content service, as opposed
to print-based services, can be true only if digital transactions of knowledge products
actually need less energy and therefore produce less carbon footprint (Chowdhury , 2010).
The internet is the gateway for libraries to enter the electronic information era and is
providing the information, generated by different organizations, institutions, research
centers and individuals all over the world (Thanuskodi, 2011). While discussing
environmental issues allied with the internet Clark and Lee (2010) report around
300 million tonnes of CO
2
are released by internet, as much as all the coal, oil and gas
burned in Turkey or Poland in one year, or more than half of those burned in the UK.
The five leading search engines have about two million servers for a total of 600 MW of
power consumption. When add in hard drive power and air conditioning, the total
energy usage for search engines hits 5 GW (Glaser, 2007). Weber and his team
(“Large uncertainty in carbon footprint calculating”, 2011) studied an IBM computer
server and found that the use phase of the server accounted for an estimated 94 percent of
the total GHG emissions associated with the product. Google as one of the leading
provider of internet related products and services says that it emits 1.5 million tonnes
of carbon annually but claims that its data centres consume 50 percent less energy
than the industry average (Clark, 2011). Gonzalez (2005) believes that technological
change has a relevant role to play in the transition towards a sustainable industry.
Environmental
concerns
531
The analysis of the determinants and barriers to clean technology adoption should
be a main goal of economists and social scientists.
Publisher concerns
Over nearly 500 years, since the invention of the modern printing press, the process of
knowledge distribution and access has followed a typical business model where
publishers have played a bridging role between knowledge creators and knowledge
users (Chowdhury, 2010). The rapid shift of the industry from print to digital has
dramatically altered the publishing landscape and changed business models, forcing
publishers to implement sustainable business practices as margins tighten and houses
balance print and digital operations. The industry’s increased use of post-consumer
waste (PCW) fiber is just one of the encouraging signs in publishers’ commitment to
improve their environmental policies. More than 50 percent of publishers now have
environmental commitments on record. Time lines and measurements of how much
recycled and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper used is important and publishers
have set targets and goals in place (Milliot, 2010). The Book Industry Treatise on
Environmentally Responsible Publishing Collaborative Agreement initiated by GPI is
a treatise for environmentally responsible publishing, which defines shared goals for
improving the environmental impacts associated with the book industry’s average
consumption of over one million tons of paper each year. The treatise was developed
with the perspective and participation of over 25 stakeholders over a six-month period –
including publishers large and small, book printers, paper companies, and merchants.
The following Leadership Council is committed to support the Treatise: Baker
Publishing Group, Chronicle Books, Continuum Publishing, Harvard University Press,
Lantern Books, Square One Publishers, Thomson-Shore Book Manufacturing and
others (GPI, 2007).
Globally meager numbers of publishers have accepted environmental concerns
associated and set specific goals to deal with the impact of their activities. Fortunately,
some in the publishing industry have not been content to sit and watch the paperback
decline into the realms of the eco-villain. Pioneers in the publishing industry have been
making tracks in reducing the environmental impact of printing and selling books
(Bocking, 2009). Some of them are listed here: as one of the leading publishing house,
Emerald identifies environmental issues as a big concern to clients, employees and the
community as a whole. Emerald works in partnership with suppliers and regulatory
authorities to address the environmental impacts of its activities, products and services
and aims to run a sustainable business, makes use of FSC/Programme for Endorsement
of Forest Certification (PEFC) logos where applicable, committed to prevention of
pollution and continual improvement of its environmental impacts (Emerald, 2011).
The Random House Group is committed to a programme of continuous improvement in
order to minimize the negative impacts of their operations on the environment. The plan
covers everything from paper procurement and recycling. Being the first from UK, they
have adopted a pro-FSC paper procurement policy and established Plant-a-tree
programme and initiated several recycling schemes. In 2006, they assessed their carbon
footprint with the support of climate group and a renowned affiliate of reputed groups
and associations formed for the cause (The Random House Group, 2011). McGraw-Hill
(2010) in its annual report reveals its comprehensive approach to environmental
sustainability focused on efficient building design and management, waste, water
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and energy reduction, green travel policies and clean energy generation. Their corporate
environmental policy sets high environmental performance standards for operations,
employees and suppliers. Chain-of-custody forest certification achieved for over
95 percent of paper purchased in USA, 42 percent reduction in waste to landfill and
5 percent reduction in total GHG emissions from 2010. Reed Elsevier (2011) to a large
scope is effective to reduce its direct environmental impact by limiting resource use and
by efficiently employing sustainable materials and technologies. The publisher believes
that all environmental impacts are important, but its priority is climate change and
continues to produce more online products and services with increasing energy usage
and associate emissions; and water, given its use in operations and in supply chain.
Macmillan primarily a knowledge and ideas business and a major purchaser of paper,
have moved much of magazine and book printing onto papers which conform to one
of the major recommended independent environmental standards, the FSC or PEFC:
The publishing house is working with the Carbon Trust in UK to reduce carbon footprint of
all its activities and employ specialist companies to help recycle paper and other consumables
(Macmillan, 2010).
Cambridge University Press (2011) in its yearly report for 2011 affirms that good
environmental practice is at the heart of the press’s commitment to being a responsible
member of the community. The press retained its registration to ISO14001; GHG
emissions for the Cambridge site dropped again, to 6,461 tonnes of CO
2
equivalent,
13 percent below the level of the previous reporting year. Many publishers across the
globe have committed to values of social environmental responsibility to buy and use
eco-friendly paper and printing products like FSC, Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI),
and Canopy certified paper and products.
Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts: Findings from the US Book Industry
(2008) reports that the use of certified virgin fiber is increasing, as is evident from
industry support for certified fiber through environmental policies, with the FSC
certification as the most preferred certification system followed by SFI, Canadian
Standards Association (CSA) and PEFC.
Conclusion
The transition of the society from print to electronic knowledge resources has
considerably led to exploitation of environment and natural resources. A thorough
exploration of literature reveals that hardly any systematic study or scholarly output
which can facilitate the precise and accurate facts about environmental issues coupled
with the knowledge industry is available. Despite of the fact that the industry and its
impact on the environment is quite large and is leaving its toxic footprints with each
passing day, studies highlighting methods and measures for curbing such daunting and
hazardous issues and outcomes needs to be prioritized at all levels. Publishing houses,
libraries and information centers, and other associated institutions being actively
involved with the industry from creation to distribution and use of knowledge products
need to be supported by the parent organizations for carrying and promoting research
and developmental activities in the area.
Creating a new, eco-friendly future of the knowledge industry is a challenging task
and the industry needs to face this challenge, identify different approaches and examine
current practices for production and distribution of knowledge products, to formulate
Environmental
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533
appropriate plans to tackle related adverse environmental issues and proper steps
should be in place at all levels for addressing such concerns. While the traditional system
expects the environment experts to deal with this problem, it does little to solve the
problem. The librarians can take an account of environmental issues associated with the
different knowledge products (print or electronic) library choose and embrace the ways to
green their practices. To reclaim the tradition of sustainability on the part of publishers,
they still have room for plenty for improvement and enhancement to run their sustainable
business and minimize the negative impact of their activities on environment.
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Further reading
Personal Computers and Video Display Terminals in Buildings: Environmental Issues (2005),
available at: www.greenit.net/downloads/GreenIT-EnvIssues-PCs.pdf
About the authors
Sabiha Zehra Rizvi is a PhD scholar of Department of Library and Information Science,
University of Kashmir. She has Masters Degree in Library and Information Science. Her research
interests include Open Source software, digital libraries, environmental issues, cultural heritage
and manuscript preservation. She has presented papers at different national conferences.
Professor S.M. Shafi has been Head of the Department of Library and Information Science
(University of Kashmir) Srinagar (J&K), India since 2005. He obtained a BSc and later MLISc from
Delhi University. He qualified MA (Political Science) from Punjab University (Chandigarh) and
later earned a PhD from Kashmir University, besides being selected for J&K Civil Services.
A teacher and researcher for about 27 years, he has supervised more than 15 MPhil and 12 PhD
scholars. His keen interest in Computer Applications to Information Studies has led him to
specialize in “Open Access to Knowledge” and “Digital Libraries” which subsequently motivated
him to direct many projects, for example: (a) Database of Medieval Manuscripts documenting
resources of Kashmir (Sponsor: UGC, New Delhi); (b) Digital Library of Flora of J&K documenting
economic and medicinal flora of J&K (Sponsor: DSIR (New Delhi)); (c) E-repository for J&K
(Sponsor: UGC, New Delhi) (on-going). Widely travelled, he has brought quite innovative
developments to the Department, including: modernizing and diversifying LIS curriculum;
developing two fully equipped ICT labs in the Department; pushing development of “Preservation
and Conservation lab”. He is instrumental in inducting the Department to the Special Assistance
programme of UGC for developing “Digital Research Centre” during 2011-2015, in addition to
designing and executing Knowledge Repository Open Network (KNoor) (http://dspaces.uok.edu.
in:8080/jspui/). He has directed and coordinated many national-level workshops and seminars
regularly since 2005, on many current themes. A prolific writer, with more than 60 researchpapers
in national and international journals, he has participated in about 20 national and six international
conferences, etc. He is on the Editorial/Advisory Board of many international and national journals
and founder Editor of Trends in Information Management (Biannual) (http://ojs.uok.edu.in/ojs/
index.php/crdr/) since 2005. For more details visit http://lis.uok.edu.in/faculty2.aspx
Nadim Akhtar Khan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Library and Information
Science, University of Kashmir, India. He has a Masters in Library and Information Science
(Gold Medallist), and PGDCA. His research interests include Open Source software, metadata
harvesting and interoperability, institutional repositories, digital libraries, multilingual
interfaces and cultural heritage. He has attended and presented papers in many national and
international seminars, including ICDL 2010, ETTLIS 2010, ICDK 2011, ICLAM 2011, etc.
He received the Best Poster Award for his Conference Poster entitled “Harvesting Capabilities of
Google Scholar: A Comparative Study of three Major Journal Lists-DOAJ, Highwire and
Biomedcentral” in Third International Conference on Digital Libraries (ICDL-2010). He has
authored many papers in national journals and one paper in an international journal. He is also
Deputy Administrator for the Knowledge Repository Open Network (KNoor) an Open Access
Repository harvesting and aggregating the scholarly products emanating from research and
scientific institutions of Jammu & Kashmir (viz. SK Institute of Medical Sciences, SK University
of Agricultural Science & Technology and University of Kashmir). He has coordinated a number
of National Workshops and Seminars. For further details please visit http://lis.uok.edu.in/
faculty5.aspx. Nadim Akhtar Khan is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
khannadim2007@gmail.com
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concerns
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