MALAYSIA’S MULTIMEDIA SUPER CORRIDOR AND ROLES OF INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS.

In Malaysia, the government is supporting the diffusion of the Internet and is spearheading a project to bring Malaysia into the information age, by helping to design a smart city called the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). The MSC is being planned as a high-technology center where world-class multimedia companies can develop state-of-the-art products and services. Since Malaysia is undergoing a change from an industrial to information age, the MSC will guide the country in identifying how to use multimedia services in an efficient and competitive manner and will serve as a springboard for regional and global multimedia markets. This paper uses Malaysia as a case study to describe some challenges associated with the development of smart city mega-projects and to analyze the implications for librarians and information professionals. The underlying questions are, first, why is the MSC important to Malaysia’s national development, and, second, what roles do librarians and information professionals play in the successful implementation of smart city projects? The need to increase information technology and information literacy skills is discussed, and the roles for librarians as end-user trainers and technology coordinators are highlighted. Contains 24 references, 19 endnotes, and 7 tables.) (MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.