{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T17:53:43Z","timestamp":1754157223502,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2005,4,1]],"date-time":"2005-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1112313600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper aims to: assess the situation of rural population in Pakistan and information facilities available to them including telecommunications, computers and public libraries; document the community information initiatives in terms of objectives, institutional framework, staff, services, use, finance, technology and lessons learned; understand challenges and opportunities regarding the establishment of multipurpose community telecenters (MCTs) in rural areas of Pakistan; and to propose a model for the establishment of MCTs in Pakistan in terms of policy formulation, planning, management, funding, building, equipment, technology, services, target groups, marketing and sustainability.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study is based on literature review and interviews of persons involved in activities of providing information to the rural community in Pakistan selected from the telecommunications sector, libraries and national and local non\u2010governmental organizations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper highlights the role of MCTs in rural development. It assesses the situation of the rural population in Pakistan and information facilities available to them including telecommunications, computers and public libraries. The paper documents existing community information initiatives in terms of objectives, institutional framework, staff, services, use, finance, technology and lessons learned. It presents challenges and opportunities regarding MCTs in rural areas of Pakistan. A model is proposed for the establishment of MCTs in Pakistan in terms of policy formulation, planning, management, funding, building, equipment, technology, services, target groups, marketing and sustainability. The paper also discusses how MCTs can be an alternative to rural public libraries.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper presents a model for the establishment of MCTs in Pakistan in terms of policy formulation, planning, management, funding, building, equipment, technology, services, target groups, marketing and sustainability.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/02640470510592906","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,7,6]],"date-time":"2005-07-06T02:15:57Z","timestamp":1120616157000},"page":"204-220","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Multipurpose community telecenters for rural development in Pakistan"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Khalid","family":"Mahmood","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b1","unstructured":"Colle, R.D. and Roman, R. (2003), Handbook for Telecenter Staffs, available at: http:\/\/ip.cals.cornell.edu\/commdev\/handbook.cfm (accessed November 25)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b2","unstructured":"Community Technology Centers\u2019 Network (2003), Center Start\u2010up Manual, CTCNet, Cambridge, MA."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Haider, S.J. (1998), \u201cPublic libraries and development planning in Pakistan: a review of past efforts and future needs\u201d, Asian Libraries, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 47\u201057.","DOI":"10.1108\/10176749810368937"},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b4","unstructured":"Khurshid, A. (2000), Planning and Management of Library and Information Services in Pakistan, Library & Information Services Group, Karachi."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b5","unstructured":"Latchem, C. and Walker, D. (Eds) (2001), Telecentres: Case Studies and Key Issues, The Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b9","unstructured":"Pakistan Ministry of Finance (2003), \u201cEconomic survey, 2002\u20102003\u201d, available at: www.finance.gov.pk\/survey\/home.htm (accessed November 25, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b11","unstructured":"Pakistan Ministry of Science & Technology IT and Telecommunications Division (2000), IT Policy and Action Plan, The Division, Islamabad."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b10","unstructured":"Pakistan Ministry of Information Technology. IT & Telecommunication Division (2003), \u201cDraft mobile cellular sector policy\u201d, available at: http:\/\/pakistan.gov.pk\/itandtelecom\u2010division\/informationandservices\/draftmobilepolicy24122003.pdf (accessed January 2, 2004)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b12","unstructured":"Pakistan National Reconstruction Bureau (2001), \u201cThe SBNP local government ordinance 2001. A comparative analysis\u201d, available at: www.nrb.gov.pk\/publications\/SBNP_Local_Govt_Ordinance_2001.pdf (accessed December 5, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b6","unstructured":"Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (2003), \u201cConsultation paper on telecommunication in rural areas of Pakistan\u201d, available at: www.pta.gov.pk\/xml_news\/consultation_paper_rural_areas.pdf (accessed November 25, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b7","unstructured":"Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (2004), \u201cTelecom status report 2002\u20102003\u201d, available at: www.pta.gov.pk\/publications\/telecom_status_report_03.zip (accessed May 1, 2004)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b8","unstructured":"Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (2004), \u201cMonthly review\u201d, available at: www.ptcl.com.pk (accessed May 1)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b13","unstructured":"Qvortrup, L. (2001), \u201cA means to social, cultural and economic development of rural communities and low\u2010income urban settlements: impact of community teleservices centres (CTSCs) on rural development\u201d, available at: www.itu.int\/ITU\u2010D\/univ_access\/casestudies\/qvortrup.html (accessed November 25, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b14","unstructured":"Siochru, S.O. and Rashid, R. (2001), \u201cSustainable Development Networking Programme, Pakistan, End of the project evaluation, final report\u201d, available at: ww.sdnp.undp.org\/rc\/forums\/mgr\/sdnpmgrs\/pdf00002.pdf (accessed December 1, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b15","unstructured":"Unesco (2003), \u201cTen steps for establishing a sustainable multipurpose community telecentre\u201d, available at: www.unescobkk.org\/ips\/ebooks\/documents\/tensteps\/index.htm (accessed November 20)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b16","unstructured":"Wolcott, P. and Goodman, S. (2000), \u201cThe internet in Turkey and Pakistan: a comparative analysis\u201d, available at: http:\/\/mosaic.unomaha.edu\/TurkPak_2000.pdf (accessed November 25, 2003)."},{"key":"key2022013020245612200_b17","unstructured":"World Summit on the Information Society (2003), \u201cPlan of action\u201d, available at: www.itu.int\/dms_pub\/itu\u2010s\/md\/03\/wsis\/doc\/S03\u2010WSIS\u2010DOC\u20100005!!PDF\u2010E.pdf (accessed December 1)."}],"container-title":["The Electronic Library"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/02640470510592906","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/02640470510592906\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/02640470510592906\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:41:28Z","timestamp":1753400488000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/el\/article\/23\/2\/204-220\/35034"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2005,4,1]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,4,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/02640470510592906"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/02640470510592906","relation":{},"ISSN":["0264-0473"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0264-0473"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2005,4,1]]}}}