Responsiveness of library and information science research and education to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

Peer review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books'. The manuscript was subjected to rigorous twostep peer review prior to publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the authors. The reviewers were independent of the publisher and/or authors in question. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript be published. Where the reviewers recommended revision and/or improvements to the manuscript, the authors responded adequately to such recommendations. Research JustificationThis scholarly book focuses on the relationship between information knowledge and technology with regard to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The latter is understood to be a set of highly disruptive technologies blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres, collectively referred to as cyber-physical systems. Technologies such as cognitive computing, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, big data, augmented or virtual reality, 3D systems, artificial intelligence and power supply are transforming social, economic and political systems. Ultimately, we need to transform, be more creative and innovative to develop and sustain existing and emerging capabilities in the 'new normal', which has been accidentally accelerated by COVID-19 requirements. Technologies for digital transformation create the opportunity for Africa to bypass traditional phases of industrial development as the continent has done successfully in the past. Challenges addressed in the book are inequality, social justice, ethics, access and success, policy, infrastructure and cybersecurity.The book contributes to the ongoing discourse among scholars in Africa. It consists of 10 chapters where conceptual and field research are combined. The first chapter, by Trywell Kalusopa from the University of Namibia, focuses on e-government, with an emphasis on digital government in the digital economy. The second chapter, by Kelvin J. Bwalya from the University of Johannesburg, focuses on e-government from an artificial intelligence perspective. The third chapter, by Tom Kwanya from the Technical University of Kenya, focuses on the perception of robots for information services. In the fourth chapter, Johannes Britz, from the University of Wisconsin, discusses information ethics in the digital economy. This is followed by the fifth chapter on information access and personal data by Mpho Ngoepe from the University of South Africa. The sixth chapter, by Neil D. Evans from the University of Zululand, is dedicated to e-teaching and e-learning from a Library and Information Education (LISE) perspective. In the seventh chapter, Dennis Ocholla, also from the University of Zululand, focuses on LISE in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The eighth chapter presents Ocholla's questions on the dimensions and direction of information and knowledge management education. The ninth chapt...