1. Familiarity with RICeST By: Dr. Mohammad Reza Falahati Qadimi Fumani Director of RICeST’s Information Management Department & Sara Ne’matollahi Assistant Director 27-10-2010

2. What is RICeST? RICeST is the short form for Regional Information Center for Science and Technology. Its previous name was “Regional Library of Science and Technology”, which later changed into RICeST since it did not reflect the current activities of the Center.

3. When was it established? RICeST was established in 1991 after an agreement was inked between Prof. Mostafa Mo’in, Iran’s ex- Minister of Science, Research and Technology and the late Prof. Abd-ul-salam, the Nobel prize winner and the Director of the Third-World Academy of Sciences. Later a meeting was held in which Prof. Jafar Mehrad, Prof. Reza Mansuri, Prof. Habib Firuzabadi and Prof. Yusef Sobuti were present. There Prof. Mehrad was assigned with the responsibility to provide a working plan for the establishment of RICeST. The plan was prepared and was sent to the Minister for ratification and approval. The Minister then appointed Prof. Jafar Mehrad as the President of RICeST.

4. Where is it located? The RICeST is located in Shiraz, Fars Province, South of IRAN. It can be accessed by logging on to www.srlst.com or www.ricest.ac.ir the latter being RICeST’s new URL. www.srlst.comwww.ricest.ac.ir

5. Objectives of RICeST To establish telecommunication facilities for transferring home and regional scientific and technological information, To establish electronic information exchange systems among home and regional researchers. To select, acquire and organize home and regional printed materials in the areas of science and technology, Responding to the information needs of applicants from Iranian as well as regional research institutes and universities through mail, telephone or email.

6. To support research activities in the areas of science and technology in Iran and regional countries, To hold home and regional seminars and conferences in the areas of science and technology, To hold short-term courses and workshops on informatics in the areas of science and technology, To establish branches of RICeST in Iran and regional countries

7. To implement scientific and information programs, as well as student and professor exchange programs with home and regional universities and research institutes, To publish and distribute research reports, Persian and non-Persian scientific books and journals, To establish scientific cooperation with international institutes and organizations particularly UNESCO, the Third-World Academy of Science (TWAS), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the Islamic Conference Organization in the areas of information and librarianship, ….

8. Information sources and databases available at RICeST www.ricest.ac.ir