Libraries and their role in building knowledge and achieving sustainable development

Sustainable development or continuous development is the wise management of available resources in a way that ensures economic, social and cultural prosperity and the realization of the development and environmental needs of present and future generations. Sustainable development depends on two fundamental things: the right to development and the right to environmental protection; knowledge societies are one of the most recently developed societies as one of the main requirements of this stage, the stage of development. The knowledge society, in addition to the technological aspect, is based on the human element, seeks for personal development, focuses on creativity and talent, and supports participation in knowledge and research, which aims at producing information, imparting skills and knowledge and employing them in the best ways, and moving them from generation to generation. The importance of the study: The process of sustainable development includes social and cultural development aimed at improving the level of information awareness of individuals as well as the participation of societies in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. Now it is the time to highlight the role of libraries of different types as the cultural and educational source of society, And to the preservation of human heritage. Libraries can therefore play an active role as partners in achieving sustainable developmentThe problem of the study: The Arab countries face many problems and challenges that can be an obstacle to the implementation of the goals of sustainable development. In addition, some of their governments still do not put libraries in the national development plans, which created the problem of not strengthening the role of libraries as a contributor to the implementation of sustainable development goals. It is now necessary to solve this problem by clarifying and strengthening the role of cultural and social libraries. The objectives of the study: This study aims at maximizing the role of Arab libraries of different types (national libraries, public libraries, children's libraries) as partners in achieving sustainable development and as a main objective with other sub-goals by answering the following questions. 1-How can libraries support sustainable development objectives? 2-What is the role of libraries in the Arab Gulf society as a cultural and social dimension? 3-What are the activities and services provided by libraries to increase information awareness of communities? 4-How effective are national libraries, libraries, children's libraries and mobile libraries in highlighting national identity and realizing the vision of 2030? Study Methodology: The researchers followed the analytical descriptive approach to extrapolate written intellectual production and analyze the reality to show the role of quality libraries (national, public, mobile, and children's libraries) in establishing knowledge and achieving sustainable development using the case study method of King Fahad National Library in Riyadh, King Abd Al Aziz Mobile Library in Riyadh, HikayaQamar Library (Children's Library) in Qatif, Public Library in Dammam. Main results: * New ways of thinking and skills should be employed to strengthen the role of libraries of different types in establishing knowledge and creating societies * Through the services of libraries, it is one of the most important ways to disseminate knowledge and raise the level of cultural, cognitive and information in the community * Libraries are an important partner for sustainable development because they provide services to all members of society regardless of their gender, type, age, or religion * Libraries support communities through which all individuals can learn, create and innovate, and increasing information and cultural awareness of the advancement of societies * Effective contribution by the national libraries in solving the problems of society in many ways, including the provision of studies and information vessels that discuss the issues and problems of society and collect intellectual production, and works on the culture of the citizen reading and scientific research and publishing. Main Recommendations: * Enable libraries to play an important role in sustainable development, where the infinite potential offered by information technology or the nature of the tasks, activities and services provided by libraries can be harnessed * Libraries support the implementation of sustainable development goals by providing access to information, increasing information and knowledge awareness, and supporting literacy skills and information and communication technology * Spreading the culture of mobile libraries because of their great awareness and cultural role, and not limited to parks, but also visiting residential areas and moving between them, not limited to specific places, but renewal of their places * Highlight the libraries of children because of their importance, they serve the most important stage in human life because of their impact on the real construction of personality and it is the right of the child to build his mind and we are keen to teach him. * National libraries should activate cooperative information services and work on exchanging them with international libraries and sharing resources and making them available to ensure their transmission from generation to generation.