If we turn to any explanatory dictionary, we can see that the word "resource" means a stock, the accumulation of something. In modern industrial society, the main efforts are aimed at material production, which is why most often you can meet with this term such qualitative characteristics as natural, energy, financial, labor, etc. However, at present you can hear the concept of "information resources of society", which denotes the knowledge and experience of mankind, recorded on a specific medium suitable for the storage and use of information. These include various documents, databases and knowledge, computer programs, as well as works of art and the results of scientific works.
Information resources of a society are a product of people's intellectual activity , which is currently considered, for the most part, as a strategic stock of development, not inferior in value to material values. With the exception of some cases stipulated in the Russian Legislation, these data may be goods subject to ownership, disposal and use rights. The legal regime of their formation and use is established for the information resources of society. They can be both public and private, be owned by individual citizens, public organizations, and authorities.
If we talk about the composition of this category, then this may include primary documents on various media (books, CDs, periodicals, etc.), bibliographic products, databases, etc.
The information resources of modern society have some properties that are determined by their specifics. Firstly, it is inexhaustible, that is, these reserves can be used many times and for various purposes.
Secondly, the volume of information flow is constantly growing, which is associated primarily with the development of society itself. Also, the composition and content of resource databases are variable. This is a reaction to changing human needs.
Information resources are the basis for creating products that reflect the manufacturer's ideas about the specific field of knowledge for which he was created. Despite the fact that this is the result of human intellectual activity, it is important to fix it on any material medium, in the form of a book, article, computer program, document, etc. A product is distributed, like all other material things, using services. For this, an agreement is concluded between the parties, which stipulates the time and conditions of use, guarantees, and compensation for this.
The information resources of the company are currently represented, for the most part, on electronic or digital media. This is due to the wide computerization of various fields of activity. Thus, a person in the modern world has to not only be able to use a variety of technologies, but also follow the dynamic changes in the development of society. This includes broadening one's horizons, the ability to establish a connection with an active public.
All the information resources of society is a huge database that is completely impossible to embrace. However, almost every person has the opportunity to use this knowledge accumulated over many centuries. Anyone can replenish this intellectual reserve with the results of their labor, especially if they possess certain innovations. This is especially true for people working in the scientific field. It should be noted that, first of all, the development of information resources depends on the needs of society.