Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia
Identifieur interne : 000315 ( Istex/Corpus ); précédent : 000314; suivant : 000316Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia
Auteurs : Vitalicy ChifwepaSource :
- Information Development [ 0266-6669 ] ; 1993-03.
Abstract
Agricultural libraries in Zambia need to engage in interlibrary cooperation in order to alleviate the problems of resources scarcity and to improve accessibility of information. A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. A framework is suggested for improving accessibility of information and promoting interlibrary cooperation.
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DOI: 10.1177/026666699300900115
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A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. 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A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. A framework is suggested for improving accessibility of information and promoting interlibrary cooperation.</p></abstract></profileDesc><revisionDesc><change when="1993-03">Published</change></revisionDesc></teiHeader></istex:fulltextTEI><json:item><extension>txt</extension><original>false</original><mimetype>text/plain</mimetype><uri>https://api.istex.fr/document/1ED279D05F95E3176455A1846BAB4A9C9BF3ADED/fulltext/txt</uri></json:item></fulltext><metadata><istex:metadataXml wicri:clean="corpus sage not found" wicri:toSee="no header"><istex:xmlDeclaration>version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"</istex:xmlDeclaration><istex:docType PUBLIC="-//NLM//DTD Journal Publishing DTD v2.3 20070202//EN" URI="journalpublishing.dtd" name="istex:docType"></istex:docType><istex:document><article article-type="research-article" dtd-version="2.3" xml:lang="EN"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="hwp">spidv</journal-id><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IDV</journal-id><journal-title>Information Development</journal-title><issn pub-type="ppub">0266-6669</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Sage Publications</publisher-name><publisher-loc>Sage CA: Thousand Oaks, CA</publisher-loc></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1177/026666699300900115</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">10.1177_026666699300900115</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Articles</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Chifwepa</surname><given-names>Vitalicy</given-names></name><aff>Department of Library Studies, School of Education, University of Zambia, University of Western Ontario in Canada</aff></contrib></contrib-group><pub-date pub-type="ppub"><month>03</month><year>1993</year></pub-date><volume>9</volume><issue>1-2</issue><fpage>76</fpage><lpage>82</lpage><abstract><p><bold>Agricultural libraries in Zambia need to engage in interlibrary cooperation in order to alleviate the problems of resources scarcity and to improve accessibility of information. A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. A framework is suggested for improving accessibility of information and promoting interlibrary cooperation.</bold></p></abstract><custom-meta-wrap><custom-meta xlink:type="simple"><meta-name>sagemeta-type</meta-name><meta-value>Journal Article</meta-value></custom-meta><custom-meta xlink:type="simple"><meta-name>search-text</meta-name><meta-value>76 Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia SAGE Publications, Inc.1993DOI: 10.1177/026666699300900115 Vitalicy Chifwepa Department of Library Studies, School of Education, University of Zambia University of Western Ontario in Canada Agriculture is a priority development sector in Zambia, but agricultural information services are inadequate and fragmented. Coordination through networking may provide a solution. INTRODUCTION Self-reliance is a key objective of Zambia's development strategies. However, in order to be self-reliant, the country must be able to meet and satisfy its own needs for food and services. The economy has been based on copper mining ever since Zambia was a British colony, but the mining industry will not be able to sustain the economy much longer because copper is not renewable and its price on the international market has been falling. Diversification is necessary now. To shift from total reliance on copper mining, agriculture has been identified as the priority sector for development. This has been well articulated in the country's development plans. Some of the problems which Zambia experiences can be attributed to the lack of coordination in the management of manpower and resources. One of the crucial resources that must be fully and effectively managed is information. Its production, organization, transfer and utilization are crucial factors in national development. As Lundu appropriately says, Information as a national resource and the process of human communication as a common denominator in ethnic, cultural, political, social, economic, scientific and technological and educational differences could bring home to everyone in Zambia the sense of sharing the fruits of the country's national heritage.' Effective communication, backed or supported by an effective information management system, enhances people's productive contribution to, and participation in, national development. Communication enables people who are working towards the same goal to receive and pass on the information or ideas they need. Agriculture, like all other applied sciences, depends upon research. Researchers need information to further their knowledge of subjects of interest and to know what has already been done in order to avoid duplication of efforts and results. In order to be of use, research results have to be disseminated to the people who need the information, namely, farmers and planners. In addition to updating and increasing their knowledge, scientists and technologists (including agricultural researchers and, indeed, policy makers) need up-to-date information, at the required times and in usable form, to keep them in constant touch with each other both locally and internationally. Libraries are important information providers which can and should be used to bridge the gap between the originators of information, from research, and its users, who could be researchers, farmers, or planners. SPECIAL LIBRARIES IN ZAMBIA The number of special libraries in Zambia is steadily increasing. Some of these libraries serve science and technology institutions. Unfortunately, they lack coordination. The libraries belong to, and are run by, different organizations. There is no organization which is mandated to look after the operations and interests of such libraries, and there is a clear risk of possible expensive duplication of effort in their work. Figure 1 The situation is characterized by limited access to relevant information because these libraries do not have enough resources to satisfy the needs of their users. Worse still, in this poorly-coordinated situation, it is difficult to know which library has what information. Important information may exist in one part of the country, but with only limited access. Coordination and cooperation can ease such problems and help to improve information service. AGRICULTURAL ADMINISTRATION IN ZAMBIA The Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia is headed by a Permanent Secretary who advises the Cabinet Minister. The Minister and Permanent Secretary are both housed at the Ministry headquarters where the Planning Division, the Departments of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Information Services and Veterinary and Tsetse Control Services are located. Each of these is headed by a Director, who reports to the Permanent Secretary. In the country's nine provinces there are Provincial Agricultural Offices (PAOs), where the extension officers who advise farmers in their various areas of specialization are based. Also in the provinces there are regional research stations which are strategically located some distance away from the urban centres where the PAOs are situated. AGRICULTURAL LIBRARIES There are nineteen libraries in the Ministry of Agriculture, only one of which, in North Western Province, is located in a Provincial 77 Agricultural Office. Eight libraries are located in research stations and seven in agricultural colleges. Five are located in Lusaka; these are the libraries of the Ministry headquarters, the Central Research Station, the Natural Resources Development College and the Planning Division, and the Central Veterinary Library. There are no agricultural libraries at all in the Eastern Province. Provincial extension workers are thus not well served with library services. Extension workers in the eight provinces where the PAO does not have a library either have to travel to agricultural colleges or research stations, which are distant from the PAO, or have to keep materials in their offices, creating problems of poor bibliographic control and access. None of the existing libraries can claim to have a collection able to meet even the least demands of information users. As Menou2 observed there is very little cooperation between agricultural libraries in Zambia, to the point that it could be considered nonexistent. Some of the major barriers to cooperation are discussed below. Fifteen of the libraries employ a total of twenty-three full-time staff, of whom only six are trained professionals. Five of the professional staff work in four libraries in Lusaka Province and the other one in a library in Northern Province. None of the other libraries has any full-time professional staff. More than half the libraries with full-time staff are located in Lusaka Province. Only three libraries, all in Lusaka, have more than 20,000 volumes; another four have between 5,000 and 10,000, three have between 1,000 and 5,000, while the remaining nine libraries have less than 1,000 volumes each. Twelve of the ministry libraries, of which four are located in Lusaka, have collections of periodicals, but only four, three of which are located in Lusaka, receive periodicals on a current basis, through either paid or free subscriptions. Cooperative activities are also largely confined to Lusaka: four out of five libraries involved in interlibrary cooperation are located there, as are all four involved specifically in interlibrary lending and the one library which reported being involved in exchanging materials with other libraries in the Ministry. (This indicates that there must be at least one other library with which this one is exchanging materials, but none of the others reports being involved in this activity). Six of the ministry libraries have a computer, or have access to one; only two of these are in Lusaka. There are ten other libraries, not in the Ministry of Agriculture, which have collections of agricultural materials. Seven of these are in Lusaka, and these seven, plus two others, have collections of agricultural periodicals. However, only five of these have current subscriptions, paid or free, to such periodicals. Three of these are in Lusaka. Finally, there are some eleven institutions which are considered to have the potential for establishing an agricultural library, but which have not yet done so. Three of these are in the Eastern Province, where there are no agricultural libraries at present. OTHER INFORMATION ISSUES Kanik?,4 has very ably identified the problems of, and the need to pay attention to, the information needs of scientists, including agriculturists. He also identifies libraries as sources and means of information flow among agriculturists, with particular reference to Zambia. There have also been studies on the establishment of a National Information System (NATIS) in Zambia, as reported by Lundu\ In order to be implemented and to be effective, NATIS needs to have legal backing; it needs support from the government. In short, there has to be a national information policy, which would provide guidelines for the development of libraries and provide the legal power to librarians to enable them to develop libraries and information centres in Zambia. Without such a policy little can be done. The recommendations of a seminar on national information policy, sponsored by Unesco and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in February 1987, have been presented to the government6 and now await onward transmission to the Zambian Parliament. It is, however, necessary to proceed with some developments without waiting for a decision on the national policy, which might take too long. It is important to satisfy some of the current information needs as soon as possible. Waiting for a decision on information policy from the government would perpetuate the lack of effective access to information and create too much work in future. Lundu discusses very important ideas on the coordination of library development. He emphasizes the point that all information resources in Zambia ought to be harnessed in order to support the efforts of the state in the important national undertaking .. / and goes on to say We have, therefore, to begin with the search for areas in which special libraries supplement and complement the tasks or functions of [each other and] other types of libraries.~ 8 Wamulwange9 discusses some difficulties of access to information faced by scientists and researchers in Zambia, especially in keeping up-to-date with new developments in their fields of specialization. These include the non-availability of the required information when it is needed, and lack of access to international informal channels of communication. She highlights some properties of informal communication which might solve these problems, including conferences and the formation of information exchange groups. Librarians can help in this form of communication by keeping track of and making available write-ups about or from such conferences. Other reports include that of Hudwell Mwacalimba 10 who discusses the library training situation, while Phiri" and Ballard 12address the situation of scientific and special libraries in Zambia, which needs to be improved. No one has yet addressed, in detail, the topic of close cooperation or networking in the country. Studies and proposals for the development of library cooperation and networking have been made in a number of other countries. In Ethiopia, a foundation has already been laid.'3China, as described by both Broadbent14 and T e1P5, suffered a series of gaps in information provision due to destruction of the infrastructure, but later established a very strong science and technology information system. In Canada, the national science and technology information system is coordinated by the Canadian Institute for Science and Technology Information, based on a study and recommendations by the Libraries Subgroup of the Science Council of Canada.'6 6 Cooperation or networking is the best starting point for establishing better coordination of special libraries in Zambia. If effective coordination can be achieved, it enables the libraries to harness the available information production, and to economically share the few available resources. The establishment of a network of agricultural libraries in Zambia would provide a model for the 78 development of similar networks in other sectors, leading eventually to the creation of a national library and information network. BARRIERS TO INTERLIBRARY COOPERATION The main reasons for the low level of interlibrary cooperation among Zambian agricultural libraries are as follows: . Inadequate personnel and human resources As noted above, only fifteen of the nineteen libraries are run by full-time staff, and only five of these are staffed by trained personnel. The rest are run by people who are mainly employed on other jobs but who in addition, and on a part- time basis, look after the libraries. The little interlibrary cooperation which there is takes place in Lusaka province only, which has a quarter of all the libraries and most of the trained personnel. Untrained staff or library assistants do not engage in interlibrary cooperation. . Lack of a clear policy or legislation This is necessary to give a specific institution a legal mandate to oversee the development of the libraries and their operations. . Conflicts among institutional missions, goals, and objectives Most of the libraries were established within specific departments to serve specific groups of people, resulting in the development of highly specialized collections and a lack of interest in interacting with other departments. This adversely affects cooperation. For example, in Kasama (Northern Province), there is a Village Agricultural Programme library which has some agricultural textbooks and government reports. It is only about ten metres from the PAO, but does not allow other institutions to borrow from its collections or to deposit their own materials in the library for mutual use. . Lack of tools for cooperation For example, union catalogues. . Lack of reprographic facilities Which may be used, for example, to reproduce acquisitions lists for exchange with other libraries. . Long distances between libraries, compounded by poor communication This is reflected in the fact that cooperation only occurs in Lusaka where the libraries are relatively close to each other. Communication between libraries is by mail and telephone, but the latter is not always easily available. Mail takes about a week to reach the recipient, so that three weeks is required to receive a requested item from another library. There is no deliberately set up formal arrangement to exchange and share information. This situation is characterized by repetition of collections and limited access to information. Libraries collect materials held by other libraries because of poor resource sharing and lack of knowledge of what the other libraries have. In order to enhance cooperation and access to information, libraries need to develop union catalogues. Such catalogues can be developed if libraries share and exchange acquisitions lists. These lists could provide the basis for effective information exchanging and sharing. The advantages of cooperation and working closely together include: i . Identification of problems and weaknesses among the cooperating libraries and thereafter, adequate allocation of resources. . Responsibilities and resources can be shared appropriately, making it easier to monitor accountability. . With effective communication and management, there would be a unified voice for soliciting resources from both the administration and from donors, local and foreign. . Ultimately, there would be effective bibliographic control for the whole sector. Effective bibliographic control provides the ability to keep track of the information produced in a system or nation, and thereby helps to make potential users aware of what is available. This in turn enables the system or nation to identify areas of weakness so that more efforts and resources can be allocated to them. The nation would thereafter be better able to contribute to Universal Bibliographic Control and to participate in international communication through the exchange of information. There is a strong need to develop an understanding of information needs and a national information system in Zambia as a step towards the establishment of a national library or national libraries policy. Concentration on a few Libraries a, b, and c coordinating libraries with their branches Figure 2 LIBRARY COOPERATION THROUGH NETWORKING Martin defines a network as a group of individuals or organizations that are interconnected to form a system to accomplish some specific goals.17 Libraries have traditionally formed networks to achieve better sharing of resources. They started as clusters of libraries with similar interests, such as medical libraries. The rationale for networking, according to Martin, is based on a wish to share problems and cooperatively find solutions, such as interlibrary lending, reciprocal borrowing privileges and other techniques designed to make each library's budget stretch further. 79 As elaborated by Martin, different types of network may be characterized by their scope and geographical coverage. They may be divided into single-type networks which facilitate cooperation and communication among libraries serving the same general purpose, and multi-type networks which have a number of libraries which may not be serving the same purpose. These types can be found at state, regional and, indeed, international levels. The major areas of cooperation which have historically been established are interlibrary lending and cooperative cataloguing. These have been facilitated by the creation and use of union lists and union catalogues. The major kinds of library networking include: i . Centralization where there is one central library around which the other libraries are developed and from which they are administered . Concentration on a few libraries where instead of a single library in the centre there are two or more . Planned decentralization where libraries cooperate in such a way that materials are spread among them according to subject or other kind of specialization . Unplanned decentralization where libraries operate independently and deal with interlibrary loans directly with one another. Networks do not strictly have to be of one kind or the other; they may have the characteristics of one or two kinds depending on the cooperating libraries and their circumstances. The Agriculture Canada Libraries system is an example of a combination of centralization and planned decentralization. The collections are well spread according to the needs of the research centres although there is a central administration at the Central Library, and the online database is also in the central library in Ottawa. AN AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY NETWORK FOR ZAMBIA The Zambian agricultural libraries belong to different departments of the Ministry of Agriculture. These include: the Ministry headquarters, which includes the Planning Division; the Department of Agriculture, which includes the Central Research Station; and the Department of Extension and Training, which includes agricultural colleges. The different departments have different organizational structures such that librarians of the various departments do not report to the same directorate. In addition, the different departments have different sources and allocations of funds, therefore autonomy of holdings may have a very strong negative effect on cooperation, particularly from the better-endowed libraries, which may have more restrictive conditions. Differences in levels of financial and other resources constitute a major reason for these libraries to cooperate. Cooperation would enable the poorly-supplied libraries to receive assistance from the better-supplied ones. ' The structural arrangement of departments makes it more practical to undertake a network based on the principle of concentration on a few libraries. Libraries which fall under the same department should be coordinated by the central libraries of that department. Thus, the provincial research libraries should be coordinated by the Central Research Library, the extension and training libraries (including those of agricultural colleges) by the Extension Section of the Ministry, and the provincial headquarters libraries, as well as the various project libraries, by the Ministry headquarters or Planning Division libraries. These coordinating sections and libraries should form a board, which should administer the whole system. The coordinating libraries should cooperate in the areas of collection development, interlibrary loans and administration by sharing acquisition policies and lists. To start the operations of the system, the library at the Ministry headquarters should be given the authority to head the board. The board should thereafter devise workable policy arrangements and guidelines in accordance with the proposed framework of the network. Such a network would not restrict direct library-to-library communication. An open communication system is necessary because of the difficulties of communicating between the various units and libraries, particularly those outside Lusaka. It would take too long for a library to send its loan requests via a central mediating library instead of direct to the library holding the material. The framework will, therefore, combine concentration on a few libraries with some characteristics of a decentralized communication system. This arrangement is proposed purely for the purposes of interlibrary cooperation; it would not restrict the development of departmental library systems which may have either centralized or decentralized databases. Administration of the Network As an initial step, the central coordinating libraries need to begin to share responsibilities, according to the different facilities to which they have access, under the overall and initial administration of the library at the Ministry headquarters. A coordinating library that has access to computers and other facilities which are needed to produce union lists, for example, should take the responsibility of collecting acquisition lists from the other libraries, producing a union list and distributing it to the other libraries, to facilitate a direct interlibrary loan system. Later, this task may be shared by all the libraries. Once the whole idea of the network has been formalized and the network has been set up, further developments should be effected. The libraries should follow the existing departmental divisions and form networks with multiple nuclei. The departmental arrangement would be the most practical in view of the different authorities to which the librarians report, while still accommodating the different missions of the various libraries. The libraries staffed by untrained personnel would benefit from interaction with the better-staffed ones in terms of acquisitions and access to materials. The coordinating libraries should be: i . the library at Ministry headquarters, which should incorporate the Provincial Agricultural Offices and other Ministerial libraries with the exception of the college and research libraries . the Natural Resources Development College library, which should coordinate the extension and training libraries and agricultural college libraries 80 0 The Central Research Library, which should coordinate the research libraries; these already form a network. There should be direct and planned communication, both within each network and across the sub-networks, in particular because the libraries of one sub-network may be far from each other but close to those of other sub-networks. The Ministerial library system would then cooperate with the other libraries in the country which have agricultural materials. Implementing the Network The following steps would need to be taken to put the proposed network into effect: . Staffing should be improved, particularly in those libraries which do not have full-time staff. Libraries with collections of more than 5,000 titles need to be staffed with trained personnel. . Where there are no provincial libraries, especially in situations where the research libraries are too far from the PAO, or, indeed, where there are no libraries at all, new libraries or reading rooms should be established and staffed. These libraries should aim at meeting the needs of the extension staff of the Ministry. Library catalogues and indexes should be improved so that they are comprehensive and made to local standards to enable people to use all the libraries without problems; there have to be efforts towards the standardization of records. . There should be ongoing training workshops for library assistants and all other library employees, to develop indexes for the various libraries and to facilitate the development of union catalogues. . Reprographic facilities such as photocopiers should be acquired for all the libraries. . The indexes and acquisition lists need to be developed within sub-networks and shared throughout the entire network. . To alleviate communication obstacles, efforts towards introducing telefax facilities, as have been registered by the research library system, should be encouraged. Ultimately there is a need for an agricultural libraries union list or catalogue to facilitate interlibrary cooperation and to improve access to information for the agricultural user. While it may not be practical to avoid all duplication of holdings due to the need to meet the demands of users, duplication could be avoided to some extent to help reduce unnecessary expense. References Agricultural libraries in Zambia need to engage in interlibrary cooperation in order to alleviate the problems of resources scarcity and to improve accessibility of information. A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. A framework is suggested for improving accessibility of information and promoting interlibrary cooperation. Lundu, Maurice C. The National Information System (NATIS) concept and the development of libraries in Zambia: some underlying critical issues . International Library Review, 16 (4) Oct. 1984, 373-385. Menou, Michel. Zambia: assistance to the creation of the agricultural communication centre, documentation system. Rome, FAO , 1986. (unpublished). Kaniki, Andrew M. Agricultural information services in Less Developed Countries. International Library Review 20, 1988, 321-336. Kaniki, Andrew M. Information seeking and information providers among Zambian farmers. Libri, 41 (3), 1991. 147-164. Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit. Zambia Library Association. National information policy for Zambia: a draft proposal. Lusaka, ZLA, 1987. Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit. Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit. Wamulwange, Margaret S. Informal communication: a feasible alternative in Zambia. Zambia Library Association journal , 17, (1/2) June/Dec. 1985, 19-30. Mwacalimba, Hudwell. On library education and training. In: Proceedings of SCECSAL 2, Lusaka, Oct. 4-9, 1976. 1978, pp. 15-22. Phiri, Zilole M. K. Scientific and technical resources and services in a developing country. Science and Technology News , 38 (1) Jan. 1984, 5-7. Ballard, Robert M. Special libraries and information centers in South Eastern Africa. Special Libraries, 70 (7) July 79, 287-292. Schwarz, Stephan and Winkel, Annette. Background studies and proposals for development of information provision in science and technology in Ethiopia . Stockholm, Royal Institute of Technology Library, 1984. Broadbent, Kieran P. Dissemination of scientific information in the People's Republic of China. Ottawa, IDRC, 1980. Tell, Marianne. A note about China's scientific and technological information system. Stockholm, Royal Institute of Technology Library, 1980. Science Council of Canada. Libraries Subgroup. Scientific and technological information in Canada. Part II, Chapter 6: Libraries. Ottawa, SCC, 1969. Martin, Susan K. Library networks, 1986-87: libraries in partnership . White Plains, N.Y., Knowledge Industries Publications, Inc., 1986. Abstract 81 Vitalicy Chifwepa MORE ON AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION The General Program for Education in Agricultural Information (PROGEFIA): a new global approach to educational development. Michel J. Menou, Thiendou Niang. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. 12 (1/2) Summer/Fall 91, 97- 116. tables. 10 refs. Reviews the aims and objectives of PROGEFIA: devised by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation a global strategy and long-term master plan to serve as a catalyst for the voluntary cooperation of interested organisations that wish to coordinate their respective agricultural information activities. The ultimate goal is the transformation of present educational programmes into an adapted series of degree- granting, part-time, and distance education-based programmes, implemented by organisations in the developing countries themselves. (Original abstract - amended) Bw(RmM(63)) 92/648 New directions in agricultural information systems and services for development: some practical observations. Patricia A. Thompson. Revista AIBDA, 12 (2) July-Dec 91, 7- 20. Identifies the issues that have led to the development of agricultural information systems in developing countries and gives some examples, based on types of subjects funded by the Agricultural Information Program of the Information Sciences Division of the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada. Attempts to trace a link between types of information systems in developing countries with evolving issues and concerns in the field of agricultural research and development, and the development of new information technologies such as CD-ROM, expert systems, machine aided translation, geographic information systems, and improvements in telecommunications. (Original abstract - amended) RmM(63)Dr 92/849 Provision of agricultural information to farmers and extension officers: a catalyst in increased agricultural production in Africa. L.O. Aina. Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists, 36 (1-2) 1991, 20-23. tables. refs. Describes the important strategic role played by agricultural extension officers in supplying the agricultural information needs of farmers in Africa. Illustrates the discussion with data concerning the rates of extension officers to farmers in 7 African countries and results taken from a 1986 survey of the ranked information needs of 73 agricultural extension officers in Nigeria. (N.L.M.) RmM(63)Hz(63) 92/308 Agricultural library and information systems in China. Qiaoqiao Zhang. Journal of Information Science, 17 (4) 1991, 235-345. illus. tables. 11 refs. The development of agriculture, and the reform of the rural economy in China in the last decade has brought about great changes, which have raised increased demand for information and highlighted inadequate performance of existing agricultural library and information systems. An effective system calls for systematic allocation of information resources, and efficient information dissemination, which implies sharing and networking among libraries and information services. A critical overview of China's agricultural library and information systems is given, with particular emphasis on the future importance of networking. (Original abstract) RmM(63)D511 l 92/850 Addressing the information needs of farmers and the extension services: the Malaysian experience. ! Isahak Ailin Ton. Quarterly Bulletin of tne International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists, 36 (1-2) 1991, 36-39. illus. refs. 82 Discusses the agricultural information system in Malaysia and the information needs of farmers and extension services in the light of the 5th Malaysia Plan (1986-90). (N.L.M.) RmM(63)JdHz(63) 92/309 From camels to computers: the realities of increasing the flow of agricultural information in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier. Altaullah, Jane S. Johnson. Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists, 36 (1-2) 1991, 105-109. table. 5 refs. The North West Frontier Province Agricultural University (NWFPAU) in Peshawar, Pakistan combined with the Ministry of Agriculture research stations in the NWFP to upgrade both the research and training capabilities for agricultural scientists in the province. Describes the efforts made to modernise and computerise the NWFP AU Library. (Original abstract - amended) RmOqM(63)D5q9 92/333 El componente informaci6n en la politica agricola de America Latina. [The information component in agricultural policy in Latin America.] Armando Samper. Revista AIBDA, 12 (1) Jan-June 91, 33-57. 26 refs. The increasing complexity of development in agricultural policy in Latin America requires complex information to diagnose situations, design policies, and follow them up. Information is a basic ingredient for decision making. To serve this purpose it must meet specific characteristics with regard to quality, usefulness and timeliness. The technological evolution in telecommunications and computer systems facilitates access to information, although it has a cost which should be measured in terms of the benefits. Nevertheless, it creates new situations in the organisation and management of institutions and training at all levels. To the extent that information meets the needs of development it will have governmental and political support. (Original abstract - amended) RmM(658) 92/855 (From Library and Information Science Abstracts)</meta-value></custom-meta></custom-meta-wrap></article-meta></front><back><ref-list><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"> Lundu, <name name-style="western"><surname>Maurice C.</surname></name><article-title>The National Information System (NATIS) concept and the development of libraries in Zambia: some underlying critical issues</article-title> . <source>International Library Review</source>, <volume>16</volume> (<issue>4</issue>) Oct. <year>1984</year>, <fpage>373</fpage>-<lpage>385</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Menou, Michel.</surname></name><source>Zambia: assistance to the creation of the agricultural communication centre, documentation system</source>. <publisher-loc>Rome</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>FAO</publisher-name> , <year>1986</year>. (unpublished).</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Kaniki, Andrew M.</surname></name><article-title>Agricultural information services in Less Developed Countries</article-title>. <source>International Library Review</source><volume>20</volume>, <year>1988</year>, <fpage>321</fpage>-<lpage>336</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Kaniki, Andrew M.</surname></name><article-title>Information seeking and information providers among Zambian farmers</article-title>. <source>Libri</source>, <volume>41</volume> (<issue>3</issue>), <year>1991</year>. <fpage>147</fpage>-<lpage>164</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="other" xlink:type="simple"> Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Zambia Library Association.</surname></name><source>National information policy for Zambia: a draft proposal</source>. <publisher-loc>Lusaka</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>ZLA</publisher-name>, <year>1987</year>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="other" xlink:type="simple"> Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="other" xlink:type="simple"> Lundu, Maurice C., op. cit.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Wamulwange, Margaret S.</surname></name><article-title>Informal communication: a feasible alternative in Zambia</article-title>. <source>Zambia Library Association journal</source> , <volume>17</volume>, (<issue>1</issue>/<issue>2</issue>) June/Dec. <year>1985</year>, <fpage>19</fpage>-<lpage>30</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="confproc" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Mwacalimba, Hudwell.</surname></name><article-title>On library education and training</article-title>. In: <conf-name>Proceedings of SCECSAL 2</conf-name>, <conf-loc>Lusaka</conf-loc>, Oct. 4-9, <conf-date>1976</conf-date>. <conf-date>1978</conf-date>, pp. 15-22.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Phiri, Zilole M. K.</surname></name><article-title>Scientific and technical resources and services in a developing country</article-title>. <source>Science and Technology News</source> , <volume>38</volume> (<issue>1</issue>) Jan. <year>1984</year>, <fpage>5</fpage>-<lpage>7</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="journal" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Ballard, Robert M.</surname></name><article-title>Special libraries and information centers in South Eastern Africa</article-title>. <source>Special Libraries</source>, <volume>70</volume> (<issue>7</issue>) July 79, <fpage>287</fpage>-<lpage>292</lpage>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Schwarz, Stephan</surname></name> and <name name-style="western"><surname>Winkel, Annette.</surname></name><source>Background studies and proposals for development of information provision in science and technology in Ethiopia</source> . <publisher-loc>Stockholm</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>Royal Institute of Technology Library</publisher-name>, <year>1984</year>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Broadbent, Kieran P.</surname></name><source>Dissemination of scientific information in the People's Republic of China</source>. <publisher-loc>Ottawa</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>IDRC</publisher-name>, <year>1980</year>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Tell, Marianne.</surname></name><source>A note about China's scientific and technological information system</source>. <publisher-loc>Stockholm</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>Royal Institute of Technology Library</publisher-name>, <year>1980</year>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Science Council of Canada. Libraries Subgroup.</surname></name><source>Scientific and technological information in Canada. Part II, Chapter 6: Libraries</source>. <publisher-loc>Ottawa</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>SCC</publisher-name>, <year>1969</year>.</citation></ref><ref><citation citation-type="book" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Martin, Susan K.</surname></name><source>Library networks, 1986-87: libraries in partnership</source> . <publisher-loc>White Plains, N.Y.</publisher-loc>, <publisher-name>Knowledge Industries Publications, Inc</publisher-name>., <year>1986</year>.</citation></ref></ref-list></back></article></istex:document></istex:metadataXml><mods version="3.6"><titleInfo lang="en"><title>Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia</title></titleInfo><titleInfo type="alternative" lang="en" contentType="CDATA"><title>Agricultural Library Cooperation in Zambia</title></titleInfo><name type="personal"><namePart type="given">Vitalicy</namePart><namePart type="family">Chifwepa</namePart><affiliation>Department of Library Studies, School of Education, University of Zambia, University of Western Ontario in Canada</affiliation></name><typeOfResource>text</typeOfResource><genre type="research-article" displayLabel="research-article"></genre><originInfo><publisher>Sage Publications</publisher><place><placeTerm type="text">Sage CA: Thousand Oaks, CA</placeTerm></place><dateIssued encoding="w3cdtf">1993-03</dateIssued><copyrightDate encoding="w3cdtf">1993</copyrightDate></originInfo><language><languageTerm type="code" authority="iso639-2b">eng</languageTerm><languageTerm type="code" authority="rfc3066">en</languageTerm></language><physicalDescription><internetMediaType>text/html</internetMediaType></physicalDescription><abstract lang="en">Agricultural libraries in Zambia need to engage in interlibrary cooperation in order to alleviate the problems of resources scarcity and to improve accessibility of information. A survey of agricultural libraries showed that there were nineteen agricultural libraries in the country, of which only five engaged in interlibrary cooperation. As a result, there is probably duplication of information collections and limited access to information. A framework is suggested for improving accessibility of information and promoting interlibrary cooperation.</abstract><relatedItem type="host"><titleInfo><title>Information Development</title></titleInfo><genre type="journal">journal</genre><identifier type="ISSN">0266-6669</identifier><identifier type="eISSN">1741-6469</identifier><identifier type="PublisherID">IDV</identifier><identifier type="PublisherID-hwp">spidv</identifier><part><date>1993</date><detail type="volume"><caption>vol.</caption><number>9</number></detail><detail type="issue"><caption>no.</caption><number>1-2</number></detail><extent unit="pages"><start>76</start><end>82</end></extent></part></relatedItem><identifier type="istex">1ED279D05F95E3176455A1846BAB4A9C9BF3ADED</identifier><identifier type="DOI">10.1177/026666699300900115</identifier><identifier type="ArticleID">10.1177_026666699300900115</identifier><recordInfo><recordContentSource>SAGE</recordContentSource></recordInfo></mods></metadata><serie></serie></istex></record>Pour manipuler ce document sous Unix (Dilib)
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