Electronic Networking of Libraries and the Development of an Information Society in Africa

Abstract

Discusses the development of an African information society and the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), launched at the 22nd United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference of Ministers in May 1996. Describes the expansion of Internet access in Africa and the increasing use of electronic media by African universities and other institutions in providing distance education online. Discusses the role of libraries and library networks in the development of an information society in Africa, and briefly describes the establishment and objectives of three African library networks: the electronic networking of university libraries in Ghana; the Nigerian Universities Network (NUNet); and the Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC). Emphasizes the importance of technical standards in facilitating the interchange of information through such networks, and concludes that libraries have a major role to play in the development of an African information society.