electronic networking of libraries and the development of an information society in africa

ELECTRONIC NETWORKING IN AFRICA

Information Development, vol. 15, no. 4, December 1999 217

Electronic Networkingof Libraries and theDevelopment of anInformation Society inAfrica

Libraries have a major role in the development of an Afri-can Information Society by providing access through librarynetworks to the tremendous potential for sharing knowledgevia the Internet. African governments need to create anenabling environment for Internet investment.

Ajibola Maxwell Oyinloye

Global developments have led to the general understanding thatthe world is currently engaged in an unfolding revolution – theInformation Revolution – with Science and Technology as boththe principal driver and major beneficiary. The new revolutionis not only knowledge-intensive but also transnational, ex-tremely competitive and characterized by high speed.

The term ‘information explosion’ has found its way into thevocabulary since the 1950s when the means of scientific com-munications grew in leaps and bounds. Towards the end of the1950s, Derek de Solla Price studied the growth, structure andorganization of scientific journals worldwide from the year 1665onwards and noted that

the enormous increase in the population of scientificperiodicals has proceeded from unity to the order of ahundred thousand with an extra-ordinary regularityseldom seen in any man or natural statistic.1

He concluded that by about 1830 the

process had reached a point of absurdity no scientist couldread all journals or keep sufficiently conversant with allpublished work that might be relevant to his interest.2

Price further looked at the growth of scientific manpower andrecorded a similar phenomenon. He came out with the hypoth-esis that some 80 to 90 percent of all scientists that have everbeen are alive now. 3 That was almost half a century ago. Theunchecked growth has far reaching consequences, Today, in-formation is power, information is capital. It is the most im-portant singular variable which differentiates and determineswhether a country is in the first, second, third or fourth world.The dichotomy between the countries of the North and thoseof the South is contingent on the amount of information eitherside creates, has access to and utilizes. The world is variouslybeing described as a ‘global village’ or ‘global information so-ciety’ with the medium of communication referred to as the‘information superhighway’. Information creation, packaging

and distribution has become a global activity. The term glo-balization is used to describe the ability to access informa-tion using telecommunications-based Internet resources4. Itprovides the ability to create, organize, manipulate and ac-cess information from remote locations across the globe in amatter of seconds. The products, services and markets of theinformation society are increasingly defined in internationalrather than national or local terms. Libraries of today haveshifted from the conventional libraries where basically booksand other printed texts are acquired, arranged, consulted andborrowed. Information technology is responsible for thechanging role of traditional library setting of handling infor-mation packaged in books to that of computer networks deal-ing with all forms of knowledge. Libraries now offer onlineservices, Internet, e-mail and other computer related services.Library networking allows access points across internationalboundaries.

The term ‘global information society’ can be misleading asmany people, especially, in Africa do not benefit from globali-zation even though they are directly affected by it. While awealth of information exists in the continent, it is largely inac-cessible, restricted, disparate, and many times unpublished.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFRICANINFORMATION SOCIETY

The African Information Society Initiative (AISI) was launchedat the 22nd United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(ECA) Conference of Ministers held on 15 May 1996 in SouthAfrica. The action framework was drawn up by an ECA-ap-pointed working group of eleven information technology ex-perts. The AISI vision envisages that by the year 2010 therewould be, in all African countries which are signatories to theinitiative, a sustainable information society where, among otherthings:

• Information and decision support systems are used tosupport decision making in all the major sectors of theeconomy.

• Every man and woman, school child, village, governmentoffice and business can access information and knowledgeresources through computers and telecommunications.

• Access is available to international, regional and nationalinformation highways.

Funding is a critical success factor for the above vision. It isimportant therefore to identify sources of funds for the ‘Vi-sion 2010’. Many institutions notably the United Nations De-velopment Programme (UNDP), the International Telecom-munication Union (ITU) and the World Bank are alreadysupporting the initiative.

THE INTERNET IN AFRICA

The Internet has spread rapidly in Africa with almost all thecapital cities having Internet access. While there has been con-tinued momentum for connectivity, Internet usage is still farbelow the world average. The total population of Internet us-ers in Africa is estimated at between 700,000 and one million


218 Information Development, vol. 15, no. 4, December 1999

out of about 700 million people on the continent. Out of thisfigure South Africa alone accounts for about 600,000 users (or85 percent). A commissioned overview of Internet connectiv-ity in fifty-three African countries carried out by a consultant,Michael Jensen, on behalf of UNESCO noted that, even thoughthere has been rapid spread of Internet through Africa over thelast 24 months, the level of usage is still at about one Internetuser for every 5,000 people, while the world average is aboutone user for every forty people. Given the poor telecoms in-frastructure in most African countries, full Internet access maybe a tall order. Most access is still the e-mail ‘store-and-for-ward’ type. E-mail, however, is very popular and has beenadopted by many agencies, institutions and government de-partments.

The cost of Internet access is beyond the reach of most insti-tutions and individuals. African governments and internationaldevelopment agencies are emphasising programmes to broadenaccess to many. The African Internet Summit and Exhibitionwas held at Abuja, Nigeria between May 11–13, 1999. The sum-mit, tagged ‘Afrinet 99’, had the theme ‘Information and Socio-Economic Development: bridging the gap’ and was organizedby the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in col-laboration with the Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), with theMinistry of Communications as host.

The summit recommended among other things that:

• African governments should establish Telecoms Fundfrom proceeds of privatization and devote 10 percent toInformation Technology (IT) research and developmentefforts and 10 percent to rural communications infrastruc-ture development.

• African countries should be committed to projects whichwill improve intra-African telecoms traffic by encourag-ing network connectivity among African countries.

• Each African country should be encouraged to establisha National Website to provide specific information, cul-tural matters and potentials.

• Private sector-driven appropriate affordable informationsuperhighway through the provision of an African gate-way facility.

• African countries should participate more actively in ITUmatters so as to influence technology change and applica-tions in order to make new technologies more appropri-ate to Africa.5

EDUCATION ONLINE

The tremendous potential of sharing knowledge and educa-tional training programmes on the Internet is showing excitingpossibilities in Africa. Most African universities now have atleast basic e-mail connectivity with many having some form ofpresence on the World Wide Web (WWW). The University ofPretoria, South Africa, offers honours degrees via the Internetwith a teaching methodology which includes electronic dis-cussions and assignments. Similarly the University of SouthAfrica (UNISA) also has a large number of students in SouthAfrica that makes use of the service called Students On-Line.The service provides for electronic registration, downloadingof study materials and posting of exam results. Jensen6 reported

that more than 6,000 correspondence course students all overAfrica now can obtain advice and reading materials from theirtutors at the UNISA via e-mail and the Web.

LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE

African libraries are basically paper oriented. This is becausethe materials collected and the technical operations of the li-braries are based largely on paper. This may not be suitable forthe next millennium with the envisaged electronic library, whereboth operations and collections will, for the most part, origi-nate and be stored and used in electronic formats. An informa-tion revolution is happening in developed countries where tra-ditional values of librarianship are changing and are beingchanged as a result of the advancing electronic age. IT is beingused extensively to provide access beyond the walls of the li-brary, breaking geographical barriers and ultimately leading tothe much heralded virtual library. There are computer links tospecific WWW sites that leads to virtually limitless informa-tion on the Internet.

Library holdings are of various characters and are stored invarious media. Information that is related most times is storedin different media. With the recent breakthroughs in IT is theconvergence of all existing technologies. This is represented bythe Electronic Book (E-book) which is destined to be the formand substance of future library holdings. The E-book has fi-nally made its debut. Paul Judge7 reported that all E-books shareone salient trait – they can hold up to 4,000 pages or about tenbooks-worth of text, in a memory made of silicon. This soundsrevolutionary – yes it is.

LIBRARY NETWORKS

The concept of library networking is a cooperative venturebetween several libraries serviced by an array of telecommuni-cations networks for intra- and inter-library communications.It is basically for resource-sharing thereby tackling the prob-lems of escalating costs of library materials in the face of di-minishing financial resources. Library network has the capac-ity to reduce costs through resource sharing.

The main objectives of library networks are:

• development of an inter-library loan or document deliv-ery network

• development of shared databases• cooperative sharing of expertise in answering user’s refer-

ence questions• actual sharing of staff• cooperative cataloguing and building of bibliographic

standards and tools• cooperative book and journal acquisitions programmes• cooperation in the exchange of duplicate materials.8

Library network is for sharing of printed materials and alsoprovides access to electronic sources on the Internet. Manyacademic publications on the Internet are free. Electronic jour-nals are also available. The real value of electronic publicationsto the library is that they render the maintenance of large collec-tions of printed materials and subscriptions to journals unnec-



essary. Subscriptions need only be placed for few journals asthere is the electronic document delivery for journal articlesfrom commercial services. The emphasis now is on access ratherthan ownership. Library networks have been developed in manycountries. In the US there are OCLC – Online Computer Li-brary Centre, RLIN – Research Libraries Information Net-work etc. There are also networks in Africa e.g. national net-works like NUNet – Nigerian Universities Network,SABINET – South African Bibliographic and InformationNetwork, etc.

To underscore the importance of networking in the devel-opment of an Information Society in Africa, we shall take alook at the establishment and objectives of three importantnetworks in Africa. The three are Electronic networking ofuniversity libraries in Ghana, the Nigerian Universities Net-work (NUNet) and GAELIC- Gauteng and Environs LibraryConsortium (GAELIC).

Electronic Networking of University Libraries in Ghana

A project to electronically link all university libraries in Ghanahas been on since 1993. The project is an initiative of Interna-tional Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Section onDocument Delivery and Interlibrary Lending. The project issupported by DANIDA, the Danish International Develop-ment Agency with about USD 400,000 for the three year trial.OCLC, the British Library, the Danish National Library Au-thority and the Danish research libraries have accepted to sup-port the project in various ways.

The project aims to

• improve access to information by establishing electronicnetwork links at participating universities

• improve the competence of library personnel in handlinginter- library loan and document delivery systems nation-ally, regionally and globally

• support negotiations with main European documentationcentres and libraries to obtain favourable bulk treaties fordatabase searches and document supply services to the par-ticipating countries.9

The following institutions and their libraries are involved:

• University of Ghana, Legon, Accra• University of Science and Technology, Kumasi• University of Cape-Coast, Cape-Coast• University College of Education, Winneba• University of Development Studies, Tamale• National Science and Technology Library and Informa-

tion Centre, Accra.

Training programmes were arranged for Ghanaian librarianslocally and in Europe. European experts are expected to visitGhana and help in establishing Internet connectivity and ca-pacity building. It is expected that IFLA Voucher schemewould be used for payment for document delivery when ILLand DD commence. This, of course will be after each of theparticipating libraries must have been connected to the Inter-net. A similar project is simultaneously being embarked uponin Kenya.

Nigerian Universities Network (NUNet)

The Nigerian Universities Network (NUNet) project was ini-tiated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 1995to establish Internet connectivity for the Nigerian UniversitySystem (NUS). The NUS comprises forty-two institutionsspread all over the country in more than twenty-four statesand in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. The project is sup-ported by funds from the World Bank Federal UniversitiesDevelopment Sector Adjustment Credit. The NUNet projectwill be implemented in phases for probable completion in 1999.

• Phase 1 – establishment of national computer networksfor the NUS using dedicated phone lines for the provi-sion of e-mail.

• Phase 2 – Use of leased lines to service the networks sothat e-mail services on the network take place in real time.

• Phase 3 – upgrading the network to full Internet connec-tivity.10

The technical partner for the project is the International Cen-tre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. It is esti-mated that about 66,000 computers will be on the network whenfull Internet connectivity is achieved.

NUNet’s main objectives are to:

• Ensure effective communication, access to computers andinformation at all locations within the university. Benefi-ciaries will be the general university community especiallyacademic staff, students, administrators and staff of othersupport units and departments.

• Provide the necessary infrastructure for the universitycommunity to communicate electronically with their peersworldwide and to obtain rapid access to information andcomputing resources locally and globally.

• Provide general access to national, networks for schol-arly interchange, collaborative research, and access to spe-cial computing resources.11

NUS did not only acquire the hardware for e-mail connectivityfor all Federal universities but also provided modern IT equip-ment such as PCs, CD-ROM players, CD-ROM databases andlibrary automation software. NUC in collaboration with ICTPhas held and sponsored training programmes for technical staffon the operation and maintenance of the network.

Gauteng And Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC)

GAELIC, a major project of the umbrella consortium FOTIM(Foundation of Tertiary Institutions in Northern Metropolis),was initiated in 1996 when representative of the Andrew WMellon Foundation visited South Africa and expressed will-ingness to support a cooperative venture among tertiary libraryin Gauteng, the Johannesburg–Pretoria metropolitan area ofSouth Africa.

GAELIC’s main objectives are:

• to support the information needs of clients through re-gional cooperation

• to promote resource sharing and enhance access to infor-mation



• to facilitate this access through shared computer systemsand networks

• to improve information literacy among clients and to sharetraining resources and expertise

• to build links with other libraries in the region.12

Members of GAELIC currently are:

• University of Witwatersrand• University of South Africa• Rand Afrikaans University• Pretoria University• The Medical University of South Africa• Potchefstroom University for Higher Christian Education• Vista University• Technikon South Africa• Technikon Witwatersrand• Technikon Pretoria• Technikon Northern Gauteng• Vaal Triangle Technikon.

The thrust of the initiative has been resource-sharing and taskgroups have undertaken responsibility for document delivery,joint acquisitions, serials and human resources. All GAELIClibraries will eventually use Innopac as the common librarysoftware and Ariel for document transfer. The GAELIC’s un-ion database is expected to greatly enhance resource sharingamongst members. It is envisaged that it will form the basis ofa new, upgraded national union database.

STANDARDS

For networks and consortia, standards become crucial for thecomputers to communicate, connect to other networks, and totransfer data from one location to another. This is a criticalelement for library database construction and the developmentof an African Information Society. Standards for databaserecords in electronic formats are known as MARC (MachineReadable Cataloguing). In network connectivity, there are twomajor protocols namely Open System Interconnection (OSI)and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP). OSI is a model for networks defined by the Inter-national Organization for Standardization (ISO). TCP/IP wasdeveloped for US Department of Defence Networks(ARPANET) but it became the protocol for the Internet. Withthe Internet becoming widespread, TCP/IP is being used world-wide, though several networks still use the ISO/OSI standardprotocol. It is essential for African libraries on the network, thatthese two protocols be able to communicate and transfer data.

CONCLUSION

Libraries have a major role in the development of an AfricanInformation Society (AIS). Libraries should serve as the com-munication backbone of the AIS. Library networks allow forthe exploitation of the tremendous potential for sharing knowl-edge via the Internet.

Today, several hundreds of expensive print journals have al-ready been replaced with electronic versions on the Internet.With global publishing networks, a book written in a country

can be edited, and typeset in another and then transmitted bysatellite for printing concurrently in many countries. With theuse of networks, publishers can provide new editions as fre-quently as necessary.

An increasing amount of Internet content is also being gen-erated from Africa. The growth of which will increase in theyears to come as many African universities now have some pres-ence on the web. Newspapers from many African countriesare now available on the Internet. Libraries of the future willbe electronic libraries using computers and accessories. Librarystaffers of the future will be ‘electronic librarians’. They willbe human beings using IT as tools for efficient library services.Many academic publications journals and newsletters are onthe Internet. It stands to reason that, an African scientist’s par-ticipation in international research will depend on access to theInternet. It is good news, however, to learn that many Africancountries apart from South Africa are showing strong Internetuser growth, particularly North African countries of Morocco,Tunisia and Egypt. Others are Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana,Kenya, Morocco Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia,Uganda and Zimbabwe. One advantage of Africa’s late startinto the Internet infrastructure is that the emerging new tech-nologies e.g. satellite communication, fibre optic cables, andwireless local loop (WLL) would afford Africa to close thecommunication gap at much lower cost. AISI is a laudable ob-jective that should be supported by all. African governmentsshould create an enabling environment for Internet investment.Each government should encourage the establishment oftelecentres and cybercafes as a strategy to improve teleaccessthus making ‘Vision 2010’ an attainable objective.

Regional economic groupings, private sectors and govern-ment organizations like the Economic Community of WestAfrican States (ECOWAS), South African Development Com-munity (SADC), Organization of African Unity (OAU), As-sociation of African Universities (AAU), West African LibraryAssociation (WALA), Standing Conference on Eastern, Cen-tral and Southern African Libraries (SCECSAL) etc. all haveroles to play making Africa an integral part of the global infor-mation society.

References

1. Price, Derek de Solla. Science since Babylon. Yale Univer-sity Press, 1961.

2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Jimba, S. Information technology, globalization and Afri-

ca’s information development. OCLC Systems and Serv-ices, Vol. 14, 1998, 64–70.

5. Aragba-Akpore, Sonny. Afrinet ’09 sets agenda for Afri-can governments, The Guardian, May 25, 1999, 56.

6. Jensen, Mike. Internet opens new market for Africa. AfricaRecovery, 12 (3) December 1998, 6–7.

7. Judge, Paul C. A library on your lap. Business Week, No-vember 16, 1998, 91.

8. Groen, F. A comparative review of medical library network-ing in Canada and the United States. Health Informationand Libraries, 1 (3) 1991, 111–118.



9. International Network for the Availability of ScientificPublications (INASP). Increasing access to informationthrough resource sharing. INASP Newsletter, no. 9, No-vember 1997, 3–4.

10. Oyinloye, Ajibola Maxwell. Nigerian Universities Network– gateway to the world. Information Development, 14 (4)December 1998, 189–191.

11. National Universities Commission. Report of TechnicalWorkshop on ‘Electronic Networking of Nigerian Univer-sities’, held in Abuja, October 30–31, 1995. Abuja, NUC,1996.

12. International Network for the Availability of ScientificPublications (INASP). GAELIC in South Africa, INASPNewsletter, no. 9, November 1997, 5.

Abstract

Discusses the development of an African information soci-ety and the African Information Society Initiative (AISI),launched at the 22nd United Nations Economic Commis-

sion for Africa (ECA) Conference of Ministers in May 1996.Describes the expansion of Internet access in Africa and theincreasing use of electronic media by African universities andother institutions in providing distance education online.Discusses the role of libraries and library networks in thedevelopment of an information society in Africa, and brieflydescribes the establishment and objectives of three Africanlibrary networks: the electronic networking of universitylibraries in Ghana; the Nigerian Universities Network(NUNet); and the Gauteng and Environs Library Consor-tium (GAELIC). Emphasizes the importance of technicalstandards in facilitating the interchange of informationthrough such networks, and concludes that libraries have amajor role to play in the development of an African infor-mation society.

Ajibola Maxwell Oyinloye is Collection Development Librar-ian at Lagos State University Library, Lagos, Nigeria. He maybe contacted at PO Box 145, Ijanikin-Lagos, Nigeria.



MORE ON AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY

How is information technology shaping the economy and society.L. Alemie. Information Development, 14 (4) Dec 1998, p.181–4. refs.

Advances in information technology reinforce the economic and social changes that are transforming business and society.A new kind of economy: the information economy; is emerging where trade and investment are global and firms competewith knowlee and networking on a global basis. A corresponding new society is also emerging with pervasive informationcapabilities that make it substantially different from an industrial society: more competitive, more democratic, less central-ized, less stable, better able to address individual needs and friendlier to the environment. These changes dictate, for allcountries, a major adjustment to harness information for economic and social development. Advanced countries are rapidlyadjusting and developing countries in Africa must also adjust or risk exclusion from the global economy and severe competi-tive disadvantage for their goods and services. The information revolution also creates extraordinary new opportunities toattack vexing problems of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

The information society in South Africa: from global origins to local vision.M. Nassimbeni. South African Journal of Library and Information Science, 66 (4) Dec 1998, p.154–60. refs.

Sketches the origins and evolution of the concept of the information society with a view to assessing the extent of its develop-ment in South Africa. Outlines key features of the concept and, using the application of information communication tech-nologies as an important benchmark, explores the situation in developing countries, including South Africa, an importantregional leader. Identifies opportunities for library and information services in the realization of an information society inSouth Africa, highlighting in particular the creation of partnerships in the development and spread of Multi-Purpose Com-munity Centres.

Challenges of an interactive environment in the context of developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.K. Raseroka. International Information and Library Review, 29 (3–4) Sep-Dec 1997, p.487–99. refs.

Contribution to an issue devoted to papers from the UNESCO conference Info-Ethics: first International Congress onEthical, Legal and Societal Aspects of Digital Information, held in Monaco, 10–12 March, 1997. Discusses the state of theinteractive environment in the context of developing countries and relates this to the library and information service profes-sionals’ ethos on freedom of information. Highlights the role of LIS professionals in adaptive integration of the concept ofleap-frogging in support of the struggle for equal access to information for citizens. Focuses on ethical issues to which LISprofessionals in developing countries need to be sensitized. Covers: freedom of information, copyright and privacy of infor-mation. Recognizes the need for the reinforcement of education on ethical issues for LIS professionals in developing coun-tries and the role of library associations in sensitization efforts.

Opening address [first International Congress on Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects of Digital Information].S. Diop. International Information and Library Review, 29 (2) Jun 1997, p.125–8. refs.

Contribution to an issue devoted to papers from INFOethics, the first International Congress on Ethical, Legal and SocietalAspects of Digital Information, held in Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco from 10–12 Mar 1997. Opening address to thecongress by the Minister of Communication, Senegal. Stresses the need for moral behaviour in the irreversible and irresistibleglobalization brought about by the information society. Africa must participate in the information society and must addressthe questions of infrastructure and supports, and the content of information.

(From Library and Information Science Abstracts)

electronic networking of libraries and the development of an information society in africa

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