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Papers on the role and services of African libraries and the education of African librarians, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The Information Sector in the Economic Development of Africa: The Potential Role for Libraries," in which Benzies Y. Boadi (Nigeria) outlines African problems in information processing, the failure of library and information systems to provide user-oriented library services, and the need for and examples of national and regional library coordination; (2) "The Industrial Development Decade for Africa 1980-1990: Its Implications for the Library and Information Services of Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa," in which Peter Moll (United Kingdom) examines the prospects for the creation of an infrastructure to support electronic information systems through the Pan-African Documentation and Information System (PADIS) in the subregion designated as East Africa; and (3) "La Formation Professionnelle des Bibliothecaires Documentalistes dans un Monde Technologique: l'Exemple de la Tunisie" (Professional Training of Information Scientists in a Technological World: The Example of Tunisia)," in which Abdelhamid El Ajmi (Tunisia--paper in French) describes the development and current status of 4-year and 2-year educational programs for information scientists, librarians, and archivists in Tunisia, with emphasis on instruction in the use of information technology and automated systems at the Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l'Information de Tunis (IPSI) and the Institut Superieur de la Documentation (ISD). (ESR)

Papers on cataloging and national bibliography presented at the 1984 general conference of IFLA include: (1) "Pratiques et Problemes de Catalogage au Senegal" (Cataloging Practices and Problems in Senegal) (Marietou Diop Diongue, Senegal); (2) "The Consequences of New Technologies in Classification and Subject Cataloging in Third World Countries: The Technological Gap" (Robert P. Holley, United States); and (3) "Les Bibliographies Nationales du Maghreb: Contenu et Perspectives" (The National Bibliographies of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya: Contents and Perspectives) (Ridha Attia, Tunisia). (BBM)

Papers on the education and training of librarians presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference include: (1) "Training and Developing a Professional for the Widening Library Responsibilities: A Management View," in which Charles K. Wambugu (Kenya) examines the management requirements for a professional librarian and discusses the role of library schools and libraries in training and developing that professional; (2) "Problems of Functioning of Librarians in Management Positions," in which Ruud A. C. Bruyns (Netherlands) summarizes the results of an investigation undertaken by the Dutch Public Library Association (N.B.L.C.) to identify the size, nature, and possible causes for problems concerning the functioning of librarians in middle and higher management positions; (3)"Shaping and Image for the Librarian in Nigeria: Implication for Education and Training" (B. P. Aboyade, Nigeria); (4) "Planning and Development of Library and Information Studies Schools in Developing Countries--An East African Experience" (Syed Ameer Haidor Abidi, Uganda); (5) "Projects and Results in Library History Research Performed in Poland" (Stefan Kubow, Poland); (6) "La Formation des Specialistes de l'Information au Maghreb et au Senegal" (The Training of Information Specialists in Maghreb and Senegal); and (7) "Le Personnel dans les Bibliotheques de Grece" (Personnel in the Libraries of Greece) (Alkmini Skandalis, Angelina Vaseou and Matina Tsafou, Greece). (THC)

Papers on education for librarianship which were presented at a seminar preceding the general conference of IFLA included the following: (1) "Necessite des Services--Quel Niveau de Competences et de Qualifications et Quelles Structures Administratives Sont Necessaires pour Faire Fonctionner les Services?" (Library Service Requirements--What Level of Competencies and Qualifications Are Necessary for the Functioning of Library Services?) (Fatogoma Diakite, Mali); (2) "Quelle Formation et Quels Bibliothecaires pour l'Afrique?" (What Training and What Librarians for Africa?) (Th. Ndiaye, Senegal); (3) "La Lecture Fonctionnelle et la Possibilite d'Information Fonctionnelle" (Functional Reading and the Possibility of Functional Information) (Cyriaque Ntirushwa, Rwanda); (4) "Cours Pratique et Cours de Recyclage" (Practical Courses and Continuing Education) (Bruno Wambi, Republic of Congo); (5) "Les Enseignants: Qualites Requises pour Repondre aux Besoins en Enseignement et en Personnel" (Professional Competencies and Personal Qualities Needed by Teachers) (Antoinette F. Correa, Senegal); (6) "Personnel Necessaire pour Assurer les Services et Identifier les Besoins" (Personnel Necessary to Provide Services and Identify Needs) (M. Aithnard, Togo); and (7) "Expose des Problemes Sociaux, Culturels, Politiques et de Developpement en General Propres aux Pays Africains" (Report on Social, Cultural, Political, and General Development Problems in African Countries) (Raphael Ndiaye, Senegal). (BBM)

The five papers in this collection on art and music environments in developing countries were presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference. (1) In "Developing an Art for Life's Sake," Gavin Jantjes, a black South African artist currently living and working in the United Kingdom, offers personal viewpoints on issues relating to the art of the Third World and African contemporary art in particular. (2) In "The Designer in a Developing Country and the Information He Needs," H. Kumar Vyas (India) describes the stages which an artist goes through in transforming ideas into actual design concepts, and specifically addresses the lack of available information about a Third World country's own cultural heritage and steps that have been taken at the National Institute of Design to help students systematically design methods of collecting information. (A detailed checklist entitled "Designer's Method for Documenting Traditional Craft Environment" is included.) (3) In "Vision et Recherche des Formes: Une Contribution Informelle a la Discussion" (Vision and the Search for Form: An Informal Contribution to the Discussion), Arnold Pacey discusses the social and esthetic aspects of design and situations which arise in developing countries when the traditional design does not lend itself to technological innovations. (4) In "L'Esthetique des Arts du Quotidien: Images de l'Afrique Noire et des Caraibes" (Esthetiques of Art for Daily Life: Images from Black Africa and the Caribbean), John Magnus (United Kingdom) focuses on the cultural links between countries on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean as they are reflected in popular art forms. (5) In "Problems in Collection and Preservation of Music Data in Kenya and Suggested Solutions to the Problems," W. A. Omondi (Nairobi) discusses the present state of documentation in Kenya; the need to document traditional music and dance; the operations of the government's proposed Central Research Committee; and the development, dissemination, and propagation of traditional music and dance. (THC)

Papers on library acquisitions, special collections development, and special training for serials librarianship, presented at the 1984 IFLA general conference, include: (1) "The Development of the African Collection at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and Its Importance for the Cultural History of African Countries" (B. C. Bloomfield, United Kingdom); (2) "Planning Union Catalogues of Books in Developing Countries" (Richard J. Bennett and Maurice B. Line, United Kingdom); (3) "Supply of Literature from and about Africa in Europe with Special Regard to Interlibrary Loan in the Federal Republic of Germany" (Irmstraud D. Wolcke-Renk, West Germany); (4) "Education and Training for Work with Serials" (David P. Woodworth, United Kingdom); (5) "Education for Serials Librarianship: What Are the Basic Components?" (Michael E. D. Koenig, United States); (6) "Serials of the Poor: Their Nature, Importance, Problems, and Suggested Solutions" (Theophilus E. Mlaki, Tanzania); (7) "Acquisition of Library Material in Kenya: Problems and Prospects" (Joshua Reuben Njuguna, Kenya); (8) "Acquisitions in the Developing Countries--Problems and Possible Solutions: The Jamaican Experience" (Stephney W. L. Ferguson, Jamaica); (9) "Theory and Practice of Serials Control and How Your Subscription Agent Can Help" (Arnoud De Kemp, Netherlands); (10) "The British Library's African Research Collections and the Development of African Studies" (I. R. Willison, United Kingdom); (11) "Les Relations d' Echanges entre les Bibliotheques d'Afrique Francophone et la Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris" (Exchange Agreements Between the Libraries of Francophone Africa and the National Library in Paris) (Anne Zundel Ben Khemis); and (12) "The Problems of African Acquisitions: The Experience of the Nairobi Field Office of the Library of Congress" (James C. Armstrong, Kenya). (THC)

This overview of the activities of the Section for Africa begins by tracing the growth of the section in 1982 and 1983 to 100 African members and 22 members from other continents. Participation by the section in International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) preconference seminars is briefly discussed, and it is noted that the section would like more involvement in preseminar planning. Five projects conducted under the auspices of the section are also briefly described: (1) a preliminary study of libraries and information systems in southern Africa; (2) a study of family libraries in Zimbabwe which includes plans to create children's books in their native languages; (3) the development of public reading in Senegal for illiterate persons; (4) libraries for blind children in Sierra Leone; and (5) a study of the feasibility of producing educational materials for children and adults. A discussion of meetings notes that all of these projects have their beginnings at various regional meetings, and proposes that the Board of Directors of the Section on Africa hold regular meetings every two years. Other activities mentioned include the establishment of a clearinghouse at Dakar (Senegal) for IFLA publications and the publication of a journal for the Section on Africa. (BBM)