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The purpose of this paper is to identify the invention of computer systems, information and communication technology and the internet as the critical landmarks in the transformation of information processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination.

A survey of 42 librarians in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Ibadan was carried out, along with information gathered from research on the internet.

The paper reports on how the internet can affect African cultural values in the area of songs/music and dance, theater, dress, languages, arts, housing, marriage, child care, friendship, decoration, religion, politics and personality profile development. Librarians' IT skills, internet literacy and awareness of the implications of the unfolding environment on library and African cultural value systems are discussed.

The paper recommends a set of proactive professional repositioning that African librarians must initiate as custodians of both information and African rich cultural heritage.

To provide coverage and insights about the annual meeting of the AAAS where this year's theme was “Science and Technology for Sustainable Well‐Being.”

Environmental scan of annual national meeting. Of particular interest due to the range of backgrounds different attendees from all avenues of the scientific community.

Sustainable well being has wide applications in different arenas but the informatics component was not as strong as at past conferences.

Much of the conference focused on intersections of theory and application and new ways of responding to sustainability. Particularly strong in the physical sciences.

Provides information of value to information professionals.

The purpose of this study is to investigate librarians' level of responsiveness in an era of policy change and reform.

The approach adopted was to introduce and describe the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) as a major policy framework in Nigeria. A purposive sampling approach was used to survey librarians' familiarity and knowledge of the NEEDS concept. In all 54 questionnaires were distributed and 36 were returned. Descriptive statistics were used to generate data for discussion.

Majority of the respondents did not understand fully the NEEDS concept; were not familiar with the NEEDS document, institutional and macroeconomic frameworks, NEEDS vision, values and principles. Less numbers were very correct or correct as to whether their libraries had a copy of the NEEDS document. Many of the librarians had neither seem or read the document; less than 50 per cent of the respondents knew where to obtain the NEEDS document; knew that the NEEDS document can be accessed online and downloaded from the web. Majority did not know that the NEEDS secretariat is located at the National Planning Commission.; confessed that they can not answer reference question on NEEDS. Only five indicated that they responded to the invitation for comments and suggestions during the formulation of the NEEDS document.

It is critical for the Nigerian Library Association to heighten its information advocacy role in an environment of change and reform. Librarians must be proactive in an environment of change and reforms.

A fundamental study that challenges librarians to relate to the change and reforms occurring in the organizational, transactional and contextual environments of their work.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities for librarians operating in a global information environment.

The exploratory research design is adopted and secondary data are also used. The method is to first examine the concept of globalization, the status of information and communication technology (ICT) in African countries and current issues in library practices with specific focus on digital technology, and internet use pattern across Africa. The next approach is to examine the challenges and opportunities for libraries and librarians in a global information environment.

The paper concludes that the critical challenge for information professionals from developing countries is to harness technological systems to globalize their information resources and services. The opportunities of doing so are boundless, borderless and beneficial in accessing the global information pool.

Nigeria libraries are critically situated at the crossroads of digital revolution that is creating new vistas for information service provision. But how far and how fast they move from the crossroads to the emerging digital threshold will define their quality as well as quantity of information services provision by all species of libraries.

The paper originality lies in its concise articulation of the boundless opportunities in a duality of a global information environment and the argument that librarians, who will manage information in the globalized environment, must acquire skills that will make global professionals rather than local champions. It is further contended that Nigerian libraries must join the march of civilization and the radical impact of the globalization process. This is because of the fact that in the garden of humanity, nothing is static; that which fails to grow will begin the process of gradual extinction and irrelevance. This paper looks at the library in a global information environment. It also examines the impact of ICT on global information network. The opportunities offered by the impact of ICT on globalization are also discussed. It articulates the challenges for librarians and libraries in global information environment.

This paper aims to explore the traditional and emerging roles of cataloguing professionals in a global network information environment. That exploration becomes even more critical in view of migration of information resources into digital, electronic and virtual domains.

An exploratory research design was adopted. The method was to first examine current issues in library and information practice with specific focus on digital technology, the electronic environment, automation, networking, the internet, cyberspace and virtual libraries. The next approach was to examine the challenges of operating in a globalized information environment.

Cataloguers have key roles in knowledge segmentation, identification, organization and authentication. They are vital as content and system managers, software specialists and information retrieval system designers. In all, more than 23 roles are articulated for forward‐looking cataloguing professionals.

The paper's originality lies in its argument that roles are correlates of competencies and that as the practice of knowledge organization migrates to a dominantly global information network environment, cataloguers must upgrade their competencies in order to effectively operate in the emerging environment.

The main objective of this paper is to highlight and discuss issues, innovations and imperatives related to the management of professional library and information science (LIS) journals in Africa.

The strategy adopted was to preface the concerns about the quality of journals from Africa and then synthesize managerial issues that must be resolved to enhance quality. The next approach was to draw up a ten‐step plan of innovative ways to enhance the quality of (LIS) journals in Africa. Finally, the paper discusses eight critical imperatives related to effective management of African LIS journals.

The major concerns are that the continent's LIS journals are substandard, suffer high mortality and hardly appear regularly. Issues to be addressed to stem this tide of affairs include increased subscription spread, revenue base and the development of scholarly content. The paper argues that African LIS journals will continue to die young if innovative strategies are not injected to rejuvenate them.

The developments in the foreground indicate a better and brighter future for African professional LIS journals. African LIS journal managers must work towards financial independence, introduce or continue the review process, design scholarly content and strive for international competitiveness.

Probably the most comprehensive articulation of the challenges and opportunities facing LIS journal publishing in Africa.

The paper reviews the state of agricultural literature control in Nigeria. The problems of data inconsistencies, scarcity of relevant information and dilemmas faced by policy makers, planners and agriculturists are described. The paper reveals that foreign‐based bibliographical services do not adequately cover literature emanating from the country. A conceptual framework for the evolution of a national agricultural information management system will involve a functional integration of all agencies and individuals involved in the production, processing, provision, and utilisation of agricultural information. Critical decisions and actions that will enhance the evolution process include a commissioned inventorization of all grey literature and agricultural information resources at both Federal and State Agriculture Ministries, a systematic documentation of resources in the research and academic institutions and, the exploitation of the awesome capabilities of information technology in harnessing a nation's rich information heritage.

Purpose–To share themes and issues of a conference held in Nigeria of a specialized group of librarians, law librarians. Design/methodology/approach–This is a review of the conference. Findings–Surprisingly, the issues that were highlighted in the papers and presentations was not the most important nor interesting sense of this meeting, but the poor attendance, participation and the incredible sense of digital divide that is described and how weak conditions are in Nigerian law libraries due to inadequate connectivity overall and Internet access in particular. Access to resources regardless of the standards is highly restricted. Practical implications–Intervention of resources, technology, capital and human resources are all badly needed to make a difference in training and rendering improved services in law libraries. International content available via the web is not helpful if access is so cumbersome and restricted. Originality/value–Provides information of value of Library professionals.

The central objective of this work is to examine internet sources, resources, and strategies, with particular reference to legal research.

The approach adopted was to preface web‐based definitions of the internet and draw some features from the definitions. The next approach was to examine legal research resources on the internet. A web‐based survey and subject analysis of legal resources was then conducted.

The findings reveal the existence of diverse web resources on all subjects of law.

Draws implications for legal research based on empirical data presented. Internet legal research is not simplistic; nor are all the web‐accessed materials to be accepted hook, line and sinker. It is, however, critical to state that to a large extent the internet would continue to create distributed research community for scholarship and research on a global basis. It concludes that, for legal research institutions, the need to install IT‐driven legal research facilities is no longer at the crossroads of policy tinkering but at the threshold of fundamental technological shift. Internet connectivity is the most critical need of legal research institutions of developing countries.

Probably a first in emphasizing unequivocally that IT activity and expertise are an absolute necessity for the pursuit of legal research in the future.

Conference report of the Nigerian Library Association 2005 Annual Conference.

To share conference culture and content with wider audience, especially global audience.

The most valuable activities of the conference were the pre‐conference seminars held simultaneously at various venues which inlcuded “Training the trainers on HIV/Aids prevention” and “Internet researching skills for the twenty‐first librarian”.

Provides information of value to information science professionals both in Nigeria and around the world about the state of librarianship in Nigeria and important current issues the profession there must address.