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The paper presents a literature review on research data management services in African academic and research libraries on the backdrop of the advancing open science and open research data infrastructures. It provides areas of focus for library to support open research data.

The literature analysis and future role of African libraries in research data management services were based on three areas as follows:open science, research infrastructures and open data infrastructures. Focussed literature searches were conducted across several electronic databases and discovery platforms, and a qualitative content analysis approach was used to explore the themes based on a coded list.

The review reports of an environment where open science in Africa is still at developmental stages. Research infrastructures face funding and technical challenges. Data management services are in formative stages with progress reported in a few countries where open science and research data management policies have emerged, cyber and data infrastructures are being developed and limited data librarianship courses are being taught.

The role of the academic and research libraries in Africa remains important in higher education and the national systems of research and innovation. Libraries should continue to align with institutional and national trends in response to the provision of data management services and as partners in the development of research infrastructures.

The purpose of this study was to establish the current skills base of librarians working in research data management services in academic and research libraries in South Africa. The purpose was also to determine the relevance of courses and programmes that are currently being offered by library and information studies programmes in response to the needs of research data management services and make recommendations on curriculum improvement.

About 13 institutions which were considered early adopters of research data management services were identified as participants in an online survey. In addition, a review of Web pages of existing library and information studies schools was carried to establish courses that would support research data management services. Data collected through the two approaches were analysed and presented quantitatively and qualitatively.

The findings reveal an environment in a developmental stage, with limited skilled personnel to run research data management services. The findings also show an absence of specific data librarianship courses within existing library and information studies programmes and a very limited scope for the full range of data management courses within professional development programmes.

The paper provides information on approaches to further develop existing curriculum and contribute to the data management needs and support governments, funders and publishers' requirements for the discoverability and re-use of research data across research domains.

Automation is pervading all areas of academic library work. Librarians must be adequately trained in order to exploit the new technology. The literature recognizes that there are certain prerequisites for successful training. Libraries in developing countries face additional problems in the area of training for information technology. There are special circumstances at the University of Botswana Library. The University of Botswana Library automation training programmes aim to tackle these special circumstances and the problems unique to developing countries, and at the same time fulfil the recognized conditions needed for successful training. Gives a detailed outline of several University of Botswana Library automation training programmes.

This paper seeks to discuss the positioning of academic libraries in universities of science and technology in Africa. With the importance that is given to the establishment and outputs of these types of universities and to skills development as a contributing factor to Africa's development, the role of library and information services are to be discussed. The paper aims to focus on the position of the library in relation to the changing complexity of information resources, tools for users to access information, IT developments, knowledge creation and dissemination, community engagement, support for innovation and entrepreneurial development, external partnerships and measuring service delivery through research.

The challenges for the library in science and technology universities are to remain relevant to the development of skilled human resource that can contribute to Africa's economic and social development. The changing information provision landscape, the new community engagement programmes, the thrust to contribute to knowledge development and the support for innovation and entrepreneurial development ensure that the library remains relevant in the academic projects in Africa.

The library in science and technology universities in Africa and in other developing countries remains an important strategic partner in the development of human resources and overall economic and social development of the continent.

The discussion in the paper provides some insights into the planning and development of emerging technological university libraries in Africa and other developing regions.

This paper aims to assess practical aspects of implementation of institutional repositories (IRs) in Africa with reference to the University of Nairobi and provide useful guidelines to the issues and lessons learned to the other practitioners.

The study used cross-sectional descriptive survey design to gather and analyze data that was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. In addition, questionnaires, interview schedule and observation guide were utilized to collect data from the respondents.

First, the study established that the IR has not been well integrated into mainstream information services of the library. Second, there is lack of awareness on the use of IR as an information resource on the part of students and staff. Third, there is need to integrate different forms of information into the IR including graphics, video and sound to carter for the whole population of users even those with disabilities. Finally, there is need for aggressive or serious rebranding, marketing and promotion of the IR.

IRs are vital sources of information that are increasingly being integrated and utilized in African higher education. Discussion of the University of Nairobi as a case study provides practical lessons, implications and home grown solutions for other institutions of higher learning in the African context.

IR is not only contemporary or emerging source of knowledge, information and communication but also fundamental or basic in institutions of higher learning. Consequently, IR provides excellent opportunities for universities to expand knowledge beyond internal and external learning environments.

Being fundamental sources of knowledge, IRs provide and support teaching, learning, research activities, scholarly communications and community services in universities and the society at large. As information and communication hubs, IRs have reinvented the image and role of universities as sources of knowledge in the society.

Universities need to embrace IRs as vital and valid sources of knowledge and learning. Developing IRs without aggressive rebranding, marketing and promotional strategies is not enough for universities, associated institutions plus the information staff, but with prove that the resources are being utilized to achieve organizational goals and objectives.

The purpose of the paper is to present current state of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Namibia's small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) sector to access business information services.

The paper is based on a doctoral research project on business information needs, seeking patterns and utilisation of ICTs in the SME sector in Namibia that was carried out at the University of Pretoria from 2005 to 2007. The survey methodology using both qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed to collect data.

The findings revealed that there is a very low level of ICTs utilization among SMEs while among business support organisations it is relatively high.

The study presents baseline data that can be used by governments and business support organisations in the provision of ICTs to the SME sector to access business information services.

The study provides data on which future developments in ICTs in the SME sector could be based.