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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.

The purpose of this case study was to explore senior librarians’ perceptions of successful leadership skills in the 21st century. The data gathered from 10 senior library leaders consisted of demographic information and responses to six open-ended interview questions. From the NVivo 10 analysis, several significant themes emerged regarding successful library leadership skills in the 21st century at two levels: foundational and interpersonal. At the foundational level, technical and knowledge skills form the building blocks for the next level of interpersonal skills. Persuasion and collaborative skills are interwoven with these interpersonal skills, both of which are at the core of the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. These two levels of skills, with an emphasis on persuasion skills, should form the basis of succession planning programs for next generation librarians. Implementing such programs could lead to increased leadership diversity, greater job satisfaction, improved job performance and effectiveness, all of which help retain librarians and ease staff shortages. Further studies are recommended.

Sarah Long’s Sister Library Program began as an initiative of her American Library Association Presidency and continues as a project of the American Library Association’s International Relations Round Table. This article describes components of the ALA Presidential project and activities of model Sister Library relationships. It summarizes the results of a program at the IFLA Conference in Jerusalem in August 2000 that presented perspectives from various programs for global library pairings and reviewed what has been learned over the past few years about global partnerships.

The purpose of this paper is to report on recent performance measurement and impact evaluation progress made in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Moldova, Turkey and Vietnam as part of the last phase of the Global Libraries Initiative.

The country reports are presented as a series of case studies, in some cases supplementing those reported earlier in this journal.

Recent country-specific survey findings are reported and some conclusions are offered.

This paper demonstrates how the adoption of a common approach to library service evaluation across several countries can strengthen research practice at country level beyond the Global Libraries Initiative itself.

This paper shares Global Libraries IPA learning at country level with people in other countries who may be contemplating public library evaluation at regional, national or local levels or who are interested in performance measurement and impact evaluation.

The paper shows how focusing on the impact of public library services on users can enhance the understanding of community requirements and inform the development of more effective services to library users and communities.

These case studies reflect concentrated impact evaluation and performance measurement work at country level across a range of countries over more than 18 years.

This paper aims to draw together the evidence‐based advocacy experience of five national programs focused on developing public access information and communications technologies (ICT) via public libraries as grantees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Libraries Initiative.

The authors describe a common approach to strategic advocacy and to impact planning and assessment. They then outline the experience of each program in using a range of evidence to help meet specific advocacy objectives. They give particular attention to how each program is using specific evidence to convince key players of the importance of public access ICT provided by public libraries in meeting the objectives of the key players.

This collective experience shows that when advocating at the national level, statistical data and empirical evidence can demonstrate that public libraries contribute to stakeholders' goals. Such data can include technology skills that users have gained as well as how users improve their businesses, become better educated, and access government services. Common denominators from the programs include a disproportionate positive impact achieved (or anticipated) in rural communities and on relatively disadvantaged groups such as older workers, old people and unemployed people.

Both the general approach to evidence‐based advocacy described and the specific messages about targeting advocacy efforts on key players and on the service users who are most likely to benefit from public access ICT are of potential value to anyone planning a national, regional or local advocacy program focused on public libraries and their services.

As the paper deals with global library advocacy issues, and impact planning, it is hoped it is a step towards more measurable social impact for libraries.

This is the first full public report of the Global Libraries approach to evidence‐based advocacy as conducted in the five countries represented in the paper. It is part of a steadily growing body of knowledge being amassed by Global Libraries about effective provision of public access ICT via public libraries in a range of countries.

The AAU/ARL (Association of American Universities/Association of Research Libraries) Global Resources Program was launched early in 1997 by the Association of Research Libraries, with funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Reviews the development of the related projects that preceded the establishment of the AAU/ARL Global Resources Program, describing the context for its creation and the goals it aspires to fulfil, and identifies some of the challenges the Program faces on the path to full implementation. It is hoped that the AAU/ARL Global Resources Program will encourage us to develop true international collaboration, branching out from accomplishments thus far, as the Program itself built on the efforts that preceded it.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from the pilot stage evaluation of the Global Libraries – Biblionet Romania project. The project involves introducing public access ICT via public libraries in Romania and the pilot evaluation was designed to ensure the adoption of an appropriate impact planning and assessment program for the main project.

Since the start of the Global Libraries – Biblionet Romania project, planning and managing for results have been the guiding philosophy. The team was concerned to find the right balance between what is too much for librarians in terms of data collection, and what precisely to promote as useful metrics with which the librarians are comfortable and which do not create too much extra work. A step‐by‐step approach has been used to involve librarians in decisions, facilitate consensus, and double‐check agreements, understandings and results. This involved phases of engagement with users in the pilot project areas, librarians, and the national professional body.

The pilot has revealed some of the key characteristics of library patrons as public access ICT users, some of the major factors in implementing public access computing through libraries and important elements of the capacity for change in the national professional body, all of which will inform the design and planning of the main project.

Librarians in the 12 pilot sites had different levels of expertise and interest in data collection and different levels of understanding of the relationship between impact assessment and service development. The paper expresses how one can quantify the benefits of using computer and internet in public libraries. Handled skilfully, this approach can be a strong advocacy tool to communicating with public authorities and other local or national stakeholders. Although this was a pilot project, it was substantial in scale and provides useful insights into all facets of a major implementation program as well as important assessment data on Romanian public libraries.

The pilot project has already provided original evidence of the significance and value of public libraries in Romania. (The main project that will be designed on the basis of this evidence will in due course add a major and continuing further dimension to this process of assessment.)

The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of the global economic crisis on University of Malawi Libraries and Mzuzu University Library.

A case study methodology was adopted, and data were collected using both interview guides and questionnaires.

Findings show that libraries in this study were not affected much by the global economic crisis. Budgets of the libraries had registered steady increments, and this had positively impacted on collection development activities, staff recruitment and training, infrastructure development, and internal and external travels etc. Effects of the economic crisis, though minor, were evident by the stagnation of some college budgets and absence of scholarships for training abroad.

The study covered four of the five libraries in the University of Malawi namely the Polytechnic, College of Medicine, Bunda College, Kamuzu College of Nursing and Mzuzu University. Chancellor College Library did not participate because the researcher faced challenges in getting permission from authorities. So much as the results do give a general picture of libraries under the University of Malawi, the findings may not necessarily apply to Chancellor College Library.

In light of the findings, libraries were encouraged to strengthen existing income generating activities, and also explore other ways of generating revenue to cover for shortfalls in the budget that may be prompted by withdrawal of donor funds and cuts in government subvention should the global economic crisis persist.

International interlibrary loan remains a persistent and sometimes vexing topic in US libraries. Technology's advance allows libraries and library users to easily identify resources from across the globe. This ease of discovery belies the difficulty of delivery. To contribute to the conversation, the ALA RUSA STARS International Interlibrary Loan Committee conducted a survey of US libraries regarding international interlibrary loan activity. The survey uncovered elements impacting ILL success and failure and identified opportunities for US academic libraries global ILL participation. Issues that concern the survey's participants included communications, copyright, customs, payment methods, shipping, and language barriers. US interlibrary loan librarians seek cooperative responses to these problems. This paper seeks to address this issue.

This paper discusses the current climate of international interlibrary loan from a US perspective and highlights efforts to use STARS survey results to inform international ILL programs and best practices.

To expand international interlending, STARS can build on today's extra‐OCLC resource sharing strategies and leverage survey results to focus programming and promotional efforts. At the same time, librarians must improve communications and foster international resource sharing communities which contributes to the international dialog essential for interlending success.

The paper presents a new initiative from the major professional association for North American librarians dedicated to resource sharing.