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Hybrid libraries provide multiple ways to access information in various formats, normally within a common information framework. The eLib project MALIBU (MAnaging the Hybrid LIbrary for the Benefit of Users) focuses on the development of models, both prototypic and theoretic, for management and organisation of the hybrid library. This article describes the agent technology used for the MALIBU prototype search engine that allows for the search and retrieval of information from disparate resources.

To provide background on how the Kitengesa Community Library in rural Uganda, which serves as both a community library and a school library, might be seen as a model for other similar libraries in developing countries. To use a case study of the library to highlight certain characteristics of rural libraries as developed by B.J. Mostert and presented in his 1998 article.

The information in the article comes from a two‐year study of the Kitengesa Community Library. The methodology included focus groups, interviews, door‐to‐door visits, questionnaires, examination of library circulation information, and many hours of observation. Information from the study was then used to support the comparison to Mostert's characteristics of the rural community library. A review of the professional literature is also provided.

Findings indicate that the Kitengesa Community Library is a successful working model that might be used in other similar rural villages to serve both schools and the community. Implications of the findings are discussed in detail.

Future research might include the impact of the library on the achievement of students, and the impact of the library on the teaching and learning practices of users.

The information presented in this paper offers some basic considerations in terms of the implementation of rural library services. Provision of such services is becoming increasingly important as more and more of the world's population becomes literate, and more of the world's attention is focused on the welfare of those living on the African continent.

The study itself is unique in that the data hail from a two‐year study of a small village library. Literacy is a major factor in terms of development in underdeveloped nations, and libraries have the potential to play an important role in the eradication of illiteracy, and provision of services for the “newly literate”.

The purpose of this paper is to present a cursory overview of economic development in Uganda, and discusses some important links between the rural library and the ways it might impact human development areas such as economic uplift, education and literacy.

Real‐life examples of small‐scale economic development projects from the Kitengesa Community Library in rural Uganda are used to contextualize some of these connections. A comprehensive review of the literature on rural development, economic development in Uganda, the relationship between literacy, libraries and economic development and the rural community library provide a context for the paper. This paper reflects an in‐depth review of the professional literature on economic and human development in Uganda, literacy, and the rural library. It also incorporates some qualitative data gathered from research studies conducted at Kitengesa Community Library in 2004 and 2005, including individual interviews with library users, teachers, local business merchants, and librarians at Kitengesa.

The article concludes that there is potential for rural community libraries to impact small‐scale local economic development. The projects at the Kitengesa Community Library are still in their infancy, and long‐term economic outcomes are not certain. At the same time, the projects have created a new sense of hope and possibility for many library users. There are numerous implications for other rural libraries, as income‐generating projects may be a way to attract new users, attract outside financial support, showcase the practical nature of these libraries, and provide a means for local peoples to improve their lives.

A longitudinal quantitative evaluation of the success of the Kitengesa projects and the income they generate would be the next step in terms of future research – such a study would highlight the role of the rural library in local economic development and provide further support for establishing more rural community libraries.

This paper is unique in that it expands on the concept of the rural community library as just a place to read books, and highlights the important role these libraries might play in developing areas where there is a profound lack of access to information, and few ways for residents to improve their economic standing.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the historical development of the rural library services in Africa, and highlight modern rural village libraries in Ghana and Burkina Faso within this context.

The information in the article comes from a number of different impact studies, including one research study of the rural village libraries in Ghana and one research study of the rural village libraries in Burkina Faso. In particular, the studies examined the impact and role of the libraries on the communities they serve, and enquiries included library use by students, reading habits, leisure reading, attitudes of community members towards the library, and the library's role in academic support. The methodology included focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, examination of library circulation information, and many hours of observation. A review of the professional literature is also provided to contextualize the historical review and the findings from the studies.

Findings indicate the rural village libraries in Ghana and Burkina Faso are successful village/community libraries that are of great benefit to their users. The models for development of these libraries might be used in other similar rural villages to serve both schools and the community.

Future research might include the review and evaluation of other rural libraries in Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, and an analysis of their impact and sustainability.

The information presented in this paper offers some basic considerations in terms of the implementation of rural library services, which have great potential to bridge information gaps in rural areas. Provision of such services is becoming increasingly important as more and more of the world's population desires to become literate. At the same time, efforts to provide access to information must integrate cultural practices, local languages and traditions, and operate from a place of respect and understanding by involving those who will be served in outreach efforts.

The paper builds on previous studies of rural village libraries in Uganda, and provides more support for the village/community library concept as being a potentially powerful solution for provision of reading materials in rural areas. Literacy continues to be a major factor in terms of economic and personal development in underdeveloped nations, and all libraries, but perhaps these small village libraries even more so, have the potential to play an important role in the eradication of illiteracy, development of a reading culture, and provision of services for the “newly literate”.