International Information & Library Review 

About: International Information & Library Review is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Information literacy & Information science. It has an ISSN identifier of 1057-2317. Over the lifetime, 841 publications have been published receiving 9194 citations. The journal is also known as: International information and library review.

Africa as a knowledge society: A reality check

Abstract: This paper investigates the question of whether Africa is moving towards a knowledge society. An analysis is made of the current initiatives that are undertaken in Africa to put the continent on the road towards a knowledge society. The content of the paper is structured in the following manner. Firstly, we explain what a knowledge society means and based on this definition we describe the technological and economic landscapes that shape the knowledge society. We also identify and discuss four interrelated pillars of a knowledge society which we coined as follows, information and communication technology (ICT) and connectivity; usable content; infrastructure and deliverability and human intellectual capability. We then use these four pillars to analyze the African content as a knowledge society. Our main findings are that Africa has still a far way to go to become a true knowledge society, but that there is hope to successfully transform Africa into a knowledge society. We argue that this success is based on certain preconditions amongst other investment in human capital, effective stopping of brain draining as well as the effective development and maintenance of a physical infrastructure.

Use of Web 2.0 tools in academic libraries: A reconnaissance of the international landscape

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide a reconnaissance of major academic libraries located in Australia, Canada, the U.K. and U.S.A. that have embraced Web 2.0 tools for enhancing library services. The research is based on a survey of websites of 277 university libraries. The checkpoints used for this evaluative study were given by Nguyen (2008) for evaluating various Web 2.0 tools. Additional checkpoints were arrived at after visiting and browsing the various sites. The findings of the study acknowledge the strength of Web 2.0 tools in improving library services for users. Really Simple Syndication (RSS), Instant Messaging (IM) and blogs are popular in academic libraries. The paper concludes by offering best practices for implementing Web 2.0 tools in academic libraries.

Managing indigenous knowledge for sustainable agricultural development in developing countries: Knowledge management approaches in the social context

Abstract: This paper is based on a PhD study (Lwoga, 2009) that sought to assess the application of knowledge management (KM) approaches in managing indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. This study used a mixed-research method which was conducted in six districts of Tanzania. Non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups were used to collect primary data from small-scale farmers in the selected districts. A total of 181 farmers participated in the semi-structured interviews, where the respondents ranged between 27 and 37 per district. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted in the selected districts. The study revealed that IK was acquired and shared within a small, weak and spontaneous network, and thus knowledge loss was prevalent in the surveyed communities. There were distinct variations in the acquisition of agricultural IK both in different locations and between genders. Information and communication technologies (ICT), culture, trust, and status influenced the sharing and distribution of IK in the surveyed communities. The research findings showed that KM models can be used to manage and integrate IK with other knowledge systems, taking the differences into account (for example, gender, location, culture, infrastructure). The paper concludes with recommendations for the application of KM approaches for the management of IK and its integration with other knowledge systems for agricultural development in developing countries, including Tanzania.

Information needs and information-seeking behavior in developing countries: A review of the research

Abstract: This article reviews research that has been done on the information needs and information-seeking behavior of indigenous people in developing countries. The paper focuses on two types of user groups: urban dwellers and rural dwellers. By comparing their information-seeking behavior, conclusions about human information behavior in the developing world, as well as key factors that play a role in their information needs and behavior, are drawn. Findings reveal that, while a weak economy has a profound effect on the availability and accessibility of resources, the information and communication divide is not defined as much by the economic status of a geographic location as it is by an individual user's educational background.

Website Quality Evaluations: Criteria and Tools

Abstract: The quantity of information distributed today on the Internet, especially through the World Wide Web, is rising much more quickly than the quantity of information available through other mass media. Just as we do not like or believe everything we read in the newspapers, see on TV, or hear on the radio, we cannot like or believe everything on the Internet. Consequently, it is necessary to critically assess the quality of websites and to determine the extent to which they meet our needs and requirements. This paper is an attempt to analyze information evaluation concept and process-based on some quality management concepts, rools and methods in order to propose some basic criteria to evaluate website quality and to select suitable websites.