On line bibliographic information retrieval in South Africa
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Date
2015-07-29
Authors
Herholdt, Annette de Villiers
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Abstract
This dissertation describes the development of online bibliographic
information retrieval systems and services in general, and their
introduction and application in South African library/information
services in particular. Consequently, they are discussed in the context
of the gradual introduction into South African library/information
services of information technology. The factors which encouraged their
usage and those which mitigated against it are examined. A survey of
South African library/information services offering their users online
information retrieval services is analysed, and the trends which it
reveals are discussed. Despite a period of relatively rapid growth in
the numbers of such services in the late seventies and early eighties,
the prognosis for futher significant development in this area of
library/information work in South Africa is not encouraging at present.
Several factors which give rise to this conclusion are identified, but
the currently overriding problem affecting the usage and implementation
of information retrieval from remote databases from this country is its
political instability.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the
Vitwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of Arts
February 1987