On line bibliographic information retrieval in South Africa

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.