Third World Library Literature in the 1980s

THISARTICLE STEMS from a conviction that this issue on “Library Literature in the 1980s ” would be incomplete without an overview of professional literature produced by library colleagues in the Third World. ” An additional reason, however, makes such a survey timely and important-Western interest in international library developments and, most recently, increased interest in transnational information flow policies. Symptomatic of this is the proliferation of journals, ’ reference works, and monographs dealing with comparative and international librarianship; ’ the growing interest, within ALA, in international a~t iv i t ies;~and the rising awareness of the need for U.S.participation in international organizations and programs among information professiona~s.~ Western interest in Third World library developments is part of this broader trend. The journals, reference works, and monographs devoted to world librarianship give thorough coverage of developing nations. In addition, Third World librarianship and publishing have recently been the subject of several separate publication^.^ No survey exists, however, of the current state of professiona