Information technology for agricultural research: SNAL's opportunities and challenges in addressing researchers' information needs in 21 st century.

The paper defines information and briefly reviews its role in agricultural research. Applications of information technology in agricultural libraries is considered to playa vital role in provision of information to researchers, policy makers, practitioners, lecturers, extensionists, information workers, students and the public at large for their meaningful contribution to agricultural development. SNAL's achievements and problems in information provision to its clients for the ending millennium are discussed. Introduction of IT applications to some of its services such as CD-ROM services, and Online Public Catalogue are some of the achievements despite a list of problems albeit budgetary constraints, critical shortage of manpower, over dependence to external aids and failure to reach a wider audience of its clients. Whilefurther investments in IT and its applications could greatly improve information services to agricultural researchers, constraints mentioned above are among the major challenges to SNALS' obligations of meeting its user information needs for the coming millennium