International Development of Librarianship and Information Science Education and the Role of Research

This paper considers the role of research in international development programmes. It considers the activities that have been undertaken to establish and develop Schools of Librarianship and Information Science, and some of possible reasons why many have failed to develop once the external support was terminated. It notes that the development of a research profile rarely featured in previous activities, and contrasts this with other disciplines in which the research capacity has made university departments critical to social and economic progress. It notes the real and imaginary obstacles to research and to international cooperation, and outlines the benefits to individuals and institutions of engaging in this type of international collaborative research. Finally, it urges a combined effort to take advantage of the current global interest in information transfer to persuade the development agencies to support research efforts in the applications of librarianship and information sciences