Ms. Priestley is on the Advisory Board of the International Campus Book Link, established in 1988 “to coordinate and facilitate the matching of requests from universities in Africa to relevant donors in the U.K., and then to provide efficient collections, shipment, and distribution of individual and institutional contributions.” At present the work of ICBL, administered by Ranfurly Library Service, is limited to universities in Sub–Saharan Africa. University librarians in those countries may communicate with ICBL at Ranfurly Library Service, 2 Coldharbour Place, 39–41 Coldharbour Lane, London SE 9NR, United Kingdom.

In her article Ms. Priestley cites several other organizations that provide books and other forms of information to institutions in developing countries. A number of those organizations may best be approached through the British Council or British government representative in the country that seeks the assistance. The British Books Presentation Scheme, administered by the Overseas Development Administration, endeavors to provide scholarly British books to universities, training and research institutions, and “public libraries of development significance.” The Educational Low–priced Books Scheme (formerly the English Language Book Society) offers British textbooks for students at post–secondary level, provided at “between one third and one half the price of the cheapest standard edition; books cannot be supplied free.”

Teaching Aids at Low Cost (TALC)

Teaching Aids at Low Cost (TALC) is “an independent charity concerned with teaching materials in mother and child health” which are offered at special prices to developing countries; some materials are free. A catalog of available items may be requested from TALC, POB 49, St. Albans, Herts, ALI 4AX, United Kingdom.

Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE)

The Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE) provides Canadian and U.S. books to libraries and educational institutions. CODE also has a Projects Program to fund literacy efforts and a Paper Support Program “which addresses the need for paper to print learning materials for literacy and educational programmes.” Information is available from CODE, 321 Chapel St., Ottowa, Ontario KIN 7Z2, Canada.

German Foundation for International Development

Opportunities for training of librarians, and for the development of teaching materials, are offered by the German Foundation for International Development, Hans–Boekler–Strasse 5, Postfach 300 380, D5300 Bonn 3, Federal Republic of Germany.

German Research Association

Books by German authors on scientific subjects, and German science periodicals, may be requested by libraries in developing countries from the German Research Association, Kennedy Allee 40, D–5300 Bonn 2, Federal Republic of Germany. This service has concentrated on East Africa.

African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)

The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), Wilson Airport, POB 30125, Nairobi, Kenya, provides low–cost materials on health topics for the training of mid–level workers. Librarians in universities with gaps in their scientific periodical holdings may receive assistance from the Netherlands Periodical Project, Badhuisweg 251, POB 90734, 2509LS, The Hague, Netherlands.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Purchase of scientific periodicals is supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1333 H St., NW, Washington, D.C., 20005.

Commonwealth Association of Architects

Books, journals, and audiovisual materials on architecture are available from the Commonwealth Association of Architects, The Building Centre, 26 Store St., London WC1E 7BT, United Kingdom.

International Centre for Theoretical Physics

The International Centre for Theoretical Physics, POB 586, 34126 Trieste, Italy, will assist universities with books, journals, and the proceedings of international conferences.

International Union of Biochemistry

Textbooks in biochemistry, biology, and chemistry are provided for teachers and students in universities by the International Union of Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0, Canada.

International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

A “model library in geotechnical subjects to be provided to suitable universities, institutes of technology and research organizations in developing countries – either free or at a greatly reduced price” has been assembled by the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Trumpington St., Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom.

Readers please note that the above programs are open to all Third World nations, not only to Africa. It should be stressed that various limitations and restrictions are a part of most plans, and that interested persons need to write for detailed information before submitting specific requests.

African Studies Association

It is likely that most persons who read Third World Libraries are familiar with the outstanding work of the African Studies Association (Emory University, Credit Union Building, Atlanta, GA 30322). I am pleased to report that the ASA President, Prof. Ann Seidman, has expressed interest in cooperating with our journal. She is Chair of a new Task Force on Research in the ASA, which intends to prepare papers summarizing the state of research in seven fields: economy, state and law, education, environment, health, gender and household, and regional integration. These papers will be ready, at least in draft form, for the annual ASA meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, 1–4 November 1990. Third World Libraries will report on the progress of this important Task Force, and on the availability of the papers.

One group within the African Studies Association holds particular responsibility for addressing library concerns: the Archives/Libraries Committee. The current Chair, Dr. Phyllis B. Bischof, has kindly provided Third World Libraries with this statement about her Committee:

The Archives/Libraries Committee of the African Studies Association of the U.S. fosters cooperation among Africana librarians in this country and abroad. Libarians of this committee share information and work together very closely on the national level on a great many ongoing projects. Recent efforts have included extensive efforts under the leadership of Dr. Gretchen Walsh of Boston University to combat the effects of the African Book Famine. In addition members of the Committee have published annually in the African Book Publishing Record “Africana Reference Works: An Annotated List” We have developed “Guidelines for Libraries Interacting with South Africa” and published them in our Newsletter; we have taken these guidelines to the American Library Association, to IFLA, and to other bodies. A forthcoming issue of Africana Libraries Newsletter (ALN) will be devoted to an ongoing international dialogue concerning these guidelines. An essential tool for librarians in the field, ALN published minutes of the Committee and of CAMP (Cooperative Africana Microform Project), lists new publications, and provides timely information concerning the book trade and other Africanist concerns. Meetings of the Committee are open to all concerned with our interests, and an invitation is particularly extended to attend the annual meeting of African Studies Association at Baltimore, Maryland, November 1–4, 1990. At that meeting the Archives/Libraries Committee will sponsor a panel entitled “UNESCO and an Information Society in Africa.” We wish to recognize UNESCO’s multiplicity of contributions to the publishing, book, and library worlds in Africa, and also to highlight the need for U.S. and British return to this body. In addition, the Committee will sponsor a roundtable discussion on the African Book Famine. Regular business meetings of the Committee and of CAMP will also take place. Contact persons:

Dr. Phyllis B. Bischof (Chair)
390 Main Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
Telephone 415–642–0956

Dr. John Bruce Howell (Past Chair)
International Studies Bibliographer
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Telephone 310–335–5885

Mr. Peter Malanchuk (Chair Elect)
African Bibliographer
University of Florida Libraries
Gainesville, FL 32611
Telephone 904–392–0361

Dr. Gretchen Walsh (Book Famine Task Force)
African Library Head
Boston University Library
771 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
Telephone 617–353–3726

To which I may add that Dr. Bischof has modestly refrained from mentioning that the African Libraries Newsletter has been generously distributed without cost to many libraries in Africa. Because of funding problems, it cannot be said that any African librarian who requests it will be put on the mailing list; however it would be appropriate to make inquiries to the Newsletter Editor:

Dr. Nancy J. Schmidt
African Studies Area Specialist
Main Library E660
Indiana University Libraries
Bloomington, IN 47405

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

A new series of “Occasional Papers” issued by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee has already published one paper of special interest to readers of this journal; “The New Bibliotheca Alexandrina: A Link in the Historical Chain of Cultural Continuity,” by Mohammed M. Aman. Dr. Aman is one of the advisors for the new Alexandrian Library, a public research library focused on Egypt, the Mediterranean region, Africa, and the Arab world. It is to be located on a spacious site next to the main campus of the University of Alexandria, with a target collection of 200,000 titles for opening day in 1995. The ultimate size of the library will be more than four million volumes.

One element of the plan is particularly gratifying to library educators, the more so to those like myself who have long advocated international library schools. There will be an International School of Information Studies in the Library, offering post–graduate programs in library administration, preservation and conservation, telecommunications, and information management. A full–time teaching staff of 30 persons is visualized, linked to the University of Alexandria. The primary language of instruction will be English.

Other titles in this series are “Libraries and the Changing Scholarly Process,” by Donald B. Simpson, and “Research Issues in Information and Public Policy,” by Thomas J. Galvin. The cost for the Alexandria paper is US$12.00; the other papers are US$6.00 each. Dr. Aman has generously agreed to send the papers without cost to any requesting library or library school in a Third World nation. The address is:

Dr. Mohammed M. Aman, Dean
School of Library and Information Science
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
POB 413, Enderis Hall
Milwaukee, WI 53201

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