Partnership as a New Paradigm for Reference Librarians in African Studies

SUMMARY

This article examines the changing paradigms of reference librarianship as they relate to the study of Africa. It discusses important issues to do with the role of the reference librarian in assisting future scholarly research. Particular attention is given to how electronic resources are influencing the nature of Africana reference services and collection development. Given the problems faced in accessing information from Africa, emphasis is also placed on how partnerships between U.S. and African libraries and scholarly institutions can help improve information access in and about Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• Africa
• libraries
• reference
• electronic resources
• partnerships