Interlibrary loans in new democratic societies ‐ South African experiences

South Africa, as a new democracy, is currently driven by a vision of reconstruction and development. In the South African library environment, the focus is on rectifying serious inequalities in access to libraries and information and to address the demand for a more equitable distribution of library resources. These aspects, as well as economic factors, compel South African librarians to rethink the traditional ways of resource sharing and the development of library collections. The shift is towards an innovative resource‐sharing policy and subsequent formation of strategic alliances and the delivery of articles on demand as an alternative to the purchasing of journals. This involves the establishment of a library catalogue accessible to all and effective request and delivery mechanisms to meet the requirements posed by conditions in South Africa. The capabilities of advanced technology offer powerful means to meet these new challenges faced by libraries in South Africa.