PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FROM AN AFRICAN POINT OF VIEW

Stresses the organization of continuing education to promote professional development in Africa. The LIS profession has been helped by willing donors who have done much for professional development, but library systems, departments of LIS and other African institutions must aim to recruit well and provide self‐financed courses and in‐service training. Criteria for attracting staff must include personal qualities as well as educational qualifications. Makes a reference to a Latin American survey by I. Paez‐Urdaneta and its application to the African scene. Library associations still need help to make a contribution to development, and examples of courses are studies from a recent publication by the US Department of Agriculture. Professional development in Africa must take in the challenge of illiteracy at one extreme to telecommunications and computers at the other, if the profession is to make a real contribution to future development.