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QUOTES CASED No. 19 

Poverty is no disgrace to a man, but it 

is confoundedly inconvenient Sydney Smith 

People say that life is the thing, 

but I prefer reading Logan PearsallSmith 

THE 

BOOK CENTRE 

Colonial Mutual Buildings, Gordon Ave., Salisbury 

Colquhoun Street, Fort Victoria 

Norwich Union Building, Main Street, Lmtali 

80 Abercorn Street, Bulawayo 

Livingstone Avenue, Gwelo 

PREECE & MACKENZIE 

ARCHIBALD BROTHERS 

Telephone: 704621 





THE ZIMBABWE LIBRARIAN 

(Formerly The Rhodesian Librarian) 

Vol. 13, Nos. 1 and 2 

January-June 1981 

Quarterly Journal of the Zimbabwe Library Association 

Editor: Pamela Francis 

P.O. Box 3133, Salisbury, Zimbabwe 

Subscription: Free to members; Z$5 per annum or Z$ 1,50 per copy to 

non-members in Zimbabwe; Z$6 per annum elsewher 

Advertisement rates available on application. 

Zimbabwe Librarian 

EDITORIAL 

[Published November 1981 

Members of the ZLA will be aware, mainly because of the present debate on increase 

subscriptions, that the Association's funds are somewhat depleted. This is chiefly due to the co 

of printing the journal and funds have had to be transferred from the Association Account to th 

Journal Account to meet the bills. 

Until about two years ago, revenue from advertising and subscriptions from non-member 

covered the cost of printing. Production costs have since soared and despite an increase in th 

advertising and subscription charges, there is a shortfall of over $100 on each issue. 

At its meeting in September, the Council decided that further increases in these rates woul 

be counter-productive and some other means of resolving the problem would have to be fount 

Various methods of cutting costs were considered. Council rejected as retrogressive th 

suggestion that the journal revert to a duplicated format, and a proposal that its frequency b 

reduced was also rejected on the grounds that it would no longer fulfil one of its main functions as 

vehicle for news. The establishment of an editorial board to act as a sort of watchdog over th 

activities of the editor was also considered but it was felt that this would delay production of tr 

journal (already behind schedule) and, in any case, the financial problems could not be attribute 

to negligence by any previous editor. It was agreed, however, that the editor should seek advic 

from former editors and that Council should closely monitor the situation. 

Once new membership subscription rates are implemented, Council will be asked to authorii 

a capitation payment from its own resources to the Journal Account. 

Pamela Franc.

QUOTES CASED No. 19 

Poverty is no disgrace to a man, but it 

is confoundedly inconvenient Sydney Smith 

People say that life is the thing, 

but I prefer reading Logan Pearsall Smith 

THE 

BOOK CENTRE 

Colonial Mutual Buildings, Gordon Ave., Salisbury 

Colquhoun Street, Fort Victoria 

Norwich Union Building, Main Street, Umtali 

80 Abercorn Street, Bulawayo 

Livingstone Avenue, Gwelo 

PREECE & MACKENZIE 

ARCHIBALD BROTHERS 






THE ZIMBABWE LIBRARIAN 

(Formerly The Rhodesian Librarian) 

Vol. 13, Nos. 1 and 2 

January-June 1981 

Quarterly Journal of the Zimbabwe Library Association 

Editor: Pamela Francis 

P.O. Box 3133, Salisbury, Zimbabwe 

Subscription: Free to members; Z$5 per annum or Z$ 1,50 per copy to 

non-members in Zimbabwe; Z$6 per annum elsewhere 

Advertisement rates available on application. 

Zimbabwe Librarian 

EDITORIAL 

[Published November 1981 

Members of the ZLA will be aware, mainly because of the present debate on increase 

subscriptions, that the Association's funds are somewhat depleted. This is chiefly due to the cos 

of printing the journal and funds have had to be transferred from the Association Account to th 

Journal Account to meet the bills. 

Until about two years ago, revenue from advertising and subscriptions from non-member 

covered the cost of printing. Production costs have since soared and despite an increase in th 

advertising and subscription charges, there is a shortfall of over $100 on each issue. 

At its meeting in September, the Council decided that further increases in these rates woul 

be counter-productive and some other means of resolving the problem would have to be foum 

Various methods of cutting costs were considered. Council rejected as retrogressive th 

suggestion that the journal revert to a duplicated format, and a proposal that its frequency b 

reduced was also rejected on the grounds that it would no longer fulfil one of its main functions as 

vehicle for news. The establishment of an editorial board to act as a sort of watchdog over tr 

activities of the editor was also considered but it was felt that this would delay production of tr 

journal (already behind schedule) and, in any case, the financial problems could not be attribute 

to negligence by any previous editor. It was agreed, however, that the editor should seek advi< 

from former editors and that Council should closely monitor the situation. 

Once new membership subscription rates are implemented, Council will be asked to authorii 

a capitation payment from its own resources to the Journal Account. 

Pamela Franc.

Hon. President 

Chairman 

Vice-Chairman 

Hon. Secretary 

Hon. Treasurer 

Hon. Editor 

Mashonaland Branch Representative 

Matabeleland Branch Representative 

School Libraries Representative 

Education Committee Representative 

OFFICE BEARERS 1981 

MASHONALAND BRANCH 

Chairman 

Vice-Chairman 

Hon. Secretary 

Hon. Treasurer 

School Libraries 

Representative 

Members 

L Mavudzi, Cert Lib 

Mrs H M Mhlaba, MA, MLS 

S R Dube, BSc (Econ), ALA 

Mrs A Orpen, BSc (Hons), 

ALA 

Mrs J Smith, BA (Hons), 

Grad CE 

W H C Gurure, BA, Dip Lib 

Mrs T Makura, MA, MLS 

Miss R Molam, BA, HDL 

G C Motsi, BA (Hons) 

Mrs D Pakkiri, BA, NTSC, 

Lib Dip 

EDUCATION COMMITTEE 

(Mashonaland Branch) 

Chairman Mrs E A Podmore, BA, Lib 

Dip 

Members Mrs A Orpen, BSc (Hons), 

ALA 

Mrs J Smith, BA (Hons), 

Grad CE 

Mrs K Matsika, BA (Hons) 

Mrs M Ross-Smith, FLA 

L Mavudzi, Lib Cert 

B L B Mushonga, BA 

(Hons), B Bibl, AIPM, 

MZIM 

E E Burke, MLM, FLA 

S M Made, MA, FLA 

N Johnson, ALA 

B L B Mushonga, BA (Rons), B Bibl, MZIM, AIPM 

Mrs T Makura, MA, MLS 

Miss P A Francis, BA, PCE, HDL 

L Mavudzi, Cert Lib 

Mrs G R Murphy, LDL, ALA 

Mrs J Smith, BA (Hons), Grad CE 

Mrs E A Podmore, BA, Lib Dip 

MATABELELAND BRANCH 

Chairman Mrs G R Murphy, LDL, 

ALA 

Vice-Chairman R W Doust, ALA 

Hon. Secretary1 Miss C Bernstein, B Journ, 

HDL 

Hon. Treasurer Miss D E Barron, BA, Dip 

Lib, ALA 

Members Mrs L Blackett 

Mrs M Chitonho 

Mrs K Jessen, C Phil, L Dipl 

L Nyoni 

SCHOOL LIBRARIES 

SECTION 

Acting Chairman ¥ Chikombe 

Hon. Secretary Mrs J Smith 

Members Mrs A Abrahams 

P Brett 

Mrs E Buckland 

E Mbirimi 

B L B Mushonga 

Miss C Thomas 

Chairman's 

Column 

The Alison Report 

The Alison Report has become a subject 

of much discussion amongst librarians and I 

see no reason why it should not be fully 

examined in Association circles. Council had 

a go at it last meeting but we would have had 

more insight into Government's intentions if 

their representative, who had been invited, 

had turned up. 

On the whole it would appear that the 

Alison Report has been well received by 

Government and steps are being taken to 

implement it in stages. For instance, a steering 

committee has now beeen set up which is 

working on appointing a National Library 

Council — the logical starting point. 

The Report states that in order to stimulate 

co-operation among libraries in the country 

this council should be composed of librarians 

of significant libraries, along with representatives 

of various interested professional 

bodies such as the Zimbabwe Library Association 

and the Teachers' Association. The 

function of the National Library Counc 

would be to advise the National Librar 

Service Board who could also use it as 

sounding board for projects under considf 

ration. 

Members interested in reading the Aliso 

Report should approach heads of major libra 

ries (e.g. National Archives, Governmer 

Library Service, the University, Nationi 

Free Library) who should make it availabl 

for perusal. 

I wonder if it would not be a good idea t 

have a series of seminars on the Report t 

give our professional views on the recommei 

dations. Perhaps the branches might like t 

consider this proposal. 

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Steam Locomotives of Rhodesia Railways 

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Profusely illustrated work with painstakinglycollected 

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Zimbabwean Bibliography 

Recent Contributions 

The sixth in a series of articles in this journal initiated by C. Coggi 

in 1970 as 'Rhodesian bibliography: a survey', the present articl 

continues from the point at which the previous contributor left off i 

the issue for October 1977. 

Among the 56 items recorded are examples 

of importance for their wide-ranging scope 

that are significant contributions to southern 

African information control. What appears to 

be confirmed is that initiative in local bibliographical 

creativity is passing to the academic 

and the specialist**, and to the librarian who 

believes that for the best results bibliographical 

expertise should combine with subject 

specialist knowledge, this may be cause for 

concern. 

General 

In Rhodesia/Zimbabwe: an international 

bibliography 0 and K Pollak present a vital 

source for the human and social sciences'. It 

is a survey of 11 380 selected references and, 

while claiming to be comprehensive, extensive 

and representative, is particularly strong in 

political affairs at the expense of categories 

such as literature and the physical and medical 

sciences. A paucity of the less obvious 

nationalist material recorded elsewhere in 

this notice cannot be criticised seriously and 

the Pollaks' 380 mostly periodical items on 

African nationalism reflect the world focus 

generally rather than material generated by 

the movements themselves. Nine broad subject 

divisions are served by an automaticallyconstructed 

author index and a cross-referencing 

apparatus in which wrongly assigned 

ambiguous terms are to be expected. The 

bibliography has nevertheless stood as the 

fullest multi-subject compilation on its area 

of reference for some four years now and as a 

*R. G. S. Douglas is Editor, National Archives 

** Among those by librarians are Nos. 5,7-9,19, 

23, 24, 30, 41-43, 52-54 and 56. 

R. G. S. Douglas* 

seminal work is essential for any assessmer 

of the available sources. 

For works, especially books, publishe 

since Pollak and Pollak (1977) as well £ 

earlier material overlooked there, recour? 

should be had to the bibliography in Ker 

Rasmussen's Historical dictionary of Zimbi 

bwe/Rhodesia- which also corrects minor mi: 

takes and adds details, particularly on reprir 

editions and serial publications. Also to th 

Pollaks' credit is the similarly entitled Rh< 

desia/Zimbabwe in the Clio Press worl 

bibliographical series3. Published two yeai 

later, this is largely a synthesis of the fin 

publication, containing some 500 entrie 

designed to provide ready access to th 

subjects selected. Zestfully written and info 

mative annotations embrace related works, 

method that expands as it updates and evi 

luates the coverage of each entry. Som 

recent publications are overlooked, but fo 

tunately the services of a general editor hav 

prevented the appearance of literal erroi 

which mar the Pollaks' principal bibliogr; 

phical oeuvre. 

Theses 

In Theses and dissertations on souther 

Africa: an international bibliography the sam 

compilers have produced a second substan 

ial work to fill an existing vacuum4. It bring 

together over 2 400 academic contributior 

between 1884 and 1975, with 238 of relevanc 

to Zimbabwe. Apart from a general imbalanc 

once again on the side of the humanities an 

in spite of more literals and degree of con

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puter misclassification, the bibliography is a 

workable pioneering achievement*. In contrast 

is John Mcllwaine's Theses on Africa 

1963-75 accepted by universities in the British 

Isles5, an updating of the SCOLMA list 

covering 1920-62 with a supplement of overa 

hundred omissions from this earlier publication. 

With a wider subject coverage within 

its broader geographical scope than Pollak, it 

is a list of some 2 230 items selected largely 

on the basis of title. Zimbabwe has an accurately 

apportioned 107 theses. Theses on agriculture 

submitted to the then University of 

Rhodesia can be sought in Other men's flowers 

produced by the University Department of 

Agriculture6. The bibliography is augmented 

with abstracts. 

History and biography 

Reflecting the interest of Europe in Africa 

over the centuries is E E Burke's 'Early 

bibliography of Rhodesia to 1881'7, a contribution 

to the 2nd Conference of South African 

Bibliophiles and a variation on his earlier less 

detailed paper 'Rhodesia in books from the 

Arabs up to 1890'. Also omitted from Coggin's 

survey was the same writer's comprehensive 

bibliography of the explorer and geologist 

Carl Mauch in an appendix to the published 

diaries8. 

Livingstone, who is included on account of 

his significance as a precursor of colonisation 

in central Africa, has been treated in two 

recent studies which entirely replace M E 

Appleyard's standard work originally produced 

in 1949. B W Lloyd and Jane 

Lashbrook's compendious revision brings 

together some 760 items under a variety of 

headings'. It is complemented by the more 

simply constructed parallel compilation on 

Livingstone and Stanley by James A Casada'0, 

with annotations and a larger number of 

inclusions than in Lloyd for the first of the 

pair. A comparison of the two publications on 

Livingstone highlights the value of annotation, 

the critico-analytical bibliographical approach, 

for all but experts. It should be recorded that 

the Livingstone centenary commemoration 

*For a librarian's review in detail of Nos. 1 

and 4 see J. T. Phehane 'Access to Rhodesiana 

in Zambezia, vol. 7, no. 1, 1979. 


helped to inspire the publication of an exten 

sive catalogue of Livingstone documents b 

G Clendennan; much of the missionary 

writing has long been in print, hence a cor 

nection with the bibliography. 

Of related regional interest is Professc 

Casada's bio-bibliographical study of Si 

Harry Johnston". It recounts the divers 

capacities of an imperial proconsul, an irr 

portant corpus of whose manuscripts ar 

held in this country. 

Publications by or about the historic! 

figures whose writings are represented i 

reprints of Books of Zimbabwe are referre 

to in the introductions that have been con 

missioned for the series: recently, Casada o 

Gordon-Cumming, R S Roberts on Depe 

chin and Mathers, among other short coi 

tributions. 

French publications on South Africa . . . 

1935", includes references to mining, lingu 

tics, missionary activity and travel in tr 

Zimbabwean area, with translations of worl 

such as Robert Moffat's which were fir 

issued in English. 

Blake's History of Rhodesia contains 

selective bibliography of background sourc 

material on the colonial period". Wide 

accessible, it is of use for general reference < 

at an introductory level alongside the mo 

intensive listing, particularly of official pub 

cations, in Gann's government-authorise 

History of Southern Rhodesia . . . to Wi 

(1965). The 'Bibliography' appended 

Rhodesian history", the University Histo 

Department journal, has been overlooked 

previous articles in this series. Each yeai 

gleanings of some four to five dozen curre 

books and articles are sources for general 

well as curricula use. 

Confusion over the availability and corre 

description of census returns and migrati' 

reports prompted R S Roberts to clarify t 

situation in the first of an eventual five-pi 

bibliographical scrutiny of Rhodesian dem 

graphic data". European, Asian and Colour 

census reports from 1901-69 are dealt with 

this opening article. Professor Roberts cc 

tinues a planned series of bibliographic 

articles on the official documents of Southe 

Rhodesia (that began with a study of parl


mentary Debates) with his articles on voters 

lists, 1899-192216. He makes the point that 

voters rolls are frequently overlooked as a 

prime source of information about individuals. 

Contemporary affairs 

In 1964 the Special Operations Research 

Office of the American University published, 

under contract to the US Army, a selective 

bibliography on Southern Rhodesia" (previously 

overlooked). The constitutional, jurisprudential 

and international law facets of 

the Unilateral Declaration of Independence 

are B C Brown's concern in an unpublished 

bibliography'8adding a specialised focus to 

the sources on UDI by the Commonwealth 

Office, le Roux, Rotberg and Pollak. 

Directed primarily at Africanists in North 

America and restricted to bibliographies on 

the human sciences, Yvette Scheven's Bibliographies 

for African studies 1970-75" carries 

a dozen examples specifically on this country 

that have appeared in Coggin — with one 

exception, on political affairs, by a French 

writer P M Eisenmann20. O'Meara and 

Gosebrink include in a two-part bibliography 

on Rhodesia a selection on the changing 

political, social and economic climate from 

Federation to the Geneva Talks, 197621. Best 

represented is the later period, in sections on 

UDI, sanctions, international perspective, 

settlement efforts, nationalism (92 entries), 

warfare and resistance. A hand-out by Mary 

Dudman of Illinois briefly listing materials 

chosen for their 'timeliness in relation to the 

continuing situation' (1978)22 concludes the 

general sources. 

Economic conditions and foreign relations 

in the 1952-75 period are the chief subjects 

of Rhodesian reference in Julian Witherell's 

weighty guide to US official documents and 

sponsored publications on Africa2', a compilation 

echoed on a narrower time-scale in 

the Nigerian M W Anyakoha's preliminary 

bibliography on American foreign relations 

with the Continent during Zimbabwe's wartorn 

years when Kissinger was Secretary of 

State (1973-76)24, both complementary to 

earlier work by Khawas and Kornegay. Worldwide 

interest in the continent is the larger of 

the reciprocal facets mirrored in Mark 

DeLancey's annotated bibliography of African 

international relations since I96025, prefaced 

by a list to guide one through the burgeoning 

acronymic jungle. Zimbabwe's position is 

surveyed in ample reference to her relations 

with the Commonwealth, Britain, OAU, UN 

and southern Africa, particularly. 

African history and nationalism 

For the record of sources more or less 

specifically afrocentric, Julian Cobbing's 

bibliography embracing archival documents 

and oral interviews as well as publications on 

the rise and fall of the Ndebele state26 needs 

special mention from the heavy research use 

being made of his thesis, of which it forms a 

part. (For an attempt at a classified bibliography 

of all aspects of the Ndebele, see 'Work 

in progress', below.). 

The history of Zimbabwean nationalism, 

of intense current interest, deserves closer 

bibliographical scrutiny in many more areas 

than it has yet received. Th. Gerold-Scheepers 

of the Afrika-Studiecentrum, Leiden, 

noticed in his bibliographical essay on the 

sucessive forms of resistance in Rhodesia2' 

the scarcity of publications dealing exclusively 

with the place of Africans in society and 

their political aspirations. His useful analysis 

of some of the literature that did exist up to 

1976 is bolstered by an appended bibliography 

of 116 references. Trade unions are 

vehicles for articulating grievances and from 

the trade union experience in this country 

was born an effectively-organised nationalist 

response; if the bibliographical guide by 

George R Martens to trade unionism throughout 

the continent28 is too general, the reader 

should refer to C M Brand's article, with 

bibliography, on race and politics in Rhodesian 

trade unions29. 

Zimbabwe independence movements is a 

representation by Christopher Nyangoni and 

Gideon Nyandoro of selected documents to 

display the African attitude towards the 

Rhodesian constitutional problem, from protest 

in the '50s to armed struggle and detente 

in the '70s30. Drawn from material mostly of a 

considerably ephemeral nature (speeches, 

resolutions, proposals, memoranda and so 

on), the editors offer a collection of documents 

of diverse political origins that are not always 

easily available to students; notes on major 

political movements are provided. 

Complete for practical reference purposes, 

Ian Johnstone's invaluable Bibliography of 

Zimbabwean political ephemera published outside 

Rhodesia, 1959-77" is being expanded 

and updated as more of the elusive material 

in its category comes to notice. Some 300 

discrete items of ephemera are treated, among 

them pamphlets, broadsheets and newspapers 

(including checklists of Zimbabwe 

review and others), although submissions to 

bodies such as the UN and the OAU are not 

listed unless wider circulation was intended. 

Despite recurring difficulties in tracing publication 

data, this detailed work will no doubt 

serve as a source book towards the history of 

Zimbabwean nationalism. 

Religion 

Aspects of religion in sub-Saharan Africa 

are treated in several recent general surveys 

(often over-lapping), Zimbabwe appearing 

briefly in all but one of them. Drawn for the 

most part from NADA, Patrick E Ofori's 

Black African religion and philosophy32 has 30 

entries under 'Shona', while 'Other tribes' 

with 63 includes the term 'Karanga', a 

somewhat confusing arrangement. Spirit possession 

and spirit mediumship by I Zaretsky 

and C Shambaugh" indexes 37 Zimbabwean 

groupings from 'Barwe' to 'Zezuru'. The 

second in Ofori's series of subject bibliographies, 

Christianity in tropical Africa, with 

50 relevant entries from 1878, some from 

obscure sources, should function for local 

reference alongside Geoffrey Kapenzi's bibliography 

in The clash of cultures, a study of 

the impact of Christianity on the Shona". 

Indigenous outgrowths are the concern of 

Harold Turner in the first of a projected fourvolume 

bibliographic series designed to correct, 

cumulate and update Robert C Mitchell's 

publications36 on modern African religious 

movements; Bibliography of new religious 

movements " contains 36 Zimbabwean items, 

including a number on Zionism and the 

Vapostori not in Ofori. A third compilation 

by the last-mentioned, on Islam in Africa 

south of the Sahara (1977), excludes Zimbabwe 

specifically but attention may be drawn 


to it on account of the connection with Yao 

migrant labour. 

The prolific Ofori is also responsible for a 

bibliography of land administration, law 

tenure and use in Africa38, a composite range 

enforcing fairly superficial treatment, e.g. of 

land apportionment in Zimbabwe. 

Arts 

0-lan Style continues to keep up he 

annual survey of selected literature in the 

Journal of Commonwealth literature, within 

terms of reference liberally interpreted to 

embrace criticism, certain non-fiction and 

bibliography; the current issue has been re 

extended to include omissions from the pre 

vious two. 

A subject of popular appeal that become 

increasingly influenced by the prevailing 

economic climate, philately, is the concern o 

Colin Hoffman in a guide to writing on th 

stamps and postal history of the B S A 

Company period40. 

Libraries 

Now almost entirely of retrospective use in 

the light of approaching developments in th 

Zimbabwean library world, Albert Harrison' 

references in a survey of the history, existin 

state and prospects of libraries nevertheles 

constitute a neat bibliographical source41 

Also retrospective but encompassing a wide 

area in greater detail is S M Made's thesis o 

the development of library services in English 

speaking central Africa, equipped with fu 

bibliographical apparatus42. 

Science 

University of Rhodesia Faculty of Medicin 

publications to 1977 are now brought togethe 

within the confines of a bibliography b 

Moira Macdonald43 who has traced over 1 10 

items, chiefly Central African Journal o 

Medicine articles but also papers publishe 

externally, e.g. in The lancet. 

The multi-disciplinary subject of ecolog 

in Africa is treated by Professor Dilwy 

Rogers in a list of nearly 8 000 books an 

articles, classified by subject within broa 

geographical areas, 'intended to inform pro 

fessionals and promote public awarenes 

about the broad spectrum of ecologic

Of professional and personal interest to readers of this journal 

NEW NATIONAL ARCHIVES 

PUBLICATIONS 

DIRECTORY OF ZIMBABWEAN 

LIBRARIES, 1981 

This new edition of the outdated 1975 Directory is an indispensable 

reference work for the library scene in Africa today. 

Entries for 240 organisations are arranged by type of library. 

Information covers library authority, staff, hours, use, subject fields, 

library statistics, catalogue and classification systems, and cooperative 

and special services. 

Fully indexed. 

ISBN 86923 291 6 Zimbabwe $7,50 

WHO'S WHO IN LIBRARIANSHIP & 

INFORMATION WORK IN ZIMBABWE, 

1981 

The first reference source of its kind for Zimbabwe. 

Biographical details are given of 160 persons in the library and 

information world, including many new professionals. 

ISBN 86923 292 4 Zimbabwe $2,00 

Orders to: 

The Director 

National Archives 

Private Bag 7729 

Causeway 

Zimbabwe 

problems' facing the continent44. Here a 

topical note is sounded, for this and no. 48 

are fertile bibliographies constructed specifically 

for development efforts and policy 

planning. On the local scientific scene the 

Department of National Parks and Wild Life 

has produced a bibliography of Lake Kariba, 

with an appendix on Cabora Bassa45. Directed 

at biologists working in the Kariba-Zambezi 

Valley area — engineering and hydro-electricity 

are outside its purview — Brian Marshall's 

project supersedes an earlier work on a 

similar subject area by A G Coche46 (not in 

Coggin). Stuart Irwin's Bibliography of the 

birds of Rhodesia 1873-1977 is a classification 

of the scientific rather than the popular 

literature of ornithology, based on indexed 

information at the National Museum, 

Bulawayo". 

Development 

SADEX is produced every two months by 

the African Bibliographic Center, Washington, 

as a service forthe development needs of 

southern Africa and those involved in economic 

planning and project implementation in 

the region48. Zimbabwe is the subject of 

focus in most of its sections, regularly in the 

current bibliography, frequently in the feature 

and information articles. 

A reference source of some current utility 

for related purposes is D C McClymont's 

bibliography of agricultural extension and 

agricultural education publications in Zimbabwe, 

covering the period 1903-8049. 

Now firmly annual, the catalogue of material 

banned by the Board of Censors appears 

in cumulative form in the current issue50. 

Indexes 

Contributions to an underdeveloped sphere 

of bibliography in this country are cumulative 

indexes to the Rhodesia agricultural journal-* 

and the Rhodesian librarian, predecessor of 

this present publication, by Sally Phillips52. 

Indexes compiled for several volumes in the 

Books of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) reprint 

series should also be noted. 

At the level of voluminous general compilations, 

periodical indexes have contributed 

eminently to area studies during the past 


decade (not included in Coggin). The Librar 

of Congress index to sub-Saharan periodic! 

literature, 1900-705', and J 0 Asamani 

Index Africanus" must be cited; but both ar 

suffiently idiosyncratic to require cautiou 

use and general works to supplement thei 

(the first is largely confined to publications c 

the '50s and '60s while Africanus — recordin 

some 25% of the LC total of 25 000 — ignore 

journals not dealing exclusively with the sul 

continent). Among others, an index to boo 

reviews has long been needed. In his Africa 

book reviews, 1885-1945, David Easterbroo 

provides access to Africana reviewed in 4 

selected English-language journals over th 

period of colonial expansion and consol 

dation55. 

Union lists 

The Scientific Liaison Office union list ( 

newspapers in Zimbabwe begun by Joyc 

Russell four years ago, is an ongoing project5 

Work in progress 

In addition to Johnstone's compilation o 

political ephemera noted above, work i 

process of completion includes bibliographic 

of adult education in Zimbabwe, by Michai 

Sinclair; appropriate technology, by Aliso 

Orpen; transport and communications i 

land-locked states, by Martin Glassner, an 

the Ndebele, by Glenn Goree; while Tend; 

Makura is looking for a publisher for hf 

bibliography of physical planning in Zin 

babwe. Two major works have been embarke 

upon: Zimbabwean serial publications froi 

the Rhodesian period onwards, by Pamel 

Francis; and full national bibliographic; 

coverage to bridge the 1931-60 gap (avoidin 

duplication by omitting parliamentary publ 

cations in Willson and Passmore/Wilding), 

National Archives undertaking by Margan 

Leitch. 

A serial of bibliographical use recommei 

cing publication is Mbire, the directory < 

current historical research in Zimbabwe. 

Thanks are due to colleagues for drawir, 

my attention to items for inclusion in th 

survey. 

References 

1. Pollak, Oliver B and Pollak, Karen. Rht 

desia/Zimbabwe: an international biblii

The Dunn & Wilson Group Ltd. 

announce that 

Dunn &c Wilson (Leeds) Ltd. 

and 

Junior Books Ltd. 

are combining 

to form a new bookselling organisation 

The Morley Book Co. Ltd. 

All orders and enquiries 

should now be 

sent to 

The Morley Book Co. Ltd. 

Elmfield Road, Morley 

Leeds LS27 ONN 

Tel: 0532 538811 Telex: 55304 

graphy. Boston (Mass): G K Hall, 1977 

(Bibliographies and guides in African 

studies) 

2. Rasmussen, R Kent. Bibliography in 

Historical dictionary of Zimbabwe/Rhodesia. 

Metuchen (N.I): Scarecrow Press, 

1979 (African historical dictionaries, no. 

18), p. 372-445. 

3. Pollak, Oliver B and Pollak, Karen. 

Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Oxford: Clio Press, 

1979 (World bibliographical series, v. 4) 

4. Pollak, Oliver B and Pollak, Karen. 

Thexes and dissertations on southern 

Africa: an international bibliography. 

Boston: G K Hall, 1976 

5. Mcllwaine, J H St J. Theses on Africa 

1963-19 75 accepted by Universities in the 

United Kingdom and Ireland. London: 

Mansell, 1978 (Standing Conference on 

Library Materials on Africa) 

6. University of Rhodesia, Department of 

Agriculture. Other men's flowers: dissertations 

from the Department of Agriculture 

. . . 1960-1978. (Salisbury: the department, 

1978] 

7. Burke, E E. The early bibliography of 

Rhodesia. Hibliophila Africana II: proceedings 

of the 2nd Conference of South 

African Bibliophiles. Cape Town: Friends 

of the South African Library, 1975, 

p. 41-57 

8. Burke, E E. Bibliography in The journals 

ofCarlMauch: his travels in the Transvaal 

and Rhodesia, 1869-1872. Salisbury: 

National Archives, 1969, p. 301-4 

9. Lloyd, B W and Lashbrook, J. A bibliography 

of published works by and about 

David Livingstone, 1843-1975. Cape 

Town: University of Cape Town Libraries, 

1978 

10. Casada, James A. Dr David Livingstone 

and Sir Henry M Stanley: an annotated 

bibliography. New York: Garland, 1976 

(Garland reference library of social 

science, v. 21) 

11. Casada, James A. Sir Harry Hamilton 

•Johnston: a bio-bibliographical study. 

Basel: Basler Afrika Bibliographien,1977 

(Communications from the Basel Africa 

Zimbabwean Bibliograph 

Bibliography, v. 18) 

12. Boshoff, M M. French publications 

South Africa: a bibliography of books a 

pamphlets to 1935. Pretoria: Sta 

Library, 1978 (Bibliographies, no. 20 

13. Blake, Robert. Select bibliography in 

history of Rhodesia. London: Eyre Me 

huen,"l977, p. 414-8 

14. Rhodesian history. Bibliography in v. 

1971 — (except v. 7, 1976) 

15. Roberts, R S. An historical bibliograp 

of Rhodesian demographic data, I. Rh 

desian librarian, v. 9, no. 3, July 197 

p. 44-50 

16. Roberts, R S. An historical bibliograp 

of voters lists in Southern Rhodesia, 

1899-1922./UuufegtaR/ustory,v.8,197 

p. 111-4 

17. Yenchius, Mildred M and others, 

selected bibliography on Southern Rh 

desia. Washington: American Universi 

Special Operations Research Office, 19 

18. Brown, B C. Rhodesia and IIDI: bibl 

graphy. 1978. Unpublished 

19. Scheven, Yvette. Bibliographies for Af 

can studie.s 1970-75. |Waltham (Mass 

Crossroads Press, 1977 (African Studi> 

Association archival and bibliographic 

series) 

20. Eisenmann, P M. Bibliography in I 

Rhodesie: evolution politique et cons 

tution. Notes et etudes documentaires, r 

4151-4152. 1975, p. 28-33 

21. O'Meara, Patrick and Gosebrink, Jeai 

Meeh. Bibliography on Rhodesia, pi 

Africana journal, v. 9, no. 1, 1978, p 

42; pt 2, v. 9, no. 2, 1978, p. 101-12 

22. Dudman, Mary K. Rhodesia and Soi 

Africa: a selected reading list. South' 

African Association of Africanists bulle 

Feb 1978, p. 19-22 

23. Witherell, Julian W. The United Stc 

and Africa: guide to U S official documt 

and government sponsored publicati< 

on Africa, 1785-1975. Washingt 

Library of Congress, African Secti 

1978

The European 

Educational System 

in Southern Rhodesia 

1890-1930 

A study (130 pp.) by R. J. Challiss, Department of History, 

University of Zimbabwe, being a supplement to Zambezia 

the journal of the University of Zimbabwe 

1981 

Available from 

Price: Z$4,50 

The Publications Officer 

University of Zimbabwe 

P.O. Box MP 45 

Mount Pleasant 

Salisbury, Zimbabwe Payment must be made in advance 

24. Anyakoha, M W. American foreign relations 

with Africa: the Kissinger years, a 

preliminary bibliography. Current bibliography 

on African affairs, v. 10, no. 2, 

1977-78, p. 147 

25. DeLancey, Mark W. African international 

relations: an annotated bibliography. 

Boulder (Colorado): Westview Press, 

1981 (Westview special studies on Africa) 

26. Cobbing, J R D. Bibliography in The 

Ndebele under the Khumalos, 1820-1896. 

Unpublished PhD thesis, University of 

Lancaster, 1976, p. 478-504 

27. Gerold-Scheepers, Th. African resistance 

in Rhodesia: a concise survey of publications. 

African perspectives, no. 1,1976, 

p. 109-34 

28. Martens, George R. African trade unionism: 

a bibliography with a guide to trade 

union organizations and publications. 

Boston: G K Hall, 1977 (Bibliographical 

guides in African studies series) 

29. Brand, C M. Race and politics in Rhodesian 

trade unions. African perspectives, 

no. 1, 1976, p. 55-80 

30. Nyangoni, C and Nyandoro, G. Zimbabwe 

independence movements: selected documents. 

London: Rex Collings, 1979 

31. Johnstone, Ian J. A bibliography of 

Zimbabwe political ephemera published 

outside Rhodesia, 1959-1977. Unpublished 

[course requirement, University 

College London, School of Library, Archive 

and Information Studies, 1978] 

32. Ofori, Patrick E. Black African religion 

and philosophy: a select bibliographic 

survey of the sources from the earliest 

times to 1974. Nendeln (Liechtenstein): 

KTO Press, 1977 

33. Zaretsky, Irving I and Shambaugh, Cynthia. 

Spirit possession and spirit mediumship 

in Africa and Afro-America: an annotated 

bibliography. New York: Garland 

Publishing, 1978 (Garland reference library 

of social science, v. 56) 

34. Ofori, Patrick E. Christianity in tropical 

Africa: a selective annotated bibliography. 

Nendeln: KTO Press, 1977 

35. Kapenzi, Geoffrey Z. Bibliography in 


The clash of cultures: Christian mission 

aries and the Shona of Rhodesia 

Washington: University Press of America 

1979, p. 94-104 

36. Mitchell, Robert C. A comprehensivt 

bibliography of modern African religiou 

movements. Evanston: Northwestern Uni 

versity Press, 1966, with supplements ii 

Journal of religion in Africa 1(3) 1968, p 

173-211; 3(3) 1970, p. 161-208 

37. Turner, Harold W. Bibliography of nei 

religious movements in primal societies 

v. 1: black Africa. Boston: G K Hall 

1977. (Bibliographies and guides in Afri 

can studies) 

38. Ofori, Patrick E. Land in Africa, it 

administration, law, tenure and use: ; 

select bibliography. Nendeln: KTO Press 

1978 

39. Style, O-lan. (Annual bibliography o 

Commonwealth literature] Africa: south 

ern. Journal of Commonwealth literature 

v. 13, no. 2, 1978, p. 4-8; v. 14, no. 2 

1979, p. 13-18; v. 5 no. 2, 1980, p. 11-31 

40 Hoffman, Collin M. British South Afria 

Company, 1890-1924: a guide to the lite 

rature on the stamps and postal history 

Manchester, 1977. Unpublished 

41. Harrison, Albert. Libraries in Rhodesia 

Encyclopedia of library and informatioi 

science, v. 25. New York: Marcel Dekkei 

1978, p. 402-38 

42. Made, S M. Bibliography inDevelopmer, 

of library services in English-speakin 

central Africa: Rhodesia, Zambia, Malaw 

Unpublished MA thesis, University Co' 

lege London, 1969, p. 135-42 

43. Macdonald, M. A bibliography of Univei 

sity of Rhodesia Faculty of Medicine pubi 

cations up to 1977. [1977] Duplicated 

44. Rogers, Dilwyn J. A bibliography ofAfr, 

can ecology: a geographically and topicall 

classified list of books and articles. Wesl 

port (Conn): Greenwood Press, 197 

(African Bibliographic Center specif 

bibliographic series: new series, no. 6) 

45. Marshall, B E. A bibliography of Lak 

Kariba, 1969-1978. Salisbury: Depari 

ment of National Parks and Wild Lif

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Management, 1979 (Lake Kariba Fisheries 

Research Institute: project report, 

no. 31) Duplicated 

46. Coche, A G. Lake Kariba basin: a multidisciplinary 

bibliography annotated and 

indexed, 1954-1968. Fisheries research 

bulletin of Zambia, no. 5, 1971, p. 11-87 

47. Irwin, Michael P Stuart. A bibliography 

of the birds of Rhodesia 1873-1977. 

Salisbury: Rhodesian Ornithological Society, 

1978 

48. SADEX (The Southern Africa Development 

Information/Documentation Exchange]. 

Bibliography in v. 1, no. 1, 

June/July 1978 

49. McClymont, D S. A selected bibliography 

of agricultural extension and agricultural 

education publications in Zimbabwe. 

Salisbury: University of Zimbabwe, Institute 

of Adult Education, 1981 

50. Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Board of Censors. 

Catalogue of banned books periodicals, 

records . . . Salisbury: the Board 

1977 [1978] 

1978 |1979] 

1979 |1980] 

1967-80 |1981] 

Indexes 

51. Bishop, James W S. Cumulative index to 

Rhodesia agricultural journal, 1961, v. 

58 — 1975, v. 72 andTechnical bulletin, 

1-16, Supplement to Rhodesia agricultural 

journal, v. 74, no. 2, 1977 


52. Phillips, Sally. Index to Rhodesian librarian 

and its predecessors, 1961-1978 

|1978]. Unpublished 

53. Library of Congress. Africa south of the 

Sahara: index to periodical literature 

1900-1970. Washington: Library of Congress, 

1971. Supplement, 1973 

54. Asamani, J 0. Index Africanus. Stanford 

Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University, 

1975 (Hoover Institution biblio 

graphies, 53) 

55. Easterbrook, David L. African book 

reviews, 1885-1945, an index to books 

reviewed in selected English-language 

publications. Boston: G K Hall, 1979 

(Bibliographies and guides in African 

studies) 

Union lists 

56. Zimbabwe. Department of the Prime 

Minister, Scientific Liaison Office. Union 

list of newspapers in Zimbabwe. Ongoing 

project 

New Publication 

The Literature Bureau has published ar 

illustrated booklet. First visit to a schoo 

library, by Tendai Makura. Aimed at priman 

school children, the booklet introduces simple 

library routines and book care. At 22c a copy 

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Current trends in librarianship 

With special reference to the British situation 

This is the second part of a three-part article based on the author's 

attendance at a course entitled Current trends in librarianship: a 

course for overseas librarians held at Leeds Polytechnic School of 

Librarianship, 24 September to 30 October 1979. The first part dealt 

with basic professional training and continuing education in librarianship. 

Library Automation 

Automation in libraries is an area of topical 

interest in the library world. During the 

Leeds course the subject generated a great 

deal of keen and illuminating debate. Perhaps 

the most vitally important point, which was 

stressed by nearly all participating lecturers 

and invited practitioners, is that a wish to be 

'progressive' or to jump on to the bandwaggon 

is a poor, costly and myopic reason for 

computerizing any library' progress or activity 

which can still be carried out more efficiently, 

speedily and cost-effectively by manual 

methods. 

The disturbing, almost irresistible, tendency 

to be seduced easily by any new gadget 

on the market seems to prevail in many 

professional fields today. The library world 

must naturally feel the urge to keep up with 

the Joneses. Many factors have to be seriously 

considered and systematically analysed before 

embarking on any major mechanisation 

project. The very first task the librarian must 

tackle is to identify and define precisely what 

problem he/she intends to solve by employing 

computer techniques as opposed to manual 

methods. 

The Leeds course participants had the 

opportunity to visit or be attached to university 

and polytechnic libraries in which the 

computerisation of one or a combination of 

two or more of the following library processes 

was operational or being planned: — 

(a) Information retrieval, e.g. via the 

Lockheed Dialog on-line system based in 

O. T. Mupawaenda 

America. This provides access facilities to 

about 100 data bases covering a wide spectrum 

of subject areas. There is a bewildering 

variety of data bases and systems available 

nowadays. A number of advantages and disadvantages 

of on-line retrieval services have 

been identified by many users. 

Advantages 

i. Immediate access to information — 

within seconds over thousands of miles 

via telecommunication links. 

ii. Access to many data bases which no one 

library could afford. 

iii. Some data bases are available only online. 

iv. User orientation — user interaction aa 

search progresses. 

v. Availability of multiple access points, 

e.g. language or subject grouping ol 

information. 

vi. Printed output available in several tormats. 

vii. Payment only for searches actually 

done. 

Disadvantages 

\. Only recent material is available. 

ii. Overlap between data bases, and a 

varietv of systems.

Current Trends 

iii. Some subject areas are poorly covered, 

e.g. A/V material. 

iv. Telecommunications problems. Telephone 

lines are difficult sometimes. 

v. Too many command languages. 

vi. Lack of standardization between data 

bases. 

vii. Expensive to browse due to high telecommunication 

cost. 

viii. Not many data bases have abstracts — 

these are important for assessing the 

material to be retrieved. 

ix. Some data bases incorporated errors 

from inception, e.g. typing mistakes. 

x. High training and capital cost of equipment. 

(b) Circulation control. As far as the 

author can judge from the literature, visits 

and discussions overseas, automated circulation 

control systems have been, generally 

speaking, more successful than any other 

type of computerized library activity. This is 

probably due to the fact that the operations 

to be performed are repetitive, the procedures 

are not difficult to describe systematically 

and that circulation can fairly easily be separated 

from other library processes. 

The circulation systems are of the batch 

mode, on-line or hybrid variety. In the offline 

batch mode system the data capture 

unit works independently (not directly connected 

to the computer). An on-line system 

has a data capture device which is directly 

linked to the computer, with all files being 

updated as each transaction takes place. 

The hybrid system combines selected 

features of the other two. There is a growing 

trend to switch from the batch modes to the 

on-line systems even though the latter are 

more expensive. They are quicker, more 

efficient and effective. 

Some of the main advantages of an automated 

circulation system are: — 

i. Relief of pressure at the service points. 

ii. Improvement in the accuracy of loan 

records. 

iii. A more effective reservation system. 

iv. Stock control becomes more effective. 

v. Any management information required 

in respect of the circulation activities can 

be made available at short notice because 

the computer collects, collates and analyses 

very quickly. 

In the advertisement for the Plessey pen, 

used in computerized circulation, the slogan 

'eliminate library routines at the stroke of a 

pen' is likely to mislead the uninitiated. Some 

basic routines continue to be carried out by 

manual methods, e.g. stamping books. 

(c) Cataloguing — batch mode or online, 

in-house or through a cooperative. The 

important and rapidly growing trend in Britain 

and America is the development of local, 

regional, national and international networks 

or cooperatives in computerized cataloguing. 

The automation of the cataloguing processes 

is very often a great big complex operation. 

The BLCMP,2 now operating as BLCMP 

(Library Services) Ltd., in which head librarians 

of member libraries are share-holding 

directors, provides a reasonably comprehensive 

computerized cataloguing service. The 

principal advantage in using the services of 

the BLCMP cooperative is that the member 

libraries do not have to have computers and 

computer experts of their own. Members 

merely send machine readable cataloguing 

(MARC) information to the BLCMP centre 

in Birmingham for processing. 

Other advantages include the production 

of a union catalogue of member libraries' 

holdings and individual library COM3 catagues 

regularly sent out to members. The 

cooperative sends a team of cataloguing and 

classification specialists to member libraries 

from time to time so that problems peculiar 

to local situations can be more realistically 

sorted out — a service those members who 

are outside Britain find it difficult to enjoy in 

view of the time, distance and expense involved. 

As this is an off-line system (at least in 

1979) it usually takes weeks for bibliographic 

2 Birmingham Libraries Co-operative 

Mechanisation l^roject. 

3 Computer output microfiche. 

records to appear in the COM catalogues of 

the participating libraries. In a manual 

operation, similar processes can/should be 

completed within a few days. 

Many British libraries have converted, and 

are converting, the traditional card catalogues 

to computer output microfiche (COM) form. 

The COM catalogues and the necessary fiche 

readers can be placed in different parts of a 

library — a very great advantage over the 

card catalogues contained in bulky cabinets. 

There are many other computer networks 

which are now well established elsewhere in 

Britain — BLAISE,4 MASS- of BLCMP, 

SCOLCAP,6 SWALCAP,7 to mention only a 

few. One detects, in British librarianship, a 

growing tendency to establish, develop and 

encourage co-operative networks, standardization 

and centralisation whenever and 

wherever possible. This is probably a more 

cost-effective route to automation than the 

isolated and rather costly efforts of individual 

libraries desperately seeking to wear the 

'progressive' label. 

The ever-increasing and almost universal 

interest in networks appears to be necessitated 

by declining budgets coupled with 

startling increases in book, periodical and 

staffing costs, the need to share resources 

and avoid duplication, and the desire to find a 

way round the problem of sharing computer 

facilities with non-library users who may be 

inclined to regard library jobs as 'unimportant' 

or less urgent. 

The development of standardization, e.g. 

MARC, has greatly facilitated networking. 

The reasons behind the development of package 

or 'turn-key' circulation control systems 

are similar to those for networking. They 

avoid the cost of local systems development, 

and they eliminate concerns about priority 

and availability. It does seem that the risk or 

fear of failure is much reduced in such cases. 

4 British Library Automated Information Service. 

- MARC- based Automated Serials System. 

6 Scottish Libraries Co-operative Automation 

Project. 

1 South West Academic Libraries Co-operative 

Automation Project. 

Current Trends 

Mr Mupawaenda is Deputy Librarian 

University of Zimbabwe. 

The applicability of library automation i 

no longer in doubt. But, it must be pointei 

out that computerisation is no panacaea fo 

all library ills. On the other hand, machine 

should not be viewed as a threat. The 

merely assist people to achieve their object 

ives more speedily, accurately and cost 

effectively, given the ever-present element c 

human error. Management is aided, not rt 

placed by machines. The librarian — th 

person himself — will forever remain th 

most essential and irreplaceable resource i 

any library system. Besides, any change ( 

system will eliminate some problems bi 

inevitably create others. The advent of negadgetry 

in libraries has brought in its train 

whole host of new problems. Although th 

price of computers is generally believed to b 

decreasing, the cost of installation, maintei 

ance, replacements, etc. is not. 

Furthermore, libraries form a tiny, almoi 

negligible (at least in developing countries i 

present) fraction of a very large market t 

which computer and new media manufacti 

rers — especially the huge ones — gear the 

production. There is, however, a small bree 

of computer producers who know the librai 

market and its problems better than tr 

giants but they are usually undercapitalize! 

less viable and unable to survive the fierc

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competition which exists in the fast growing 

computer industry. 

Media studies 

Media studies are an important subject 

area in British Schools of Librarianship today. 

The term 'media studies' embraces a wide 

range of non-book A/V and related materials 

— the 'new media' which many libraries 

acquire and lend just like books. Libraries 

are now, slowly but surely, developing into 

fairly complex multi-media and multi-purpose 

systems. If, as experts in the field suggest, 

properly co-ordinated seeing and hearing 

together account for about 509r or more of 

what people learn, then the new media are 

here to stay. 

During the Leeds course every participant 

went through a media awareness course. One 

had the opportunity to handle different formats 

of the new media, to examine and learn 

to use the various types of equipment associated 

with the media. The equipment falls 

into three broad categories, viz:— 

Group 1 — Visual Microfiche, ultrafiche 

and microcard readers, 

microfilm reader/printer 

and an overhead projector. 

Group 2 — Audio Record player, open-reel 

tape recorder, cassette 

tape recorder, and cassette 

tape recorder (induction 

loop system). 

Group 3 — Mainly Filmstrip viewer, slide 

audio-visual viewer, tape slide play 

back unit, and videotape 

play back unit. 

In the Leeds Polytechnic School of Librarianship 

all librarians-in-training are obliged 

to go through the new media awareness 

course. The teaching methods employed are 

practical and effective. This stands the newlyqualified 

librarian in good stead as more and 

more British higher education institutions, 

particularly teacher training colleges, are 

building up and developing multi-media resource 

centres with the help of their Educational 

Technology Units which are involved 

Current Trend 

in producing many teaching and individu 

alized learning packages. 

Ideally, a Learning Resources Centr 

should combine a wide range of multi-medi 

educational services and facilities inclu 

ding:— 

(a) Books, journals/magazines. 

(b) Audio, video cassettes/tapes and gram 

ophone records. 

(c) Filmstrips, 35mm transparencies an 

charts. 

(d) Multi-media packages. 

(e) Browsing and borrowing facilities for a 

media. 

(f) Closed (carrells) and open (tables an 

chairs) study areas. 

(g) Curriculum development and consul 

tancy. 

(h) Last but not least, provision for medi 

production and reprography, i.e. photo 

graphy, duplicating and microcopying. 

It would require heavy capital expenditure 

expertise and properly qualified staff to es 

tablish and run a complex with all th 

abovementioned features. The LRC at th 

Dundee College of Education is often cite 

as one of the best examples in Britain. 

There are. of course, numerous problem 

associated with the new media. Their biblio 

graphic control is not as well established 0 

organised as that of books. The presen 

multiplicity of sources makes selection an 

procurement exceedingly difficult. The wid 

variety of formats needs special organisation 

storage, reading or viewing facilities. Th 

equipment required is often expensive am 

difficult to replace as technology changes. B 

that as it may, multi-media provision am 

learning resource centre development are 

worthwhile long-term form of investment. 

To be continue

Deforestation 

in Zimbabwe 

Problems and Prospects 

A pamphlet (35 pp.) by J. R. Whitlow, Department of 

Geography, University of Zimbabwe, being a supplement 

to Zambezia the journal of the University of Zimbabwe 

1980 

Available from 

The Publications Officer 

University of Zimbabwe 

P.O. Box MP 45 

Mount Pleasant 

Price: Z$2,50 

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ZAMBEZIA, Vol. 8. No. i, 1980 

Price Z$2,50 

Salisbury, Zimbabwe Payment must be made in advance 

ZIMBABWE INFORMATION AND 

DOCUMENTATION CENTRE 

A seminar sponsored by the German Foundation for International 

Development and the Pan-African Documentation and Information System 

(PADIS) on The Use of Information and Documentation for Planning and 

Decision Making was held in Salisbury in August. 

Organised by the Senior Government 

Librarian, Mr Bradshaw Mushonga, the seminar 

was attended by 25 senior civil servants 

selected from various government departments, 

and was designed to create an awareness 

in government of the importance of an 

efficient national documentation and information 

system. Lecturers were drawn from 

the civil service, the library profession, 

cabinet ministers and PADIS. Judging by the 

publicity given to the seminar and the reaction 

of participants, it achieved its objective. 

Recommendations 

The seminar recommended: 

1. That librarians, information scientists 

and documentalists should be consulted 

on all matters relating to their field; 

2. That each ministry and department should 

actively build up an information resource 

centre to back up planning and decision 

making processes; 

3. That librarians, information scientists, 

documentalists and planners in all ministries 

should continually assess their data 

banks and take positive action to fill any 

gaps that exist through research work; 

4. That the creation of a National Information 

and Documentation Centre (NIDC) 

in Zimbabwe was a necessity and that all 

ministries and departments should be 

involved in the planning of such a centre; 

5. That traditional methods of data handling 

have serious limitations when it comes to 

the storage and retrieval of data and that 

these limitations may be circumvented by 

the use of electronic computers; hence the 

need for the NIDC. 

Steering Committee 

As a result of the seminar, a steering 

committee composed of representatives from 

several ministries was set up, charged with 

the following functions: 

1. To co-ordinate the creation of a National 

Library Service and Information and Documentation 

Centre; 

2. To formulate and advise government 

through the Ministry of Education and 

Culture on policy relating to (1); 

3. To create the National Library and Documentation 

Council. 

The committee has met three times and 

the inaugural meeting of the Council will be 

held on 28 October 1981. Once operational 

the Council will co-ordinate all library services 

and documentation systems in Zimbabwe. 

National Information and 

Documentation Centre (NIDC) 

The function of the NIDC will be to 

establish a national data bank of information 

relevant to economic and social development 

and to provide easy access to published and 

unpublished information needed by policy 

makers, planners, scientists and researchers 

It will catalogue, index and abstract docu 

ments, operate current awareness and se 

lective dissemination of information service 

and supply information to domestic and 

foreign users. The installation of computer 

will provide access to data banks and regiona 

information networks, developed by PADIS 

which contain materials relevant to develop 

ment in Zimbabwe which were produced in 

the course of development and research 

carried out elsewhere. 

A more detailed report on the seminar can be 

found in Shelfmark: bulletin of the Nationa 

Free Library, no. 89, August 1981,p. 1-7. Th 

full text of the papers ii'ill be published by th 

German Foundation for International Develop 

ment in due course.

PHOTOTYPESETTING S. LITHOGRAPHIC ORIGINATION 

BOOKSET 

[PVT.) LTD. 

137 Rhodes St. P.O. Box 1994, Bulawayo 

The eldest daughter, who was sixteen or seventeen at the time, was very musical. In the 

evenings she used to close the door of the parlour and play the piano alone to herself in the 

gloaming. Occasionally after one of these sessions she would emerge looking puzzled 

and uneasy to say that she was sure that the room was haunted. She used to get the feeling 

that someone or something was in the room with her, and once she burst out more than 

usually agitated, claiming that she had distinctly felt something stirring her long skirt 

as it hung round the piano stool. No one paid much attention to her stories, for she 

was imaginatively inclined, and at an age when a girl likes to tint her everyday life 

with glowing colours. One hot afternoon 

Mrs. Bam retired to the parlour herself, 

and locked the door feeling as many 

mothers have before and since, that if she 

didn't get away from it all for five S minutes, something was going to snap, 

She lay down on the sofa, put up her 

feet, closed her eyes and tried to relax, 

After a few moments she heard a rustle 

from the direction of the piano. Reluc- 

tantly she opened her eyes, to see the E head of a snake peeping over the 

piano top. Too surprised to 

move, she lay absolutely still 

while a long and very 

beautiful green snake 

eased itself up on R 

to the lid. It looked 

like polished 

jade and it 

had 

light 

golden S E RV I C E 

eves. 

With grace- 

ful aplomb 

the snake slid 

confidently along 

the piano till it came to 

the bowl of violets. Here 

it lifted its head, nosed its way 

between the leaves and fowers, 

and presently Mrs. Bain heard the soft 

sound of the snake drinking. So at last 

the mystery of the water in the violets 

was explained! It strikes me as unjust, 

somehow, that snakes are forever being C represented as the villains of the animal 

world. They, too, have their fair share of 

hardship and are preyed on mercilessly 

by other creatures. Nor are they immune 

to parasites — there is a particular 

species of tick that feeds on snakes and E snakes alone. My brother-in-law, Lloyd, 

once watched a snake being killed by a flock of hens. It had entered the fowl-run 

presumably to steal eggs or chicks, but was spotted by one of the bright-eyed ladies 

who cackled out a warning to her sisters, and in no time at all the snake was 

surrounded by a circle of murderous hens. No matter how desperately the snake whirled 

and struck out, there was always one hen behind it, ready to stab it with her beak. After 

each strike the snake has a moment of helplessness while it gathers its coils together 

once more, and the hens were quick to seize this advantage. They finally succeeded in pecking it 

to death. I once had a white leghorn called Pollen who could devoure a snake whole. 

Acknowledgements to C. Emily Dibb for the use of above text from her book "Ivory, Apes £f Peacocks" 

LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING 

BOOKPRIIMT 

(PVT.) LTD. 

137 Rhodes St., P.O. Box 1994, Bulawayo 

SCECSAL Working Committee 

The Working Committee on a regional bibliographic centre and union catalogues for 

the Central Africa Sub-Region of the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and 

Southern African Librarians has at last got off the ground after delay in appointing a 

representative from Zambia. 

The Committee comprises Mr Norman 

Johnson of the National Free Library of 

Zimbabwe, who was appointed Convenor by 

SCECSAL IV; Mr Joseph Uta, Chairman of 

the Malawi Library Association, of the Kumuzu 

College of Nursing, Lilongwe; and Mr 

Derek Simons of the Serials Division of the 

University of Zambia Library. 

At the suggestion of the Convenor, Malawi 

and Zimbabwe have set up national subcommittees 

representative of various library 

interests and a sub-committee is to be formed 

for Zambia. The Malawi sub-committee includes 

representatives of the National Archives, 

the University of Malawi and the Malawi 

National Library Service. The sub-committee 

for Zimbabwe comprises Mr Stan Made, 

Librarian of the University of Zimbabwe; Mr 

Bradshaw Mushonga, Senior Government 

Librarian; and Miss Pamela Francis, Librarian 

of the National Archives (Chairman, Hon. 

Secretary and Hon. Editor respectively of 

the Zimbabwe Library Association). 

The Working Committee has to consider 

the following resolution of the Fourth Standing 

Conference and report its findings to the 

Fifth Standing Conference to be held in 

Malawi in 1982: 

"The Conference recommends that 

SCECSAL should set up three working 

committees for Eastern, Central and 

Southern Africa to investigate the setting 

up of a regional bibliographic centre and 

compiling union catalogues of holdings 

(of books, periodicals, theses, dissertations 

and other materials) in the libraries 

of the region on a national or regional 

basis". 

Working papers* prepared by the Convenor 

were submitted to the Council of the 

ZLA at its meeting held on 3 September and 

two of these, an introductory paper and a 

discussion paper on the desirability of regional 

versus national union catalogues, have been 

circulated to members in Malawi and Zambia. 

Some problems connected with the relationship 

between the African Bibliographic 

Center (Washington) and the Pan-African 

Documentation and Information System have 

to be resolved before the Zimbabwe Sub- 

Committee is able to present a cogent viewpoint 

to other members of the Working 

Committee. 

Progress reports will appear in the Zimbabwe 

Librarian from time to time. 

Norman Johnson 

Members of the ZLA who wish to borrow 

copies of the working papers prepared by 

Mr Johnson should approach members oj 

Council (listed at the front of this issue of the 

journal). 

VIGNE BOOKSHOP & LIBRARY (Pvt.) Ltd. 

112 Fife St. 

llth/12th Avenues 

Bulawayo 

P.O. Box 2198 

Telephone 60661 

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SCHOOL LIBRARY 

NEWS 

Aberystwyth Conference 

Mrs June Smith attended the IASL (International 

Association of School Librarianship) 

conference in Aberystwyth from 30 July-2 

August, representing both the School Library 

Service of the Ministry of Education and 

Culture, who financed her trip, and the School 

Libraries Section of the ZLA. The conference 

was followed by a study tour from 3-9 August. 

There were 139 participants in all, representing 

27 countries, of which only two others 

— Nigeria and South Africa — came from 

Africa. 

School library development in the countries 

represented ranged from the highly sophisticated 

to the un-organised and underdeveloped. 

Question-time and seminar groups 

revealed that there were various problems in 

common, and Zimbabwe proved to be by no 

means the least developed in School Library' 

Association terms. 

The very full programme included, among 

the almost interesting and illuminating sessions, 

author-headmaster Michael Marland's 

exposition on how the library can and should 

be integrated into the whole curriculum of 

the school; addresses on multi-cultural environments 

and the role the school library can 

play; and the opening address by the Principal 

of the University College of North 

Wales in which he stressed the need for a 

national policy to co-ordinate school librarydevelopment, 

to establish national standards 

and to conserve resources. 

The study tour included visits to the 

Nottinghamshire County Library Service to 

Schools, a centralised support service; to a 

large comprehensive school whose lower 

school is specially built on an open plan that 

centres round the library; and to Basil 

Blackwell's to see their fully computerised 

book-selling operation that processes literally 

thousands of books from "order received" to 

"order despatched" in one day. It also included 

Chester, Blenheim, Oxford (where 

Mrs Smith's plea that she had come all the 

way from Zimbabwe earned her a pass to the 

innermost recesses of the Bodleian) and 

Stratford-on-Avon and attendance at a per- 

formance of A midsummer night's dream — as 

much pleasure as study. 

Annual Course 

This year's course for Library Assistants and 

Teachers in Charge of School Libraries — 

the fourth so far — took place from 14-18 

September at Teachers' Hostel in Mount 

Pleasant, Salisbury. 

Forty two participants came from 38 secondary 

schools, one primary school with a 

newly-opened library, and one new teachers' 

college about to organise its bookstock. 

Mounted by the School Libraries Section 

of the Association with financial support 

from the Ministry of Education and Culture, 

the course covered all aspects of school 

library organisation, administration, book 

selection and book repair. Equally — perhaps 

more — importantly, it stressed education 

for information retrieval and the dual role of 

the library in its support of the school curriculum 

and in its contribution to the persona 

development of the individual pupil. 

Mr Made, Librarian of the University ol 

Zimbabwe, gave the opening address, and 

the course was closed by the Secretary foi 

Education and Culture. Tutoring staff included 

June Smith, Senior Librarian in charge 

of the Ministry's service to school libraries; 

Marjorie Parkes. Librarian in the Ministry's 

Head Office library; Roger Stringer, Librariar 

of Gwelo Teachers' College; Bradshaw 

Mushonga, Senior Government Librarian; 

Alison Orpen, formerly of the staff of the 

University Library; and teachers and library 

assistants currently working in school libraries. 

The course obviously fills a need: appli 

cations came from all parts of the country 

and in spite of the late cancellation of resi 

dential accommodation at the hostel, 24 repre 

sentatives from schools outside Salisbury 

attended, many having had at the eleventl 

hour to make private arrangements. 

That the course is useful is supported bv 

the fact that some schools have sent a diff 

erent member of staff each year, and also b} 

the Course Assessment comments made b} 

those who attended. The Section can, there 

fore, be expected to mount its fifth course ii 

1982.

NATIONAL FREE LIBRARY OF ZIMBABWE 

Senior Librarian 

The library has a vacancy from 1st January, 1982 

for a qualified librarian in its 

ACCESSIONS DEPARTMENT 

Applicants must be Chartered Librarians or hold a degree or higher diploma in library science, 

and must be conversant with the second version of the Anglo American Cataloguing Rules 

and the 19th ed. of the Dewey Decimal Classification. 

Appointment will be according to qualifications and experience in the scale: 

$6 252 X $324 to $7 548 X $420 to $9 228 

The post is pensionable and offers the prospect of a progressive career in a future national 

library service. 

Apply with full curriculum vitae and copies of two recent testimonials or names of two 

referees as soon as possible to: 

THE LIBRARIAN 

P.O. BOX 1773 

BULAWAYO 

Get into our good books! 

philpott & collin/ 

(1978) (PVT.) LIMITED 

BOOKSELLERS 

P.O. Box 595 

Tel. 72681 

BULAWAYO 

P.O. Box 1977 

Tel. 705695 

SALISBURY 

76 YEARS SERVING THE COUNTRY 

Correspondence IN BRIEF 

BOOK PRICES 

The following letter was received from 

the Librarian of Bulawayo Public Library 

Mrs Craven's article on book prices [Zimbabwe 

librarian, vol. 12, no. 3-4] was of great 

interest, but does nothing to explain why 

booksellers in Zimbabwe find it necessary to 

charge very much higher prices than booksellers 

in other parts of Africa with similar 

supply problems. 

I recently bought a paperback with a U.K. 

cover price of £1,95. The bookseller gets a 

discount from the publisher of a least 259f — 

more usually 33 VfA — so this book would have 

cost the bookseller no more than £1,47. At 

current exchange rates this amounts to approximately 

$1,83, but the selling price is 

$4,87 — a mark-up of some 250%. Whilst 

appreciating that postage and air freight 

push up prices, there seems no reason why, 

for instance, such costs should be any higher 

than they are in Kenya. While in Nairobi 

recently, I checked book prices in several 

shops, with illuminating results. A book priced 

at £3,50 (English) was Ksh77,50. The Kenya- 

British exchange rate was approximately 

£ 1 =Kshl7. Repeating the calculation already 

performed for the Zimbabwean purchase, I 

find that the Nairobi bookseller paid £2,62p 

for his book — that is about Ksh44,71. 

Selling at Ksh77,50 represents a mark-up of 

about 809r. Numerous other books worked 

out similarly. If Kenyan booksellers can make 

adequate profits on an 809< mark-up on the 

purchase price, why do booksellers in Zimbabwe 

have to charge 250%? 

Robin W Doust 

P.S.—If the booksellers got together through 

their Association and formed a co-operative 

book-buying agency, they would save a fortune 

in transport costs, which could be passed 

on to their customers. 

This letter has been shortened slightly. 

Editor 

Mrs E M Rowett, ALA, Librarian of th 

Department of Information, retires at th 

end of October after a career spanning 5 

years. After working in the United Kingdo 

(where she trained) and India, her first post 

this country was Librarian of the UK Trad 

Commission. This was followed by a sho 

spell as Librarian/Secretary of the Quee 

Victoria Memorial Library, a position sh 

relinquished for the birth of her third so 

From 1956 to 1960, she was Librarian of th 

Anglo-American Corporation, resigning 

assume her present post in 1961. Establishe 

and developed by her, the Information Libra 

is renowned for its efficient and rapid r 

trieval of current information on Zimbabw 

while, in some subject areas, its classifie 

files of press cuttings represent the on 

collected record of recent history. M 

Rowett's successor has not been named. 

We wish her a long and happy retiremen 

* * * 

Mr D H Varley, author of the first cor 

prehensive report on library services in th 

part of the world, University Librarian fro 

1961-1966, and honorary member of th 

ZLA, paid a private visit to Zimbabwe 

September. He visited a number of libraries 

observe developments since he left the count 

and was the honoured guest at a meeting 

the Mashonaland Branch which he addresse 

* * * 

Literature Foundation 

The Zimbabwe Children's Literatui 

Foundation was registered as a welfa 

organisation in September 1980. Membersh 

is open to writers, artists and other interest! 

individuals and bodies. 

The objectives of the Foundation are: 

1. To promote children's literature in tl 

African languages by discovering tale 

through literary competitions. 

2. To facilitate the publication of literatu

for children by providing illustrators for 

good manuscripts. 

3. To sponsor the publication of children's 

books in Shona and Ndebele. 

4. To promote the culture of Zimbabwe by 

providing such literature. 

5. To instil the love of literature in children 

by providing bedtime stories in the African 

languages. 

The ZCLF is running a literary competition 

which closes on 30 November 1981 and 

offers cash prizes for the best manuscript in 

.Shona and Ndebele. 

Information on membership and the literary 

competition is available from: The Secretary, 

Zimbabwe Children's Literature Foundation, 

P.O. Box 249, Salisbury. 

* * * 

Conferences 

SCECSAL V 1982 

The Malawi Library Association will host 

the 5th Standing Conference of Eastern, 

Central and Southern African Librarians 

(SCECSAL) in 1982. Members of the ZLA 

who wish to attend should send their particulars 

(including full names, address, passport 

number, place and date of issue) to the 

Hon. Secretary, Malawi Library Association, 

c/o National Archives of Malawi, P.O. Box 

62, Zomba, Malawi. 

Further information will be communicated 

as it becomes available. 

* * * 

ECARBICA 7 

The National Archives, Zimbabwe, will be 

losting the 7th Biennial Conference of the 

'>ast and Central African Regional Branch of 

he International Council on Archives 

ECARBICA) in September 1982. The Con- 

;rence, on the theme 'Archives and the new 

rder', will be preceded by a workshop on 

rchival problems in developing countries, 

id a number of distinguished historians and 

cperts on archives have already accepted 

vitations to deliver papers. Members of the 

LA who may wish to attend the Conference 

'ould write to the Secretary, 1982 

ECARBICA Conference Organising Committee, 

National Archives, P/Bag7729, Causeway, 

for further information. 

* * * 

Mr Stan Made, University Librarian, and 

Mrs Helen Mhlaba, Assistant Librarian at 

the University, attended the UNISIST-FID- 

IFLA International Summer School on Advanced 

Information Work at Sheffield in July. 

The Summer School caters for senior librarians, 

mainly from developing countries, 

offering an intensive programme to acquaint 

them with recent developments in information 

retrieval and the management of 

libraries and information organisations. 

* * * 

British Council Library 

The British Council Salisbury Library is 

due to open at the end of the year. Located at 

the corner of Stanley Avenue and Cameron 

Street, it is presently under construction. 

The facilities will include, for those studying, 

an '0' and 'A' Level Textbook Reference 

Collection of closed access stock and a basement 

study centre with accommodation for 

about 160 readers. There will be a Reading 

Room for British newspapers, general periodicals 

and specialist journals. 

The Main Library will be a multi-media 

source of information about Britain for particular 

user groups, and material will be for 

reference or loan as applicable. Included will 

be sections on British arts, play sets, bibliographies, 

current affairs, African affairs and 

travel in Britain. The two important subject 

areas are English Language Teaching and 

Education, both in Britain and developing 

countries. 

A film library will lend films, both documentary 

and feature, to organisations and 

groups, and cassettes of classical and folk 

music to individuals. 

The Library will be open to the public from 

9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. during weekdays and 

from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 midday on Saturdays. 

* * * 

NEW TITLES: 

ZPH History 

THE STRUGGLE FOR ZIMBABWE: 

THE CHIMURENGA WAR by David 

Martin & Phyllis Johnson 

HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOP- 

ED AFRICA by Walter Rodney 

SOWING THE SEEDS OF REVO- 

LUTION by Samora Machel 

NYERERE OF TANZANIA by 

William Edgett Smith 

ZPH Writers Series 

WAITING FOR THE RAIN by 

Charles Mungoshi 

COMING OF THE DRY SEASON by 

Charles Mungoshi 

ZPH Education Pamphlets 

EDUCATION FOR A NATIONAL 

CULTURE by Ngugi wa Thiong'o 

EDUCATION FOR SELF RELIANCE 

by Julius Nyerere 

ZPH Village Tales 

MASHARIRWE AKAITWA JON- 

GWE by Tendai Makura. Also in 

English as WHY THE COCK CROWS 

ZPH Stories for Children 

TUTTI & THE MAGIC BIRD by Julia 

Boyd-Harvey & Marjorie Bereza 

. . . AND a new magazine for the 

children of Zimbabwe, 

ANTS (MASVOSVE/UBUNYONYO) 

FORTHCOMING: 

A NEW HISTORY 

FOR YOUNG ZIMBABWE 

A PICTURE HISTORY 

FOR YOUNG ZIMBABWE 

HISTORY OF MUNHUMUTAPA 

The Growth of Communal Farming in 

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE LAND 

A Collection of 

STORIES OF THE STRUGGLE 

Plus poetry, short stories, and novels in 

English, Shona and Ndebele . . . and 

drama: 

Enter the ZPH 

National Drama Competition. 

Write a play in any of the above 

languages, more than V2 hour long. 

Write to ZPH 

(Drama Competition) 

for guidelines. 

Write to ZPH for a complete catalogue. 

Zimbabwe Publishing Hous 

P.O. BOX BW 350, DEPT. ZA, SALISBURY — TELEPHONE790148 

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