Edited version of a paper presented at a conference on The Electronic Library – gateway to information, held in Lund, Sweden, 3–8 June 1998. Highlights the impact information technology (IT) has had on society in the last few years. Discusses the prospects and problems of providing IT to the Info-Poor, with particular reference to the experience of the University of Dar es Salaam Library from the late 1980s to date. Prospects include learning from others through access to information. Problems inherent in the introduction of IT include inability to cope with its financial and technical demands and a shortage of skills in general.
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