Intellectual Property,Libraries and Access to Information in Zimbabwe

This paper will address some of the issues affecting access to information and knowledge in Zimbabwe. It will look at the major challenges posed by finances, technology, infrastructure, the Intellectual Property Laws and the Copyright Act, in particular. It will discuss the role of ZIMCOPY, the Reproduction Rights Organization of Zimbabwe, in the information chain in Zimbabwe. It will pay particular attention to what Zimbabwe has done in trying to harness the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in accessing information; the availability of the Internet and constraints of bandwidth. Zimbabwe has more than 70 percent of its population living in the rural areas. The paper will show the attempts that have been made to provide access to information through libraries and similar information centers, in both urban and rural communities of Zimbabwe. It will also refer to the current economic challenges facing Zimbabweans, how this has made information a luxury when set against the daily problems of food provision and survival. Can improved access to information provide answers to some of the immediate problems facing the Zimbabwean society?