
generated as a result of colonial and postcolonial non-African interference, with local and national corruption issues, and with conflicts between factions on the African continent. With this juxtaposition of circumstances, the prognosis for Africa as a whole can be one either of continued struggle, or of growing success.
Areas of concern are myriad. Given the vastness of the African continent, each region will have its own problems and its own unique circumstances. The range of concerns encompass such issues as: international, regional and local conflict resolution, overcoming the legacies of non-African colonial and post-colonial interference, developing stable systems of governance that are free of corruptive influences, creation of industry and the utilization of Africa's vast resources, alleviating poverty and bringing an end to massive unemployment, addressing the concerns of African women in development and providing opportunities for all African peoplemen and women inclusively -within the contexts of Africa's many cultures, and the development of Africa's position in the global marketplace, among other local and regional concerns.
But Africa is coming to develop its own basis for entry into the third millennium as an economic power working for equality with Europe, Asia, and the USA. These efforts are reflected in such gatherings as the two-day summit (15-17 April 2002) (Quist-Arcton, 2002) .
The reader should be reminded that Africa, the second largest continent, is large (11,677,240sq.m or 30,244,050sq.km) comprising 54 separate nations, and a wide range of ethnic and linguistic groups (12 percent of the world's population, speaking over 800 different languages). The USA (3,539,227sq.m or 9,166,598sq .km) can be fitted into Africa three (3.299) times over, and be wiggled around a wee bit (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2001a) .
There is no one African culture, but a vast ethnic diversity with tremendous richness of historical and cultural influence. Because of this, and owing to the rapid growth in population in Africa (about 3 percent, compared with 1.7 percent for Asia, 0.7 percent in Latin America, and 0.3 percent in Europe) (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2001b) events are more likely to unfold with greater rapidity and complexity, and in more diverse directions than western news resources have been able to anticipate, or have been willing to report.
Western news media
For all the quality reporting of events by western news media, seldom are African successes in diplomacy and innovations in government and economic management comprehensively reported to the US public. In Searching for Peace in Africa, Paul van Tongeren says, ''Believe the headlines and one would think that the entire continent of Africa is perpetually engulfed in armed conflict But it is essential to realize that there is also another Africa, an Africa where people are living in peace and harmony with one another and their neighbors'' (Van Tongeren, 1999) . In Problems in the History of Modern Africa, Robert O. Collins states, ''Information for Modern Africa does not come from dusty archives but the more flamboyant media, which one should approach with caution'' (Collins, 1997) . According to Ted Koppel of ABC News, in an interview on the National Geographic Channel's Inside Base Camp, ''We don't go to those other places because we work for corporations that have not been doing as well, in these past few years, as they were perhaps five or ten or 20 years ago, who have discovered that the US public, by and large, does not seem to care as much about foreign news as it does about domestic news I think it is up to us to make the foreign news interesting enough -which should not be that difficult -I mean, these are fascinating places, fascinating people, fascinating issues -it is up to us to make it interesting '' (Forman, 2001 ).
Domestic US and International Africanist and African print media
Scholarly serial and monographic Africanist publications, produced both in the USA and internationally, are available that will provide in-depth analysis of African developments, and solid background information, but many of them tend to be weeks, months and, occasionally, even years out of date by the time they reach US library shelves. This does not discount their validity, and they usually will provide invaluable historical information for interested researchers, but they cannot offer information about critical events that transpire on a day-to-day basis.
Published monographic works coming out of Africa have been growing in quantity as well as quality of scholarship, with well considered analysis of African national, international, and global affairs. These works give the allimportant African point of view, but are often difficult and sometimes impossible to obtain in the USA, and are many times printed on somewhat perishable materials and in poorly bound formats. These monographs provide an African cultural perspective, from local ethnic points of view to national and continental constructs of the realities of governance in an atmosphere of African traditions and historical context. Many of them reflect a high level of scholarship that does not get conveyed to western sources because of a lack of funding available for better dissemination. A listing of vendors for African books can be found at Africa South of the Sahara, Topics: bookdealers: <http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/ afrbook.html>.
African popular press
The popular press in Africa should not be ignored. Popular African news media are a valuable resource for baseline information presented in a timely fashion. Information moves swiftly, and changes may take place in such rapid succession as to render last month's scholarly journal analysis entirely obsolete. However, as with any popular resource, journalistic bias toward presenting the news ''that sells'' must be taken into consideration. Following these popular resources, and analyzing popular news media reports in the light of more scholarly sources, will provide a balance that will keep researchers informed of ''this morning's'' developments and bring last quarter's analysis into deeper perspective.
What this means for the reference librarian
Awareness of such developments as those that are currently taking place in Africa, and understanding the limitations of past approaches to the reporting of African events, are essential for the reference librarian. It is especially important to move beyond these limitations when this information becomes vital for non-African economies, commercial interests, and investors; as well as governmental, diplomatic, and political interests.
Strategies and methodologies
Monographic and serial print sources were selected and reviewed for scholarship, timeliness, and point of view. An age limit for materials was set at five years, with some exceptions. The exceptions were primarily based on the quality and relevance of the content. In developing a list of entries for background and topical information, resources were selected that would provide the reader with a solid structural and analytical basis with which to research the very complicated issues facing African development. Non-print, World Wide Web resources were selected for timeliness and day-to-day news reporting from African news media. In addition, these sources were selected because of the general information they present from primary sources, especially in the case of African Economic Organizations which have online links.
As noted in ''African-related Internet Resources'' by Ha Êkan Gidö f of the Nordic Africa Institute, in the June 2001 issue of Information Development (Gidö f, 2001) , ''With the exponential growth of the Internet, there is a wealth of electronic information on Africa freely available on a global scale.'' This is a fine article which includes basic and essential Web resources for gaining general background information not readily available elsewhere.
Building on these previously noted resources, and included in this annotated bibliography, are both scholarly and popular materials, and both print-and Web-based resources. Where Gidö f has presented a fine analysis of Internet portals that specialize in African information, this bibliography is intended to acquaint the reader with contemporary, analytical materials including those which are coming out of Africa.
The reader should keep in mind the transience of some of the non-print, Webbased publications, and understand that five years from now (or even one month from now) a Web site may no longer be in existence. This is true especially of African sources from areas of political or economic instability. This should not discourage the reader from coming to depend on African Web sources of news coverage, but should instead encourage the reader to develop a list of links using various search engines or by subscribing to Web-based news services, such as: WorldFlash <http://www.worldflash.com/ >, Desktop News <http:// www.desktopnews.com/>, or Infogate <http://www.infogate.com> that allow one to select news resources and set keywords to reflect African issues, names of African nations, and African personalities.
Summary
Africa is speaking for itself, expressing its own identity, and presenting its own uniquely African resolutions to African problems. Since some of this is not reported in the western press, it becomes incumbent on us to go to the sources ourselves, so we can provide relevant, and appropriate information for our patrons. With these resources, the researcher should be able to keep up with Africa, on a day-to-day basis, and gather timely information. 
References
The Cambridge History of Africa is a history from ''earliest times'' to 1975. Presented as an indepth historical account, each period of development is presented through the contributions of scholars from throughout Africa and the British Commonwealth. The material is highly analytical and well researched, but largely from the point of view of nonAfrican interests. For the reader, the history can be accessed in small topical doses, without sacrificing scholarship, as it presents clear impressions and detailed information about events and influences that shaped much of modern African politics and social reality. Distinguishing between ''peace-making'' and ''peace-keeping'', this volume takes on the task of addressing the requirements of maintaining stability after the peace-makers have done their job. Among the foundations for keeping the peace that need to be established are a secure and functional infrastructure, established law enforcement facilities and personnel, secure safeguards of human rights and personal property, emergency relief and long-term resettlement for displaced populations, and the foundations of a democratization process that addresses the concerns of all sides of the former conflict. This monograph considers global as well as regional and local issues, examines recent historical trends, and presents eight case studies of peace-keeping in Africa. Finally, it examines the roles of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the role of the military, and will examine failure in peace-keeping from the point of view of ''being peace-kept''. Mukandala's premise is that ''the teaching of public administration in Africa has suffered from problems characteristic of the academy in the periphery.'' His consideration is that a Euro-centric paradigm, and a shortage of critical and up-to-date educational resources have created several disadvantages to the study of public administration in Africa. To ease this circumstance, Mukandala has brought together the contributions of numerous scholars in African public administration, and created a ''reader'' that explores public administration from an African perspective. Subject areas include history and theory, structure of public administration, human resources, policy and planning, state-owned enterprise, crisis management, corruption, and privatization and Civil Service. Associational Life in African Cities focuses on associations that have developed in African urban settings as a result of weak and dissociated urban governments. Rising poverty, failing infrastructure, and poor or non-existent public services have led to the creation of associations, from a neighborhood level to citywide, based on professional, ideological, religious or ethnic structures. Contributors to this volume examine the function and effectiveness of these associations, and consider their initiatives for the future of the African urban environment. Ndegwa begins by presenting arguments to explain why democracy in Africa has been less than successful and suggests that scholars need to be less directed by political events, and should focus more on changing social norms, generational change, and class and gender issues. He then presents essays which discuss viewpoints and definitions of African civil society, women's rights as a measure of democracy, ideology and education in South Africa's transition from apartheid, gender and development, popular definitions of democracy, and information technology and democratic participation in Africa. Solomon and Liebenberg present a view of African democratization, based on Africa's current realities and challenges. First dealing with the theoretical contexts of the contemporary African democracy debate, then exploring historical and global realities, this volume goes on to examine the experience of South Africa's continuing efforts at democratization with attention paid to civil society, constitutional processes, civil-military relations, and gender, development and democracy. Finally, issues of human rights and inter-governmental relations, more generally African than simply South African, are examined.
Democracy in Africa

Corruption
Aderinwale, A. (Ed.) (1995) (1996) The editors characterize the incidence of corruption in Africa as ''from rare (Botswana), to widespread (Ghana) to systemic (Nigeria).'' ''Where it is rare, it is relatively easy to detect and control. But where it is systemic an incentive and further practices are put into place to perpetuate the system.'' This monograph explores corruption in Africa, first in theoretical and analytical contexts, then in a series of case studies. The juxtaposition of corruption and development is analyzed from the position of micro-management and macromanagement for perspectives that proceed from individual ethics to national systemic considerations.
Mbaku, J.M. (2000), Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Africa:
The Public Choice Perspective, Krieger Pub. Co., Malabar, FL, ISBN 1-575-24120-X Bureaucratic and Political Corruption in Africa explores the whys and hows of the development of climates of corruption and political opportunism in certain modern African regimes. Mbaku notes that corruption is not simply an African phenomenon as evidenced by scandals in many parts of the world, including the USA. However, he develops the basis for understanding how African colonial and postcolonial constitutional and governmental structures lent themselves to the extraction of extra-legal income for individual leaders and bureaucrats to the detriment of national economies. The first part of this book details African corruption and corruption clean-up from traditional perspectives, and how corruption has become one of the most important barriers to economic growth and development both on a national scale and in matters of globalization. The second part examines corruption and corruption clean-up from a public choice perspective, presenting concepts of the weaknesses of traditional approaches to ending corruption and recommending state reconstruction as a means of minimizing corruptive influences. This monograph examines the threats and opportunities facing Sub-Saharan Africa and attempts to develop an understanding of emerging issues related to Africa's potential in the global marketplace. Its two stated objectives are to stimulate dialogue on industrial development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to serve as an informative and analytical tool for the international community. Topics of discussion include growth and development, manufacturing, trade and industry, financing and investment, competitiveness, and strategy and policy. Kolawol introduces and presents a series of essays that discuss the myths and perceptions that shape the lives of women in Africa. Contributors examine traditional literature, both oral and written, to illustrate images and stereotypes based on gender, and then present analyses of the impact that these stereotypes have on women in development in relationship to women's economic and social environment. Nikoi, G.A. (1998) , Gender and Development, Centre for Cape Coast, University of Cape Coast, Development Studies, Ghana, ISBN 9964-3-0257-6
African developmental issues

African women in development
Gender and Development is a series of lectures by Gloria Adwoa Nikoi, based on her experiences in the United Nations Secretariat and in the public and diplomatic services of Ghana, where gender issues have been in prominence as necessary and indispensable components of African development. She touches on issues of gender and development on an international scale, through African perspectives, as related to Ghana, and looking into the future. African Women and Children is a comparative study of the status and economic conditions of African women and children, demonstrating the extent to which African women are exploited and oppressed, and how they are overburdened with domestic tasks, sexual abuse, battering, and even murder, simply because of their gender. Issues covered include comparative gender status in eastern and southern Africa; the impact of parental separation and divorce on children in southern Africa; child abuse; traditional institutions and the violation of women's human rights; the Trokosi system; the feminization of poverty; prostitution, patriarchy and marriage; unequal opportunities and gender access to power; constraints on women's participation; street children; inadequacy of gender-neutral policies; and women, knowledge and power in environmental and social change. Ukweli is a step-by-step guide to monitoring and investigating human rights abuses. Meant for national and local human rights defenders, it outlines methods for monitoring and documenting abuses to facilitate the provision of immediate assistance, redress and remedy, challenge and change policies, change attitudes and behaviour of authorities, and raise public awareness. This handbook is divided into separate ''booklets'', the first of which covers Mbabane, Kingdom of Swaziland, 20-22 February, 2000 , SADC, Gaborone, Botswana, ISBN 9-991-2804 These Proceedings of the 2000 SADC Consultative Conference carry the theme of ''Peace, Progress and Prosperity in SADC in the New Millennium''. Focusing on political, economic and social issues in Southern Africa, these proceedings sought to develop a better understanding of the issues of good governance, the rule of law, democracy, finance and investment, macro-economic stability, economic growth, and international politics.
Both of these transcripts present a general overview of issues of regional politics as governed by the SADC. The reader should be able to develop a sense of regional Southern African governance and co-operative developmental strategy.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) <http://www.itcilo.it/english/actrav/ telearn/global/ilo/blokit/sadc.htm> A general overview of the SADC, including an introduction, history, SADC objectives, a summary of the SADC treaty, institutional structure, SADC structure, and contact information, including a link to the SADC's commercial home page at <http://www.sadconline.com>. SADC is made up of 12 member states covering the southern tip of the African continent. Africa Insight (1970-) , Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa, ISSN 0256-2804, < http://www.ai.org.za/ africainsight.html > Africa Insight presents in-depth analysis and commentary on issues and events important to African growth and development. Articles are topical rather than general, and address issues related to southern African regional affairs. But, also in a more wide-ranging focus, Africa Insight reports on developmental issues throughout the continent, and covering Africa's relationship with the global economy and community. While the format is more like a news magazine, articles are comprehensive, well documented, and well referenced.
Kenya African National Union (KANU)
Africa Recovery (1987-) Published four times a year, this journal ''provides a comprehensive annotated record'' of sources on Africa generated both in Africa reporting offers a non-African point of view, and provides a good perspective of how the rest of the world perceives African events. Africa Point presents African newspapers and news sources on the Web, as well as regional and international papers and magazines with stories on Africa. Arranged regionally and then by country, Africa Point provides links to Webbased news resources provided by local newspapers and magazines. As a general resource for current African news on a regionby-region basis, this is a good starting-point.
IC Publications
The Flying Inkpot -Africa Links <http:// inkpot.com/news/africa.html> A general listing of Africa-related news links, last updated 8 September 1998, this source includes links which are arranged by Africa generally, and then by region, to facilitate searching limits. Although outdated and not maintained, there is still a good assortment of active and informative links that will provide substantive news contacts.

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