Abstract:
Software designers in developing countries have increased the frequency of
innovation and patenting. This trend reflects an effort to reduce dependence on imported
western technology and encourage the development of indigenous alternatives. Although
Library Automation Systems (LAS) perform similar functions the world over, they are
primarily designed to meet the needs of their local populations. Indigenous LAS in
developing countries for example, are more sensitive to literature in indigenous
knowledge and languages than imported LAS. Indigenous LAS are, however, relatively
few and far between in Africa.
This study examined the development of X-LIB PLUS library automation
software designed at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council in Abuja,
Nigeria. Using a case study method, data were collected to describe the X-LIB PLUS development process and the factors that facilitated and challenged its creation. The study
also identified the factors, which accounted for the adoption of X-LIB PLUS by libraries
in Nigeria. It is hoped that the process and context of X-LIB PLUS development and
diffusion described by this study could serve as models of software innovation and the
organizational conditions that nurture such efforts in Africa
