X-LIB PLUS library automation software.

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