Document provision and supply in less developed countries, with particular reference to the potential of regional systems

Abstract

Argues that the availability of documents in less developed countries (LDCs) is very poor given seriously deficient library stocks and the cost of access to external resources. Claims that the solution commonly proposed, the sharing of resources between LDCs within regions, is unlikely to be effective since there are no adequate resources to share. Asserts that it is necessary to plan national availability systems, to improve general availability generally, and meanwhile to make heavy use of resources in developed countries.