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This study aims to ascertain gender differences in librarians’ publication output in Nigerian university libraries; to spotlight the benefits librarians derive from publication, and to identify the problems encountered by librarians in their publication efforts.

The study employed a descriptive survey method supported by a questionnaire. The population of the study consisted of a focus group made up of a total number of 55 academic librarians from five university libraries in Edo and Delta States. The researchers also engaged both male and female academics in the various institutions using a semi‐structured interview.

It was revealed that male librarians publish more than their female counterparts. The interview responses also revealed that female academics noted family responsibilities as a major factor hindering them from publishing equally as their male counterparts. It was discovered that male and female librarians in the university libraries investigated publish their works mostly in the African continent, and enumerated promotion/career advancement, contribution to knowledge, personal and institutional prestige as the major benefits librarians derive from publication.

It is hoped that the study will help librarians to see the advantages in publishing in order to improve promotion prospects and advance in their careers. The findings of the study will also be useful in making library management and the university authorities aware of the need to enable improved conditions to support research and publication by librarians.

This paper sets to elicit the factors affecting the development of information infrastructure in africa.

A Descriptive method was employed in looking at the various infrastructure that we have, based on the usefullness in accomplishing a task.

The findings revealed that there are some factors militating against the development/functionality of information infrastructure in the African context, but this research proves to a large extent that these inadequacies of information infrastructure in Africa are gradually being met. This leads to economic development and nation building in every area of our endeavours because infrastructure has the potential to improve and develop economic, social academic, moral and environmental background in our contemporary society. This is because information and communication infrastructure requires widespread technological resources for its operation.

This research and its findings will assist Africans and other nations on the needs of Africans' information infrastructureand how best to care for their information infrastructure in areas of improving on their software/infrastructure production and maintenance.

This paper aims to strengthen ways of improving the growth or development of information transfer in Africa.

A descriptive method was used in the simplification of possibilities in exploding actions to be taken to unrest the development or growth of information transfer in Africa.

The findings revealed that though there are some causes inhibiting the growth of dissemination or transfer of information in the African context but measures were preferred which include: (i) harnessing/provision of full potentials of information resources, technology and communication channel, and organised capacity locally and regionally, (ii) access and utilization of diversities of information, (iii) training and sensitization of human resources, (iv) information and IT policy/copyright formulation, and (v) cultural awareness of information transfer and implementation to economic development and nation building, etc., has the potentials to foster an amazing information transfer in Africa in our economic, social, religion, academic, moral, and environmental society. This is because information transfer within and outside our context can no longer be seen as a luxury for the elites but as an absolute necessity for the masses since it offers great potentials to improve the quality of life to very many persons around the world.

This research will assist Africans and beyond, to value information transfer as an asset and a means to an end in life and in decision‐making and planning.

Although user needs assessment is an intrinsic element of service quality delivery in digital libraries (DLs), not much has been written on this topic in the context of African universities. This is understandable as academic digital libraries in Africa are rather nascent. Even so, the most frequently-used needs assessment methods do not directly involve the users. This study aims to assess priority setting by academic library administrators and the needs of patrons of digital collections of a public university library in Ghana.

Analysis of official university documents and interviews with digital library patrons at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana were carried out between September, 2011 and January, 2012. Five research questions were asked: what are the current conditions of the UCC digital library project, the user communities and their needs, what are the priorities set by the university administrators and library leaders at the UCC and the state of technological readiness in place and what are needed by the UCCDL. Also, what is the extent of collaboration by interested parties in the UCCDL?

Three general digital library user communities were identified, that is, UCCDL staff- this community was composed of experts in both digital library systems and content, characterized as heavy users of the existing systems, as knowledgeable about articulated (formalized) user needs, and able to devote short (usually less than two hours) amounts of time to individual's needs. Next, are scholars and other visitors to the UCCDL – this community was characterized as having high levels of domain expertise and knowledge of library systems. They are also able to devote large but specific amounts of time (days or weeks) to their individual information needs. Visitors/Prospective users- this community was characterized as having varied levels of domain expertise and low levels of library systems knowledge. They are able to devote only short periods of time to their information needs or explorations. These user communities are influenced by diverse preferences, experiences, and knowledge structures.

Academic libraries are increasingly advocating local user studies as a way to provide the digital library services that are relevant to the culture and user population of the academic institution. Replicating digital library user studies at the local level can provide information for improving existing services or developing new ones.

In African public universities, there is little earlier research on digital library user needs assessments or DL priority-setting by academic library administrators.

This study investigated how students of the Faculties of Humanities and Education and Social Sciences at a Caribbean University sought information during the COVID-19 pandemic, identified challenges they experienced in seeking information for academic tasks and how satisfied they were with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services during this period.

A quantitative survey design was adopted for this study. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.

This study revealed that undergraduates relied upon lecture notes to complete assignments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergraduate students have developed a definite information-seeking pattern, which did not change during the pandemic. They tend to use information channels that require the least effort. Postgraduate students used a variety of Library information channels but primarily used electronic journals. On the whole, students experienced challenges while seeking information via the channels provided by the Library. Students were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services.

The study used non-probability sampling and only included students from two faculties at one university. As a result, the findings may not be generalized to the entire student population or all Caribbean universities.

The results of this study can be used to identify the difficulties students are having in accessing information from the Library and gauge service delivery.

This paper contributes to the scholarship from the Caribbean written to show whether students' information-seeking behaviour changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.