Contextualising the Role of Public Library and Information Services in Enhancing Research for Inclusive and Sustainable Development: A Meta-Synthesis of the Literature
- Inclusive Development, Sustainable Development, Library and Information Services, Research Support, Sustainable Development Goals, Africa.
Abstract
Inclusive and sustainable development relies on timely, accessible information, yet libraries' contribution to research underpinning the SDGs remains under-theorised in African LIS literature. This paper synthesises existing literature on how library and information services enable development-oriented research, drawing on a systematic literature review (conducted without a formal PRISMA protocol) of English-language sources from Springer, Wiley, EBSCO, JSTOR35, SAGE, Taylor and Francis, AJOL, and DOAJ. Findings suggest libraries may reduce information asymmetries as knowledge hubs, extend access to marginalised populations, and position librarians as knowledge producers reliant on partnerships with governments, NGOs, and IFLA. Illustrative country- and region-level cases (Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Ghana, and East Africa) are tentatively mapped to SDGs 4, 5, 8, and 9. The evidence is predominantly descriptive, drawn partly from grey literature, and does not establish causal effects or the relative magnitude of library contributions.financial performance.