The greatest challenge facing Africana acquisitions Librarians in Africa is the lack of ready access to information on published Africana material in general, and those materials published in Africa in particular. Where Africana material is published abroad (in developed countries) it is traceable through regular publishers’ catalogues, bibliographies and review sources. African published materials, however, do not have as many well established sources since small publishers form a large number of producers who not only have limitations such as paucity of qualified staff in the essential activities of publishing, marketing and distribution, but also have a poor financial base, compounded by local currencies whose buying power is being eroded steadily.

In assessing the acquisition of Africana at the University of Botswana, issues which will be considered briefly are policy on collection development of Africana, budgetary allocations, and a detailed analysis of sources for selection of Africana materials published in Africa.