Women, Information, and the Future: Collecting and Sharing Resources Worldwide

Part 2, "Information Institutions," makes up nearly half the volume and is perhaps the most interesting section of the book, consisting of descriptions of women's documentation centers, information projects, and libraries in countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Among the topics discussed in part 2 are women's need for and use of information, target populations (the grassroots, policymakers, researchers, students, etc.), collecting methods, sources of funding for documentation centers, libraries, and other information projects. Also discussed are the advantages and disadvantages of locating women's information centers and libraries within larger institutions rather than maintaining separate facilities, the specific mission that each center strives to fulfill, the methods of disseminating information, and descriptions of the products the centers and libraries develop. That centers have very different needs is clear. In some areas the focus is on delivering basic information to women that will have an impact on their daily lives; in other areas the focus is on documenting the women's movement or managing the rapid growth in women's studies scholarship.