Africa Bibliography 2005

This large and authoritative guide to published works in African Studies has been published under the auspices of the International African Institute annually since 1984. The Africa Bibliography includes a wide range of material: monographs, chapters in edited volumes, journal articles, and pamphlets. It covers all regions of Africa, including North Africa and the continent's associated islands. It lists works published in English as well as a number of other languages, including Portuguese, French, Italian, German and, more occasionally, Swahili, Spanish and Afrikaans. The Bibliography categorises by region, country and subject; and includes an author index and a detailed thematic index. One reason for its remarkably comprehensive coverage is that it includes materials on Africa published in subject-specific scholarly journals, in addition to specialist Africa publications.Presented in a uniquely reader-friendly page layout, the Africa Bibliography records publications on Africa of interest to students of Africa, principally in the social and environmental sciences, humanities and arts; some items from the medical, biological and natural sciences, likely to be of interest to a reader from a social science/arts background, are also included. As an annual publication, it records the previous year's published work in its field, with provision for retrospective inclusion of earlier items. It is prepared in association with the International African Institute's journal Africa. The opening article to this year's volume is a state of the art review of African Studies Bibliography worldwide. The author, Peter Limb, Africana Bibliographer, Michigan State University, surveys current problems, and examines new trends, in particular the host of exciting new collaborative initiatives aimed at building digital libraries with African content and concrete projects to increase electronic access within Africa.

T.A. Barringer is Editor of the annual Africa Bibliography.