Building a vibrant library association: the case of Uganda

Abstract

The Uganda Library Association (ULA) was founded in 1972. Over the years the Association has had unique advocacy needs and challenges which were intertwined with the political, economic and social processes that Uganda has undergone, including the 1970s under the rule of Idi Amin. This article examines how these processes have impacted on the efforts to build a vibrant professional library association. In recent years ULA has emphasized advocacy, and contributed to progress towards new legislation (freedom of information, copyright, the National Library Act) and policies (school libraries, East African Community e-government strategy) of importance to the library and information field in Uganda and beyond. ULA became the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) in 2004 and hosted the Africa Copyright Forum Conference in November 2005.

Innovation Vol. 31 2005: 29-36