In December 2003, with the adoption in Geneva of a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action, the World Summit on the Information Society concluded the first phase of its programme of work. The second phase will take place in 2005 in Tunisia, a developing country. The role of libraries in fostering the lnformation Society, and bridging the digital divide is essential, even more so in developing countries. At the Summit mid-term, SIG-111 decided to explore the current state of Libraries and Information Services in developing countries.

The session brings together representatives from all parts of the developing world: Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, and Kenya. Three of the presenters joined ASIST after participating in the SIG-I11 Annual International Paper Contest for Librarians and Information Specialists in the Developing World. In 2004, SIG-111 is celebrating the 5th anniversary of the contest, it seemed therefore fitting to invite past laureates to contribute to this session.