The Africana Collection of the MSU Library is one of the most extensive in the United States, including over 200,000 books, pamphlets, maps, and microformat units, and over 3,510 serial titles (each with multiple volumes).

The Library now has an excellent South African electronic bibliographical data base. It can be found by going to the MSU Library Home Page (http://www.lib.msu.edu/), click Electronic Resources, then African Studies, and the several databases and e-journals are found there.

Contents of the database.

SOUTH AFRICAN STUDIES (1987 - Present, Quarterly Updates) Published by: National Inquiry Services Centre (Pty), Ltd., 22 Somerset Street, Grahamstown, South Africa.

It also includes all of the following sub-databases:

South African Studies is a unique anthology (published by NISC South Africa) of 9 different databases providing access to over 592,000 records. South African Studies supplies unprecedented access to the great majority of documents published in and about South Africa, including theses, dissertations and current research.

The database includes records from:

Index to South African Periodicals (1987-present) - over 250,000 records covering more than 440 South African periodicals. Topics include scientific and technical articles, law, education, agriculture, and municipal affairs.

South African National Bibliography (1988-present)

Investor's Guide - detailed information on over 610 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Detailed indexing.

The National English Literary Museum (NELM) 100,000 records (comprehensive since 1990, retrospective to the 19th century) in five databases:

Select Index to South African Literature in English, Critical Writings - 17,000+ records include critical articles and books, theses, dissertations, biographies, bibliographies, and book reviews.

Select Index to South African Literature in English, Creative Writings - 63,000+ records include books, short stories, poems, plays, essays, autobiographies, and travel literature.

NELM, Main Catalogue - 14,000+ records comprise a bibliographic series on famous South African authors. Manuscripts: 9,000+ records make up the NELM manuscript holdings, including literary manuscripts, letters, and recorded interviews.

Knipkat from the Nasionale Afrikaanse Letterkunde Museum en Navorsingsentrum -database of press cuttings from newspapers and magazines relating to Afrikaans language, literature, and culture.

Index to South African Theses and Dissertations - (early 1900s to present) from 32 universities in South Africa in all disciplines; this database also includes honorary degrees.

Witwatersrand University Management Research Reports (1970-present) contains 1,800 records on management in South Africa.

Centre for Rural Legal Studies Database - (1987 and earlier to present) 3,600 records on issues relating to agriculture and farm workers in South Africa and elsewhere, specifically labor law and relations, working conditions, housing/tenure, and socioeconomic conditions. Land reform initiatives and rural local government issues are also covered. Particular emphasis is placed on the gender aspects.

The Africana collection at Michigan State University is housed in the Main Library of the University. The Audio Library, the Microforms Library, the G. Robert Vincent Voice Library, the Map Library, and the Special Collections Division of the Main Library also have substantial Africa-related material. There are also several departmental libraries with strong African studies content, these are located in the International Center Library, Science Libraries, History, Agricultural Economics , Business Administration, Art (African, African-American) resources, and Music Libraries. There are several museums on campus which display many African items, from art to artifacts: Kresge Art Museum and the MSU Museum.

Online guide: An A-Z of African Studies on the Internet: http://www.lib.msu.edu/coll/main/africana/index.htm