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Introduction
The argument for the massification of higher education worldwide has been to reduce societal inequalities and making education accessible to all social groups within society. In this case 'massification' refers to the 'absolute growth in student enrolments as well as a more egalitarian distribution of students in higher education' (Jansen, 2003, 292). Implicit in this is higher education institutions' taking cognizance of socio-economic inequities at all stages and in all processes of education to ensure that all students are given not only equitable access to education, but also encouragement to remain and stay engaged in the educational process. The library as an integral player in higher education can contribute to the achievement of this equity by making sure that all students are equipped with the necessary information navigational skills that will support an enquiry-based learning.
However, there is a lack of debate on the effects of massification on library and information services provision in higher education in Africa. It is in recognition of this lack of debate that this paper tries to fill that gap by looking at the responsive measures instituted by the University of Zambia library to meet the increased demand on library services.
The National Context of Higher Education
Zambia's public higher education system followed the 'massification model' from the onset at independence in 1964. This was brought about by a combination of factors. Some of the reasons advanced for increasing access to education were the shortage of qualified human resources to push the development needs of the country (Manchishi, 2004). At the time of independence, education was highly under developed with only 107 graduates, of whom four were females (Kelly, 1991). The other reason for the rapid expansion of education is the belief that education is beneficial not only on an individual level but to society as a whole (Mwikisa, 1999). In many societies, this is an aspiration that people strive for; as explained by Sall et al. (2003, 143) where in the Western African nation of Gabon, education is seen as the 'main vehicle for inter-city and rural-urban migration, indicating how attractive student status can be beyond the social value and career prospects actually offered by the institutions. For some it remains the only decent avenue of escaping poverty'.