In 1997 Mr. Sharma visited Northern Ireland and the Palestinian Gaza strip which was occupied by Israel. While both regions suffer from violence and oppression, libraries are treated very differently. In Palestine, libraries are underdeveloped and suffer from serious shortages. For example, there are 22 Palestinian institutions of higher learning but a total of only 258 journal subscriptions. There are no public libraries at all except for one Christian mission library.
Internet connections are rudimentary or non-existent.
Sharma stated that Palestinian libraries have suffered to an unusual extent under Israeli oppression. This was a big contrast to libraries in Northern Ireland. Despite the violent confrontations between Catholics and Protestants and terrorist bombings, libraries are in very good shape there. Sharma attributed this to the fact that unlike the situation in Palestine, libraries have been left alone by both sides as neutral places. Another important factor has been the financial aid supplied by the British government.