ILRIalerts also has a built-in feedback mechanism to monitor the usefulness of this service to each user. A total of 420 users from 39 Countries subscribe to the service. Since 1998, users can receive their SDI results by email. To this are added data from current contents on CD-ROM and from the Internet. This regular service is presently provided to 56 libraries in national agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Users can request searches by mail, e-mail, telephone or fax.
New documents are regularly sent to selected partners and external publics from our mailing list. Documents may also be requested individually by mail or email. Therefore information professionals need adequate exposure to new developments in information management and dissemination. For a number of years, ILRI has been organising training courses on information management aimed at supporting information specialists in national agricultural research systems. The courses consist of lectures, exchange of experiences, visits to information centres, assignments, group work and individual projects.