This study on the development of Southern African Third World States' academic libraries embraces three broad areas: (1) the multimedia library; (2) the development of university libraries in the Third World; and (3) the potential usefulness of the multimedia library in the conditions prevailing in the Third World. Searches of the literature on the multimedia library and on the needs and problems of the Third World were undertaken, and a questionnaire was sent to the university librarians of 10 Southern African Third World States--i.e., Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (internationally recognized states), and Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda (independent national states of the Republic of South Africa). The questionnaire was followed up by visits to determine the extent of relevant local development, problems, and solutions. Finally, the potential advantages of the multimedia library were applied to the needs and problems of the Third World. It was concluded that: (1) Third World academic libraries should give precedence to the function of academic support rather than to the research-oriented function of First World university libraries; (2) traditional methods of problem solving should be replaced and augmented by modern innovative methods; and (3) multimedia libraries may offer solutions to some of the educational and developmental problems experienced in the Third World. (SD)