Ruth Hoskins

Information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge and skills of subject librarians at the university libraries of KwaZulu-Natal.

This article is based on part of a survey that investigated the ICT knowledge and skills of subject librarians at the university libraries of KwaZulu-Natal. A study population of 43 subject librarians, in the university libraries of the Universities of Durban-Westville, Natal (Durban and Pietermaritzburg), and Zululand were surveyed by means of a mailed questionnaire to establish in what ways subject librarians were using ICTs, what the level of ICT knowledge and skill was amongst the subject librarians, what problems the subject librarians faced in the use of ICTs and what their ICT training needs were. Interpretation of the results revealed a low level of ICT knowledge and skill amongst subject librarians and a general lack of formal training for ICTs amongst the subject librarians.

Integrated library management systems: a review of choices made and their sustainability in South Africa

There are numerous obstacles to sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Arising from the Millennium Development Goals is the need to sustain reliable information and communications technology infrastructure. Good information management practices and such infrastructure underpin libraries and information services. Many libraries and library consortia have converted to integrated library systems to better manage and make their collections available for national development. Despite small scale studies of particular types of libraries no comprehensive coverage was traced on such systems in South Africa. This article looks at which systems are being used, which criteria influenced the choice of systems and what challenges and successes were experienced. An analysis of the literature was undertaken to form the basis for a survey that investigated common problems and solutions. Key personnel in the institutions were interviewed by telephone. Certain factors emerged as important in the choice and sustainability of the systems. These are used to formulate guidelines for discussion.

Decolonising indigenous intellectual and cultural rights in heritage institutions : a survey of policy and protocol in South Africa

This article analyses the protection of indigenous knowledge (IK) in South Africa, exploring if and how the rights of indigenous peoples are insulated from pillage by existing policy and protocol frameworks in cultural heritage institutions. The article examines how policy and protocol in these institutions, the socio-economic realities within indigenous communities and legislative bottlenecks bear on the digitisation enterprise in the country. The study used the Delphi method to collect and analyse data. The major finding of the study was that, in an attempt to safeguard indigenous intellectual and cultural rights, some cultural heritage institutions are seeking to bridge the gap between Western legal requirements and indigenous intellectual rights by the inclusion of specific policy measures which take on board indigenous interests and concerns. The major themes that emerged from the study have cultural, legislative and structural underpinnings. These themes outline the fundamental characteristics of the policies and protocols of digitisation initiatives in the country. The study recommends that heritage institutions in South Africa should recognise their influence as socio cultural agents and actively submit ‘decolonising’ recommendations for statutory development. It also urges these institutions to continue building consultation networks with various indigenous stakeholders in order to improve best practice.

Library funding and journal cancellations in South African university libraries

This article is based on part of a survey that investigated journal cancellations in university libraries in South Africa. A study population consisting of 17 university libraries in South Africa was surveyed by means of an online questionnaire to establish whether university libraries in South Africa were adequately funded and to gauge the impact of restrictive library budgets on journal cancellations. Interpretation of the results revealed South African university libraries, like most academic and research libraries world wide, have not been adequately funded and as a result have resorted to annual journal cancellations. Recommendations are made about enhancing library budgets to ensure continued access to library periodical collections.

Journal cancellations in university libraries in South Africa

This article is based on part of a survey that investigated journal cancellations in university libraries in South Africa. A study population consisting of 17 university libraries in South Africa was surveyed by means of an online questionnaire to establish the factors that influenced journal cancellations. Interpretation of the results revealed that South African university libraries, like most academic and research libraries world wide, have been adversely affected by high priced journal subscriptions and many libraries have simply cancelled subscriptions to pay for ongoing subscriptions. Recommendations are made about enhancing library budgets and access to usage statistics, supporting consortia and avoiding restrictive journal packages.

MANAGING CHURCH RECORDS RELATING TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AT THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF NATAL

The Anglican Diocese of Natal in South Africa (hereafter the Diocese) is part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. It covers the western part of the KwaZulu-Natal province, west and south of the Tugela and Buffalo rivers. The Episcopal leader of the diocese is the Bishop of Natal. This study aimed to examine the current records management framework at the Archives of the Anglican Diocese of Natal (hereafter the Archives), especially with regard to records relating to indigenous laity within the Diocese. The study identified the strengths and weaknesses of this framework and recommends an effective and efficient records management protocol for the future. The study was based on a literature review and the personal experiences and observations of one of the researchers who worked at the Diocese at the time of the study. The study concludes that the Diocese does not have a clear records management programme to deliberately guide the management of indigenous related records. It recommends the need to embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other innovative changes in in order to create an enabling environment to facilitate records location, accessibility, retrieval and the timely utilisation of information.The paper argues that a reconfiguration of policy and methods needs to take place in order to acknowledge the many faceted relationships that exist between indigenous peoples and records, and to recognise the rights of indigenous communities to participate in the process of decision making about records management and practices. The paper considers these issues by examining challenges that are presented in managing existing indigenous collections in church repositories in South Africa, followed by a discussion about the challenges and opportunities that exist in the digital domain for rich and diverse collections to be created that allow for multiple perspectives.

Information Literacy Education in the South African Classroom: Reflections from Teachers’ Journals in the Western Cape Province

Abstract This qualitative study reports on teachers in the Western Cape as they attempt to embed information literacy in their classrooms. It explores how teachers come to understand information literacy and the extent to which they change their beliefs about guiding research projects in a more concerted way. The research questions were: (1) how do teachers understand information literacy education? (2) how do teachers make their information literacy explicit in the classroom? and (3) at what level are teachers’ web knowledge and skills? The teachers, who were part of an information literacy education course, formed a purposive sample. The data for this study emanated from solicited, reflective journals which participants kept over a period of eight to 10 weeks. Information seeking and use theory and an inquiry-based approach to learning frame this research. Motivation for the study is rooted in a curriculum which embodies information literacy characteristics. Traditionally, information literacy has been the domain of the school librarian. Only 16.82 % of South African schools have a stocked library. With so few school libraries and no official position in schools for a qualified school librarian, the onus for teaching information literacy thus rests on the teacher. This article provides the context for South African education and a review of the information literacy literature with an emphasis on South Africa and teachers’ information literacy. The results show that, despite many obstacles in these teachers’ paths, they express a fairly sound understanding of information literacy education by the end of the journaling exercise. However, fewer teachers can competently mediate information literacy in the classroom. One of the major barriers to information literacy is the teachers’ slow adoption of the World Wide Web. Recommendations for further study include examining teacher education programmes for their inclusion of information literacy education; for awareness of plagiarism and the ethics of information use in the school environment; and the effect of information and communication technology on learners’ information literacy.

Evaluating user education programmes for postgraduate students in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

Notwithstanding the wealth of information available in the knowledge economy, many academic library users still lack essential knowledge and skills to locate materials. This deficiency might be attributed to the fact that the information environment is complex and is changing quickly. The main purpose of a university library is two-fold. It involves providing information sources relevant for learning, teaching and research. It also involves empowering users by furnishing them with knowledge and skills that will assist them to be independent and lifelong users. The library is regarded as the core of any educational institution, particularly a university. The study described in this paper was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of user education programmes for postgraduate students in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, employing questionnaires for postgraduate students and interviews for subject librarians and academic coordinators. These data collection tools were presented sequentially, with questionnaires for students followed by interviews with library and academic coordinators. The findings revealed that, although there are pockets of good practice in user education, there is a need to reconsider the content, the mode, the scope, presentation strategies and overall relevance and suitability of user education programmes in line with user needs. There is also a need to consider issues of appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of instructional methods and pedagogical matters.