Library And Information Association Of South Africa Research Articles

Peter J Lor: mentor and mentee unbounded

PurposeAn attribute common throughout Lor’s distinguished career has been a passion for learning and continuous improvement in an approach that sets high standards, both for himself and others. Taking on the informal mantle of both mentor and mentee, these contributions have blended with no clear boundaries or timelines.Design/methodology/approachLor has been active in the library and information sector (LIS) landscape since the 1960s. A stalwart of the library and information profession, the author is being honoured by International Federation of Library Associations and Institution (IFLA) with a prestigious festschrift in recognition of a librarian who has made a sustained contribution to the library and information profession over decades with significant impact on academia, scholarship, praxis, communities and individual librarians.FindingsLor is recognized as a lifelong mentee as evidenced by his unbounded forays into discovery driven by a natural curiosity that, in turn, shaped his approach to mentoring through teaching, instilling best practices in research methodology and significant contributions to international librarianship. Today this continues in a regular column for South African librarians, drawing from the international literature of books, libraries and information, his role as a key figure in the establishment of Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) in the 1990s, as well as experience from close involvement in developing LIS policies for post-apartheid South Africa, drafting guidelines for national library legislation and serving as IFLA Secretary-General in The Hague.Originality/valueThis viewpoint has been an attempt to share reflections on one individual’s lifetime of influence without borders or timelines. Without doubt, Lor’s global mentorship reach remains unbounded in his approach to critical thinking and desire for continuous improvement for himself and others.

Continuing Professional Development opportunities in Information and Communication Technology for academic librarians at the Durban University of Technology

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a vital tool for maintaining the skills and expertise of staff, especially with regard to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). There is little information available about the involvement of librarians in South Africa with CPD: this study focused on academic librarians at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Library, seeking their attitudes towards CPD and its provision. It employed a qualitative approach in its research design. Questionnaires were utilised to collect information from twenty-five academic librarians. Follow-up interviews were conducted with five respondents. The overall study indicated that, although the respondents were aware of the importance of CPD and the impact of ICT on library resources and services, not all of them kept abreast of CPD activities within their field. The respondents believed that the institutions and the professional body, the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), should work together to encourage and promote CPD activities. By encouraging CPD activities within the Library and Information Science (LIS) sector, the quality of librarianship and service delivery within the LIS would improve. Half of the respondents agreed about the importance of CPD becoming compulsory within the LIS profession and 55% of respondents considered that LIASA had a potentially important role to play in promoting CPD. However, in separate interviews, several respondents expressed doubt about the capacity of LIASA to fulfil this role.

A Directory to International LIS Education Accreditation Processes: Part II

Let us continue to look at the LIS education accreditation processes across the world in Part II of this directory. This time, readers will find information on the accreditation processes for higher education in general, and LIS education in particular in Ireland, Germany, and South Africa. In Ireland, the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) accredits only LIS programs that meet the academic quality assurance requirements of the state agency Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). In South Africa, a LIS program provider will first contact the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) for input before submitting the accreditation application to The Council on Higher Education (CHE), the statutory body in South Africa for quality assurance in higher education. In Germany, the Accreditation Council is the central decision-making body that is responsible for the accreditation of all study programs of any disciplines in Germany. There is no specialized accreditation institution for LIS accreditations, and German Library Associations is not involved in the LIS education accreditation processes.

SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY SERVICES: A STATUS REPORT

Parliamentary libraries can play a significant role in the information behaviour of parliamentarians. With the exception of the Library of National Parliament, also known as the Library and Information Unit, in Cape Town, South Africa, the other nine South African parliamentary libraries are relatively new institutions that mostly resulted from the democratic processes that took place in the country in 1994. The Library of National Parliament services the National Assembly, while the other nine parliamentary libraries service the provincial legislatures. Initial status reports compiled in 2004 and 2007 indicated limited and very traditional services and sources in many of the parliamentary libraries. Five years later, an attempt was made to establish if improvements and innovations had been implemented in the parliamentary libraries to serve parliamentarians optimally. A quantitative survey was carried out among all ten parliamentary libraries using a questionnaire. The major findings were that although most of the libraries were offering the same kind of services, very few innovative services had been introduced. A steady increase in online journals, newspapers and databases was observed, thereby indicating a shift towards incorporating digital content and making information available online. A few of the libraries had introduced technology to their services by way of a library portal, Facebook presence, or by using a library blog. Recommendations include: establishing a consortium among the parliamentary libraries to enable information sharing; extending services to a wider clientele; and establishing a platform through the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) where issues and challenges can be discussed.

Research Data Management in South Africa: How We Shape Up

This paper will explore some of the views that were expressed during the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) workshop held in cooperation with the UK's Digital Curation Centre (DCC) in March 2014. The event provided an ideal opportunity to assess librarians' views on the changing research data management landscape and to consider how these changes might affect the role of academic librarians in South Africa. The paper compares these views with experiences garnered through the DCC's work to support universities in the UK.

A report on the Second Biennial DISSAnet Conference � Prolissa: Pretoria 2002

Introduction The democratisation of South Africa culminated in changes and growth in the library and information science (LIS) profession. The formation of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) came as a result of such transformation. Unfortunately, most changes were more focused on strengthening the resource base in terms of material and information technologies. Arguably, the skill of utilising these technologies at an advanced level was inappropriate (Wormell 2002). Sewdass (2002) discloses further that very little attention was paid to human resource development, especially in terms of research capabilities. It is believed that through research the LIS profession can make a significant contribution to library and information theory and practice in South Africa and far beyond her borders. Menou and Bishop, Menou, Mchombu and Miti as well as Mlaki in Mchombu (2002) all concur that LIS research should expand its horizons to go beyond the information dissemination and use paradigm. They feel that LIS profession should be an active element of the civil society, democratisation and global community. Fortunately, the challenge can be achieved by conducting research on policy issues at national and international level, whilst on the other hand developing multi-faceted knowledge relevant mostly to the African context. It is thus, crucial that the LIS profession grows and strengthens its resolve to avoid marginalisation as one of those professions that are no longer viable in this new political dispensation. Ultimately, the international development program for LIS research in South Africa DISSAnet was formed by Professors Irene Wormell, Peter Ingwersen of the Royal School of Library and Information Science in Copenhagen and Theo Bothma of the University of Pretoria in collaboration with the representatives of the Danish International Development (DANIDA) to promote LIS research in South Africa. DISSAnet is the acronym for the Development of Information Science in Southern Africa Network. The project was planned for six weeks over a period of three years, from 1998 to 2000. A total number of 20 registered Masters and Doctoral students were selected from different institutions of higher learning. The main focus of project was to provide and enhance skill’s development specifically in scientific research, as well as to provide a platform for networking among LIS practitioners in South Africa. This was achieved through a series of lectures on diverse subject areas and the candidates’ active participation in conducting research and presenting and publishing the output in local and international conferences and publications consecutively.

Burning Libraries for the People: Questions and Challenges for the Library Profession in South Africa

DE GRUYTER Abstract: Since 2005 at least fifteen community and pub - lic libraries have been deliberately set alight in South African townships and informal settlements, reportedly by individuals or groups from the communities which these libraries were intended to serve. This has given rise to dismay, horror and outrage among librarians. This ar- ticle seeks to situate the deliberate destruction of librar- ies in a broader international context before focusing on the South African context of what are commonly called service delivery protests. An overview is given of some recent scholarly analyses of violent protests in South Afri- can communities in an attempt to answer four questions: (1) what were the circumstances in which libraries were set alight? (2) who did this? (3) were libraries deliberately tar- geted or were they simply collateral damage? and (4) if li- braries were deliberately targeted, what motivated this? A fifth question concerns how the South African library pro - fession responded to these incidents. Using the burning of the Ratanda Library on 20 March 2012 as a case study, the article explores the response of the South African library profession to the incident. In an analysis of the content of contributions posted on the discussion list and website of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), four main groups of themes are identified. These concern expressions of revulsion, the impact of the inci- dent, professional action, and underlying societal issues. The article concludes with some observations on the re- sponses of the South African library community.

Membership of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) among library and information science workers in KwaZulu-Natal

A study was undertaken in 2007 among library and information service (LIS) workers in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to investigate LIASA membership trends. The objectives of the study were to investigate: 1) the extent to which workers in library and information services in KwaZulu-Natal are members of LIASA; and 2) the reasons for non-membership, if there are substantial numbers of LIS workers who are not members. The purpose of this paper is to report on the main findings of this study. The study surveyed three types of library services in KwaZulu-Natal, namely, academic, public and special libraries with 330 LIS workers participating in the study. A census was done of LIS workers in special libraries and in academic libraries of public higher education institutions in KZN. Simple random sampling was used to select public libraries in KZN for participation in the study. All staff in the selected sample of public libraries were surveyed. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather the required data from the target population. It was established that a significant number of LIS workers in all three types of libraries surveyed in KZN are not members of LIASA for various reasons. LIASA has been unable to draw significant membership from the support staff category in LIS services despite its constitution claiming to embrace all LIS workers. The study recommends that LIASA market itself more aggressively to increase membership levels particularly in the public library sector and among support staff in all LIS services. It also recommends that LIASA should consider involving itself in the industrial concerns of the LIS sector.

Ethnic Identity and Library Development in Apartheid South Africa: The Cape Library Association, 1960–1975

In June 1960, the Cape Library Association (CLA) was founded with the aim to establish library services and promote librarianship among Coloureds in South Africa, especially in the rural areas of the Cape Province. This article asks why the CLA had felt the need to operate along ethnic lines, and examines its relationships with the South African Library Association (SALA), the Cape Provincial Library Service (CPLS), and rural municipal authorities. It draws on interviews with former office holders, newsletters, tour reports, annual reports, issues of its own bulletin, and secondary sources to shed light on debates about an ethnic focus and social uplift. An analysis of contemporary historical circumstances offers insights into how a small library association dealt with the challenges of inclusion and exclusion, and of belonging to the South African library community. Ultimately, two Coloureds served as presidents of the new unified Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), which was launched in 1997.

Library associations in South Africa, 1930‐2005

PurposeThe purpose of the article is to review the historical development in South Africa of library and information service associations, and to highlight events in the process that culminated in the founding in 1997 of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA).Design/methodology/approachThis is a general review from 1930 to the present, based on published and unpublished material and personal engagement. Some analysis of the significance of events from a current perspective is included. The paper covers the founding in 1930 of the South African Library Association, attempts in the 1960s and 1970s to achieve greater recognition for libraries by government, the transformation of SALA in 1980 into the graduate South African Institute for Library and Information Science; and, in the early 1990s and the first years of democratic rule in South Africa, the emergence of “alternative” “democratic” library and information science (LIS) associations and initiatives. Participation in the 1991‐1992 African National Congress‐based National Education Policy Initiative (NEPI) led to a number of shared LIS events in the mid‐1990s that bridged the apartheid years and prepared the ground for LIASA. The rise of other significant but smaller specialist associations and their subsequent relationship with LIASA is also described.FindingsIn addition to documenting events, this paper reveals the continuing efforts on the part of members of the LIS sector over 75 years to exercise influence on government and in the broad community. Problems identified in 1929 are still reflected in 2005.Originality/valueThe value of the paper lies in its use of unpublished ephemeral records and the use and consolidation of information in scattered and previously unused published sources.

Strategies by LIASA to Develop Library Services and the Profession in South Africa

Paper presented at the World Library and Information Congress, 69th IFLA General Conference, Berlin, Germany, 1–8 August 2003. Provides an overview of library and information services in South Africa; the historical background of library associations in South Africa and their current position; issues facing library and information services in South Africa; strategies adopted by the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) to develop the profession and library and information services in South Africa, and the way forward. The big question is, can library associations assist in bringing about social change?