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SCECSAL 2000 CONFERENCE PAPERS: ABSTRACTSPapers presented at the SCECSAL 2000 Conference were published
in April 2000 by the Namibian Information Workers Association
(NIWA) in the following publication:
Below are the abstracts of the papers that were presented at SCECSAL 2000 Conference. Plenary Session 1: Training and Professional DevelopmentThe Practical Skills and Experiential Training in Distance Education Cataloguing Courses Using the Web by Linda M. Cloete - Library and Information Studies, Technikon SA Johannesburg, South Africa The training of cataloguers forms part of the education and training of librarians. Cataloguing forms an integral part of the curricula, and is still considered part of the core of library and information science courses. The functions and tasks of librarians in cataloguing departments have changed because of library automation and cooperative cataloguing. It has therefore become more important than ever that the cataloguers receive appropriate education and training through all possible modes. Alternative modes of learning practical cataloguing skills and experiential training in cataloguing need to be investigated. This paper attempts to address the possibility of using the web as a training mode. In this paper the advantages and disadvantages of a web-based training mode are analyzed. The applicability of using tutorials, drill and practice programs, simulations and instructional games to enhance training in cataloguing in the web environment, are discussed. This paper provides an overview on the possibilities of improving cataloguing courses, taught through distance education, by utilising computer-aided and web-based training applications. Teaching Information Literacy through Distance Education: Case Study of the Design of a Course at the Department of Information Science, University of South Africa by Dr Myrna Machet and Dr Shirley Behrens - Department of Information Science, University of South Africa Pretoria, South Africa The paper outlines the development of an information literacy course taught through distance learning by the Department of Information Science at the University of South Africa. The course addresses problems that under-prepared students experience in studying at university. It teaches students a topology of information skills to handle an information problem, as well as reading and writing skills. It also covers traditional library skills and using electronic sources. The information skills are transferable to other disciplines and aspects of learning once students have mastered them. The development of the curriculum is described, including the situational analysis and the use of a course team approach in design. The subject coverage and skills content of the two modules of the course are outlined, and the objectives and learning outcomes are highlighted. National Vocational Qualifications for Library and Information Services Support Staff: an Evaluative Case Study by Margaret Oldroyd - Division of Learning, Development, De Montfort University, UK. The creation, rationale and structure of the United Kingdom (UK) Information and Library Services National Vocational Qualifications for support staff is described. An evaluative case study is given of the implementation of the new qualification in the Department of Library Services at De Montfort University. Current development of the qualification in the U.K. is summarised and brief comments made on the transferability of the model to African libraries. Training of Archivists and Records Managers in the SCECSAL Region: a Survey of Existing Programmes and Facilities by Dr. Christopher M. Kangulu - Archival Studies/Records Management, Technikon SA, Johannesburg, South Africa This is a report of the results of a survey conducted to determine the existing programmes/ facilities for the training of archivists and records managers in the SCECSAL Region. Particular attention has been paid to identifying the institutions offering training in each of the SCECSAL member countries. As South Africa is a relatively new member in the SCECSAL grouping, an attempt has been made to sketch the recent developments in the training of archivists and records personnel there. The four exit levels archival studies programme offered through distance education by Technikon South Africa (TSA) has been used as a reference point. The results of the survey, among other things, indicate that most national archival institutions provide elementary training in registry procedures. Most Library and Information Studies Departments' curricula include archives and records management. There was a general consensus on the need to develop a regional archives and records management-training programme that could be used sparingly in the SCECSAL grouping.
Plenary Session 2: Marketing and Management of Library and Information ServicesMaximising Human Resources to Deliver the Library Strategy by Robert E Oldroyd - University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. The implementation of a library's strategic plan relies crucially on people with the necessary skills to carry it through. Training and staff development (TSD) issues should therefore form an integral part of the strategy. This paper explores ways of identifying training needs, balancing those of the organisation against those of individuals, and delivering the training. Training for managers, and their commitment to CPD, are highlighted as essential for success. Some factors relating to institutional procedures which may facilitate or hinder these developments are identified. Several ideas are proposed which may assist organisations needing to develop quickly. Experience at the University of Nottingham is referred to where helpful. Public Sector Marketing Research Techniques: a One Day Continuing Education Course for Public Librarians by - Dr. Christine M. Koontz and Dean K. Jue Florida Resources and Environmental Analysis Center, Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA; Dr. Myke Gluck - School of Information Studies, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA. Librarians conduct less marketing research than their public and private sector competitors primarily due to lack of training, limited budgets and relative newness in the marketing field. In today's era of competition for fewer public funds, it is important for libraries to identify changing population characteristics and needs to equitably provide the most desired and effective services and materials. For libraries, estimating the geographic market is essential in order to do this, and difficult. GIS, geographic information system software is a valuable tool for precise market definition and analysis yet rarely utilized by library managers. This paper reviews: 1) the marketing research course developed, and associated materials; 2) training for emerging technologies such as GIS, that facilitate systematic data collection and analysis; 3) factors that constrain and facilitate teaching methodologies; and 4) replicable materials and training which are accessible through a web site for no charge. Evaluation methodology of the effectiveness of the course materials and training is also reviewed. Strategic Marketing of Hybrid-library Services to Raise Revenue Externally and Internally Within the Parent Organization by Sello Borephe - Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, Vaal Triangle Technikon, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. This paper focuses on micro and macro level of strategic marketing issues challenging the library and information services industry as new technology brings the potential for drastic changes. More emphasis is put on strategic marketing of hybrid library services to raise revenue. It argues that academic libraries need to re-engineer their marketing strategies and reposition the hybrid-library services internally and externally. However, there are many advantages that might follow after the re-engineering of academic library in order to meet the needs of the users of the 21st Century. It further indicates that a decision to develop a strategic marketing plan of a hybrid-library service is an invitation to review the basis of a library's existence. Marketing tools such as push technology, Intranet, library-user education, national library week, academic integration programs as well as a sound marketing plan. Are important factors. Strategic Marketing Management Approach in Libraries: a Quest for Survival at University Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa by Damaris J.N. Odero - Moi University, Eldoret, KENYA and John K. Tsebe - University of the North, Sovenga, SOUTH AFRICA. Universities in the region and other parts of the world are going through an exciting and challenging process of transformation. University libraries as academic information centres supporting the core business of the university must also be transformed. The transformation of university libraries must be a participative and system activity addressing all the functional areas of the library simultaneously. Organizational transformation change requires a joint, co-operative and cross-functional approach. The authors observed that this type of approach is not common at university libraries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, and therefore humbly proposes a participative strategic management approach whereby strategic marketing of services is identified as one of the key strategic issues. A participative strategic management approach with a strong component of strategic marketing of services is viewed as an ethical imperative and an inevitable necessary condition for the enhancement of quality services at university libraries. This approach has a myriad of advantages which would ensure effective and efficient library and information services at universities
Plenary Session 3: Information Users and ServicesThe Changing Landscape of User Needs in the Electronic Environment: Implications for the SCECSAL Region by Gashaw Kebede - Department of Library Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The paper discusses changes in user needs evolving as a result of developments in electronic information resources (EIRs) and the implications of these changes to the SCECSAL region. It argues that user needs are going through significant changes as a result of the peculiar features of EIRs in which much of the information is currently made available globally. The changes in user needs are pointed out to particularly be affected by the unique features of EIRs vis-a-vis the state of the information environment in which users access and use the resources. Nature of the changes and how they come to being are discussed, followed by a possible approach to determining the nature of the changing user needs. The changing user needs are also noted to vary from one environment to another. The paper further attempts to discuss the implications of these changes for library and information systems in the SCECSAL region. It is argued that the needs of users in the region would be uniquely affected because of its unique information environment. Consequently, the paper stresses that the region has to determine the specific changes in user needs evolving in the electronic information environment of the region and take these into account in its effort to provide effective information services. In line with this, the paper discusses repackaging of electronic information, promoting electronic literacy, and conducting research geared toward addressing the peculiar changing needs of users of the region as major steps to be taken by the library and information science (LIS) profession in the region. The paper concludes by pointing out the importance of the LIS professional being prepared in knowledge, skills and attitude. Research on Measuring the Impact of Information on Rural Development by Prof. Kingo Mchombu - Department of Information and Communication Studies, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia. An action research study to investigate the impact of information on rural development was conducted in selected rural communities in three Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. This research, which lasted for three years, is a follow up to a previous study conducted from 1990-1992. It involved designing a rural information strategy in the participating communities from which a variety of information exchange activities were facilitated. An impact assessment was conducted towards the end of the project through interviews, observations and group discussions. The findings indicate that the information disseminated produced significant impact in agriculture, health, and education, but made little impact in the income generation sector. Both negative and positive factors in the achievement of impact are examined. The conclusion proposes an impact bearing model for a rural development information strategy.
Plenary Session 4: Special SessionsCo-operation Between Belgian Universities and the Sokoine National Library for Agriculture in Tanzania by Paul Nieuwenhuysen - Vrije Universiteit Brussel (V.U.B.), Belgium; Egbert De Smet - Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen (U.I.A.), Belgium; and Doris Matovelo - Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL), Tanzania. Reports on the progress that has been made in a co-operation project between Belgian universities and the Sokoine National Agricultural Library, which is also the University Library of the Sokoine University for Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania. Outlines the main aims of the project and reviews activities that have been implemented. Concludes that even though the project has been quite expensive and its implementation has been very slow, positive results are being achieved. The Paradox of Intellectual Freedom: the Way Forward for SCECSAL in the Third Millennium by Isaac Kikongo-Bukenya - East African School of Library and Information Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. The paper rotates on the hypothesis that intellectual freedom is mission impossible because it is working on a contradictory continuum. On one end of the continuum are frantic efforts by individual states, national and international organisations to ensure intellectual freedom. On the other end of the continuum, sovereign states and pressure groups have adopted measures to undermine intellectual freedom. The paper highlights efforts towards intellectual freedom in the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) , Uganda, and by national and international organisations and gives justification for such efforts. The Anti-Crusade Stance against intellectual freedom is explained mentioning specific measures taken by USA, UK and Uganda with some reference to South Africa, and Malawi. The paper finally discusses strategies to be adopted in the Third Millennium in the SCECSAL region if intellectual freedom is to be promoted and maintained for all its advantages, bearing in mind that there are arguments that too much intellectual freedom may be harmful to the very society it is meant to be protect. The Impact of Changing Government Structures on the Provision of Library and Information Services in South Africa by Ellen R. Tise, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa After the first democratic general elections in April 1994 in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) led government made far-reaching changes in the government structures at national, provincial and local levels. These changes have had a profound and sometimes negative impact on the provision of library and information services. This paper discusses the current position regarding public and school libraries, and suggest a way forward Business and Financial Information into the Next Millennium: the Case of Kenya by Symphrose Ouma, Institute of Banking and Finance, Kenya Commercial Bank, Nairobi, Kenya. Business has been defined as work that relates to production, buying, and selling of goods and services. Finance on the other hand is money or capital required to start and/or operate a business. This paper examines the set-up of business and finance in Kenya in the confines of the above definition. It is also clarified that business and finance are two distinct sectors. The information needs in the two sectors is further examined to shed light on the types and role into this millennium. To information professionals, information needs ought to be satisfied. It is in this regard that the paper examines the current set up of the availability and accessibility of business and financial information in Kenya. The current infrastructure is re-examined with proposals for the millennium. Such proposals are meant not only for Kenya but for the SCECSAL region as a whole.
Plenary Session 5: SCECSAL in the Global VillageThe World Wide Web as a Networking and Communication Tool: a Prototype of the SCECSAL Web Site - by Justin Chisenga - Department of Information and Communication Studies, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia, and Abebe Rorissa - University of Namibia Library, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia. The paper discusses and demonstrates how the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern Africans Librarians (SCECSAL) can use the World Wide Web (WWW) for professional networking and sharing of information. It proposes the creation of the SCECSAL home page and presents a prototype of the page and further suggests information to be made available on the Page. Further, discusses issues and mechanisms relating to the hosting and maintenance of the Page. Publishing ISIS Databases on the WWW : Techniques and Application with the WWWIRIS-Interface by Prof. Egbert de Smet - Library and Information Science, Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen (U.I.A.), Belgium. In view of the importance of the ISIS-software family on the African library and information scene on one hand and of the crucial role of catalogue-sharing in the growing process of library networking on the other hand, the possibility to publish ISIS-databases on the Web using a powerful but still very affordable tool based on WWWISIS needs to be widely promoted. This paper describes some general principles of publishing ISIS databases on the Web through the CGI-based WWWISIS software and elaborates on the set-up, required skills and manageability of applications based on it. As a concrete example the WWWIRIS-interface, developed by the author, is presented as an adaptable and advanced solution with features such as multi-lingua, database interface- and display format selection, a user-defined number of Boolean search statements and two-stage result presentation with through-linking and through-searching. An optional data-entry feature to edit records is also available. South African Consortium Introduces Electronic Document Delivery Using the Ariel System by - Jenny Raubenheimer - University of South Africa Library, Pretoria, South Africa. The Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC) in South Africa is one of the nation's first attempts to pool resources in a multi-million volume regional virtual library. The GAELIC objective is to deliver documents of high copy quality faster and cost effectively. Ariel, the electronic document delivery system of the Research Libraries Group in the United States, has been selected by the consortium as the standard for timely transfer of electronic information. A literature study of this system, which included a study of a test conducted by one of the GAELIC libraries and an assessment of the need for this delivery mode, indicated that Ariel could support resource sharing in the consortium. Libraries of the Future: Implications for University Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa by Stephen M. Mutula - Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. Information technology development in the 21st century including computerised digital libraries, the Internet, the World Wide Web services and information superhighways have brought about an information revolution that has made the world so close that we have reached the point of realisation of Marshall McLuhan's prediction in the mid sixties of a global village of instant communication. Today electronic records are making up a significant proportion of the information holdings of many libraries. Electronic information is resident on microcomputers, optical disks, magnetic media, optical?magnetic media, networked systems or servers. This paper examines developments in digital libraries and the implications for libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa. The concepts?'digital libraries' and 'libraries of the future' are used synonymously in this paper.
Plenary Session 6: Library and Information Professional AssociationsSCECSAL: Still Groping for an Identity at Twenty-Six? by Charles B. M. Lungu - Copperbelt University Library, Kitwe, Zambia. The Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Librarians (SCECSAL) has existed as a forum for librarians and information specialists in this part of Africa since 1974. Since then, the SCECSAL has been holding biennial meetings on a rotational basis among its member countries in the region. These meetings have become so routine or traditional, that library and information professionals in the region have eagerly looked forward to them. Indeed, attendance at these meetings over the years has dramatically increased, and the professions represented, though all information related, have also increased. This is in spite of the apparent increases in costs related to attending this conference. It is also evident that the quality of organization, the quality of papers, and the quality of discussions have also improved. By and large, whether by coincidence or by design SCECSAL has been a success story for the region. Parallel Session I: Agricultural Information Systems and ServicesPRAIS - Programme for Agricultural Information Services by Huibre C. Lombard and Radilene Le Grange - University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, has provided a Question and Answer Service on agricultural matters to the African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) states since 1985. In 1997 it decided to regionalize its services and investigated various countries in Africa to carry out the service. The libraries of the University of the Orange Free State and the Agricultural Research Council were selected as partners in a pilot project to get the service under way. In addition, the Southern African Bibliographic Information Network (SABINET) was chosen to supply access to databases and information infrastructure. The pilot project started on July 20th 1998. This paper describes the development and activities of the project as well as the way ahead. Electronic Information Availability in Southern Africa and its Implications for the Management of Indigenous Agricultural Information in the Region by Bright Nkhata - Botswana Technology Centre, Gaborone, Botswana. The paper discusses developments that have taken place in the management and accessibility of agricultural information with a focus on the use of electronic media. It critically discusses various activities that were aimed at providing electronic access to agricultural information over the years. It evaluates the role of donor and recipient organizations and highlights the successes and failures of these efforts. It further highlights the position of the management of indigenous agricultural information in relation to electronic storage and accessibility of such unique and essential type of information. The paper will further demonstrate that despite all the efforts made to make available agricultural information electronically, there is a significant gap in the existence of indigenous agricultural information in electronic media. Finally, the paper will propose strategies for the improvement of such a situation. Towards Relevance: Shaping a New Agricultural Information Service to Meet the Needs of Namibia's Educators in the Digital Age by Margaret E Ngwira - Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia. A survey carried out by the author in 1997 - 1998 on the information needs of agricultural teachers in the remote parts of northern Namibia revealed that a major constraint was the lack of teaching materials relevant to Namibia's unique agro-ecosystems. This constraint also faces lecturers in the tertiary agricultural training sector. The paper describes a project within the University of Namibia agricultural and environmental library service to provide capacity for lecturers and learners to develop learning materials relevant to Namibia's diverse agricultural environment. The project, partially funded by the Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Canada has been underway since April 1999. It aims to provide a variety of training, physical and digital resources. These include provision of a library of over 1000 digital images of agricultural, environmental and processing activities, specifically hotographed throughout Namibia. A digital camera is also provided under the project for staff to capture their own images as required. The paper further considers the role of the Library in supporting future teaching and learning activities, where video conferencing is being viewed as a possible means of teaching students on the widely scattered campuses. The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL) : Filling the Need for Journal Literature in Developing Countries by Gracian Chimwaza - TEEAL Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe. There has been substantial investment in research and education capability in African universities over the last three decades. However, scientists in these universities continue to conduct research with very limited access to the world's published knowledge. Access to the world's most important scholarship is essential to progress. Typically this is found in the major scholarly science journals. But these journals are expensive, with prices which increase at a rate of 11%-16% every year. Subscriptions are beyond the financial ability of many developing country institutions; their libraries have small, often old and incomplete collections. But now the generosity of leading scientific publishers together with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation and Cornell University have made possible The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library-a constantly updated collection of 130 of the best scholarly journals on CD-ROM at a price for developing countries substantially below what institutions in the developed countries must pay.
Parallel Session II : Archives and Records ManagementRecords Management in Africa: Three Case Studies and A Proposal by Paul Sturges - Department of Information Science Loughborough University, UK. Records Management is arguably the most neglected of the information sciences. The literature of the topic is small, there are few training programmes, the status of the work is low and organizations do not invest sufficiently in the knowledge resources which are in their possession. This is true throughout the world, and it is definitely the case in Africa. The nature of this in Africa problem is illustrated more precisely by three cases studies which use different research techniques and relate to different countries and different sectors. First, a programme of interviews with representative of business and administrative institutions in Zimbabwe about their requirements for information personnel revealed that whilst they are aware of a need for better quality records management within their own organizations, they have no immediate plans to rectify this situation. Second, a participant observation programme in Kenyan legal and medical institutions identified the records management practices in use and showed that these consistently failed to meet the objectives of the organization with potentially disastrous effects on clients. Finally an information audit in a major Ethiopian parastatal identified the information requirements of the organization, mapped its existing information and knowledge resources, and showed how little the latter were matched to the former. It is proposed that much of the problem revealed by these studies can be alleviated without high levels of capital expenditure. Organizations need to develop records policies in which their information needs are directly reflected by the preservation, organization and accessibility of relevant documentation. They also need codes of practice inspired by the same understanding of the purpose of the activity. These policies and practices require good staff training if they are to be effective. Archives on the World Wide Web: the case of the National Archives of Namibia by Renate Morgenstern - University of Namibia Library Windhoek, Namibia. The paper reviews the creation and development of electronic access to Namibian information sources on the Web site of the National Archives of Namibia. (http://www.natarch.mec.gov.na) It presents the historical background of the computerization process at the National Archives, the conversion of the old databases to the present format of CDS/ISIS for World Wide Web access, the implementation of Internet access at the National Archives, and the development and expansion of the Web site to its present state, giving a description of the databases and on?line resources available on the site. Experiences and outcomes of the use of the system show that the site is chiefly accessed by users outside Namibia. Possibilities for future expansion and improvement of the site are briefly discussed. Records Management at Tertiary Institutions in the SCECSAL Region at the Dawn of the New Millennium by Margaret Taylor - University of Namibia Library ? Archival Unit, Windhoek, Namibia. The paper looks at the status and role of sound records management at tertiary institutions in the SCECSAL region. It is clear from the lack of literature and the lack of basic information on the web sites of various tertiary institutions (universities, polytechnics and technikons) that very little, if any attention is paid to this very important aspect of information provision at these institutions. It also discusses possible causes and reasons for this neglect; makes some suggestions as to how to reverse this trend; discusses some of the efforts of the International Council on Archives (ICA) to encourage and promote records management through the work of its section for University and Research Organizations (ICA/SUV) and the work of the International Records Management Trust in this regard and describes what has happened at the University of Namibia (UNAM) in the area of records management since 1997
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