Research Articles (Library and Information Science)

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Outcomes-based education and non-English mother tongue speakers from disadvantaged environments: a double-edged handicap to acquiring information literacy
(Unisa Press, 2000) Zinn, Sandy;
Information literacy is the ability to access and critically engage with information, and to communicate new understandings which lead to knowledge and wisdom. Information literacy skills are incorporated in our outcomes-based educations critical, cross-curricular outcomes. Our new learner-centred, resource- based curriculum places a premium on acquiring information literacy skills. Access to a resource rich learning environment favours the development of information literacy and the success of outcomes-based education. Most schools in South Africa lack basic learning resources and in African languages there exists the greatest dearth. Using an informal study of 65 historically disadvantaged schools in Cape Town, the author explores issues of language and cognition, learning resources in the mother tongue, and new teaching methodologies, in particular resource-based learning's learner-centred approach.
The information landscape: political democracy versus epistemic games with specific reference to South African communities
(University of Free State, 2004) Witbooi, Sally
The South African government and proffessions are taking stock of the transforamtion of the last decade. Manucipalities still face serious problems such as urbun populattion growth, poverty, housing shortages environmental and health problems.
Public libraries in South Africa: Agents or victims of educational change?
(LIASA Forum Press, 2004) Hart, Genevieve
The paper explores the impact of educational change in South Africa on public libraries. It surveys the recent literature to conclude that the position of school libraries is precarious and that public librarians feel victimised by the new curriculum. This represents a puzzling contradiction, as librarians� expectations were that the ethos and methodologies of the new curriculum, Curriculum 2005 (C2005), would provide a more favourable climate. The curriculum has indeed brought increased use of public libraries by school learners yet there has been little recognition in official quarters of the educational role of public libraries. It is suggested that, if librarians are to gain a better footing in curriculum planning, they need to engage with educationists as to the role libraries play in resource-based learning. They will need to provide documented evidence by means of research studies. As an example of such a study, the paper describes the author�s study of school learners� use of two public libraries in a disadvantaged community in Cape Town. The libraries were found to be playing a crucial role in the learning programme of the learners. However, it is suggested that the two libraries need to design more systematic structured programmes if the needs of school learners for information literacy education are to be met. This might require explicit endorsement of their educational role by their own governance structures and the provincial Education Department.
Conquering the publishing silences of black academic women
(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Rhoda, Anthea; Maurtin-Cairncross, Anita; Phillips, Julie; Witbooi, Sally
Although women fulfil and play meaningful roles in the academic life of universities, their contributions have seldom been acknowledged. The voices of women outside of the dominant western context of knowledge production such as women in South African historically black universities(HBUs), remains largely maginalized. Women at these HUBs have indicated a need for mentoring and support to assist with their scholarly endeavours
�Don�t they know how important it is?� A case study of information literacy education in a small South African town
(International Association of School Librarianship, 2006) Hart, Genevieve
The paper comes out of a month-long case study of information literacy education in two public libraries in a small South African town in the rural province of Mpumalanga, undertaken in October 2004. The participant observation study is the second phase of a two-phase mixed methods study, which explores the capacity of public libraries in South Africa for information literacy education � in the context of the dire shortage of school libraries. The focus in the second phase is on the connections between public libraries and schools. However, the relations between the two libraries and their staff members are found to impact on these relations with the study finding that historical context and the conflicts arising from unequal positions of power impact significantly on information literacy education in the town. The paper concentrates, however, on just two threads of enquiry: the views of teachers and principals in the seven schools of the town on the educational role of libraries as revealed in interviews; and pupils� use of the two public libraries in seeking information for their school assignments. The study reveals a lack of cognizance of the high level demands of information-seeking in libraries among the teachers. They tend to see the library as a warehouse from which things are �fetched�. The study finds a paradox � a gulf certainly exists between the public libraries and schools but the gulf comes from shared limited conceptions of the educational role of public libraries and of information literacy. The intense gaze of the participant observation contributes a nuanced understanding of the challenges for information literacy education in South Africa.
The information literacy education readiness of public libraries in Mpumalanga Province
(Walter de Gruyter, 2006) Hart, Genevieve
This study examines if public libraries in a province in South Africa are ready to assume an enhanced responsibility for information literacy education, specifically that of students, and, if so, what inhibiting and facilitating factors might exist. The public libraries in the rural province of Mpumalanga provide the case site. �Readiness�, at one level, refers to physical capacity and, on a second level, to more subjective attributes such as staff attitudes and beliefs. The paper reports on the first phase of the study � in which both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered by means of a questionnaire/interview survey of 57 public librarians in 46 sites. The study finds that Mpumalanga public libraries are indeed heavily engaged in serving school learners. Shortcomings in certain physical facilities, such as the lack of space and absence of retrieval tools, are inhibiting factors with the heritage of apartheid still impacting on the availability of and quality of service. The low level of professional education of public library staff is found to impede innovation in library programming. The prevailing information literacy education model largely comprises oneto- one support, although there is a fair amount of source-based group library orientation. Moving towards information literacy education will depend on a shift in conceptions of the educational role of public libraries. In the absence of recognition of their curricular role by public library authorities and educators, many public librarians are not sure that their services to school learners are legitimate. There is, however, dawning recognition that present approaches are not meeting the needs of school learners and that more effective communication with educators is required. This recognition comes from public librarians� frustrating encounters with learners rather than from insight into information literacy education theory and experience. The fundamental conclusion is that sustainable information literacy education in public libraries will depend on more dynamic leadership and on a vision of a new model of public library.
Educators and public librarians: Unwitting partners in the information literacy education of South African youth?
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006) Hart, Genevieve
The article details a study which examined the capacity of public libraries to offer information literacy education in South Africa. It investigates the perceptions of public library staff on their role in information literacy education. It provides a background on public libraries and literacy programs in the country. Findings of the research are discussed.
Social capital: a fresh vision for public libraries in South Africa
(Library and Information Association of South Africa, 2007) Hart, Genevieve
The article argues that the construct of social capital offers South African public librarianship fresh vision � urgently needed if it is to fulfil its potential role in social inclusion. Social capital refers to the stocks of social trust, norms and networks that a community can draw on to solve common problems. A wide body of research in Southern Africa bears witness to its role in the success of development projects. Restrictive economic policies, coupled with new demands, have put pressure on public libraries and research points to a prevailing low morale among their staff, who, it is suggested, find themselves caught in the transition towards new models of service. Government�s acceptance of social capital as a crucial tool in the developmental state and the news of its intervention to transform South African public libraries suggest the need to articulate the library as �a place for all�. In reaction to neglect in the literature of social capital, internationally, librarians have documented their building of social capital through their education, information and community programmes. This work offers South African librarians a rich resource to draw on in their search for new direction and vision
The conundrum of school libraries in South Africa
(Library and Information Association of South Africa, 2007) Zinn, Sandy; Hart, Genevieve
Introduction: The first democratic elections in 1994, leading to the end of apartheid education, new educational legislation and a new curriculum, brought fresh optimism to South African school library circles. This was prompted by two lines of thought. First, it was hoped that the merging of the 19 racially based departments and fairer provisioning might redress the unequal distribution of school libraries across previously advantaged and disadvantaged sectors. Second, South African educational reform echoed international trends in its emphasis on developing lifelong learners who are able to compete in the information society.
Converting the card catalogue of the National Library of South Africa, Cape Town Campus, into a machine-readable format
(Ashgate Publishing, 2008) Coetzee, Helena; Skelly, Lara
In 2006 the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Cape Town Campus, began a project to convert its substantial card catalogue to machine-readable form. The article gives an overview of the Library's collections and catalogue and describes the project methodology. Funding was secured from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and an in-house team appointed to begin the conversion. In order to meet project deadlines, the work of the in-house team was later supplemented by outsourcing the entry of records into the online catalogue. With the successful completion of the project, NLSA has been able to offer Internet access to many rare publications, whose whereabouts have previously been little known, and a significant contribution has been made to the bibliographic control of South African imprints.
Readiness to adopt e-learning: pioneering a course in school librarianship education
(Library and Information Association of South Africa, 2009) Zinn, Sandy
E-learning has come of age in South African higher education but scepticism, caution and an inadequate reward system for innovative teaching methods have resulted in a slow uptake by academics. Within this milieu the author pioneered a course in the ACE School Librarianship programme. The study describes the e-learning experiences of the course participants gleaned from questionnaire responses to questions related to experiences of ICTs, the Internet and online learning, ability to navigate the e-learning environment, utilization of elements of the learning management system and implementation of course ideas in their respective schools and personal lives. The study also provides an opportunity for the author to reflect on her pioneering experiences with e-learning and how she would approach it differently next time. The main lessons learned were that 1) the e-learning environment is not necessarily intuitive and participants need opportunities to digest novel features such as the discussion forum; 2) several of the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning that appear in the research literature are identified in this study; and 3) setting up an e-learning course is best achieved incrementally.
New vision, new goals, new markets? Reflections on a South African case study of community library services
(Library and Information Association of South Africa, 2010) Hart, Genevieve
The article reflects on a case study of a group of six school-based dual use libraries in rural South Africa � focusing specifically on their community role. Its starting point is the library and information services (LIS) Transformation Charter�s vision of public libraries that play a meaningful role in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The study employed a mix of data gathering methodologies � interviews, observation and analysis of documents. The key question that emerges from the study relates to the rather low usage of the libraries by the adults in the surrounding villages. All six libraries claim to provide �access� but it is not clear what they provide access to. The study suggests that a sharper focus on their community information services is required. More leadership, staff education and focused programming might enable the libraries to fulfil their exciting potential.
Places for all? Cape Town's public library services to gays and lesbians
(Library and Information Association of South Africa, 2010) Hart, Genevieve; Mfazo, Ncumisa
The article reports on an investigation of the provision of gay and lesbian literature and of information services to gays and lesbians in Cape Town�s public libraries. Although by definition public libraries serve all members of a community, the international literature suggests that they neglect the reading and information needs and interests of gays and lesbians. The progressive South African Constitution views the rights of gays and lesbians as human rights; yet homophobia is prevalent. Using a questionnaire, the study explored attitudes and practices of 69 senior librarians, responsible for collection development, across all six of Cape Town�s library districts. The situation was found to be �spotty� with only 26 respondents believing that their library service is meeting the needs of gays and lesbians. The survey found contradictions between stated beliefs and behaviours. Thus, although most agree that LGBT rights to information and equal services are human rights, only 55% consider LGBT people in their selection procedures and very little material is acquired. Information services are thin with, for example, only 10% of the libraries in the survey providing LGBT related information in their community information files.
Job satisfaction in a South African academic library in transition
(Elsevier, 2010) Hart, Genevieve
Job satisfaction was investigated at a South African university library undergoing change on many fronts. The study included 31 members of staff and the data were gathered via interviews/questionnaires, informed by standard HRM job satisfaction theory. The study found a �love�hate� relationship between respondents and their work. The key positive finding is that 61% report overall job satisfaction�with the core work of an academic library, providing for the information needs of clients, the source. However, only 51% claim to be proud to work at their library and 50% are open to other job offers. Causes for the restlessness include a sense of stagnation, frustration with inadequate resources, and anger at poor remuneration.
Challenges for information literacy education at a university of technology
(University of Kwazulu Natal, 2010) Hart, Genevieve; Davids, Marion
The article reports on an action research project to investigate the effectiveness of an information literacy intervention for first year engineering students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The intervention consisted of two workshops which aimed to teach the students to find information relevant to their essays via the university�s OPAC and engineering databases and to reference and cite their sources. The project assessed students� information skills before and after the two workshops with the use of a questionnaire consisting of a set of questions based on some of the American College and Research Library (ACRL) standards. The research provides insight into how information literacy education at CPUT library can be improved. Its major recommendations are that more time in the timetable must be allocated to information literacy education and that lecturers should recognise the educational role of librarians.
E-book usage amongst academic librarians in South Africa
(Library & Information Association of South Africa, 2011) Zinn, Sandy; Langdown, Natasha
The purpose of this study completed in 2010 was to investigate the use of e-books amongst academic librarians; in particular which e-books are available to academic librarians, why they choose this format, what impact e-books have on librarians� professional practice and what the usage patterns of e-books are amongst academic librarians. A web-based questionnaire was distributed on the LIASA mailing list. The results reflect a more gradual trend towards e-book adoption. There is still a preference for print or a �bit of both� � print and electronic. This is because of the high costs of e-books using the subscription model as the predominant e-book acquisition model and the lack of sufficient e-books in all subject fields. E-books are used for �browsing for information� and are selected for functionalities such as having the ability to search the document, anytime access and automatic citation. Major problems identified with e-books are: the cost of the equipment to read e-book formats; the cost of the e-books, especially if the subscription purchasing model is used; the lack of reliability of the Internet; and the lack of training in the use of e-books.
The �tricky business� of dual use school community libraries: A case study in rural South Africa
(Walter de Gruyter, 2011) Hart, Genevieve
The article describes an interpretive case study of a group of six dual use school community libraries in one remote region of South Africa. Its focus is rather more on the libraries as school libraries than public libraries. The recent government sponsored LIS Transformation Charter has placed a spotlight on the backlogs in school and public library provision. The case study, conducted in April 2009, investigates if dual or joint use libraries might help fill gaps and, if so, under what conditions. The article describes background, research questions, methodology, site and some of the findings. The study highlights the relationships among role-players, the realities of dual use functioning and the complex issue of librarian identity. The study concludes that, although many of the international criteria for dual use libraries are not met, the six libraries do provide a crucial service for their schools and other schools in the surrounding areas. And they offer a tantalising picture of the possibilities of dual use for rural information services. The article suggests that with more dynamic leadership these possibilities could be fulfilled.
Now into big strides: report on statutory status for the South African Library and Information Services sector
(Library & Information Association of South Africa, 2012) Raju, Reggie; Witbooi, Sally; Goosen, Annamarie
The road to acquiring statutory status for the Library and Information Services (LIS) sector in South Africa has been traversed numerous times over the last sixty to seventy years. In more recent years, there has been renewed vigour to explore the acquisition of statutory status for the sector in South Africa. As part of this process of acquiring statutory status, a number of studies have been conducted. This paper examines the latest drive by the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) to solicit the views of a cross section of LIS personnel with regard to the sector acquiring statutory status. This issue of the acquisition of statutory status is earmarked as a priority in the recently developed Strategic Directions 2010-2014 document of LIASA. At the 2009 LIASA Conference, a clear mandate was given for a national survey to be conducted to solicit the views of personnel that work in the LIS sector with regard to the said issue. The authors administered a short questionnaire to a sample population representing all categories of staff irrespective of whether they belonged to an association or not. The questionnaire was administered using Survey Monkey. This paper reports the results of that survey. Given the overwhelming support for the acquisition of statutory status, the authors examined significant elements that would need to be crafted into the governance structures of a statutory body for the sector.
How school libraries improve literacy: some evidence from the trenches
(Unisa Press, 2013) Hart, Genevieve
The article comes out of a panel discussion, featuring five teacher-librarians, which was broadcast to schools across the Western Cape Province of South Africa in 2011. Four of the panelists are graduates of the University of the Western Cape's school librarian programme. The request for the broadcast came from two managers of the Qids-Up school improvement project in the Western Cape Education Department, which has sent collections of books to over 400 historically disadvantaged schools across the province. The aim of the project was to improve prevailing low literacy levels with injections of attractive reading materials in the languages spoken in the schools. The two managers, however, were concerned that the donations of books had had little impact. The article focuses on participants' stories about their reading projects. The discussion provides inspiring and convincing evidence for those, like the author, who have been arguing for years that without libraries and dedicated school- or teacher-librarians, the millions spent on book donations and literacy projects might be wasted.
Initiating mobile phone technology using QR codes to access library services at the University of Cape Town
(SAGE, 2013) Mohamed, Shehaamah
This article reports on an innovative project which grew out of the desire to facilitate access to information using the Quick Response (QR) Code. Easily read by mobile phones with cameras, the QR Code provides a simple but effective means for library patrons to access library resources. The article explores the need to use the QR Code in the Brand van Zyl Law Library, University of Cape Town (UCT), for accessing academic library services. Although relatively new in South Africa, QR Codes have been used successfully by some local educational institutions. Against this background, the article reports on a needs analysis which was conducted at the Brand Van Zyl Law Library and recommends the accelerating use of QR Codes in the academic environment.

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