Research Articles (Library and Information Science)

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All together now?
(International Association of School Librarianship Conference, 2019) Nassimbeni, Mary
The paper explores the meaning of the recently drafted National Policy for Library and Information Services (NPLIS) for school librarianship in South Africa. It argues that, after years of failed advocacy, a convergence of thinking across the LIS ecosystem enabled the policy project and gives new hope for the transformation of the school library sector. The investigations throughout 2017 sought to find out from a wide range of role-players what and whose behaviour they believed should be changed. The paper describes our evidence-gathering across the country and how the data were analysed into broad themes around which the policy was built. The paper pulls out the threads on school LIS policy but also highlights the principles that tie them to the overarching policy. Thus, the insistence on an ecosystems approach calls for innovative strategies to counter long-established silo-thinking.
Assessing the appropriation of social media by academic librarians in South Africa and Zimbabwe
(LIASA, 2016) Mabweazara, Rangarirai Moira; Zinn, Sandy
Research into the appropriation of social media by academic libraries in countries with growing economies is scarce. There remains an empirical and theoretical gap in the literature about how librarians, particularly those in Southern Africa, are deploying social media in their work routines and in their personal lives. Based on one of the researchers' experiences at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Library and both researchers' use of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library, the researchers aimed to examine the way librarians deploy and appropriate social media platforms as part of their service delivery. Using data derived from a questionnaire survey among librarians at UWC in South Africa and NUST in Zimbabwe, this study examined how librarians use social media for professional and personal purposes. The findings suggest that UWC librarians are more proficient social media users than NUST librarians. They further reveal that UWC librarians themselves are managing social media, while at NUST, the Information Technology department is directly responsible for managing the platforms. The study found that UWC Library utilises social media to promote its services more widely, whereas the NUST Library uses social media for reference services.
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.
Challenges in digitising liberation archives: a case study
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2016) Anderson, Steve; Hart, Genevieve
The article reports on a study of the challenges facing a liberation archive which is attempting to digitise its collections and of how the Archive has responded to the challenges. The article is framed by the critical writing on digitisation which looks beyond the surface issues identified by technical and management research and uncovers the power contestations which arise as part of the digitisation process. It focuses particularly on whether the digitisation process alters the power relations within the Archive and between it and other role players within the South African context. The role-players include the state and the Archive�s external management, artefact copyright holders, digitisation vendors and organisations, and Archive users. The research investigates: the rationale for digitising archival collections; who the stakeholders in a digitisation project are, how they relate to each other and what the power relations between them are; the risks of digitisation; and the implications of selection of materials for digitisation. The research finds that personal connections, serendipity, ad-hoc behaviour, trust, distrust and the fear of exploitation has had an impact on the digitisation process; but concludes that the Archive has maintained its balance among competing interests to uphold its integrity.
City of Cape Town libraries' segregated history: 1952-1972
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2015) Laishley, Kathleen; Zinn, Sandy
This article investigates the history and development of the Cape Town City Libraries (CTCL) from 1952-1972 and examines the effect of apartheid legislation on establishing a public library system. Legislation introduced by the National Party enforced segregation which brought CTCL into conflict with library philosophy. This legislation determined who the CTCL could serve and where they could serve them. The findings show that CTCL extended the library service to more people and increased the number of facilities, membership and circulation but in a segregated manner. CTCL was not able to meet the library philosophy of free access to all.
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
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.
�Don�t They Know How Important It Is?�
(International Association of School Librarianship Conference Proceedings, 2021) 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 twophase 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 impacts significantly on library programming. 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
�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 drive for school libraries in South Africa: intersections and connections
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015) Hart, Genevieve; Zinn, Sandy
This paper traces the important developments in school librarianship in South Africa since 2007, during which time the drive to address huge backlogs in school library provision has gained momentum - largely, it argues, from the intersections of two phenomena: the Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter; and Equal Education, a civic-action NGO campaigning on behalf of school libraries. South African youth face daunting challenges, and their schooling is perhaps where the heritage of apartheid is most visible. The lack of libraries, it is argued, has undermined the attempts at curricular reform since the late 1990s. The daunting backlogs in school library provision mean that innovative models of service will be needed that cut across existing divisions. Given the impact of the lack of school libraries on all sectors of LIS, the paper examines the recommendations in the LIS Transformation Charter that South African LIS should turn to the concept of ecosystem to provide the framework for concerted action.
Dual use school community libraries: expedient compromise or imaginative solution?
(University of Alberta Libraries) Hart, Geneviev
The paper reports on a research project in a group of six dual use school community libraries in a rural region of South Africa1. The six dual use libraries were established with donor funding in 2001 as part of a larger project of their province�s public library service. In 2009, the donor no longer funds the libraries and they operate under the provincial public library authorities. The case study, conducted in April 2009, investigates the value of dual or shared use libraries in the context of drastic shortages of both school and public libraries and the calls in government circles for the sharing of resources. In the South African situation where millions are out of reach of LIS, the sharing of resources among schools and their local communities certainly is an attractive option. But Haycock warns that the mention of dual use in library circles �not only inflames passion but also seems to release all reason� (2006: 489). The fear, apparently, is that the temptation to cut costs might outweigh needs on the ground. An editorial in the School Library Journal Online in 2000, in response to government endorsement of �joint-use� in California, quotes the Californian School Library Association�s warning that shared school and public libraries are �a politician�s dream solution, because it doesn�t take any thought, and you�re not actually talking to public and school librarians� (Glick, 2000).
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.
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.
Extending boundaries: Team teaching to embed information literacy in a university module
(UNISA, 2020) Bharuthram, Sharita; Mohamed, Shehaamah; Louw, Gerald
In today�s knowledge-based economy, the role of universities in preparing students to be information literate and independent thinkers and researchers is crucial. Information literacy (IL) skills enable students to become researchoriented, hold critical approaches to knowledge, be critical thinkers, consider things from different perspectives, develop their own ideas and defend and share these in an ethical manner. University students are often expected to access, process, evaluate and synthesise information from a number of sources in order to complete their assessment tasks. To do this efficiently, they need to possess good IL skills. This article postulates that students� IL skills can be successfully fostered and enhanced if academics and academic librarians enter into a partnership to collaboratively develop students� IL skills. The article discusses an intervention at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa that entailed embedding IL skills in an academic literacies (AL) course offered to first-year students in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences.
From borders and landscape to ecosystem: reconfiguring library services to meet the needs of South African youth
(LIASA, Stellenbosch University, 2013) Hart, Genevieve; Nassimbeni, Mary
In this article we consider the configuration of the South African library and information services (LIS) sector, and analyse the extent to which its structuring facilitates or hinders optimum service to the children and youth of South Africa. The background to our investigation is the crisis in public schooling and the plight of South African youth who suffer disproportionate rates of poverty and unemployment. In our investigation we examine the planning and practice in two new libraries - one a community library, and one a joint-use library for learners and local residents - in an effort to establish the extent to which libraries may partner with schools to take advantage of new thinking that recommends a whole system approach, encapsulated in the metaphor of LIS as an ecosystem. We conclude that this new approach might generate models of service delivery that transcend boundaries that traditionally delineate and confine sub-sectors in the LIS 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.
Information behaviour of Nigerian undergraduates in the World of Web 2.0
(Innovation, 2018) Zinn, Sandy; Krubu, Dorcas
The purpose of the study was to investigate the information behaviour ofNigerian undergraduates in the world of Web 2.0 at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Nigeria. The study is drawn from a doctoral thesis that used a mixed methods approach. The population and sample of the study was a total of 803 undergraduate students. Three research questions which focused on the information needs, information resources and infrastructure and barriers to information seeking were answered using a questionnaire. The study revealed that students need information both for academic purposes and in their everyday life experiences. The data provides support for the convenience school of thought. It seems that time constraints and the inconvenience of traditional sources might be critical factors in the choices that students make in their information seeking.The barriers students experience are both physical and intellectual. The physical barriers relate to technical issues such as the system freezing, server down time, access speed, and erratic power supply. The intellectual barriers concern their inability to choose appropriate subject headings, keywords, formulating search strategies, and choosing appropriate databases.
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.
Information literacy education in the South African Classroom: Reflections from teachers' Journals in the Western Cape province
(De Gruyter, 2016) Zinn, Sandy; Stilwell, Christine; Hoskins, Ruth
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.

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