Research Articles (Library and Information Science)

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Use of social media as a marketing and information provision tool by the City of Cape Town Libraries
(AOSIS, 2022) Masizana, Fikiswa; Salubi, Oghenere G.
Social media use by libraries has facilitated communication and marketing of services to user communities. The City of Cape Town Libraries adopted social media usage in the 2015�2016 financial year. This study is set out to assess librarians� perception and response to the implementation and adoption of social media for library services. The research sought to appraise the City of Cape Town public librarians� experiences of social media use in the provision of information services, evaluate librarians� perceptions of social media use for information provision services and recommend ways in which social media information services provision can be improved upon.
Shaping scholarly communication guidance channels to meet the research needs and skills of doctoral students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(Elsevier, 2020) White, Esther; King, Lizette
This article as part of a more comprehensive study, investigated the level of research and scholarly communication skills of doctoral students and the channels to be adopted by the academic library for the provision of scholarly communication guidance at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). It was ascertained that doctoral students at KNUST had moderate level of skill in research and scholarly communication issues; indicating the need for guidance. Both doctoral students and supervisors acknowledged the need for research and scholarly communication skills guidance and training. They also preferred online scholarly communication guidance and a research portal as part of the academic library website.
A knowledge sharing framework for human capital development in Pentecostal religious organizations
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023) Cyster, Chantall; Salubi, Oghenere
n this paper, a theoretical framework for human capital devel-opment in Pentecostal Religious Organizations through knowl-edge sharing is provided. The framework conceptualizes that religious organizations should prioritize launching a knowledge management initiative and appointing a knowledge manage-ment team or manager to conduct a knowledge audit and design an appropriate knowledge management plan as expli-cated. Knowledge management is the process of creating, shar-ing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization or group. It involves identifying, capturing, organiz-ing, storing, and sharing knowledge and information in a way that allows individuals and teams to access and use it effectively to improve decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation.
�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
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.
Information Systems evaluation in Ghanaian academic Libraries using DandM IS success model
(University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2021) King, Lizette
The use of Information Systems (ISs) has been widely accepted and proven to increase the service quality in many organizations. Academic libraries have embraced the use of ISs and have implemented them to perform different activities. The efficient utilization and management of ISs in libraries will help libraries to derive maximum benefit from adopted ISs. The researchers therefore used the DeLone and McLean IS success theory to determine the impact of IS management on the quality of the IS and the use of the IS. The researchers solicited responses using questionnaire from all the staff members who use any electronic system in libraries that were purposively selected. The research revealed that the management of ISs affects the quality thereof. Quality of ISs affects use, and use affects the benefits gained from use.
Information systems evaluation in Ghanaian academic libraries using DandM IS success model
(University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2021) Ocloo, Patience Emefa Dzandza; King, Lizette
The use of Information Systems (ISs) has been widely accepted and proven to increase the service quality in many organizations. Academic libraries have embraced the use of ISs and have implemented them to perform different activities. The efficient utilization and management of ISs in libraries will help libraries to derive maximum benefit from adopted ISs. The researchers therefore used the DeLone and McLean IS success theory to determine the impact of IS management on the quality of the IS and the use of the IS.
New imperatives for librarianship in Africa
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015) Davis, Gavin R.
Africa, in colonial times regarded as the �Dark Continent,� faces many challenges, whether infrastructural, cultural, or political. Despite these challenges, countries on the continent cannot afford to be complacent. The digital divide between Africa and the Western world, with its new technological innovations, has been widening. Librarianship as a discipline is invariably affected by this divide. Since having embraced a Western model of librarianship, the question is whether there can be talk of African librarianship, or a librarianship for Africa. This conceptual dilemma is further explored by a discussion of development, the role of the library, training in library and information science (LIS), the relationship between librarianship and information science, and imperatives for the future.
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.
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).
Public Libraries Stepping into the Gap?: A Study of School Learners' Use of Libraries in a Disadvantaged Community in Cape Town
(University of Alberta Libraries, 2021) Hart, Geneviev
According to public library staff none of the Vista schools has a functioning library or a librarian on its staff. In itslack of school libraries Vista is no different from other parts of South Africa. Less than a third of South African schoolshave any sort of library (Department of Education, 1999). Yet South Africa's new curriculum's shift from rote-learningand examinations towards constructivist resource-based approaches expects schools to engage in independent projectand portfolio work.Given the demands of the new curriculum and given the shortage of school libraries, in the past few years therehave been suggestions that South Africa's fairly well-developed public library system might step into the gap and play amore explicitly educational role. At the same time, in public library circles throughout Africa, there have beensuggestions that we need a different model of public librarianship from that in the developed world (Sturges & Neill,1998; Issak, 2000). In the developing world, where school library services are inadequate and where the targetpopulation of libraries is largely youth, the argument is that providing for formal education might well be a primaryfunction of public library services. And indeed there is evidence that South African libraries are moving in thiseducational direction. The annual reports of the large provincial public library governance structures show that they arespending a bigger slice of their budget on educational materials. And at most gatherings of public librarians in SouthAfrica there are calls for increased funds to cope with the pressures of increased school use (Hendrikz, 1998; Leach,1998).
A records management model for an intelligent university
(South African Society of Archivists, 2019) Momoti, Nikiwe; King, Lizette
This article is based on an MLIS case study undertaken at the University of the Western Cape. The article is meant to add knowledge and insight into university records management and presents a records management model for an intelligent university. The study used the functionalist theory to frame this exploratory qualitative study to investigate whether records management contributes to making the University of the Western Cape intelligent. The findings of the study showed that records management as a function was not used optimally by the university and therefore did not contribute to making the University of the Western Cape intelligent. A records management model for an intelligent university was recommended.
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 power and perils of participant observation in library and information science research: reflections on three South African studies
(UNISA Press, 2017) Hart, Genevieve
This article reports on three participant observation studies conducted in schools and libraries in South Africa, between 1999 and 2015. The study findings have been reported on elsewhere, thus the focus is on the methodologies used, with the common thread being the author�s preoccupation with the information literacy education of South African pupils. The author�s purpose was to provide evidence of the impact of the dire lack of resources and libraries at South African schools. The first study in 1999 explored how teachers at an under- resourced primary school in Cape Town, western cape, were coping with the demands of the new curriculum. The second study in 2006 examined two public libraries in a rural town in Mpumalanga, with seven local schools, but no school libraries. The third study in 2015 involved the library at a high school in Kayelitsha Township outside Cape Town, which is part of a non-governmental organisation (NGo) project to employ school leavers to manage school libraries. Participant observation is rare in the Library and Information Science (LIS) research literature and the author�s aim is to demonstrate its power to dig beneath the surface. The article uncovers the complex relations and tacit beliefs that existed at the three research sites, which are probably at play in other contexts and which have to be taken into account in planning effective programmes in South African schools and libraries. The article also acknowledges the ethical challenges, arguably inherent in participant observation, which relate to the often sensitive relations among participants, and to the researcher�s positioning.
Use of web 2.0 technologies by library and information science students
(UNISA Press, 2016) Zinyeredzi, Colin; Zinn, Sandy
The research reported on in this article investigated the use of Web 2.0 technologies by library and information science (LIS) students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa. Blumer and Katz�s Uses and Gratification Theory, which explains the reasons behind people�s use of Web 2.0 technologies, was used to provide meaning to the research findings. A case study approach was used to collect data by means of a questionnaire, content analysis and interviews. The findings revealed that between 72 and 97 per cent of LIS students have accounts on the following Web 2.0 technologies: YouTube, Skype, Google Apps, WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook. In a nutshell, the research threw light on the Web 2.0 technologies used the most by LIS students and also highlighted their reasons for using them. The benefits or gratifications derived from using Web 2.0 technologies were also a highlight of the research. More importantly, the research demonstrated the need to embed Web 2.0 technologies in the LIS curriculum and to encourage academics to continuously embrace emerging technologies.
Libraries and a "Better Life for All": The politics, processes, and promises of the South African LIS Transformation Charter
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016) Hart, Genevieve; Nassimbeni, Mary
The rhetoric of public librarianship includes many ringing claims for the role of libraries in democracy; and, on the twenty-first anniversary of democracy in South Africa, it is an opportune moment to examine the rather confusing fortunes of libraries since 1994. The library and information services (LIS) profession portrays libraries as agents of development and social transformation; yet, since 2009, more than twenty South African libraries have been destroyed in social protests. This paper reports on the work of the authors of the LIS Transformation Charter, which after a start-stop-start process of two phases over six years was delivered to the government in 2014. The paper analyzes the political and professional forces that influenced the charter-writing processes. The two fundamental arguments of the charter are that access to information, and thus to libraries, is a fundamental justiciable human right, both as a so-called freedom right and as an instrument of other economic, social, and cultural rights; and that transformation will depend on �ecosystems� thinking whereby the various subsectors collaborate to ensure seamless services and the equity of provision. The paper argues that the final LIS Transformation Charter maps a path for a transformed and integrated library system that has meaning for all sectors of South African society.
The value of information in South Africa�s new democracy
(Emerald, 2018) Hart, Genevieve; Nassimbeni, Mary
PURPOSE � The purpose of this paper is to trace and analyse the relationship between information and democracy in the old and in the new South Africa. The authors interrogate the applicability to the situation of the famous quotation attributed to Thomas Jefferson, �Information is the currency of Democracy�. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH � The authors frame the argument by analysing the differences in philosophy underpinning the state�s attitude to the free flow of information between the pre-democratic regime (often referred to as the Apartheid regime which came into power in 1948) and the current democratic state established in 1994. FINDINGS � While the philosophical approach between the two regimes is demonstrably different � the findings show the discontinuities � the authors also find evidence of continuities. The authors examine traces of recurrent patterns and propose reasons for their persistence. ORIGINALITY/VALUE � Because South Africa is a very young democracy it presents unique opportunities for social scientists to analyse the unfolding of challenges and opportunities not readily apparent in mature democracies. The theme of the issue allowed us to study and observe the evolution and growth of policy related to the free flow of information, and also to examine the current drift between policy and practice.
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.
Use of Web 2.0 by students in the Faculty of Information Science and Communications at Mzuzu University, Malawi
(AOSIS, 2016) Chawinga, Winner D.; Zinn, Sandy
BACKGROUND: Over the years, advancements in Internet technologies have led to the emergence of new technologies such as Web 2.0, which have taken various sectors including higher education by storm. Web 2.0 technologies are slowly but surely penetrating higher education in developing countries with much hype, according to the literature. This justifies the need for original research that aims at demystifying the application and exploiting the promises that come along with these so-called versatile technologies. OBJECTIVES: The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain students� awareness of and familiarity with Web 2.0 technologies, to determine the purposes for which students use Web 2.0 technologies, and to identify the factors that affect students� use or non-use of Web 2.0 technologies. METHOD: A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Firstly, a questionnaire was sent to 186 students; secondly, the curricula of the two departments in the Faculty of Information Science and Communication (ISC) were analysed; finally, follow-up interviews were conducted with seven lecturers in the Faculty of ISC. RESULTS: The study found that students use Web 2.0 technologies to search for information, to communicate with lecturers, to submit assignments and to communicate with friends on academic work. Wikipedia, WhatsApp, Google Apps and YouTube are the Web 2.0 technologies most used by students. Poor bandwidth (Internet connection) coupled with the absence of Wi-Fi (wireless Internet connection) prevents the successful adoption of Web 2.0 by students. Conclusion: Web 2.0 can have a profound impact on undergraduate students and lecturers in teaching and learning. The research results indicated a high awareness of a wide range of Web 2.0 technologies, with social networks being the commonly used one. There is a need for more training to increase awareness of and familiarity with new Web 2.0 technologies. The problem of poor bandwidth needs to be addressed by the university management in order to gain significant benefits.
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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