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Scenarios for the role of libraries in the publishing process

  • Authors: Gibbons, Susan
  • Date: 2010-05-17
  • Subjects: Scholarly communication , Academic libraries , Academic publishing , Digital publishing
  • Type: Presentation
  • Identifier: uj:1579 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3312
  • Description: There are few people who would claim that the current scholarly communication landscape is sustainable, but the pathway forward to a new scholarly communication paradigm appears so mired in tradition, the status quo and vested interests that it seems impossible to imagine what the future norms will be. Using future scenarios as a tool, perhaps it is possible to jump forward to potential future outcomes and work backwards to construct what those pathways may have been. My talk will present three future scenarios for scholarly communication and discuss the potential impacts of each for academic libraries and publishing. The first future scenario is one which leverages print-on-demand to create just-in-time library collection development. Digital printing offers publishers alternative economic models which can decrease risk while increasing profitability. But while some of the costs of publication can be removed entirely from the production chain, others are shifted to libraries and their users. The second scenario assumes that the legal barriers to the Google Book project are resolved. Google and other major content vendors utilize micro-payments and disaggregate scholarly publications such that libraries are displaced from their role as cooperative purchasing agents on behalf of their academic communities. In contrast, the third scenario significantly increases the role of academic libraries in scholarly communication. Scholarship has pushed beyond the confines of textual presentation such that books and articles can no longer serve as adequate vehicles of scholarship. Scholarly societies take on the peer-review, quality control role, but it falls to libraries, not publishers, to provide access and active, long-term preservation of these new objects. The focus of university presses are reposition into their host institutions such that many return to their original missions of acting for the express purpose of disseminating the research conducted by their local faculty. It is clear that publishing and academic libraries are on the precipice of a dramatic paradigm shift. In 10 or 15 years time, we will likely find that all three of these scenarios are off the mark, but in many ways the exercise of imagining potential futures is more important than the accuracy of the end product.
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From Web 2 to Web 3 : yesterday, today and tomorrow – where is the technology taking us?

  • Authors: Kovatcheva, Pavlinka
  • Date: 2010-05-18
  • Subjects: Web 3.0 , Web 2.0 , Academic libraries , Social networking
  • Type: Presentation
  • Identifier: uj:1575 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3308
  • Description: Ever since the term “Web 2.0” was introduced, people have been asking: What is coming next? Web 3.0? Is it the semantic web? Is it the social web? Mobile technologies? Is it some form of virtual reality? The paper will highlight the Web 2.0 - Web 3.0 movement with practical examples, the changes it brings in everyday life for academic libraries. From blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, social networking, instant messaging, flickr, and You Tube, to the explosion of twitter and mobile technologies. Are we ready for the Web 3.0 and the new challenge it provides? We need to ask: Where are we now and where do we want to be? Where is the technology taking us? “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you are not part of the steamroller, you are part of the road” Stewart Brand.
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?4U (Question for you): implementing a SMS reference service at the University of the Free State

  • Authors: Lombard, H.
  • Date: 2010-05-18
  • Subjects: Library reference services , University of the Free State , Academic libraries , Information technology , Electronic posters
  • Type: Presentation
  • Identifier: uj:1569 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3302
  • Description: Since its inception in 1960 the Internet was exalted as the technology that would revolutionise communication access. However, widespread use in Africa was hampered by the lack of quality telecommunication infrastructure. In just two decades, the cell phone has become the fastest-selling, most loved consumer product. Nobody envisioned how popular text messaging, also referred to as short messaging service (SMS) would become. Research shows that 76% of all subscribers or 3.1 billion subscribers use the SMS actively. The abundance of cell phone users is also noticeable in today’s academic library. While some universities has responded to the widespread use of cell phones by delivering educational content and administration of tests via the cell phone, libraries have begun to reach out and serve students’ information needs through the use of the SMS. The University of the Free State Library and Information Services initiated a SMS reference service in 2009. This paper briefly describes the widespread use of text messaging and text messaging technology. The system and services implemented at the UFS LIS is described, as well as the lessons learnt. The paper will end with a short review of cell phone use in libraries and how it could be used to enhance library operations.
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The future is now : new roles and relationships for academic libraries

  • Authors: University of Johannesburg Library and Information Centre
  • Date: 2010-05-17
  • Subjects: Academic libraries , Information technology , Academic publishing , Internet access , e-Learning , Conference proceedings
  • Type: Other
  • Identifier: uj:1585 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3318
  • Description: Welcome to this very exciting conference focusing on the changing roles and relationships of academic libraries which goes hand in hand with the rapid development of information technology. Last year, when we started planning for the conference we came to the conclusion that the title ‘The Future is Now’ expresses our experience of being overtaken by technology, in a unique and innovative way. However, when we did a Google search on the phrase we found that it was a widely used phrase which gives expression to the global village’s experience that developments which we thought lie in the future are overtaking us as a result of the rapid development of Internet and mobile technologies. Despite its lack of originality, we decided to stick to the title, because there was no better way of saying what we wanted to say. I repeated the Google search about a year later, when I was busy writing this welcome note to you, and this time carefully noted the number of hits: 128 000 000. Most significantly I found two websites relating to the impact of information technology on the world of libraries within the first 20 hits. One was the website of an eponymous ALA conference on libraries and museums in the virtual word held on 5 and 6 March 2010 (http://www.opal-online.org/finindex.htm). The conference dealt with the use of Second Life in libraries and museums. The other was an article on the launch of Elsevier’s ‘Article of the Future‘ project (http://www.cell.com) on 7 January 2010. Both these hits underlined the impact of technology on our world and the need to consider the way forward as a result of it. George Will said that ‘the future has a way of arriving unannounced’. It is the sincere hope of the Conference Organising Committee that this conference will help prevent the future of taking us unawares. We believe that your presence here will inspire and motivate you to explore the new technologies and harness it to sustain and improve on academic libraries’ proud tradition and history of moving with the times. - Dr Anette van Vuren, Conference Chair.
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Strategies in information literacy instruction in academic information services

  • Authors: Selematsela, Daisy Nthabiseng
  • Date: 2009-01-15T13:11:30Z
  • Subjects: Information literacy , Adult learning , Academic libraries
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14796 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1872
  • Description: D. Litt. et Phil. , The South African academic information services are starting to pay attention to the role played by instruction librarians. There is an acknowledgement that librarians as ‘educators’ need to learn how to teach information literacy skills. Instruction librarians are either not trained educators or do not have a pedagogical background. Many instruction librarians were placed in, or found themselves, assuming a teaching role with regard to information literacy instruction, and subsequently refined their craft while on the job. The motivation for this study was that librarians as ‘educators’ are faced with challenges that impact on their teaching role. They have to understand the teaching methodologies and the application of adult learning principles to the facilitation of information literacy skills programmes. The success of facilitation and development of information literacy skills programmes depends on the instruction librarians’ ability to work in collaboration with academic departments, curriculum designers and other librarians. The study was carried out in two parts: a literature survey and an empirical investigation. The investigation was confined to academic libraries and information services that have an instruction librarian or subject librarian who facilitates information literacy skills instruction. The GAELIC (Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium) members were surveyed in order to limit the study to the nine participating libraries within the consortium. The findings of the study were supportive of the objective that there is a desperate need to have understanding, knowledge and skills regarding the dynamics involved in the teaching of information literacy skills, in order to make the programme a success. The study proposes a competency framework for implementation as a management tool for designing key performance areas (KPA’s) of instruction librarians.
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Relationship between motivation and job satisfaction of employees at Vista Information Services

Communal reading as a way to foster a reading culture: the One-Book-One-Library project at the University of Johannesburg

  • Authors: Janse Van Vuren, Anette
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Reading , Reading promotion , Reading culture , Academic libraries , One Book communal reading movement , Literacy
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:1606 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3684
  • Description: The article gives a brief overview of literacy and reading in South Africa and explores the current reading culture in the country. Organisations working towards improving literacy and strengthening the South African reading culture focus on young children and teenagers. There are very few reading projects aimed at developing a reading culture amongst university students. The One Book One Library project at the University of Johannesburg has the long term objective of creating a reading culture at the University. The article discusses the critical success factors for the project that asks the University community to ‘read the same book at the same time’ as well as the benefits of the project for both the readers and the library.
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Knowledge sharing practices within an organisation's information services division

  • Authors: Radebe, J.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Knowledge management , Information services , Academic libraries , Information technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237743 , uj:24363
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Advances in technology and the changing demands of library clients have brought about a demand for innovative, higher quality services from academic libraries. Academic libraries find themselves in a position where they have to either re-evaluate their service models to meet the technologically influenced needs of the library clients, or face redundancy. Research has proven that the practice and implementation of knowledge management (KM) aids an organisation in gaining a competitive advantage, which is at the pinnacle of ensuring that an organisation remains a preferred service provider. In order to address these issues, this research focused on exploring the knowledge sharing (KS) practices of employees within the Library and Information Services (LIS) division at a higher education institution. The researcher employed a qualitative research design, guided by a case-study research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with seventeen respondents who were purposively selected for the sample. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, creating categories of subjects relating to the identified research questions. The findings of the study revealed that KS was limited within the LIS and mostly occurred informally between employees within the same section. Furthermore, it was found that the culture at LIS was not conducive for the advancement of KS, as respondents felt unsupported by the LIS' management in terms of KS endeavours. A silo culture, encouraging the creation of specialists in specific roles, was identified as a barrier to potential KS practices within the LIS. In terms of encouraging KS within the LIS, the findings showed that respondents were most enthusiastic about the concepts of rewards and incentives. A need for a formalised KM strategy and consequent policies guiding the acquisition and implementation of KS tools and mechanisms, was also identified. Recommendations arising from the study included: 1. A need for renewed commitment by LIS management in terms of encouraging a KS culture. 2. A drive to find affordable technologies that would enable the storage, retrieval and sharing of knowledge within the LIS, to ensure that the right knowledge reaches the right person, employee or client, at the right time.
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Knowledge sharing barriers in an academic library environment

  • Authors: Potgieter, Andrea , Radebe, Jabu
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Knowledge sharing barriers , Knowledge management , Academic libraries
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/241712 , uj:24916 , Citation: Potgieter, A. & Radebe, J. 2017. Knowledge sharing barriers in an academic library environment.
  • Description: Abstract: Research has proven that the practice and implementation of knowledge management (KM) aids an organisation in gaining a competitive advantage, which is at the pinnacle of ensuring that an organisation remains a preferred service provider. In order to address these issues, this research focused on exploring knowledge sharing (KS) barriers identified by employees within the Library and Information Services (LIS) division at a higher education institution. The researchers employed a qualitative research design, guided by a case-study research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with seventeen respondents who were purposively selected for the sample. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, creating categories of subjects relating to the identified research questions. The findings of the study revealed that KS was limited within the LIS and mostly occurred informally between employees within the same section. Furthermore, it was found that the culture at LIS was not conducive for the advancement of KS, as respondents felt unsupported by the LIS' management in terms of KS endeavours. A silo culture, encouraging the creation of specialists in specific roles, was identified as a barrier to potential KS practices within the LIS.
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Optimizing ICT trends to enhance Open Distance Learning : impact of a practical assignment on professional relationships.

  • Authors: Henning, J. C.
  • Date: 2010-05-17
  • Subjects: Distance learning , Open distance learning , Academic libraries , Information technology
  • Type: Presentation
  • Identifier: uj:1584 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3317
  • Description: The image of librarians and the Academic Library’s role in teaching and learning has always been a topic close to the heart of these professionals. Equally important for librarians are positive relationships with management and colleagues within the institution. Interdependencies between faculty and the library impact on the performance and delivery of services and require careful management as well. This paper focuses on how a library manager as a member of the Extended Management Committee of a university interacted with colleagues in senior management on a topic of mutual interest to complete a group assignment. The role played by the library manager and the changes in and impact on the relationships will be highlighted. The topic of the assignment “Optimizing ICT trends to enhance Open Distance Learning (ODL)” provided ample opportunity to demonstrate the changed role of the Academic Library in ODL as well as in online teaching and learning. A brief overview of ODL, information on the assignment and methodology followed will be presented. Information on the findings will be shared and the views of participants in the audience on these findings will be invited. An opportunity to share similar or different experiences will also be provided. The findings indicate that there is a better understanding of the role of the academic library in teaching and learning as well as appreciation for the way the library optimizes ICT developments to improve service delivery and access to services and resources. Another finding is that there is enhanced collaboration with the library as well as increased awareness of possibilities to utilize technologies in ODL. As leader / coordinator of the assignment and as a result of the interaction with the group, I experienced closer collaboration and improved communication with members of the group not only during the assignment but also on an ongoing basis.
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