Providing Access to Knowledge in Africa: the Need for Capacity Building in Classification, Indexing & Abstracting Skills

The realities of the present era of globalization and information and communication technologies (ICT) culminating in the African Virtual Library and Information Network (AVLIN) have made it expedient that African information professionals should be able to develop, showcase and make accessible African indigenous information to the knowledge world. This literature-based opinion paper has tried to identify with the view of the conference organizers that “Major digital initiatives involving African content are currently being undertaken by non-African organization without widely accepted protocols and agreement”. The paper argues that there is a serious need for a theoretical and policy framework necessary to provide a basis for systematic training of library and information science professionals to place African knowledge on a pedestal that will make it accessible to the world of knowledge. It was found that the library schools in most African universities are ill-equipped to train professionals to handle information in the new digital era. This is exacerbated by the fact that professional associations are not doing enough to retool the existing workforce for the task ahead. The paper recommends, among other things, that much emphasis should be placed on the training of cataloguers and indexers in African research institutions and universities to be able to organize African knowledge and produce information surrogates that will help researchers locate them on the internet

Towards improved performance and interoperability in distributed and physical union catalogues

Purpose of this paper: This paper details research undertaken to determine the key differences in the performance of certain centralised (physical) and distributed (virtual) bibliographic catalogue services, and to suggest strategies for improving interoperability and performance in, and between, physical and virtual models. Design/methodology/approach: Methodically defined searches of a centralised catalogue service and selected distributed catalogues were conducted using the Z39.50 information retrieval protocol, allowing search types to be semantically defined. The methodology also entailed the use of two workshops comprising systems librarians and cataloguers to inform suggested strategies for improving performance and interoperability within both environments. Findings: Technical interoperability was permitted easily between centralised and distributed models, however the various individual configurations permitted only limited semantic interoperability. Significant prescription in cataloguing and indexing guidelines, greater participation in the Program for Collaborative Cataloging (PCC), consideration of future 'FRBR' migration, and greater disclosure to end users are some of the suggested strategies to improve performance and semantic interoperability. Practical implications: This paper informs the LIS research community and union catalogue administrators, but also has numerous practical implications for those establishing distributed systems based on Z39.50 and SRW, as well as those establishing centralised systems. What is original/value of the paper?: The paper moves the discussion of Z39.50 based systems away from anecdotal evidence and provides recommendations based on testing and is intimately informed by the UK cataloguing and systems librarian community

CC-interop : COPAC/Clumps Continuing Technical Cooperation. Final Project Report

As far as is known, CC-interop was the first project of its kind anywhere in the world and still is. Its basic aim was to test the feasibility of cross-searching between physical and virtual union catalogues, using COPAC and the three functioning "clumps" or virtual union catalogues (CAIRNS, InforM25, and RIDING), all funded or part-funded by JISC in recent years. The key issues investigated were technical interoperability of catalogues, use of collection level descriptions to search union catalogues dynamically, quality of standards in cataloguing and indexing practices, and usability of union catalogues for real users. The conclusions of the project were expected to, and indeed do, contribute to the development of the JISC Information Environment and to the ongoing debate as to the feasibility and desirability of creating a national UK catalogue. They also inhabit the territory of collection level descriptions (CLDs) and the wider services of JISC's Information Environment Services Registry (IESR). The results of this project will also have applicability for the common information environment, particularly through the landscaping work done via SCONE/CAIRNS. This work is relevant not just to HE and not just to digital materials, but encompasses other sectors and domains and caters for print resources as well. Key findings are thematically grouped as follows: System performance when inter-linking COPAC and the Z39.50 clumps. The various individual Z39.50 configurations permit technical interoperability relatively easily but only limited semantic interoperability is possible. Disparate cataloguing and indexing practices are an impairment to semantic interoperability, not just for catalogues but also for CLDs and descriptions of services (like those constituting JISC's IESR). Creating dynamic landscaping through CLDs: routines can be written to allow collection description databases to be output in formats that other UK users of CLDs, including developers of the JISC information environment. Searching a distributed (virtual) catalogue or clump via Z39.50: use of Z39.50 to Z39.50 middleware permits a distributed catalogue to be searched via Z39.50 from such disparate user services as another virtual union catalogue or clump, a physical union catalogue like COPAC, an individual Z client and other IE services. The breakthrough in this Z39.50 to Z39.50 conundrum came with the discovery that the JISC-funded JAFER software (a result of the 5/99 programme) meets many of the requirements and can be used by the current clumps services. It is technically possible for the user to select all or a sub-set of available end destination Z39.50 servers (we call this "landscaping") within this middleware. Comparing results processing between COPAC and clumps. Most distributed services (clumps) do not bring back complete results sets from associated Z servers (in order to save time for users). COPAC on-the-fly routines could feasibly be applied to the clumps services. An automated search set up to repeat its query of 17 catalogues in a clump (InforM25) hourly over nearly 3 months returned surprisingly good results; for example, over 90% of responses were received in less than one second, and no servers showed slower response times in periods of traditionally heavy OPAC use (mid-morning to early evening). User behaviour when cross-searching catalogues: the importance to users of a number of on-screen features, including the ability to refine a search and clear indication that a search is processing. The importance to users of information about the availability of an item as well as the holdings data. The impact of search tools such as Google and Amazon on user behaviour and the expectations of more information than is normally available from a library catalogue. The distrust of some librarians interviewed of the data sources in virtual union catalogues, thinking that there was not true interoperability

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CATALOGUERS IN ELECTRONIC ERA IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN SELECTED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES, OSUN STATE

Abstract This paper examines professional development of cataloguers in electronic era in academic library in selected private universities, Osun state. The research was necessitated by the postulation that cataloguers competency depend on their professional development. Two research questions were drawn and the population of the study was made up of 8 cataloguers. Data was collected through questionnaire. The descriptive survey research method was adopted in the study. Findings revealed that cataloguers are faced with lack of organizational sponsorship to conference, seminar and workshop; it was shown that, they have challenges on the job training. The study further revealed that cataloguers required adequate knowledge, skills and competence needed in the section to perform effectively and constant update in their professional training and development program through attendance of courses, workshops, seminars, conferences and mentoring programmers in order to cope with the challenges of the electronic era. The study, shows that Academic library management should at least sponsor one cataloguer to conference, seminar or workshop every year to ensure that cataloguers in their institution participate in what is trending in cataloguing and classification to enable them bridge new ideas or tools on what is going on in an electronic era. Older generation of cataloguers should mentor the younger cataloguers on the rudiments of cataloguing, so that manual cataloguing will not diminish. The high cost of program should be checked, so that cataloguers can afford it and be able to attend to the program regularly

Challenges of Cataloguing Library Resources in the Evolving Digital Environment: The African Cataloguer’s Experience

The paper examines the challenges of cataloguing library resources, in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Public Libraries (CCTML), South Africa. The paper was necessitated by the postulation that, the extent of access and the use of library resources depends greatly upon the quality of the library catalogue. The following research questions were formulated: what cataloguing knowledge do cataloguers of CCTML have? How is cataloguing carried out in CCTML? What challenges do cataloguers of CCTML experience in cataloguing library resources? Qualitative approach and case study design were employed. The population of the study was made of 6 cataloguers. Data was collected through the focus group interview. Findings indicated that cataloguers experienced challenges of assigning subject headings for languages other than English, allocation of the correct classification notation and the advanced use of the cataloguing standards. Cataloguers obtained knowledge of descriptive cataloguing, subject analysis and classification. The study recommends the exchange programmes in cataloguing, use of technological tools and decolonization of subject and name authority standards

Influence of Computer Literacy Skill on On-line Cataloguing by Librarians in Ekiti State University, Nigeria

The introduction of computers into cataloguing marked a turning point in the way it is being done; this has changed and expanded the work of cataloguers tremendously. The application of the internet is essentially to fast-track that process and ensures that books and other resources spend the least period of time in the cataloguing section. Cataloguers that have internet access have now recognised the potentials of online catalogue for improving subject access to information. It is in the light of this that this research work focuses on the influence of subject background and computer literacy skills on on-line cataloguing by librarians of Ekiti State University. This work adopted a survey research method and utilised questionnaire to generate data. Out of the twelve (12) copies of questionnaire distributed, eleven (11) copies (91.6%) were returned with valid responses. Findings revealed that librarians need constant training to keep up with international standards; this will enhance professional exposure and capacity building and ensure that best practices in cataloguing are adopted Keywords: ICT, Cataloguing, On line, Skil

RDA in Germania, Austria e nella Svizzera tedesca: un nuovo standard non solo per le biblioteche

La comunità bibliotecaria in Germania, Austria e nella Svizzera tedesca ha raggiunto alla fine del 2015 un obiettivo comune. Dopo due anni di intensa preparazione, lo standard internazionale RDA è stato implementato e si è avviato il lavoro pratico.L'articolo descrive il progetto dal punto di vista della situazione organizzativa nei tre paesi e si concentra sugli obiettivi raggiunti e sul lavoro che resta ancora da fare.Offre inoltre una panoramica dell'impegno iniziale per allineare la gestione dei materiali speciali con RDA nelle nazioni di lingua tedesca e descrive le attività associate al requisito specifico derivante dalla natura multilingue della Svizzera. Infine, l'articolo riferisce lo sviluppo strategico nei comitati internazionali RDA, come il RDA Steering Committee (RSC) e l'European RDA Interest Group (EURIG).The library community in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland achieved a common goal at the end of 2015. After more than two years of intensive preparation, the international standard RDA was implemented and the practical work has now started. The article describes the project in terms of the political and organizational situation in the three countries, and points out the objectives which have been achieved as well as the work which is still outstanding. An overview is given of the initial efforts to align special materials with RDA in the German-speaking countries, and the tasks associated with the specific requirements arising from the multilingual nature of Switzerland are described. Furthermore, the article reports on the current strategic developments in the international RDA committees like the RDA Steering Committee (RSC) and the European RDA Interest Group (EURIG)

The use of cataloguing tools and resources by cataloguers in the University of Malawi libraries and the Malawi National Library service in providing access to information.

Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.This study investigated the us e of cataloguing tools and resour ces in the University of Malawi (UNIMA) Libraries and the Malawi National Library Service (MNLS) in providing access to information. Cataloguing tools and resources are mainly used by cataloguers to process library materials fo r easy location and access to the collection. The cataloguer’s goal is to meet user needs and make available materials and services for the purpose of supporting the learning, te aching and research needs of the UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS. Cataloguing practice in most of the acad emic and public libraries in developing countries has lagged behind due to financial constraints. Poor budget allocations and economic problems have forced many libraries to operate inefficiently without preparing cataloguers for the work with effective training. The UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS have also been affected by this economic problem. In order to find out how catal oguing tools and resources are being used by cataloguers in UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS in providing access to information, a study sample consisting of fifty cataloguers and directors (Librarians) of libraries was chosen. The cataloguers and directors of libra ries were surveyed by means of a self administered questionnaire a nd an interview schedule to investigate availability and use of cataloguing tools and re sources and the effectiveness of the services to provide for the information needs of the users. Other information requested from the respondents related to the probl ems encountered with the tool s and training offered to the cataloguers. A to tal of thirty-fiv e cataloguers and directors of libraries responded yielding a 70 % response rate. The results were analysed using SPSS. The results were shown in the form of tables and figures. The study revealed that the majority of cataloguers in the UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS used the cataloguing t ools and resources but relati vely infrequently. Results also revealed that the cata loguers encountered various pr oblems with the tools which most of them attributed to a lack of training to adequately prepare them for cataloguing requirements. In addition, the majority of libraries had cataloguing iv backlogs which were attribut ed to various factors such as a lack of professionally trained staff in cataloguing and a lack of cataloguing tools and resources. Recommendations and sugges tions to improve the catal oguing practice in general were made by both the researcher and re spondents with regard to the findings and the literature reviewed