Perceived effects of ICT on knowledge sharing among librarian in SouthWest Nigeria: A UTAUT theoretical approach

This study aimed to examine effects of technology on knowledge sharing among librarians in South-west Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and mixed methods research approach. All the 108 librarians were sampled through census/total enumeration technique and 6 university librarians (Head of the Library) amounting to 114. Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theory as a framework was used to underpin the study while post-positivism research paradigm was employed for the study. Data was collected through questionnaire and interview. The quantitative data collected was analysed through SPSS, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents 54(53%) perceived their level of ICT skills to be medium and that ICT help librarians to locate the various elements relevant to the process of knowledge sharing (m=4.33) as well as facilitates quick delivery and dissemination of knowledge (m=4.21). The interviewed respondents also supported the findings that ICT has enhanced knowledge sharing practices among the librarians in their libraries. Based on the findings, conclusion and recommendations were made

An investigation into the management of the records and archives of former liberation movements in east and southern Africa held by national and private archival institutions.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.The struggle to liberate the continent of Africa from colonialism during the second half of the twentieth century represented an important epoch and as such this history needs to be documented accurately in whatever form for the benefit of posterity. Liberation struggle archives are of differing types and status, which reflects the diverse nature of the struggle itself. R ecords on the liberat ion struggles in Africa were created from within and outside Africa to document this historic ep och from the 1950s to the 1990s. These records have to be made available to the public for research, scholarship and general interest as they are a treasured na tional asset. In view of the above, it is the mandate of archivists to provide a means f or future generations to access historical sources . The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether liberat ion struggle archives are being offered the continuum of c are throughout their lifecycle in order to make such access possible . Considering that few records were created during the struggle for emancipation notwithstanding their neglect, it is therefore incumbent upon archivists to pres erve the legacy of the libe ration struggle that is contained in those few records that were created. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. The study used methodological triangulation techniques in order to capture the phenomenon under study in detail. The study’s’ population were the twenty three archival institutions within east and southern Africa, both public and private that is, which generated a response rate of 39%. Due to the fact that the study population was geographically di spersed, the study employed self - administered questionnaires for data gathering . U nstructured interviews and observations were also used in a limited manner . The researcher administ ered an interview schedule to h e a ds of archival institutions within the eas t and s outhern African region. To complement the iii interviewing, an observation schedule was also used to record phenomena at selected archival institutions. T he data collected using qualitative techniques was content analyzed whilst SPSS was used for quanti tative data. The study unearthed some interesting developments. Liberation struggle archives had been identified and the requisite documentation put in place. T h is was evidenced by the restitution of archives which was an ongoing process albeit a problemat ic one. This process gives the overall picture that the liberation struggle was a global event as records are scattered in different parts of the world. The records so created are of varied nature as the media used to capture the record exists in a variety of forms with photographs predominant. The study also discovered that the arrangement of records was being done by qualified personnel, both archivists and manuscript librarians. In their efforts to promote access, most archival institutions employed a co mbination of finding aids with inventories and summary lists mostly used . Furthermore, t he existence of mechanisms, policies and procedures facilitates archival management practices. The present research established that all archival institutions had missi on statements and that th ese explicitly spelt out the mandate of the organizations . F or some institutions, these existed in written format. Formal p olices were generally in existence but were calibrated at various levels depending on an institution’s colle ction priorities. In this instance, the policy pertaining to digitization of liberation struggle archives was held in high regard and this explains why the majority of archival institutions preferred electronic media for duplicate copies . This preference p oints to the increasingly pervasive influence of digital technology. Archival institutions were liberal in their publication requirements though users had to acknowledge the institution as the source. The major challenge in the management of liberation str uggle records was the processing of backlog s . In addition, the study sought to establish whether archival institutions were providing resources in order to promote a n environment conducive to iv prolong ing the useable life of liberation struggle archives. The infrastructure in terms of knowledgeable and skilled personnel was in existence as the need for an academic background from which archival skills could be developed was given priority. The expertise in preservation management was mostly invested i n disast er planning and recovery, holdings maintenance and preservation planning . The research also established that the majority of archival institutions had a visitors ’ register in place al though its administration lacked consistency. The majority of archival in stitutions had air conditioning though maintenance records were non - existent. It was also noted that fumigation was prevalent and that restorative work was being done by the majority of institutions with the traditional technique s being the most popular. Equally important was the need to establish the preservation needs of the surveyed archival institutions. The study reve ale d that digitization was the most wid ely used preservation strategy and the majority of archival institutions had purpose - built storag e. Fire was considered the biggest threat to archival collections and the disaster plan mostly covered records, the physical building and the evacuation of people. Fire detection systems were in place and archival institutions were making use of their resp ective local fire departments to raise fire precautionary awareness and readiness. Security measures were generally in place though the use of Close Circuit Television ( CCTV ) , cameras and alarm systems was not pronounced. Furthermore, the study identified that information communication technologies had a transformative influence on the management of liberation struggle archives. The majority of the institutions were digitizing their collections though there was no written policy for managing these digital records. It was also established that most archival institutions were not migrating their records. Technological obsolescence and lack of resources were considered by most institutions as constituting the major threats to the survival of digital records an d this could be the reason why donor assistance v was sought as evidenced by the state of the art equipment on digitization infrastructure observed in some institutions visited . Equally significant was the revelation that inherent semantic ambiguities existe d in the legislative apparatus of the majority of archival institutions which partly explains why there was much passivity when it came to managing private records. The study further established that the management of private records was not satisfactory a nd areas noted for concern pertained to the arrangement, storage and custody, finding aids and access relating to these records . Finally, the study put forward a number of recommendations that had to be considered in an attempt to help archival institutio ns professionally manage liberation struggle archives , and two are cited here simply because they encapsulat e others . Firstly, the legislative apparatus had to be modernized in order for liberation struggle archives to be taken care of at national and not organizational level as is presently the case. The implication is that the laws that govern the national archives of countries within ESARBICA are wholly inadequate when it comes to the management of the private record. Lastly, the records continuum model formed the theoretical foundation of the study not only because of its holist ic approach, pragmatism and the fact that it is technologically driven but because it dovetailed with the records keeping issues which the study investigated

Preparing collections for digitisation: The case of religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

This article seeks to suggest some of the steps that archival repositories with religious archives should adopt when preparing collections for digitisation. The proposed resource manual is based on a survey using questionnaires, observation and interviews that was conducted between 2011 and 2012 in archival repositories with religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to ascertain their readiness for digitisation. The findings revealed that the lack of adequate housing facilities and the need to promote access were incentivising the need to pursue this expensive but noble venture. In other words, the two models of digitisation preferred by these archival repositories were on demand and user initiated, respectively. Despite the great enthusiasm by these surveyed institutions to leapfrog into the digital era, the study concluded, inter alia, that there was a need for the repositories to ensure that their analogue material was meticulously organised before embarking on digitisation. Other pertinent issues included the need for pragmatism, laying parameters in as far as the scope and purpose of what such a project would aim at, identifying resources (human, technical and financial), the benefits to be derived from the digitisation, time framing, transforming the organisational culture, copyright issues, metadata provision, collaborating and selection of content to be digitised. These recommendations come against a backdrop of the poor state of religious archives in the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Libraries (PCTL) and the need for these repositories to strategically position themselves for the inevitable digitisation, thus ensuring the survival of this record in the long term. It was Bailey who advocated that information professionals need to recognise that although technology moves quickly, with organisations slow to change, we need to work to expedite our responsiveness to change, whatever its pace.Intradisciplinary and/or�interdisciplinary�implications: There is need for archival repositories to move with the times in search of relevance in this InfoTech world; hence, in some academic circles digitisation has been viewed as the microfilm of the new millennium. The proposed resource manual could therefore promote best practices in their digitisation efforts.</p

Collection stewardship constrained by resources: The management of religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal region

A survey using questionnaires, observation and interviews was conducted in 2011 to ascertain the collection stewardship strategies of archival repositories with religious archives in Pietermaritzburg. The study concluded that there was a need to establish a religious archives group in order for the voice of ecclesiastical archives to resonate across South Africa. Through this group, it is hoped that there will be greater coordination and networking amongst the archival repositories. The help of associations such as the South African Society of Archivists, the Oral History Association of South Africa and the South African Preservation Group could greatly assist in fostering best practices in archival management. To champion this worthwhile cause, it would be ideal to come up with an Open Day on religious archives to serve as an advocacy platform. These recommendations are made against a backdrop of the poor state of religious archives in Pietermaritzburg, resulting from acute underfunding and which threatens the survival of this record in the long term.</span

Disembodied archives: The disconnectedness of records and archives management practices within the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Libraries, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

This article discusses the findings of a study that was conducted between February 2013 and November 2013 to determine the inter-connectedness between records and archives management practices for religious archives within the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological libraries (PCTL). It is important to note that much of our national heritage is recorded in the archives of our religious institutions, hence the need to ensure that a continuum of care is provided for this Christian heritage from the point of creation to the retirement of those records with enduring value. Data for this study were obtained primarily through a selfadministered questionnaire, interviews and direct observation. The study revealed that there is much disharmony with regards to records and archives management-practices, which explains why documentary records in custody were incomplete. This incompleteness threatens the corporate memory of these institutions. An important recommendation proposed is the urgent need for archivists within these establishments to adopt a proactive stance in order to ensure that records should not only be properly managed for business continuity but that a healthy and complete record should be transferred to the repository for the benefit of posterity. Furthermore, there is a need to establish a central depository to coordinate records and archives management-activities, thus ensuring best practices in records and archives management

Religious archives in the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region: their importance and the need for a national framework

This article discusses the need for private archives to be legislated like their counterparts the public archives. It focuses on the genre of religious archives which constitutes non-governmental or private archives, a field that has been given less attention in archival discourse. Why religious organizations have not been given due attention could be because of the inherent complexities in their work internal processes. Despite this, it is the thesis of this article that archival legislation should be reviewed and modernised for this record to be managed at national level in view of the fact that so much human activity is recorded in the archives of our religious institutions and communities and other related bodies. The article reviews the literature on private archives with particular emphasis on religious archives and analyse the archival legislations of some countries within ESARBICA in an effort to ascertain whether some sections are sympathetic to private records, the religious record being one in many. The findings paint a gloomy picture for private records as the legislation in place is archaic and not accommodative of this record which means this Christian heritage is on the abyss of disintegration hence the urgent need for it to be legislated for the benefit of posterity

Marketing Strategies Used By Medical Libraries Of Public Universities For Their Information Resources And Services In The North-Western Geopolitical Zone Of Nigeria

The paper examined the strategies used for marketing of information resources and services in medical libraries of public universities in the North-western geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The main objectives of the study is to identify the major strategies used in marketing of information resources and services and how to enhance the existing marketing strategies for optimum use of information resources and services.An explanatory sequential mixed methods research was used for the study. The study involved medical libraries of four public universities in the zone under study. A sample of 365 number of students and 4 number of heads of the medical libraries were chosen for the study. Questionnaire, interviews and observation were used as instruments for data collection. SPSS and Nvivo software were used to analysed the quantitative and the qualitative data collected. The findingd reveales that the major strategies used include advertisement, notice boards, use of social media, use of posters and pamphlets, exhibition and display, user oreintation program and user education. Others were seminars and workshops, SDI, CAS and handbook. The challenges surrounding the libraries\u27 strategies in marketing the information resources and services were the absence of adequate funding and lack of sufficient facilities that will facilitate marketing the information resources and services, among others. Therefore, it is recommended that there is the need for a policy to guides the strategies in use, adequate training should be given to library staff. The libraries should provide adequate facilities to facilitate marketing of information resources and services to their users

Migrated archives: time for closure to turn the wheels of reconciliation and healing for Africa

In a paper on migrated archives, Nathan Mnjama puts forward several reasons as to why these archives are in the custody of our former colonisers. Infrastructural challenges, the lack of the development of archival services and security issues are some of the reasons highlighted. Consequently, these archives were not collected and preserved within colonies and were thus repatriated to the metropolitan countries for safe storage. The removal of these archives have created gaps in archival holdings and these archives need to be located, retrieved and brought home, so he argues. The author of this response proposes that we need to start afresh and forget about this genre of archives in view of the protracted issues involved and considering the archival service challenges that most archival institutions are facing. We are now talking about de-colonisation/refiguring or Africanisation of our archives because there is over-documentation of the colonial record in our repositories and these records are often biased or incorrect

User Perceptions about Archives at the Lutheran Theological Institute Library, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

This paper reports on the findings of a study that was carried out in 2014 at the Lutheran Theological Institute (LTI) Library on user perceptions about archives in the library. Archival registration data in the form of user statics, library membership statistics, annual reports and a questionnaire were the primary sources of data. The study established that users were generally aware of what archives are, that the most consulted archival materials were church and diocese minutes and that amongst the recommended strategies to promote visibility for the archives were exhibitions, guided tours, an open day on archives and the establishment of a friends of the archives group. The key important recommendations of the study were that frequently consulted materials had to be prioritised for digitisation as it was prone to damage due to the continuous handling. Another key recommendation was the need to streamline curricula to incorporate induction on archival instruction to help raise awareness about archives thereby promoting their importance and use within the Lutheran community. Lastly, the input of stakeholders as part of the friends of the archives group will help to champion the cause for religious archives, especially for the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of Theological Libraries (PCTL)