The InfoLit Portal: a New Enhancement for Teaching & Learning

Paper presented at the September 2006 CLTD symposium held at the University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.This is a symposium paper that describes the objectives and components of the InfoLit portal especially WIST and Subject Portals at the University of the Witwatersrand.University of the Witwatersrand, Centre for Learning, Teaching & Development (CLTD

Freedom of information: in search of a niche for the library profession in Swaziland

Published in IFLA journal, Vol.25, No.1, Jan.1999The primary objective of the article is to assess the effect of censorship on collection development and librarianship as well as to ascertain future prospects in Swaziland. It is based on Swaziland legal documents. It is argued that (i) historically censorship is institutionalized through a range of legal instruments and seeks to maintain acceptable standards of morality and political stability, (ii) while the library profession's response is lukewarm, the Internet and the changed Southern African political conditions are conducive to the promotion of intellectual freedom. It concludes that awareness raising is the key to desensitizing the hitherto controversial materials and themes and giving access to all points of view without prejudice

Modernization of library and information services in higher education in Swaziland: strategic interventions, 2000/1-2005/6

This is part of a collection of nine papers especially on Southern Africa published in IFLA Journal, Vol.33, No.2, 2007 to mark the holding of the World Library and Information Congress: 73rd IFLA Council and General Conference in Durban, South Africa, 19 - 23 August 2007.This is a discussion of the implementation of the UNISWA strategic plan 2000/2001 – 2005/2006. The goal of the article is to assess the impact of the information technology, policies and procedures, collaboration, funding, management, human resources development, preservation, marketing and information service delivery strategies on the modernization of LIS. It is argued that UNISWA effected considerable staff re-skilling and made some progress towards widening access to quality subscription based electronic resources and optimizing on the utilization of open access materials. Implementation was negatively influenced by low funding, limited local content on the web, inadequate information and communication technology infrastructure, scarce professional skills, and restrictive policies and procedures. It concludes that further work revolving around the above factors, taking into account user needs for independent life long learning, is the key to deepening the modernization of LIS at UNISWA

The Integration of Print and Electronic Sources: A Case Study of the University of Swaziland Library

This is a case study in which the objectives were to assess user involvement in print/ electronic resources (e-resources), integration, education and training, awareness, use and impact of e-resources at the University of Swaziland. Based on a questionnaire survey from a sample of first, final year and a mixed group of students, the results showed that users were not involved, user education inadequately covered e-resources, and users were not fully aware of and underutilised e-resources which consequently had a limited impact. The study recommends user requirements studies, comprehensive user education catering for varying student needs, installation of more computer terminals as well as user friendly access policies, aggressive marketing of e-resources and improvements in ICT infrastructure. Afr. J. Lib. Arch. & Inf. Sc. Vol.15(1) 2005: 59-6

Library and information services (LIS) strategic planning in a developing country: a case study

Article copies available from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: [email protected] article discusses a strategic planning initiative at the University of Swaziland Libraries. It describes the steps followed and the consultation and communication techniques used and notes the limited progress made in implementing the plan and the underlying reasons. It also critiques the reactive nature of the planning process; lack of representation of the faculty of Health Sciences and students; staff turnover; multifaceted objectives; concurrent development of management systems and the implementation process; and inadequate funding. It concludes that a feasible LIS strategic plan in a developing country should include all stakeholder interests, while being mindful of the physical and fiscal resource and systems realities

Continuing education: libraries and the Internet (CELI) project: narrowing the skills gap in Southern African university libraries

The terms and conditions of use of this article are available at http://www.dlib.org/access.htmlThis is a description and evaluation of a SIDA funded continuing education initiative to enhance Internet skills and applications in university libraries in nine Southern African countries. The article describes the origins, objectives, methodology, coverage, challenges and gives an assessment of the project. It concludes that effective harnessing of the Internet depends on management support for continuous application of new skills and upgrading of ICT infrastructure, indigenous e-publishing, etc

th IFLA Council and General Conference August 16-25, 2001

: The presentation explores the evolution of the SNB, noting its roots in (i) international resolutions on national bibliographies, and (ii) legislation bestowing legal depository status on the University of Swaziland Libraries (UNISWA) and the Swaziland National Library Service (SNLS). It is observed that since publication of the first issue in 1977, currency, accessibility, coverage and quality are recurring challenges while the strain on the thinly spread human resources continues to pose a threat to SNB production. It is argued that in recent times, partnerships within the Swaziland information system and with printers and stakeholders, sustained publicity, applied research, responsive administrative systems and routines, dedicated funding, and other technical and human interventions have gradually produced modest improvements. It is further noted that there is still room for the SNB to improve itself. The presentation concludes that the key to excellence lies in, inter alia, comp..