Evaluating library service quality at the Aga Khan University library: Application of a total quality management approach

The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation of the service quality of the Aga Khan University library in Kenya. The total quality management philosophy which forms the basis of this report has been demonstrated by the use of SERVQUAL, a userbased assessment tool, in the evaluation of service quality. The research was conducted among 123 Aga Khan University library users – nursing and medical faculty and nursing and medical students – with an aim to investigate the quality of its services based on the satisfaction of library users with the services and as expressed by and based on users’ expectations and perceptions. The data was gathered through the SERVQUAL structured questionnaire and a 63% response rate was realized. The findings generally established that the expectations of Aga Khan University library users are higher than their perceptions. The results also show that there are service quality gaps in a number of services offered by the library. This research is deemed important as there is lack of information showing libraries in Kenya having involved library users in service quality evaluation through the use of objective and user-based tools. Thus this paper may lead to libraries in Kenya embracing objective measurement tools for the evaluation of library service quality. It is hoped that this article will contribute to a better understanding of philosophies such as total quality management in an academic library environment in developing countries, users’ expectations and perceptions of quality

From guardianship to abandonment : children 's literature and library and information science

Children's literature – and I use the term in the broadest sense of the word, from picture books for the very young to young adult literature – is a subject field that has always been close to my heart. I became involved in the subject field by chance, just as I ended up in Library and Information Science by coincidence. My background and interest have always been history and heritage. However, I was fortunate enough to have two formidable mentors during my undergraduate years in Potchefstroom: Professor TT Cloete and Professor Carl Lohann. It was Professor Cloete who made me aware of the existence of the subject field, Library and Information Science, and it was Professor Lohann, who was the Head of the Department at that stage, who ignited my passion for children's literature

Strategies for Managing Knowledge in Organisations: A Conceptual Study

Strategies for managing and safeguarding knowledge are crucial for organisations, which calls for proper preservation and retention. The ability to create closer ties and better understanding between knowledge management (KM) and organisational performance is by establishing strategies. Strategies are used to plan, monitor and assess knowledge in organisations. Several factors need to be considered when deciding on a particular strategy to adopt, as the choice of strategy depends on the nature of the organisation. This study sought to analyse the strategies that organisations deploy to facilitate KM practices. It was discovered that the main strategies used to promote and safeguard knowledge at the universities were coaching, e-learning, communities of practice, mentorship, apprenticeship, and storytelling as the main strategies for managing knowledge. Organisations, therefore, put in place policies to encourage the use of these strategies. These are essential for organisations who want to maintain a coherent and align their practice

Exploring the extent to which Universities in Ghana Deploy Knowledge Management Processes in their Activities

Universities are knowledge-based organisations. They are using knowledge as a key resource and for competitive advantage. Knowledge management practices seems to be suitable for universities because they possess the conducive environment and systems. This study sought to assess the extent to which KM was practiced at the universities and the mechanisms and initiatives implemented to promote KM processes at the universities. The study adopted the survey and mixed method research approach to collect data from 118 respondents from three universities in Ghana (public, private and professional). Questionnaires (consisting of blend of closed and open-ended questions) were used to collect primary data. The study established that despite the high presence of knowledge management processes (acquisition, creation, sharing and retention) at the universities, the practice was more effective at the private university than the professional and public universities respectively. These KM processes improved efficiency, effectiveness, decision-making capabilities. However, the absence of trust, openness and collaboration; difficult access to technology; and lack of support and mechanisms to promote informal discussions between staff and management of the universities negatively affected KM processes

Information Needs of Women Subsistence Farmers in a Village in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

This article reports on findings of a study that was conducted to establish the information needs of women subsistence or smallholder farmers and the various information sources they consulted to resolve their information needs. The study was qualitative, and a grounded theory design was used. Focus group interviews and observation were used to collect data from 14 women crop farmers and three women livestock keepers. The farmer-to-farmer extension (FFE) model was adopted to understand the information-seeking behaviours of women farmers and how they can be improved, if need be. The findings revealed that while the women crop farmers needed help with seeds, soil treatment and the protection of crops from pests and stray animals, they needed more information on drought preparedness and management, and, on how to transform from subsistence to commercial farming. Women livestock keepers needed information on livestock feeds, the treatment of various ailments, and disaster preparedness and management. In addition, they needed the reintegration of the extension officer. It also transpired that local libraries were not responding to the information needs of farmers. The main source of information was oral communication. The use of radio, television, cell phones and extension officers was limited. This study echoes other studies which propose it is important that libraries, non-government organisations (NGOs) and extension officers respond to the information needs of smallholder farmers, especially women.Information Scienc

A framework for a records management programme: lessons from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in South Africa

An effective and efficient records management programme is essential for the governance of any organisation. The control functions it exercises can make a vital contribution to the achievement of business objectives and administrative efficiency. However, there is consensus among researchers that many organisations struggle to develop records management programmes to meet business needs. Developing a records management programme is a highly complex and difficult task, to the extent that it is common for records management projects to exceed scheduled completion dates or not be completed at all. This article reports on the findings of an MINF research project (Ngoepe 2008) conducted at Unisa that sought to examine the principles involved in establishing a records management programme with specific reference to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in South Africa. Data were collected through online questionnaires, observation and interviews with a selected sample of people and analysed using open source software. The findings suggest that the commitment and support of top management are of enormous value in the implementation of a records management programme. The authors surmise that a records management programme will function effectively only if it is developed in the context of the larger managerial environment, so that records management procedures reflect overall management objectives. Furthermore, the establishment of an effective records management programme is reliant on an understanding by public servants at all levels of the importance of records and the need for records management infrastructure, that is, policies, strategies, procedures, filing systems, and so on. A further study to investigate records management models in the public sector is recommended.Information Scienc

Hemodynamic effects of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor linagliptin with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in type 2 diabetic patients with albuminuria

Objective: Concomitant treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors is increasingly common. Pharmacological studies have suggested a potential adverse drug interaction between ACE inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors resulting in unfavorable hemodynamic changes; very few studies have examined such an interaction between angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and DPP-4 inhibitors. We investigated blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during treatment with the DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin in individuals receiving either ACE inhibitors or ARBs in the MARLINA-T2D trial. Methods: In this study, 360 individuals with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria receiving unchanged doses of ACE inhibitors or ARBs were randomized to linagliptin or placebo. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, an exploratory endpoint, was conducted at baseline and after 24 weeks. Results: Ambulatory BP monitoring data were available for 208 individuals (linagliptin: n = 111; placebo: n = 97). Baseline mean +/- SD 24-h SBP and DBP were 132.5 +/- 12.4 mmHg and 75.9 +/- 9.4 mmHg, respectively; mean 24-h HR was 76.3 +/- 10.1 bpm. At week 24, no overall effect of the DPP-4 inhibitor versus placebo was seen on mean 24-h SBP, DBP, or HR. Furthermore, in the subgroups receiving either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB, no effect on these hemodynamic parameters was seen as a result of concomitant DPP-4 inhibitor treatment. Conclusion: Adding linagliptin to treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs was not associated with any hemodynamic changes, supporting their concomitant use in individuals with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria.Peer reviewe

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Extensively Drug-Resistant Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Belonging to the Euro-American S Lineage

We report the whole-genome sequencing of two extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis strains belonging to the Euro-American S lineage. The RSA 114 strain showed single-nucleotide polymorphisms predicted to have drug efflux activity