SMEs and Business Information Provision Strategies: Analytical Perspective

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of business information provision mechanism for SMEs with a view of highlighting aspects critical in any business information provision modalities. It makes a reflection on SMEs as information user groups, highlights notable challenges faced in the business information chain and gives an account of the ICTs impact on business information provision to SMEs. To inform decision making regarding appropriate business provision, some aspects from three countries are highlighted. The guiding principles for developing effective business development services are outlined. The article concludes by a call for the adoption of serious information provision strategies and makes useful recommendations for business information providers, academicians and policy makers. The provision of business information to the SMEs is crucial. However, this must be based on a clear understanding of the basic ingredients crucial for any meaningful design to take place. This review highlights important issues that business information providers should take into consideration. It provides a platform for business information providers and policy makers, academicians in LIS profession to rethink best practices to curtail challenges in business information provision to SMEs

Assessment of Legal Information Needs and Access Problems of Lawyers in Uganda

Access to the right kind of legal information is imperative for efficient and effective performance in any judicial process. This study investigated the legal information needs and problems faced by lawyers (as main consumers of legal information) in accessing legal information. The study used a survey design in which a structured questionnaire was used to elicit the required data. It was carried out in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The study found that law reference; laws of other countries; law reports; update of court rules and judge cases constitute the most needed legal information of lawyers and attorneys in Uganda. While problems faced in accessing legal information include: inadequate information materials; limited law libraries; out dated information materials and limited time to search for the required legal information. The study concludes that to make lawyers succeed in their judicial processes, more serious and proactive ways of accessing legal information are required. Hence, recommended among others the need for legal information providers to be proactive; legal information providers to network or form consortium to ease legal information acquisition; integration of ICTs in information provision and if possible, phone text message service be dovetailed

Sources and Means of Access to Legal Information by Lawyers in Uganda

Any meaningful design of information system for a user group must take into account the need to establish the sources of information and channels/means to access. This paper reports on the study instituted to determine the sources of legal information and means used to access legal information by Lawyers in Uganda and propose strategic interventions. The study used survey research design with structured questionnaire to elicit the required data. The results indicate that sources outside legal literature, acts of parliament, law textbooks and judgments constitute the main sources of legal information. While constitutional, human rights, law reference and gender related needs constitute the difficult legal information to access. Highly used channels/means to access legal information include visiting law libraries, telephones and using research assistants. It concludes that concerted efforts are required by the Government of Uganda and law librarians to address issues of legal information provision to lawyers in Uganda. This is because the growth in law has led to changes in the legal publishing industry. It is recommended that provision of literature from outside law should be integrated into the legal information provision strategies. Law librarians should be proactive and mobile technologies integrated in the legal information service delivery among others

Assessment of Legal Information Needs and Access Problems of Lawyers in Uganda

Access to the right kind of legal information is imperative for efficient and effective performance in any judicial process. This study investigated the legal information needs and problems faced by lawyers (as main consumers of legal information) in accessing legal information. The study used a survey design in which a structured questionnaire was used to elicit the required data. It was carried out in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The study found that law reference; laws of other countries; law reports; update of court rules and judge cases constitute the most needed legal information of lawyers and attorneys in Uganda. While problems faced in accessing legal information include: inadequate information materials; limited law libraries; out dated information materials and limited time to search for the required legal information. The study concludes that to make lawyers succeed in their judicial processes, more serious and proactive ways of accessing legal information are required. Hence, recommended among others the need for legal information providers to be proactive; legal information providers to network or form consortium to ease legal information acquisition; integration of ICTs in information provision and if possible, phone text message service be dovetailed

Positioning of Records and Archives Education in Uganda: An Analysis of the Trend

The value of good records and archives management in thepromotion of accountability, good governance and human rightscannot be overemphasized. However, this can only be possible whena pool of well-trained human resources exist in the field of recordsand archives management. This article, based on a literature reviewexplores and makes the situation analysis of records and archivesmanagement education in Uganda. The article reviews the administrativehistory of Uganda to highlight the value of good records andarchives management for the promotion of national heritage. It makesamong others a review of records and archives management demandin Uganda; and states the intrinsic values of sound records management.The syllabus of Bachelor of Records and Archives Management(BRAM) in Uganda is presented. The challenges of recordsmanagement education with reference to Uganda and the wayforward are addressed

Electronic Information Seeking Among LIS Postgraduate Students at Makerere University, Uganda

Without clearly understanding the users’ level of usage of resources, attitudes and the e-resources literacy levels, it is difficult to promote reading in electronic environment. Developing countries within their limited library resources need to ensure that the e-resources acquired or subscribed to are optimally used. It is on that basis that the study was designed and conducted among the postgraduate Library and Information Science (LIS) students of Makerere University, Uganda to establish the level of computer skills of its LIS postgraduate students; determine the use of electronic information resources; their attitudes towards e-resources; access; their e-resources literacy levels and propose strategies to improve on e-resources use. Survey research technique was used. The data collected using structured questionnaire were analysed using Excel Software to generate the frequencies, percentages and pie charts. Results of the study established that LIS postgraduate students have varied computer skills. Working on coursework/assignments, looking for opportunities and e-mail use top the main reasons as to why they use e-resources. Among the e-resources that the University Library subscribes to, Emerald and Blackwell-Synergy are the most accessed. The study also established that the respondents have positive attitude towards e-resources and feel that their standard of academic work would suffer without e-resources. The respondents proposed different strategies to improve on e-resources in the University. Among the different proposals suggested to promote e-resources in the University are the integration of the Phone short text message services and insistence by the LIS lecturers for students to use e-resources in coursework/assignments. The respondents however did not support the idea of introducing e-resources fees to be paid by students. The study concludes that a concerted effort is needed by both lecturers of LIS postgraduate students and university librarians to promote e-resources. Joint effort is required if optimum reading in electronic environment is to be achieved. It should not be seen as the work of the university librarians alone. The study will help to develop access to critical data that can help academic libraries make decisions regarding e-services and resources. It will also develop data-rich evidence for the library users that the academic library serves attesting to the value of the library-enabled networked services and e-resources

Records and Information Disaster Preparedness in Selected Organisations in Uganda

This study looked at the availability of rules and regulations governing access to and use of records; threats to records management; disaster response plan; extent to which organizations are committed in four major stages of disaster management in organizations in Uganda. In gathering the data, structured questionnaire was administered to 32 records and information professionals from both government and private sector who participated in performance improvement training in Electronic Records Management at Makerere University in August 2010. The findings show among others the areas of interest for short training for records managers; availability of rules and regulations governing access to records; percentage of the organizations‟ budget spent on disaster preparedness; threats to both paper-based and e-records; availability of policy on records disaster management; availability of migration plans from paper based toelectronic records; rate at which records are lost through disasters. The  study showed the level of records disaster planning preparedness of the organizations in Uganda and extent of commitment towards disaster management. It gives a picture of records managers‟ perception on aspects of records disaster management considered crucial for effective records management in organizations. The study concludes a worrying situation that requires immediate interventions that include among others: the need for organizations to design records disaster management policy; the inclusion of disaster planning and management as a core training course for Information Science professionals; sensitization of organizations‟ policy makers on disaster planning and management; developing techniques for training, knowledge transfer and assessments for records disasters.Keywords: Disaster Management, Records Disaster Plan, Records Management, Records-Threats, Ugand