Library and Information Science Commons^™

Public Libraries And Knowledge Commons In A Municipality In The Free State, South Africa, Williams E. Nwagwu Prof., Margaret M. Matobako Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of the study is to examine the emergence of Commons in the public libraries in the Free State in South Africa using the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. The study examined the roles of the libraries and communities, the linkage of the new library with open access to knowledge, level of awareness of both users, and the community and administrators. Also, the study examined the role of library users and their communities in the maintenance of the new library. The study adopted a qualitative research design to study 16 community leaders and 17 library staff using an interview …

Using New Assessment Tools During And Post-Covid-19, Gbolahan Olasina

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This work tackles the need to evaluate and identify fresh assessment techniques utilized in LIS education during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. It investigates the impact of digital media, feedback, formative assessments, and concerns such as cheating and authenticity, providing critical insights for future assessment practises in the post-pandemic period. Accordingly, there is a pressing need to employ new assessment tools post-pandemic to adapt to online and hybrid learning challenges. This qualitative study investigates complex social phenomena in higher education assessments by exploring behaviours, preferences, beliefs, customs, attitudes, viewpoints, and experiences. Twelve LIS instructors, 6 teaching and learning administrators, and …

A Historical Trace Of Library And Information Science Education In Selected Countries Of Africa- Nigeria, Ghana And South Africa, Peter Olubunmi Olubiyo, Lydia Mercy Olubiyo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

LIS education is more concerned with training in librarianship. LIS education aimed at producing competent librarians to manage all types of libraries in the countries of the world for sustainability. Other information related disciplines such as documentation, archives and records management were relatively unknown when they started existing, thus, they were not accorded prominence. However, librarianship in Africa owes its origin to colonialism. Colonialism introduced reading and writing among the indigenous people. Until then, the two activities were alien. Colonial governments introduced Western education which entailed among others, reading and writing. In an attempt to boost the two activities, a …

Awareness, Accessibility And Challenges Of Social Media As Experienced By Postgraduate Information Studies Students, University Of Kwazulu-Natal During The Covid-19 Pandemics Lockdown, Febishola Idowu Kutu Mrs, Olabode Olajide Mr, Jacob Oloruntoba Kutu Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Students who receive literacy training tied to real-life assignments show greater improvement in literacy scores. The significance of this study revolves around the prominent role accorded social media in academic community for research, teaching and learning. In spite of the benefits associated with the use of social media for academic purposes, it is observed that many students, teachers/lecturers have not been fully exploring these advantages to improve their academic performance. The study investigated the awareness, access and social media challenges encountered by postgraduate students of Information Studies, UKZN during the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemics. The study employed a quantitative …

Students’ Perceptions Of Information Literacy At Two South African Universities, Mathew Moyo, Ezra Ondari Okemwa Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study was to find out students’ perceptions of the information literacy intervention programme at two Universities in a developing country. The study adopted a survey research method in which both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data about how students perceived information literacy in relation to its contribution to improved academic performance. Results show that students perceived information literacy as very relevant to their academic success. The respondents indicated that they gain skills on how to find and use information in all formats to address their day to day assignments. This study reveals the …

Records Management Practices To Improve Efficiency And Service Delivery At Qalakabusha And Westville Correctional Facilities, Lungelo S. Mbatha, Lungile Luthuli

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The management of records is an important function in correctional facilities as it improves accountability, safety, security and accessibility of records pertaining to offenders and the various programmes provided. The inadequate management of records however is a wide spread issue in most South African correctional facilities, as evidenced by maladministration and the loss of important offender records. This study was conducted to ascertain the records management practices of two correctional facilities in South Africa in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The research was conducted at Qalakabusha and Westville correctional facilities with the purpose of finding out the types of records kept, …

Research On Psychology In India And South Africa A Comparative Scientometric Study, Praveen Bhoopal Hulloli

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Psychology is one of the field in which constant research is going on, the main objective of this paper is to compare the quality of research output of the two countries like India and South Africa in the field of psychology. The study is conducted by taking citations from WOS database. In this paper the analysis of 14,30,700 global research publications out of which, India contributed 12,543 (0.88%), 96,871 citations with 107 h-index and South Africa 9,938 (0.69%) papers, 1,21,385 citations with 126 h-index received is considered. Study during the years from 2001to 2020 has been compared in the form …

Digitalisation Of Library Services As A Magnifying Factor In Improving Public Library Services In Limpopo, Itumeleng Aaron Khanya, Maoka Dikotla Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: Many public libraries embraced digitalisation while some are hesitant to embrace it.

Aim: The purpose of the study was to examine digitalisation of library services as a magnifying factor in improving public library services in Limpopo.

Method: The study used a quantitative research approach. Data were collected through a questionnaire comprising both open and closed questions.

Results: Findings revealed that ICT infrastructure in Limpopo public libraries is underdeveloped and inadequate. Given this, the majority of public librarians are unable to utilise ICTs to render library and information services resulting in limited access to those services. It is recommended …

A Decade Of Gender-Based Violence (Gbv) Research Productivity In South Africa 2009-2018, Taiwo Aderonke Idowu Mrs.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

South Africa has not only been identified with high records of gender-based violence (GBV), but that, it takes a complex toll on young people than does transport accidents. Therefore, two methods: Pao’s Least Squared (LS) and Sen’s methods were used to determine the validity of GBV research output vis-a-vis Lotka’s law of scientific productivity over a ten-year window 2009-2018. Data on GBV scientific publications in South Africa was harvested from the EBSCO Discovery Service Database. The study revealed an acute dearth of research on GBV, given the fact that 300 publications were produced by 617 researchers which translated …

Awareness And Health Impacts Of Information Overload And Ict Usage In South Africa, Baldwin Obareng Manoko, Mmafani Serote Mrs, Oludele Akinloye Akinboade Prof, Trevor Taft Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose:- This study examined information overload experiences of a group of individuals who are in the social media contact list of the researchers. This covers their perceptions, experiences and impact on their health.

Design:- A survey of randomly selected individuals in the social media contact network of the researchers has been made. This has been done by administering a closed structured questionnaire which cover information ranging from demographic characteristics, time spent on ICT usage, to their experiences of information overload and the health effects of such experience.

Findings:- Male respondents, who are largely unemployed are active ICT users, but are …

The Management Of The Internet Connectivity In The South African Public Libraries, Lesiba Steve Ledwaba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Free public internet access remains an anchor and a critical component of the role public libraries play especially in South Africa. This paper reports on a study that was undertaken to determine how internet access in South African public libraries is managed. The paper was guided by research questions on; the awareness of regulatory policies governing internet access in public libraries; the budget allocation to public libraries to fulfil their mandate; the level of ICT support in public libraries and the accessibility of internet in public libraries. The paper employed a survey design in which an interview was used to …

An Empirical Study Of Internet Usage Pattern Of Undergraduate Students In South Africa, Oghenere Gabriel Salubi Phd, Ndakasharwa Muchaonyerwa Phd

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The pattern of Internet use and the rate at which undergraduate students use the Internet should be greatly influenced by the primary purpose for which it has been provided (academic). The use pattern and use rate of the Internet for this purpose also has much to do with its adoption as a medium of meeting information needs over other media. The uses and gratifications theory on which this research is anchored, suggests that media use serves functions by some specific content or by the medium in question. It sees the audience as active seekers of media in a goal-oriented way …

Transcending Existing Frontiers To Achieve Selected Sustainable Development Goals: The Role Of Community Libraries In South Africa, Samuel Maredi Sm Mojapelo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Globally, extreme poverty remains an enormous socioeconomic and multifaceted challenge, which has a ripple effect on other factors that affect the quality of life of citizens. Continuing and expanding on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations (UN) developed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs aimed at improving the livelihood of citizens by entrenching human development particularly in poor and developing countries. This is a conceptual paper based on the document analysis or literature review. The article is aimed at analysing information sources and highlights new frontiers community libraries can play in assisting the general South African public to be …

Enterprise Content Management System Implementation Readiness To Improve Medical Records Management In Limpopo Province, South Africa, Ngoako Solomon Marutha, Patrick Ngulube

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study sought to establish readiness for implementation of ECM to improve medical records management in the public hospitals of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The use of digital systems such as enterprise content management (ECM) to manage medical records is fundamental to ensure timely access, sharing and use of the medical records by healthcare providers and hospital management. This is because timely access to medical records will result in timely healthcare service delivery to the patients. There have been many different kinds of digital systems applied in different organisations for different categories of records throughout the world. Quantitative …

The Impact Of Culture And Religion On The Perception Of Freedom Of Expression Between Older And Younger Generations In South Africa And State Of Kuwait: An International And Comparative Study, Dalal Albudaiwi

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE AND RELIGION ON THE PERCEPTION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION BETWEEN OLDER AND YOUNGER GENERATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND STATE OF KUWAIT: AN INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY

by

Dalal Albudaiwi

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Professor Johannes Britz

Freedom of expression as a right has been protected by many nations' Constitutions and human right organizations. Freedom of expression has a long history in both the Western and Islamic worlds. Each viewed, defined, and analyzed the term differently based on their values and principles. Unsurprisingly, the Western and Islamic worlds do not completely …

Determining Return On Investment: The Importance And Development Of Statistics Collection For Information Literacy Training At Cput Libraries, Janine Lockhart, Deborah Becker

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

Academic libraries are increasingly required to prove their value as university management is demanding evidence of return on investment. The Information Literacy (IL) programme at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Libraries has undergone a process of development over many years from the initial random training sessions to the development and approval of a certified short course.

With these developments came the need for more relevant and detailed statistics. In a parallel process, the recording of the statistics for IL and other training done by library staff have therefore also evolved over the past few years.

This paper outlines the …

Utilization And Value Of Public Sector Information For Knowledge Development: The Case Of South Africa, Raed M. Sharif

School of Information Studies - Dissertations

Although there appears to be a broad recognition of the key role that Public Sector Information (PSI) can play in the development of societies, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of how PSI is actually being utilized and of its wider societal value, especially in developing countries. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to analyze the PSI utilization process within the knowledge creation context and the factors and conditions that affect its value and usability from the user perspective. More specifically, the thesis investigates the PSI-related factors and conditions that facilitate or hinder the utilization process, as …

Biowatch South Africa And The Challenges In Enforcing Its Constitutional Right To Access To Information, Wilhelm Peekhaus

Wilhelm Peekhaus

This paper examines the difficulties encountered by Biowatch, a South African civil society environmental organization, in its attempts to obtain access to government information in respect of genetically engineered plants. After establishing the context of South Africa's access to information regime, including a brief discussion of several of its weaknesses, the paper engages in an extended account of the Biowatch case as an exemplar of some of the more pronounced challenges to the effective implementation of the country's access to information legislation. The elaboration of the case is based on interviews conducted with the Director of Biowatch and counsel from …

Consortia Building Among Libraries In Africa, And The Nigerian Experience, Ngozi Blessing Ossai

Collaborative Librarianship

This study focuses on consortia building among libraries in Africa, with special attention given to Nigeria. It covers the various forms of library consortia: formal and informal as well as cooperative interchanges, including partnerships for resource sharing. Affirming the aim of consortia building as strengthening libraries and library services, the study considers the problems and prospects that are associated with consortia building in Africa and proposes a way forward. It concludes with an affirmation of the need to embrace consortia building among libraries in Africa and an emphasis on the key role ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) plays in consortia …