Information
Literacy
The transformation of academic libraries in a Post-Apartheid South Africa
Lucille Webster
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
From Apartheid to Democracy- changes in the map
During Apartheid Post-Apartheid
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Introduction
• 1994: Political change in South Africa – a country in transition
• Enabling legislation
• Higher Education Act 2001
• National Plan for Higher Education
• Transformation of academic landscape in SA - 2002
• National Development Plan 2030• https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/Executive%20Summary-NDP%202030%20-
%20Our%20future%20-%20make%20it%20work.pdf
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Introduction of LIS structures post-Apartheid
• National Council on Library and Information Services (NCLIS)• http://www.dac.gov.za/sites/default/files/Legislations%20Files/act6_01.pdf
• The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter• http://www.dac.gov.za/sites/default/files/Transformation%20charter-6th%20draft-22102009.pdf
• Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA)
• http://www.liasa-new.org.za/
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Academic libraries in in SA today
• Embrace change : It is the only constant in life
• Changes in higher education,
• Advances in technology
• Shifting research and scholarly landscape,
• Disrupters: GIS data, data visualization, big data
• Next Generation Digital Learning Environment
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
The Academic Library – a desired place
Library
Alignment to institutional
priorities
Support teaching,
learning and research
SophisticatedICTS – on-site
& remoteaccess
Relevant collection
developmentand
management
Print and electronic resources
Dedicatedspaces to
meet different
needs
Culture of reading,
enquiry and critical
thinking
Reimagining of Organizational structures
• Adapting library structures to align with the 21st century practises of the future workplace
• Evolving roles of librarians –rethink the traditional library hierarchy
• Creation of flexible and functional teams
• Improve library’s ability to remain innovative and responsive to user needs and expectations.
• Embrace diversity
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Human capital in academic libraries
• Institutions and organizationscontinue to look for ways ofreducing salary budgets bymeans of attrition, redundancy,etc.
• Impact of mass retirement of baby boomers – skills deficit,mentoring, succession planning
• Impact of technology andinstitutional priorities – newroles and new competencies
• New skills and learning
• Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD)
Academic Libraries Supporting Research
• Embracing new trends impacting research and research visibility
• Institutional repository
• Supports Open Access through the institutional mandate
• Open Education Resources (OER’s)
• Explore e-Learning
• Incorporation of Web 2.0 tools
• Altmetrics
Emergence of e-Research in academia
• Key role of library• preserving knowledge, ensuring quality, integrity and curation of digital
research information, sustaining evolving digital service environments and archiving research data
• Building appropriate services and spaces for new forms ofteaching, research, and learning;
• Shifting resources to support the digital imperative;
• Developing/recruiting new skills and expanding traditional roles, e.g., from reference librarian to research data manager
Research Data Management & Data Curation
• “The NRF recognises the importance of Open Access to science and research …from 01 March 2015, authors of research papers .. should deposit their final peer-reviewed manuscripts to the administering Institution Repository ….”
• https://www.nrf.ac.za/media-room/news/statement-open-access-research-publications-national-research-foundation-nrf-funded
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
• National Research Foundation
Collection development
• The rising cost of acquiring the resources necessary to supportteaching and research has faroutstripped increases in library acquisition budgets
• The exorbitant increase of access to electronic resources are a challenge, double-digit inflation has become thenorm in the online database industry , …scientific, technical and medical(STM) journals.
• Budget strategy - manage the transition from traditional publishing models to open access
• Movement to a patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) model for book purchases.
• Purchasing individual articles as an alternative to journal subscriptions.
• Replace or expand subscriptions with open access.
• Is the big deal a good deal?
• Counter statistics – how true is it?
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Collection development: challenges
• Costs of journals and databasescrowding out purchasing oftraditional prescribed andrecommended textbooks
• Ebook versions of academictextbooks/prescribed not yet universally available
• Some restrictions in how patronscan use ebooks
• Copyright and licensingrestrictions
SA consortium for online access
• South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC)
• http://www.sanlic.org.za
• SANLiC facilitates on a non-profit basis, affordable access to scholarly electronic information in support of the teaching, learning and research of its members
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Rethinking library spaces
• Student-centred active learning spaces
• Spaces reconfigured to include media production studios, Makerspaces
• Spaces conducive to individual, collaborative and hands-on learning
• Adaptable, flexible and highly mobile spaces
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Durban University of Technology library spaces
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Cape Peninsula University of Technology library spaces
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
University of Cape Town Library Spaces
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Universal design principles: a library environment for everyone • Equitable access to physical and
virtual space
• Incorporation of universal design principles in library services to improve the user experience of all patrons
• An impact on the variety of skills library professionals require
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Digital literacy, digital fluency and information literacy – the role of the library
• Digital Literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.
• Digital Fluency is the aptitude to effectively and ethically interpret information, discover meaning, design content, construct knowledge, and communicate ideas in a digitally connected world
• Academic libraries are best positioned to lead efforts to develop users’ digital citizenship
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Integrating the Library into the curriculum:transforming the student experience for studentsuccess• Libraries bridging the digital divide
• Focused training on multiple literacies including information and digital literacies
• Correct and ethical use of information and knowledgeresources
• Training in referencing and using online reference tools e.g.Endnote, Zotero
• Embedding the relevant graduate attributes meaningfully and demonstrably in the teaching, learning and assessment activities.
• Critical thinking, lifelong learning
Library users as creators
• The Library is the ideal environment to serve as creation hubs on campus
• Library users are making and creating rather than simply consuming content
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Valuing the user experience (UX)
• UX is an emerging library specialization, early adoption in the academic library community
• User Experience refers to the quality of a person’s interaction with services or products
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Bibliometric and citation technology
RESEARCH METRICS ALTMETRICS
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Conclusion
In academic library environment CHANGE is the only constant: Emerging technology will continue to impact on:
• Library strategies,
• Operations and services
• Library spaces and places
• Research and Digital scholarship,
• Information management.
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019
Sources
• Adams Becker, S,;et.al. 2017.NMC Horizon report Library edition. https://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-horizon-report-2017-library-edition/
• ALAconnect. http://connect.ala.org/node/181197
• Educause review 2017: https://er.educause.edu/~/media/files/articles/2017/1/erm171w.pdf?la=en
• Elements of the user’s experience cycle: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/15621929927378174/
• LIS Transformation Charter http://www.dac.gov.za/sites/default/files/Transformation%20charter-6th%20draft-22102009.pdf
• National Development Plan 2030 file:///C:/Users/WebsterL/OneDrive%20-%20Durban%20University%20of%20Technology/KINGSTON/India/NPC%20National%20Development%20Plan%20Vision%202030%20-lo-res.pdf
2ND International Conference on Changing Landscape of Science and Technology Libraries: Gandhinagar 2019