1 online resource (xii, 184 leaves : ill.) / A high level of literacy is essential if a child is to be employable and determines the role a person will play in the globalised information age. In South Africa the literacy levels, including reading levels, of school children is extremely low. The study forms part of a longitudinal reading and literacy intervention project undertaken over a five year period in two disadvantaged primary schools in an urban township. The project focused on capacity building and resource building of the school community including the teachers, learners, school librarians and parents. This dissertation describes an action research study that focused specifically on setting up school libraries in each of these schools and the professional development of the teachers in order to contribute to the teaching and learning practices in the schools. It offers critical reflections on the process and findings and contributes to research on school libraries in South Africa. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Library and Information Studies, Durban University of Technology, 2013 / Academic libraries should lead in the instructional change process by being at the nexus of teaching, learning and research in the university. This study was set in the context of the current higher educational landscape of South Africa. In particular, it focused on the emerging role of the University of Technology (UoT) library to enhance academic success. This was an exploratory study juxtaposed with a literature review pertinent to national and international library integration programmes and practices. Justification for this study stemmed from the current local and international trend for academic libraries to become proactive partners in teaching and learning through academic integration and leadership in promoting the university’s mission and goals. Underpinned by the process learning theoretical framework, the aim of this study was to explore the extent to which academic integration has been adopted by UoT libraries in South Africa. Process learning was chosen by the researcher because it is considered a learner-centred teaching technique for student engagement and it is consistent with the constructivist theory postulated and applicable to UoT libraries. The specific objectives of the survey were to determine: what academic integration programmes are offered by UoT libraries to enhance teaching, learning and research in South Africa; existing information literacy programmes and assessment practices in UoT libraries; what postgraduate/research programmes are offered by the library to academics and students and how they are represented in strategy or policy documents; and the similarities and differences in academic integration programmes in all six UoTs in SA. A mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative methodologies) were used to collect data regarding programmes and practices prevalent in UoT libraries across all six UoTs in South Africa. An online questionnaire was administered using SurveyMonkey. Forty-two subject librarians participated in the survey, yielding a sixty- two percent response rate. The objectives of the study were achieved by the identification of the following key academic integration programmes: embedded information literacy programmes; resource collection and development; faculty collaboration and partnerships to promote academic success; research scholarship and open access initiatives; social media networking; and reading and writing programmes. This study found that while academic integration has gained momentum in UoTs in South Africa, greater effort should be made in collaboration with academics in: embedded information literacy and blended learning; open access and scholarship; reading and writing programmes; and collaboration in postgraduate interventions. The findings also revealed that while most libraries internationally have embraced reading and writing programmes, libraries offering reading and writing programmes to enhance academic success are relatively scarce in UoTs in South Africa. It is recommended that the subject librarians engage in academic integration practices by: supporting the curricula and research programmes; improving institutional outcomes; improving collaborations; building intellectual or knowledge centres and providing relevant information to students and staff within a knowledge society.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The study is being conducted against the background of the poor literacy levels of learners in previously disadvantaged primary schools in South Africa. The aim of this study is to investigate if the donation of container libraries by AVBOB as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility projects has an impact on the literacy of the learners. The objective of the study was to assess and evaluate the benefits of using a container library donated by AVBOB Mutual Assurance Society for improving the literacy skills amongst Grade 6 pupils enrolled at Sapphire Primary School in the Eastern Cape. The study was based on a random sample of size n=47 pupils enrolled in Grade 6 at Sapphire Primary School and pupils enrolled at three other primary schools that did not use container libraries for teaching literacy to Grade 6 pupils.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / In this day and age, technology keeps advancing thereby enabling electronic libraries to be one of the most useful sources of information. Traditional, physical libraries are, however, still in existence and one would wonder what the impact of online library is on physical libraries. In this research, the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries in a South African university is evaluated. The main purpose of this study was to explore the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries. The goal of the study was to conceptualize a framework for understanding the impact of Electronic library on Physical library which was accomplished by finding out whether the number of physical library users had increased or decreased in terms of the usage of the physical library in the past five years, what challenges are being faced by physical libraries due to the availability of electronic libraries and finally by evaluating the impact of electronic libraries on physical libraries.

1 online resource (xii, 184 leaves) : illustrations / A high level of literacy is essential if a child is to be employable and determines the role a person will play in the globalised information age. In South Africa the literacy levels, including reading levels, of school children is extremely low. The study forms part of a longitudinal reading and literacy intervention project undertaken over a five year period in two disadvantaged primary schools in an urban township. The project focused on capacity building and resource building of the school community including the teachers, learners, school librarians and parents. This dissertation describes an action research study that focused specifically on setting up school libraries in each of these schools and the professional development of the teachers in order to contribute to the teaching and learning practices in the schools. It offers critical reflections on the process and findings and contributes to research on school libraries in South Africa. / Information Science / M. Inf. (Information Science)

Experiences of the TUT LIS in offering support to e-learning. / Though relatively new to the family of universities and in particular, universities of technology, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Library and Information Services (LIS) is one of the fortunate South African higher education libraries which have a dedicated and fully-fledged IT and Systems Section. Further, TUT LIS has a Section referred to as Electronic Resource Centres which is commonly known as ERCs. The Section includes Internet Centres, popularly known as ICentres. Each of TUT’s nine learning site libraries has an ERC. Four of the learning sites have I-Centres, some in student residences. Many of the libraries have a training room attached to the ERC. Those which do not have a training facility schedule training at certain times and only thereafter avail the ERC for other use. Many of the academic departments have computer laboratories for use by their students. These are not related to ERCs or I-Centres. The LIS works in cooperation with the Directorate of Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Services to support the teaching departments and students’ learning endeavours. The LIS is involved in a project to increase the University’s success and throughput rates. Other partners in this project are from HEDS (Higher Education Development and Support) Directorate comprising: Curriculum Development, Teaching and Learning with Technology, Cooperative Education and Student Development and Support. The aim of this paper is to share experiences of the TUT LIS in offering support to e-learning. The newly formed LIS embraced the model of the ERC/I-Centre as a one-stop facility that one of the merger partners, Pretoria Technikon, had established. The other partner, Technikon Northern Gauteng had partially developed an ERC to “extend access to the book/journal in electronic format”.

Legal deposit and its sustainability is a major problem that cannot be ignored in South Africa. The value of preserving and making accessible information is of primary importance for legal deposit collections. The concept of legal deposit is evolving from decade to decade as many factors continue to influence it. Among the challenges facing legal deposit libraries is the problem of publishers failing to comply with legal deposit requirements. This study investigated the problems and constraints experienced by publishers in KwaZulu- Natal concerning legal deposit. Thirty five publishers were surveyed by means of a selfadministered questionnaire which utilized both open and closed questions. The results of the study reveal that while the vast majority of publishers in KwaZulu-Natal are compliant with legal deposit requirements, they do experience a number of problems while doing so. These problems include financial costs and time constraints while a lack of knowledge about certain aspects of legal deposit on the part of the publishers was evident. Recommendations, which would require participation from all the stakeholders, to address the problems identified were made. The study concluded with suggestions for further research. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

An evaluation was conducted on a credit-bearing module that has recently become compulsory for second year students in four of the six schools in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. The module was based on a course that has been run for Agriculture students since the 1980s. The module "Information Retrieval Skills" (Agri220) is run over a two week period at the beginning of the first semester and covers the library computer catalogue, OPAC and other retrieval tools such as print-based abstracts and indexes, SABINET Online and the CD-ROM databases in the library. The study sought to determine students' perceptions of the Agri220 module, to determine whether the outcomes as described in the Agri220 module template were evident in students, and to determine the use students made of the library. The method that was used in the evaluation was summative, and thus conducted after students had completed the module. Furthermore to find out their views about the contribution of the module to their studies, the study focused on students who had done the module over a year previously. The respondents were students in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness as these were the students for whom the module was compulsory in 1999. A survey was done of five third year classes , which consisted of both third and fourth year students, and questionnaires were distributed and completed in the classes. Students were very positive in their feedback about the module and reported becoming more efficient in their use of the library. They were largely familiar with the interlibrary loan service and OPAC but were aware to a lesser extent of the print-based abstracts and indexes in the library. The study found that students predominantly used books and to a lesser extent journals. Electronic retrieval formats were popular. The students who supplemented their notes with extra readings relied on reserved material and reading lists. Students made suggestions about changes to the module: such as extending the length of the module, bringing it forward to first year, and teaching the module in smaller groups. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

A common theme emerging in the library world today is that quality service in the library and information center is dependent on the quality performance of personnel. Prior to conducting performance appraisals, managers need to ascertain the core performance criteria for quality service provision. This study is important because academic libraries are undergoing radical changes with an emphasis on accountability. In particular, South African tertiary education is faced with dwindling resources and an increased emphasis on accountability. There appears to be no formal or informal guidelines for appraising the value of subject librarians performing information services in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. It is this problem which this study addressed. The problem investigated in this study is located in the following KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries: Durban Institute of Technology (DIT), Mangosuthu Technikon (Mantech), University of Durban-Westville (UDW) , University of Natal, Durban (UND) and University of NataL, Pietermaritzburg (UNP) and the University of Zululand (UniZul). The purpose of the study was to emphasize the importance of performance appraisals for subject librarians employed in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries and develop initial guidelines for performance appraisals for subject librarians. The scope of this study is placed within the library human resource management perspective and deals with developing and training librarians for enhanced service delivery within the above tertiary institutions. Thirty nine subject librarians (from a total of forty three) were surveyed by means of a self administered questionnaire which was distributed via e-mail. The study was able to establish the important aspects of performance appraisal for subject librarians from the literature review, and to make recommendations in respect of developing guidelines for appraising subject librarians in academic libraries. An initial guideline for conducting performance appraisal for subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal will consist of appraising job tasks, key performance areas (KPAs), determining the relevant competencies, skills and behaviour traits. The major findings of the study were that there appears to be generally a lack of commitment to performance appraisal in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. A large majority of the respondents indicated that their libraries did not have guidelines for performance appraisals of subject librarians. The important aspects of performance appraisal for subject librarians were identified in the study. Key performance areas (KPAs) for subject librarians comprised of reference services, instruction and teaching, management and organisation. The competencies included knowledge of the total information environment as well as customer services. The majority of the respondents indicated that patron surveys were the most important indicator of performance of subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Abstract available in pdf file.