M.Inf. / Enterprises are in the midst of some revolutionary changes in how people are managed in work situations. The major premise underlying work-force management traditionally has been that efficiency can be achieved best by imposing management control over workers' behaviour. Today, in response to massive evidence that control-oriented management models can produce outcomes that subvert the interest of both enterprises and the people who work in them, a new work-force management model is appearing - that of participative management. The premise of the emerging model is that enterprises must elicit the commitment of their employees if they are to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in contemporary markets. Rather than relying on a "retain and control" management, enterprises in the future will apply a "share and learn" management where they will heavily rely of member self-management in pursuing collective objectives. This study intends to stress the fact that employee potential needs to be mobilised by management and can only show up as performance when employees are given opportunity to contribute to decision-making with the minimum interference of management. This study calls for a transformation of leadership willing to empower staff to participate fully and freely in the creation of the future. The time has come to transform the way in which leaders work with and provide leadership to staff in academic information services. Leaders in academic information services need to realise that employee participation will enhance commitment and performance for both employees and management. A review of literature revealed that participative management is more than only a willingness to share influence - formal patterns of participation need to be truely implemented where employees have a right to contribute on all levels of decision-making. Participation is not an absolute term - there are various degrees of participation and types of involvement programmes to apply. Participative management is more complex than simply allowing employees to make some of the decisions. It involves formal programmes which need to be effectively implemented. The empirical survey which was done through a twenty-item questionnaire distributed to seven academic information services in Gauteng, revealed that participative management is applied at these institutions but more in low-level decisions. This indicated that participation is still limited and controlled by management and is not yet experienced as a right by employees. This study also clearly showed that self-regulation occurs most effectively through self-managed work-teams. These teams offer the highest degree of decision-making autonomy to all levels of staff and are a unique and viable alternative to traditional forms of work design in academic information services. Directors and leaders of modern academic information services need to encourage and facilitate self-regulation among employees of all levels. This will help to cope more effectively with future challenges of rapid change and technological complexity that now threaten efforts to create more responsive academic information services.

Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

Bibliography: leaves 199-207. / This survey aims at reflecting the historical development of the Carnegie Non- European Library, from 1950 known as the Non-European Library Service, Transvaal, and attempts to evaluate the contribution of a small private library organization to the development of library services for Africans in South Africa. Since 1931 the (Carnegie) Non-European Library Service, Transvaal, has been engaged in its self-appointed task of promoting the reading habit and the use of libraries among Non-Whites, and amongst Africans in particular. The administering Committee consists of officials from government, provincial and municipal authorities as well as representatives of various organizations, who all serve in a voluntary capacity. With their active assistance and interested co-operation a considerable amount of work has been achieved despite the many difficulties encountered. The (Carnegie) Non-European Library Service, Transvaal, administered its own lending library services between 1931 and 1962; encouraged the training of Non-Whites for library work; entered the publishing field to produce two hand- books of library methods and two books for children written in the Bantu languages. The administering Committee has also provided many opportunities for the exchange of information on various aspects of library development for Non- Whites, and particularly for Africans. In its efforts to promote through reading, the intellectual development of the African, and so further his understanding of the cultures of his own peoples and other civilizations, the (Carnegie) Non- European Library Service, Transvaal, has also emphasised the role of the library in the African's spiritual quest for cultural awakening and upliftment.

Abstract available in pdf file.

Abstract available in pdf file.

This study took the form of an evaluative study of the effectiveness of public libraries as a means of providing information to school children, and was conducted at the Queenstown Public Library in the province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The research endeavoured to evaluate the effectiveness of public libraries in the role which they play to provide information to school children, despite the widespread belief that the role of libraries is now being replaced by Information and Communication Technologies, or ICTs. This study is also significant for the factors which contribute towards school children being prevented from receiving the full range of benefits which libraries have to offer and the recommendations which it makes to improve the effectiveness of the role played by libraries in this respect. The study could also be of benefit to the staff of libraries, as it could serve to inform them with respect to what needs to be done in order to improve the ways in which libraries make information available to school children. In this respect the research could also provide valuable insights into the strategies which need to be developed and adopted in order to make public libraries more effective providers of various types and forms of information to school children. It is to be hoped that the study will also make a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge concerning public libraries as a means of providing information to school children. It is the fervent wish of this researcher to make a credible and articulate case for the great value which public libraries have for school children, despite the fact that general perceptions no longer accord libraries the value which they were once commonly held to possess.

Non-book materials have a unique role to play in university libraries of South Africa, as they re-inforce what has been learnt and facilitate presentation of subject matter to fulfil the needs of teaching and learning of institutions. The key problem of the study was that non-book materials though very important as sources of information like books, appear to be little or not used in South African university libraries. This may be caused by unclear policy presented in formal or informal collection development policies. The general aim of the study was to find out collection development practices, policies and use of non-book materials in South African university libraries. To this end the specific objectives were: To find out how non-book materials in university libraries are collected and maintained as part of teaching, learning and research. To get some understanding on the policies and patterns the university libraries follow in the development of non-book materials. To find out the manner in which non-book materials are funded and acquired. To find out the extent to which library orientation, instruction and user education cover non-book materials. The study therefore examined the collection development and usage of nonbook materials in university libraries of South Africa. All the South African university libraries except University of Zululand where the researcher works and is the AV-librarian were included in the study. The major method of study chosen was the survey method and the questionnaire was used for data collection. The methods of analysis used were the univariate and bi-variate methods and the basic type of statistics, the descriptive statistics. Libraries surveyed showed that they favoured non-book materials, and above all they do have the most NBM that are available in all formats. The study guided the researcher in making the following recommendations: The need for improvement of the NBM information services in libraries. That clear policies, whether written or not, for selection and acquisition of NBM be reviewed in libraries in South Africa. The role of NBM specialist is important and needs to be redressed. That the academic staff, library staff and students work together as a team and devise a program of library user education integrated with curriculum. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Abstract available in pdf file.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a strong pressure for organizations to attaining, maintaining and improving knowledge standards for sustained competitive strategic advantage. This assignment examines the status of knowledge and knowledge management (KM) practices at the Provincial Library Services (PLIS). I approached the topic by collecting data relevant to the management of information and knowledge and benefits of the KM activities using the following methods: A review of literature and research: - addressing the paucity of literature and research that is both current and directly relevant to libraries was one of the motivating factors behind the study; analysis of key documents and information systems; a questionnaire was distributed to the PUS personnel; informal interviews and observations. The results seem to indicate that PLIS has a knowledge infrastructure and a technology infrastructure. This is apparent in its knowledge programmes, e-mail system, web page, library management system (PROLIB), and limited access to the Internet. Staff has some fairly basic knowledge and information needs that must be addressed. Few knowledge contents should be established. The baseline information provides a foundation for more coordination; recognition of the importance and enhancement of its KM related activities. KM activities should focus on individual capabilities. Recommendations are articulated in terms of a proposed KM strategy. It became evident that success of knowledge management depends on an environment, which is conducive to conversion of individual knowledge to organizational knowledge, the value to which employees place on knowledge and their attitude towards KM. Moreover, indicators of success and evidence of effectiveness should take the measuring criteria beyond a checklist of policies and strategies, procedures and processes, systems, activities but professional competence, commitment, benchmarking and adoption of best practices for attainment of KM goals. Important to note, is the reality that a KM activity for PLIS has to take broader transformation imperatives into account. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word sterk druk geplaas op organisasies om kennis te bekom, te behou en te verbeter vir volgehoue mededingende strategiese voorsprong. Hierdie werstuk ondersoek die status van kennis en kennisbestuur- (Knowledge Management, KM) praktyke van die Provinsiale Biblioteekdiens. Ek het die- onderwerp benader deur data te versamel wat relevant is tot die bestuur van inligting en kennis sowel as die voordele van KM aktiwiteite deur die volgende metodes te gebruik: 'n Oorsig van literatuur en navorsing: - een van die faktore wat die studie gemotiveer het is om die beperkte beskikbare literatuur en navorsing wat op datum sowel as relevant tot biblioteke is aan te spreek; 'n ontleding van die kern dokumente en inligtingsisteme; 'n vraelys wat versprei is onder die personeel van die Provinsiale Biblioteekdiens; informele onderhoude en waarnemings. Die resultate dui daarop dat die Provinsiale Biblioteekdiens 'n kennis en tegnologiese infrastruktuur het. Dit blyk uit die kennisprogram, die e-pos sisteem, die Webtuiste, die biblioteekbestuursisteem (Prolib), en beperkte toegang tot die Internet. Personeel het basiese kennis en inligtingsbehoeftes wat aangespreek moet word. Kennisinhoude moet daargestel word. Die basislyn inligting voorsien 'n grondslag vir meer koôrdinasie; besef van die belangrikheid en die verbetering van die KM verwante aktiwiteite. KM aktiwiteite moet fokus op individuele vermoëns. Aanbevelings word uitgedruk in terme van 'n voorgestelde KM strategie. Dit het duidelik geword dat die sukses van kennisbestuur afhang van 'n omgewing wat bevorderlik is vir die omskakeling van kennis van die individu na organisatoriese kennis, die waarde wat personeel heg aan kennis en hulle houding teenoor kennis bestuur. Aanwysings van sukses en bewys van effektiwiteit moet meetbare kriteria verder neem as 'n lys van beleide en strategieë, prosedures en prosesse, sisteme en aktiwiteite maar moet professionele vermoëns toewyding "benchmarking" en gebruik van die beste praktyke vir die bereiking van KM doelwitte toepas. Dit is belangrik om te let op die realiteit dat 'n KM aktiwiteit van die Provinsiale Biblioteekdiens wyer transformerende imperatiewe in ag moet neem.

The study explored the changing role of libraries/media centres at ex-Model C (now Section 21) high schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM), focussing on a case study of the Framesby High School (FHS) media centre in Port Elizabeth. Model C schools originated in the 1990s, just before the transition to democratic rule in 1994, when White, or House of Assembly schools were given a choice of three school governing models, namely, fully-private Model A schools, Model B state schools and semi-private Model C schools. Model C schools would receive state subsidies of about 50%, with the balance raised through school fees. A major research purpose was to present a comprehensive description of the current ex- Model C school library context and how these influenced the service orientation and intended core functions of school librarians, such as teaching information literacy, providing academic support and promoting general literacy and reading. The FHS media centre service was further described with an aim of providing functional library/media centre management guidelines, applicable to high school libraries/media centres in similar ex-Model C school situations, or any libraries that could find such guidelines useful. This qualitative FHS media centre case study was based on the FHS media centre manager’s personal observation as participative action researcher and further supported by literature, an interview and questionnaire feedback from FHS educators and respondents from selected NMM ex-Model C high school libraries. By comparing historical and existing national and provincial school library issues, conclusions were reached regarding macro- and micro-school library contexts, for example, the effect of having no national policy, the support roles of school management and governing bodies, the influence of digital media and the position of school librarians. School librarian concerns, including their roles, qualifications, service conditions and professional status, especially within Section 21 schools, were considered with the high school library and librarian’s contribution towards curriculum outcomes and life-long learning. With specific reference to ex-Model C schools, the absence of a library policy also resulted in diverse levels of school management and school governing body recognition of the school library/media centre. This impacted on the school librarian’s role in curriculum support and information literacy teaching as well as the availability of funds, infrastructure and resources. It is recommended that government should address the supply of library facilities, services and posts for school librarians and assistants. Lack of governmental action is maintaining the growing divide between ex-Model C schools and disadvantaged schools, while the lack of school library services also has a negative influence on literacy and pass rates, especially in poorer regions, like the Eastern Cape. In the light of the vast difference between the results of ex-Model C schools and other schools in the Eastern Cape, these schools and their library services could provide a benchmark towards improving educational contexts in the province.