The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of access to and use of library electronic resources and their implications on remote users at the National Open University of Nigeria. Specific objectives were formulated to: find out the different types of electronic resources available in the NOUN Library; investigate academic staffs’ and students’ level of awareness of electronic resources available in the NOUN library; explore the various types of electronic resources used by academic staffs and students of NOUN; find out how academic staffs and students access and use electronic resources in NOUN library; analyze the policies that enable access to and use of electronic resources by academic staffs and students at NOUN; find out the perceptions and attitudes of academic staffs and students toward the electronic resources available in the NOUN library; and identify the challenges associated with access to and use of electronic resources by the academic staffs and students of NOUN. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and survey research method was employed. The study targeted 1,680 population samples of which include 1,513 Students, 140 Academic staffs, and 27 Academic Librarians. Probability (Stratified random and systematic) sampling and nonprobability (purposive) sampling methods were adopted. Two sample frames were used: Students - classified into subgroups (Level) in each selected study centers and Academic staff - classified into subgroups (academic staff/academic librarian). Online (Google form) self-administered closed-ended questionnaire was sent to participants’ email. Data collected were analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). This finding revealed that electronic journals and electronic books are readily available in the NOUN library. Academic staff most likely, interact with the library staff or visit the library to be aware of library electronic resources, however, the students struggled to be aware through personal efforts. NOUN library creates awareness through the email and notice boards. The academic staff and students access and use the library electronic resources for various multidimensional purposes, however, there is a low patronage of these electronic resources by academic staff and students as less than 40% of academic staff and students access and use the library electronic resources. Electricity outage, low internet connectivity speed and high cost of access to internet were presented as challenges encountered while accessing and using electronic resources. Recommendations: the library management should develop awareness programmes that is appropriate for an ODL university community through the use of modern communication tools, and emphasy should be on the use of electronic resources in the university curriculum. / Information Science

The study set out to investigate the provision of sustainable internet access to public libraries in South Africa. The rationale of the study was to investigate how sustainable internet access can be provided to public libraries in South Africa and to determine how they have developed and are regulated. Internet access is a key driver in delivering information services to the users and a critical tool in facilitating information sharing regardless of platform and geographic location. Therefore, the level of information and communications technology (ICT) penetration in public libraries formed a critical part of the study as the provision of internet to these libraries depends on available ICTs. The study employed a survey design and used interview tool to collect data from nine participants. Questionnaire augmented interviews as they were used to collect data from 322 respondents. The study used the probability sampling technique to collect data from the participants. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants for the interview, whereas the stratified probability, proportional to size, and systematic techniques were also used to select respondents in the senior categories, namely heads of public libraries. This ensured a sample size of 331 out of a population of 1 621 selected for the study. The sample size consisted of nine directors and 322 head librarians. No sampling was done on the nine heads (directors) of provincial public libraries, as the nature of this population did not warrant further dissection due to its small size. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was used to analyse data. Questionnaires were analysed when they were returned and interviews were analysed when they were conducted. Written descriptions, tables and figures were used to present data in an elaborative manner. Data was also presented through frequencies and percentages. It emerged from the study that most public libraries (97%) were connected to the internet. The findings of the study showed that most public libraries (80%) were connected to the internet through the fixed lines and that each of the nine provinces had its own internet service providers (table 5.12). The study recommended fixed lines for internet access to be laid to all public libraries in South Africa and that a government agency be used as a dedicated internet service provider for public libraries across all the nine provinces. A further study was recommended about the application of an internet access model used by academic institutions to public libraries. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Text in English with abstracts in English, Zulu and Sotho / Social media have taken a lead in academic libraries; however, there are still questions on how libraries are using social media tools to enhance their service delivery. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the use of social media tools by library staff working in the University of South Africa’s (Unisa) main library on the Muckleneuk Campus. Since it was realised that not all staff members use social media tools in the execution of their daily tasks, the first objective was to establish which staff members do use social media tools and for which purpose the tools are being used. A further objective was to learn about the potential advantages of social media tools to improve service delivery. The study also endeavoured to acquire an understanding of the challenges that social media tools present to its users. Based on the literature review, it could be established that libraries, and specifically academic libraries, utilise social media for marketing, dissemination of information, reference services, and communication with users and to answer student queries. The reported findings of this study concur with the findings reported in the literature review. The empirical data, which were collected through a qualitative survey questionnaire and interviews with library staff who use social media tools, revealed that only staff who communicate with library patrons, namely information processors and marketing staff, use social media tools. The findings also showed that the Unisa Library has specific guidelines and policies that guide the use of social media tools to interact with users, market the library and communicate events and service delivery changes. / Izinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi sezihamba phambili emitapweni yolwazi yasemanyuvesi, kodwa kusanemibuzo eminingi maqondana nokuthi imitapo yolwazi iwasebenzisa kanjani amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi ukuthuthukisa ukuhlinzekwa kwezidingo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo oluhlola kabanzi kwakungukubheka ukuthi abasebenzi basemtapweni wolwazi omkhulu waseNyuvesi YaseNingizimu Afrika (i-Unisa) ekamu laseMuckleneuk bawasebenzisa kanjani amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi. Njengoba sekwabonakala ukuthi akuwona wonke amalungu angabasebenzi asebenzisa amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi ekuqhutshweni kwemisebenzi yawo yansuku zonke, injongo yokuqala kwakungukubheka ukuthi yimaphi amalungu omphakathi asebenzisa amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi futhi awasebenzisela ukwenzani. Enye injongo kwakungukufunda mayelana nokuhle okungadalwa ngamathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi ukuthuthukisa ukuhlinzekwa kwezidingo. Lolu cwaningo lwaluqonde nokuqonda izingqinamba abantu abasebenzisa amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi ababhekana nazo. Kuncike ekuhlaziyweni kwemibhalo ekhona, kwatholakala ukuthi imitapo yolwazi, ikakhulukazi leyo yasemanyuvesi, isebenzisa izinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi ukukhangisa, ukusabalalisa imininingwane, ukubheka imithombo, ukuxhumana nabayisebenzisayo kanye nokuphendula imibuzo yezitshudeni. Okwatholakela okubikiwe mayelana nalolu cwaningo kuyahambisana nokubikiwe okwatholakala ngokuhlaziya imibhalo. Imininingwane eyatholakala ngokubheka okwenzekayo, eyaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa iphephamibuzo lenhlolovo eqoqa imininingwane yamaqiniso kanye nezingxoxo ezabanjwa nabasebenzi bomtapo wolwazi abasebenzisa amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi yaveza ukuthi abasebenzi abaxhumana nabasebenzisi bomtapo wolwazi, abaziwa ngokuthi ngama-information processors kanye nabasebenzi abakhangisayo yibona kuphela abasebenzisa amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi. Okutholakele kuphinde kwaveza ukuthi uMtapo Wolwazi Wase-Unisa unemihlahlandlela kanye nezinqubomgomo okulandelwayo ukuze kusetshenziswe kahle amathuluzi ezinkundla zokuxhumana komphakathi, ukuxhumana nabasebenzisi bawo, ukukhangisa ngomtapo wolwazi nokwazisa ngemicimbi ekhona kanye noshintsho ekuhlinzekweni kwezidingo. / Marangrang a leago a thomile go šomišwa kudu ka makgobapukung a thuto, efela go sa na le dipotšišo ka ga ka fao makgobapuku a šomišago dithulusi tša marangrang a leago go kaonafatša kabo ya ona ya ditirelo. Maikemišetšo a nyakišišo ye ya phetleko e be e le go nyakišiša tšhomišo ya dithulusi tša marangrang a leago ka bašomi ba go šoma ka bokgobapukung bjo bogolo bja Yunibesithi ya Afrika Borwa (Unisa), Khamphaseng ya Muckleneuk. Ka ge go lemogilwe gore ga se bašomi ka moka ba go šomiša dithulusi tša marangrang a leago tirong ya mešongwana ya bona ya letšatši le letšatši, nepo ya mathomo e be e le go hwetša gore ke bašomi bafe bao ba šomišago dithulusi tša marangrang a leago le gore dithulusi di šomišetšwa morero ofe. Nepo ye nngwe e be e le go ithuta ka ga mehola ye dithulusi tša marangrang a leago di kago kgona go ba nayo go kaonafatša kabo ya ditirelo. Nyakišišo gape e lekile go hwetša kwešišo ya ditlhohlo tše dithulusi tša marangrang a leago di di bakelago bašomiši ba tšona. Go ya ka tshekatsheko ya dingwalo, go lemogilwe gore makgobapuku, kudu makgobapuku a thuto, a šomiša marangrang a leago go bapatša, go phatlalatša tshedimošo, go fa ditirelo tša referentshe, go kgokagana le bathekgi le go araba dipotšišo tša baithuti. Dikutullo tše di begilwego tša nyakišišo ye di dumelelana le dikutullo tša tshekatsheko ya dingwalo tše di hweditšwego. Datha ya go lemogwa (emperikale) yeo e kgobokeditšwego ka lenaneopotšišo la nyakišišo ya khwalithethifi le dipoledišano tša bašomi ba bokgobapuku bao ba šomišago dithulusi tša marangrang a leago, di utulotše gore ke fela bašomi bao ba boledišanago le bathekgi ba bokgobapuku, e lego basepetši ba tshedimošo le bašomi ba go bapatša bao ba šomišago dithulusi tša marangrang a leago. Dikutullo gape di laeditše gore bokgobapuku bja Unisa bo na le dipholisi le melawana ye itšeng ya go hlahla tšhomišo ya dithulusi tša mekgwa ya leago go kgokagana le bašomiši, go bapatša bokgobapuku le go tsebiša ditiragalo le diphetogo tša kabo ya ditirelo. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

Public programming initiatives are considered an integral part of archival operations across the world because they support a greater use of archival records. In South Africa, public archival institutions are mandated in terms of section 5(1)(c) of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (Act No. 43 of 1996) (NARSSA Act), to reach out to the less privileged sectors of society, by making known information concerning records by means such as publications, exhibitions and lending of records. This also includes taking archives to young people, especially school learners. As a result, public archives repositories in South Africa have designed programmes to take archives to school learners for the purpose of creating future users and expanding the use of archival sources. Despite efforts to take archives to the people in South Africa, it would seem that public programming methods that repositories use at schools are not effective in creating awareness and promoting public archives to attract school learners. This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews and observation as data collection tools to investigate schools as conduits for taking public archives to learners in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study targeted learners and teachers in schools which participated in the archival public programming in Gauteng province, as well as staff members of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) and Gauteng Provincial Archives responsible for public programming. The key findings suggest that the public archives repositories in Gauteng do not use technology, particularly social media, to market their services to school learners. The main method of taking archives to learners is through invitations and participation in the annual archives week, which do not yield any positive results, as learners do not visit the archives afterwards. It is recommended that NARSSA and Gauteng Provincial Archives consider using school learners who participated in archives week and are interested in archives to be ambassadors to further recommend the use of archives to potential users and their peers. Furthermore, collaboration between archivists and teachers from neighbouring schools should be considered by including school projects that involve the use of “archives’’. The study concludes that failure to adopt social media platforms to market archives would result in school learners not using archives. A further study covering all provinces in South Africa is recommended. / Information Science / M. inf. (Archival Science)