The development of library Consortia in Zimbabwe was necessitated by the need to reduce subscription costs and to widen access to electronic resources as well as implement new technologies among academic libraries. The development of Zimbabwe University Library Consortium (ZULC) and College and Research Library Consortium (CARLC) enabled libraries to cooperate and collaborate in building capacity to support teaching, learning and research through access to quality scholarly information. The trajectory of consortia development in Zimbabwe since 2002 has however been characterised by a focus on the academic sector to the exclusion of other types of libraries. The future development of library consortia in Zimbabwe can be better envisioned when correlated with the country’s national development agenda. While not made explicit, this agenda is underpinned by the idea of access to information. This study investigated how the benefits of the existing library consortia can be harnessed to promote the achievement of Zimbabwe’s national development goals. More specifically, it examined the ways that the development paths of ZULC and CARLC can be transformed to support the country’s national development agenda and programmes. This culminated in a model that will accelerate and guide the future development of its library consortia to facilitate a supporting developmental role. The novel aspect of this study is that it seeks to integrate library consortia into the national development plans of a developing country and to extend their benefits as widely as possible. An extensive literature review of the characteristics, models, and development of consortia in selected countries was complemented by an empirical mixed-method component that generated data through interviews, questionnaires, observation, and the analysis of key documents. A special feature of the study is a detailed analysis of the successes and challenges of library consortia in other countries and in the Southern African region to supplement the empirical data that informs the proposed model. The main finding is that a model with a multi-type structure and a National Coordinating Committee is best to transform the development paths of Zimbabwe’s academic library consortia to support the country’s national development agenda. The model’s key elements are finance, structure, governance, functions, and special features. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Information Science / PHD / Unrestricted

The aim of the research was to investigate the current state of scientific and technological (S&T) information service provision in Thailand with a focus on its role of supporting research and development. The ultimate goal of the research was to develop a service model(s) which could aid the modernisation of the S&T information service. The information policies and strategic management at national and institutional levels were examined together with present and future roles in service provision and barriers to S&T information development. The research framework was constructed on the basis of theoretical models of the provision and management of effective information services. The institutions which participated in this research included 46 academic and special libraries in Thailand, hereafter called S&T information centres, and two funding agencies. The data were collected using a variety of research tools, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, namely, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaires were distributed to five groups of respondents: executives, managers, librarians or staff, end-users, and executives or policy-makers of funding agencies. Two hundred and eighty-nine questionnaires were sent by post to 45 S&T information centres and two funding agencies whilst 703 questionnaires were also distributed to end-users. Interviews were performed with 55 executives and library managers. Three focus groups were organised on different topics, with a total of 36 participants. The major findings showed that national information policy in relation to S&T information was still relatively ineffective with roles and responsibilities of stakeholders not explicitly identified. In general, the results showed that institutional information policies exist but weak communication between executives, managers, and staff caused problems with implementation and interpretation. Most S&T centres were found to have strategic plans. The focus of these were on issues of integrated ICT infrastructure, acquisition of electronic resources, service improvement, communication with users and feedback, user education, cost effective use of resources, E-library transition and knowledge sharing. The development of resource sharing via computerised networks was considered to be paramount; progress to date was thought to be slow due to a lack of policies at national and institutional levels. Users' information literacy was still found to be an issue, particularly in respect of making effective use of electronic resources. The thesis provided recommendations for a national network for S&T information provision to be designed and managed by a hosting provider.

Esta pesquisa buscou avaliar se as bibliotecas envolvidas em atividades de consórcio estão atuando como instrumentos sociais de democratização e ampliação do acesso à informação científica através de suas políticas de desenvolvimento de coleções. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo de caso de consórcio de bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras para aquisição de periódicos científicos. Por meio de uma postura dialética como forma de conhecimento e como método de pensar o objeto de estudo, foi realizada uma análise do contexto sócio-econômico caracterizado pela globalização eletrônica, o processo de crescente exclusão social e a mudança no fluxo do conhecimento científico para uma cultura do digital, buscando verificar quais as relações implícitas e explícitas que afetam o desenvolvimento de coleções e ampliam uma tendência marcada pelo agravamento da infoexclusão digital no Brasil em tempos recentes. Constatou-se que a forte presença de oligopólios de poder no mercado internacional de periódicos científicos e a existência de um contexto dominado pela diminuição crescente de recursos financeiros nas bibliotecas brasileiras, sobretudo a partir da década de noventa, tem restringido a amplitude das metas de consórcios e impedido que se maximize, assim, o ganho social em longo prazo. Os resultados da pesquisa também revelaram que persistem desafios para o desenvolvimento de coleções através de atividades cooperativas, dentre eles o fortalecimento das atividades de marketing executadas pelas bibliotecas participantes, permitindo maior disseminação dos recursos eletrônicos existentes e um maior poder de negociação do consórcio com os oligopólios do mercado de periódicos científicos. Além disso, ficou constatada uma carência real pela realização de novos consórcios de bibliotecas, que contemplem outros tipos de documentos que não periódicos científicos e associados às bibliotecas públicas e regionais, possibilitando uma democratização do conhecimento para uma maior parcela da sociedade, minimizando a exclusão digital existente. / The research aimed at evaluating the consortia activities in terms of its performance as social instruments of democratization and broadening of scientific information access, by means of its policies of collection development. A case of study of brazilian University libraries’ consortia for the acquisition of scientific journals was carried out. By means of a dialectal point of view as a way to develop new knowledge and methodology for this research’s subject matter, an analyses of the electronic globalization’s social and economic context was performed, as for the growing of social exclusion, and the change in the flow of scientific knowledge towards a digital culture. The analysis above struggles to check implicit and explicit relations affecting collection development and widening a trend, marked by the gravity of current digital exclusion in Brazil. Research findings revealed that : the presence of scientific publishers monopoly power and the lower budgets of the brazilian libraries in the nineties, have restricted consortia’s purposes as well as blocked likely long-term social gains; challenges for collection development through cooperative activities still persist among them, the strenghtening of marketing actions performed by those participating libraries, allowing greater electronic resources dissemination, as well as greater negotiation posssibilities between consortium and monopolies in the scientific periodicals market ; lack of new libraries consortia embracing other types of documents – non-scientific journals – associated with public and regional libraries, allowing knowledge democratization to greater extents of society, minimizing digital exclusion.

Esta pesquisa buscou avaliar se as bibliotecas envolvidas em atividades de consórcio estão atuando como instrumentos sociais de democratização e ampliação do acesso à informação científica através de suas políticas de desenvolvimento de coleções. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo de caso de consórcio de bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras para aquisição de periódicos científicos. Por meio de uma postura dialética como forma de conhecimento e como método de pensar o objeto de estudo, foi realizada uma análise do contexto sócio-econômico caracterizado pela globalização eletrônica, o processo de crescente exclusão social e a mudança no fluxo do conhecimento científico para uma cultura do digital, buscando verificar quais as relações implícitas e explícitas que afetam o desenvolvimento de coleções e ampliam uma tendência marcada pelo agravamento da infoexclusão digital no Brasil em tempos recentes. Constatou-se que a forte presença de oligopólios de poder no mercado internacional de periódicos científicos e a existência de um contexto dominado pela diminuição crescente de recursos financeiros nas bibliotecas brasileiras, sobretudo a partir da década de noventa, tem restringido a amplitude das metas de consórcios e impedido que se maximize, assim, o ganho social em longo prazo. Os resultados da pesquisa também revelaram que persistem desafios para o desenvolvimento de coleções através de atividades cooperativas, dentre eles o fortalecimento das atividades de marketing executadas pelas bibliotecas participantes, permitindo maior disseminação dos recursos eletrônicos existentes e um maior poder de negociação do consórcio com os oligopólios do mercado de periódicos científicos. Além disso, ficou constatada uma carência real pela realização de novos consórcios de bibliotecas, que contemplem outros tipos de documentos que não periódicos científicos e associados às bibliotecas públicas e regionais, possibilitando uma democratização do conhecimento para uma maior parcela da sociedade, minimizando a exclusão digital existente. / The research aimed at evaluating the consortia activities in terms of its performance as social instruments of democratization and broadening of scientific information access, by means of its policies of collection development. A case of study of brazilian University libraries’ consortia for the acquisition of scientific journals was carried out. By means of a dialectal point of view as a way to develop new knowledge and methodology for this research’s subject matter, an analyses of the electronic globalization’s social and economic context was performed, as for the growing of social exclusion, and the change in the flow of scientific knowledge towards a digital culture. The analysis above struggles to check implicit and explicit relations affecting collection development and widening a trend, marked by the gravity of current digital exclusion in Brazil. Research findings revealed that : the presence of scientific publishers monopoly power and the lower budgets of the brazilian libraries in the nineties, have restricted consortia’s purposes as well as blocked likely long-term social gains; challenges for collection development through cooperative activities still persist among them, the strenghtening of marketing actions performed by those participating libraries, allowing greater electronic resources dissemination, as well as greater negotiation posssibilities between consortium and monopolies in the scientific periodicals market ; lack of new libraries consortia embracing other types of documents – non-scientific journals – associated with public and regional libraries, allowing knowledge democratization to greater extents of society, minimizing digital exclusion.

Resource sharing is considered to be one of the most important pillars of library service, because no single library can meet all the needs of its users. Libraries have always cooperated to meet the increasing demands of users by sharing their resources. In the past few decades, the need to establish library consortia emerged more strongly as libraries began to take advantage of technology to improve access to information and service delivery. There has been a notable increase in the formation of library consortia on the African continent. South Africa has taken the lead both in the amount of established consortia and the number of member libraries within them. This development accompanied the implementation of common library systems in consortia, where a single system is adopted by all member libraries. In the Southern African region, the library system called INNOPAC/Millennium Pac has already been adopted by consortia and libraries in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The recently-established Lesotho Library Consortium (LELICO) also recognized the need for a comprehensive investigation to identify a common system that will effectively meet the needs of its member libraries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the successes and limitations of the INNOPAC library system operating in consortia and libraries in the Southern African region, in order to assess its suitability for LELICO. The study focused on two South African consortia (The Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium – GAELIC, and The Free State Library and Information Consortium - FRELICO), two university libraries (Namibia and Zimbabwe) and one agricultural college library (Botswana) in the Southern African region that use the system. A special emphasis was the criteria of assessment that would apply to a small, multi-type consortium in a developing country like Lesotho. Data was collected through a literature search, questionnaires, interviews, site visits, and analysis of policy and institutional documents. The target groups of the study were the library managers, system managers, and library professionals of selected GAELIC and FRELICO libraries, and the system managers of the three selected libraries in the region. The study found that the INNOPAC library system is performing satisfactorily in the chosen consortia and libraries, and that it has a positive impact on them. It performed to a high standard in all the key areas, and this may be attributed to keeping abreast of the latest developments in the library world, and offering a range of services that meet the needs of libraries. The study found further that the INNOPAC library system contributed towards increased productivity, improved customer services, and better decision making in the two consortia. However, direct access to members’ holdings was restricted by a decentralized server model adopted by these consortia. This and other lessons shaped a proposal for the implementation and management of the INNOPAC library system in LELICO. A proposed model recommends a central server as a more cost-effective management solution. The model also explains the mode of operation by member libraries and the coordinated structures that would implement and manage the INNOPAC library system, adapted to the specific requirements of a small, multi-type consortium in a developing country like Lesotho. Given its successful performance in consortia and libraries across Southern African countries, the study recommends further research into the advantages and challenges of INNOPAC for wider regional library cooperation. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Information Science / unrestricted

Authority control is the backbone of the library catalogue and therefore a critical library activity. Experienced staff create authority records to assist users in their quest for information. The focus of this study is on authority control as a means of co-operation in academic library consortia using a union catalogue maintained by a Central Office for Authority Control. Literature studies were conducted on three sub-problems: the development of academic library consortia in South Africa, and various forms, characteristics and functions of academic library consortia in general; the characteristics, principals and objectives of authority control; and the functions of union catalogues with special reference to the role of Z39.50 within virtual union catalogues. The conclusion was that existing and new authority records should be made available as widely as possible within consortia through a union catalogue. It is however a partial solution, because not all the libraries within the consortium have the expertise to create new authority records. Two empirical studies were conducted. A cost analysis was done to determine the cost of creating and changing authority records within academic library consortia in South Africa, in order to choose a system within which authority control can be performed effectively and speedily. Secondly, a questionnaire was sent to libraries in the United States to gather information on their experiences with regard to authority control, library co-operation in general, and virtual union catalogues. The United States was the natural choice because it could be regarded as the birthplace of modern library consortia. Inferences drawn from the information received was used to develop the structure and functions for a Central Office for Authority Control in academic library consortia in South Africa. It was found that authority control within an academic library consortium using a union catalogue could be conducted most cost-effectively and timeously through such a Central Office for Authority Control. The purpose of the Central Office would be to co-ordinate authority control within the consortium. Pooling available resources within the consortium would keep the cost of authority control as low as possible. Libraries with the required infrastructure and expertise would have the opportunity to create authority records on behalf of other libraries and be compensated for their services. Through such a Central Office more authority records created according to mutually accepted standards would be available for sharing within the consortium. / Information Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Authority control is the backbone of the library catalogue and therefore a critical library activity. Experienced staff create authority records to assist users in their quest for information. The focus of this study is on authority control as a means of co-operation in academic library consortia using a union catalogue maintained by a Central Office for Authority Control. Literature studies were conducted on three sub-problems: the development of academic library consortia in South Africa, and various forms, characteristics and functions of academic library consortia in general; the characteristics, principals and objectives of authority control; and the functions of union catalogues with special reference to the role of Z39.50 within virtual union catalogues. The conclusion was that existing and new authority records should be made available as widely as possible within consortia through a union catalogue. It is however a partial solution, because not all the libraries within the consortium have the expertise to create new authority records. Two empirical studies were conducted. A cost analysis was done to determine the cost of creating and changing authority records within academic library consortia in South Africa, in order to choose a system within which authority control can be performed effectively and speedily. Secondly, a questionnaire was sent to libraries in the United States to gather information on their experiences with regard to authority control, library co-operation in general, and virtual union catalogues. The United States was the natural choice because it could be regarded as the birthplace of modern library consortia. Inferences drawn from the information received was used to develop the structure and functions for a Central Office for Authority Control in academic library consortia in South Africa. It was found that authority control within an academic library consortium using a union catalogue could be conducted most cost-effectively and timeously through such a Central Office for Authority Control. The purpose of the Central Office would be to co-ordinate authority control within the consortium. Pooling available resources within the consortium would keep the cost of authority control as low as possible. Libraries with the required infrastructure and expertise would have the opportunity to create authority records on behalf of other libraries and be compensated for their services. Through such a Central Office more authority records created according to mutually accepted standards would be available for sharing within the consortium. / Information Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)