The aim of the study was to evaluate an online tutorial designed to teach digitization and metadata indexing of library and archival resources. The online tutorial was designed according to constructivist teaching principles to promote collaborative learning. The tutorial was hosted on the OLS (Open learning System) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The research was concerned with answering three research questions: Is the online tutorial a teaching instrument capable of teaching metadata indexing and digitization skills? Is the online tutorial an effective teaching tool? Does the use of constructivist teaching elements in the tutorial design allow for a more effective communication of knowledge and skills? A total of 10 participants registered for and took part in the online tutorial. On completion of the tutorial a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the tutorial was done. In terms of the latter a self-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection technique. The qualitative evaluation was done via an analysis of discussions on the discussion forum and e-mail correspondence between learners and the researcher during the running of the tutorial. A more quantitative analysis was then conducted of the responses to the self-administered questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative analysis identified significant issues that affected the running of the online tutorial. The main issues included problems relating to Internet access to the online tutorial, participation of learners on the tutorial and the functioning of the online learning environment. The analysis of the results of the evaluation provided answers for the three research questions. The analysis found that the online tutorial was able to teach metadata indexing and digitization skills. This was based on completed work that was submitted by participants and responses participants gave to questions on the postcourse questionnaire. However, the amount of work submitted by all participants for the metadata indexing and digitization exercises was generally low. The online tutorial was able to conduct effective teaching at certain times in the tutorial. However, there were a number of issues that disrupted the functioning of the online tutorial and this limited the effectiveness of teaching on the tutorial. The use of constructivist teaching elements in the tutorial design was unable to enable effective communication of knowledge and skills and the promotion of constructivist learning on the tutorial. This goal was hampered by various problems associated with the hosting of the online tutorial and Internet connectivity to the OLS site. Various suggestions for further research were made. / Theses (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Thesis (M.A. (Information Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The digitalisation of library services is concerned with ensuring that almost all systems used to render services are ICT incorporated. This is of utmost importance since we are moving towards the 4th industrial revolution. Public libraries need to upgrade their systems to ensure that the service rendered is digitalised. Failure to digitalise libraries may lead to public libraries being obsolete and library staff may lose their users. The purpose of this study is to examine the digitalisation of library services as a magnifying factor towards improving public library services in Limpopo public libraries. The quantitative research approach was used to conduct this study. The questionnaire was used to collect data from Limpopo public library staff population. Convenience sampling techniques were used to select libraries in all five districts in Limpopo Province, which are Capricorn, Mopani, Vhembe, Waterberg and Sekhukhune. The instrument used to collect data from all library staff was a self-administered questionnaire. Eighty-seven questionnaires were distributed, filled, interpreted and analysed. Findings revealed that the library staff have a positive attitude towards digitalisation. The study also found that library staff do have the necessary Information and Communication Technology skills. Most libraries lack ICT systems and operate under financial constraints. The study recommends that training should be implemented more than once a year in public libraries and that it should be relevant towards the library staff needs. The government should also finance libraries for promotional and maintenance of ICT systems to ensure that a positive attitude is held up high by the library staff.

Thesis (M.A. (Information Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Digitisation of library materials offers Library and Information Services (LIS) organisations, national libraries in particular, opportunities to preserve and manage fragile and unique materials, by protecting their physical, saving them from deteriorating and facilitating unmediated access to such collection. The aim of the study was to examine processes involved in the digitisation of the South African National Documentary and Cultural Heritage for the purpose of preservation and access at the national library of South Africa (NLSA). The study was guided by the systems theory by looking into the selection, processing and disseminating of digital records at the NLSA. The study examined adherence to the policies and national legislative frameworks, the technologies used for digitization and access to digitized collections, tools used for accessing digital collections, as well the challenges experienced in the NLSA digitization project. Qualitative research methodology was adopted, through a case-study research whereby, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and observations were triangulated as data collection methods for the study. The key findings showed that the digitisation project at the NLSA adheres to pieces of national legislation and international guidelines such as International Standards Organization (ISO), the and draft digitisation policy developed by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture which takes into consideration the national legislative framework such as the RSA Constitution, the NLSA Act, the Legal Deposit Act, Copyright legislation, and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). However, the content analysis of these legislation did not mention anything about the handling and management of digital collections. Technologies and equipment used in the digitisation process included high quality scanners, servers and hard drives with software such as Optical Character Recognition, Content document management software and the NLSA website. The challenges uncovered in the study in relation included duplication of digitisation efforts and lack of expertise in digitisation. This study recommends that given the evolution of technology, the NLSA should migrate to a more convenient cloud storage that has a large advantage in case of unlimited storage, and keep up to date with the trends of digitisation technology. Legislation governing the LIS in South Africa also needs amendment to cater for the handling and management of digital collections. v

L’analyse historique et sociologique de la mise en place des bibliothèques numériques dans trois institutions patrimoniales (Bibliothèque nationale de France, British Library, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), sur une période allant de 1990 à 2011, montre la façon dont ces organisations, produisant et conservant un patrimoine physique, se sont transformées pour constituer et préserver un patrimoine numérique. La bibliothèque numérique est ici considérée de manière double, à la fois innovation technique et organisation. Elle est une innovation technique car elle est fondée sur un ensemble d’inventions (photographie numérique, serveurs web, internet, reconnaissance optique de caractères, métadonnées, etc…). Ces inventions sont combinées sous l’action de groupes de référence (chercheurs, bibliothécaires, informaticiens, éditeurs, pouvoirs publics, responsables marketing, mécènes, entreprises privées). Ces groupes peuvent être soit marginaux, soit inclus dans un réseau socio-technique spécifique qui contribue à la mise en place de la bibliothèque numérique. Cette dernière est un artefact technique qui évolue dans le temps, passant du stade d’objet-valise, caractérisé par une grande flexibilité interprétative, à celui d’objet-frontière, répondant aux besoins de tous les groupes de référence inclus dans le réseau. Une bibliothèque numérique est également une organisation, émanant de la bibliothèque physique, qui crée des services spécifiques chargés de contrôler les zones d’incertitude majeures que sont les techniques numériques et l’émergence de fournisseurs de contenus en ligne. Ceux-ci concurrencent les bibliothèques nationales dans la diffusion du patrimoine culturel. Les controverses entre acteurs sont les moments privilégiés où se dévoilent leurs positions face à l’artefact technique : la traduction est alors le moyen d’enrôler les membres du réseau socio-technique pour aboutir à la fixation provisoire de l’artefact. Le réseau socio-technique évolue dans le temps pour créer de nouvelles versions de l’artefact. / The historical and sociological analysis of the setting up of digital libraries in three heritage institutions (Bibliothèque nationale de France, British Library, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), from 1990 to 2011, shows how these organisations, which produce and preserve physical cultural heritage, have evolved to produce and preserve digital cultural heritage. The digital library has two aspects: it is a technological innovation and an organisation of its own. As a technological innovation, it is grounded on inventions such as digital photography, web servers, internet, optical character recognition, metadata…These inventions are combined by the action of reference groups (scholars, librarians, computer specialists, public administrations, sponsors, private companies). These groups are either marginal or included in a socio-technical network which creates the digital library. The latter is a technical artefact that evolves from a “suitcase-object” with great interpretive flexibility to a boundary object which satisfies the needs of reference groups taking part in the socio-technical network. A digital library is also an organisation, stemming from the physical library which creates specific departments in charge of controlling major uncertainty zones such as digital technologies and emerging online content providers. The latter compete with national libraries in the diffusion of cultural heritage. Controversies between actors are key moments when actors reveal their opinions concerning the technical artefact: translation is the means to enlist members of the socio-technical network to achieve the temporary closure of the artefact. The socio-technical network evolves with time to create new versions of the artefact.