The purpose of this study was to investigate staff attitudes to access and outreach in the three provincial and two of the university-based private archives of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. The position with regard to physical, legal and bibliographic access, including reference services and user education, was explored through visiting the five archives and discussing the situation with archives staff, using the "Checklist for a visit to an archives repository" as the first survey instrument. A survey was then conducted among the 45 staff members, using the second survey instrument: "Survey of archives in KwaZulu-Natal: staff questionnaire", in order to find out if archives inKZN hold outreach activities to publicise themselves and promote their use, and if so, which activities are held, and what attitudes staff hold with regard to these activities. To provide the necessary background information, a literature review was done. The archival situation was looked at from all aspects, starting with a brief overview ofthe history, development and usage ofarchives in the Western World, Africa and South Africa and focussing on the current policy and situation in KZN. Background information was also given on the issues of reference services, public programming and outreach in archives generally and in South Africa in particular. The results of the checklist and questionnaire were then analysed, and revealed difficulties with physical and bibliographic or intellectual access, a lack of user education, and deficiencies in staff qualifications and training. It was found that four out of five archives had held outreach activities, and that there was a growing awareness ofthe need to publicise archives. Activities preferred by staff and user differed from archive to archive. Staff needed to be aware ofwhich type of activity would appeal to each different sector ofthe public. Staff attitudes varied on such topics as best ways ofencouraging users into the archives, factors causing archives not to encourage new users, and factors causing lack of interest of potential users. It was found that there was a dearth of public relations training both in degrees and diplomas, and of in-service training. Recommendations were then made for, among others, improvements to premises, reading room service and user education; upgrading of archives qualifications; provision of in-service training and outreach workshops, based on the findings of the study. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

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.

The purpose of this study was to deternine the use and application of information communication technologies (ICTs) by the library workers of the University of Botswana Library. ICTs play an important role in a library environment because they enable libraries to be accessed rapidly as well as increasing the range, relevance and accessibility of information provided by the libraries. ICTs are therefore important for supporting the library workers in their everyday roles. This research was done with a view to propose recommendations which may enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of University of Botswana Library workers in facilitating timely, relevant, accurate and reliable access to information for the library users through the utilisation of ICTs. The population of the research was the University of Botswana Library and its branches namely the Faculty of Engineering Library in Gaborone, the Centre for Continuing Education Branch in Francistown and the Harry Oppenheimer Branch in Maun. Primary and secondary sources of data were used to meet the objectives of the study. The research was done using a self-administered questionnaire, observation and interviews. The response rate was 67 (86.36 %) out of a population of 88. The data collected for this study identified that the University of Botswana Library workers had limitations on the use and application of ICTs as well as varying levels of skills and knowledge on their utilisation. The library workers lack ICT skills because they are only trained for specific routine tasks. In addition, some workers do not have enthusiasm to learn on their own. / Thesis (MIS.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This study surveyed Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) technology in South African university libraries. The survey instrument used to elicit data was a questionnaire which was distributed via electronic mail (e-mail). CD-ROMs have been in the marketplace for over a decade and the extent to which South African university libraries have embraced CD-ROM technology was surveyed. Libraries offer CD-ROM services to internal staff and end-users, who in this study were students and academic staff. The study highlighted some of the CD-ROM related management issues such as budgeting, networking, resource sharing and end-user training. Survey results from the respondents indicated that they had all adopted CD-ROM technology. However, the level of CD-ROM technology and services in Historically White Institutions (HWI) and Historically Black Institutions (HBI) differed. This was evident in areas such as the year in which CD-ROMs were acquired, collection sizes and network access. The results showed that all libraries offered some form of enduser training to academic staff and students. The evolving nature of CD-ROM . technology presents a great challenge for libraries trying to keep up-to-date with the technology. This was highlighted in the open-ended questions about CD-ROM development plans and comments in general about CD-ROM technology in the different libraries. All libraries had access to the Internet and were working towards providing electronic information resources via the Web. Resource sharing and the establishment of consortiums can address the exorbitant costs of providing electronic information resources. Recommendations for further research on different aspects of CD-ROM technology were made. The development of the Internet as an information delivery system for the distribution of on-line information will emphasize the extent to which librarians and end-users are using the Internet for on-line information, as compared with CD-ROM services. Increasingly, aggregators are publishing information on the Internet and South African university libraries are already seeing this as an alternative to maintaining CD-ROM technology and services. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

This study sought to establish some ofthe problems that occur during a consultation process between a healthcare worker and a patient, such as intangible and tangible verbal/nonverbal communication problems. Tangible nonverbal problems refer to eye contact, gestures, body posture and facial expression. Tangible verbal problems refer to voice tone/attitude and language and intangible to race, age, gender, education and culture. It was made clear that the problems involved in the consultation process were, in the main, common to other fonns of communication such as that between a reference librarian and a client, customer, visitor or user. The factors that hindered communication were investigated by means of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The sample population was made up of 100 black isiZulu speaking females and seven healthcare workers of a heterogeneous background. The perception ofthe respondents in relation to the above-named factors (language, age, gender, attitude, culture, education, gestures and postures) was sought. The analysis of the results obtained showed that some of the significant factors that are a problem in communication include voice tone/attitude, eye contact, sitting position, gestures, facial expression and language. Patients, for the sake ofeffective concentration and free flow ofinfonnation, preferred healthcare workers who were polite, had a cheerful demeanour and who sat still and straight up (not looking around or standing). This is noted because the majority of the patients acknowledged such healthcare workers and were not satisfied with those who behaved otherwise. For example, in relation to previous consultations (irrespective of the Clinics), out of the 70 respondents who encountered problems, 61 (87%) in despair cited cases of rudeness, of which the majority of such cases related to African healthcare workers. Culture also mattered, when seen in terms of people being able to speak the same language and understand one another, with respect to the contextual meaning of words. As far as eye contact was concerned, it was apparent that adjustments had been made. For example, it was discovered that although it is the Zulu culture to avoid eye contact, especially between the young and the old, Zulu people have come to accept eye contact in a crosscultural South Africa. Their acceptance was also seen as due to the advantages ofeye contact. This was made clear by the fact that ofthe 90 (91%) respondents who acknowledged the fact that the healthcare workers maintained eye contact during the consultation process, 87 (97%) said it was polite as it gave them the assurance that the healthcare workers were paying attention to what they were saying. Among the socio-demographic variables investigated, the gender of the healthcare worker emerged as one ofthe important predictors of effective communication. This is because the majority of the respondents indicated feeling freer with someone of the same gender groupmg. Certain recommendations were made which were considered vital in improving not only the consultation process but any other form of communication, including that between a reference librarian and a client. The main recommendations were that the healthcare workers be polite and endeavour to speak the main language as the patients. Due to the fact that some healthcare workers hurry during consultation, it was recommended that more staff be employed. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status and practice of information literacy in Tanzania's four universities with the primary intention of establishing the foundation for appropriate strategies that could be adopted when introducing or developing information literacy programmes into higher learning institutions in Tanzania that are systematic, effective and capable of fostering adequate information literacy knowledge and skills in students. Information literacy is a set of skills and knowledge that allows people to find, evaluate, and use the information that they need. These skills also help people filter and synthesise the information they encounter so that they can use that which is useful and meaningful. Information literacy knowledge and skills are the necessary tools that help people successfully find their way in the present and future field of information. The importance of information literacy is based on the fact that technological developments of the 21st century require that people in all walks of life acquire information literacy knowledge and skills so as to be able to adjust, cope, work and function compatibly with various changes that are taking place in all aspect of daily life and human activities. In the academic arena information literacy enables students to become competent and independent learners because they acquire the knowledge and skills to know their own information needs and an ability to manage the tools of technology gives access to relevant information, for communication and to problem solving. Tanzania is a developing country, where the school library system has a very poor infrastructure in terms of resources. This situation denies school leavers the opportunity to acquire appropriate knowledge and the skills required to use various information resources. Systematic information literacy intervention at all educational levels is vital not only for learning independence and academic performance but also for life-long learning skills. The data for this study were collected from Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of Dar-Es-Salaam, Iringa University College and Saint Augustine University of Tanzania. Self-administered questionnaires were used together with data from 358 teaching staff, 25 librarians and 664 students and interviews were conducted with three Deputy Vice Chancellors (Academic), 12 Faculty Deans, two Library Directors and one Library Head. In addition data were also collected through observation. The study found that although the four universities' librarians provide some form of information literacy instruction, using a combination of methods that include orientation, lectures, hands-on practice and web-page, this instruction was not effective in fostering the required information literacy knowledge and skills in students. Thus the study established that most students lack adequate skills in the use of both electronic and non-electronic information sources. The study also established a number of impediments that are linked to the non-effectiveness of information instruction. The researcher considered the lack of an explicit information literacy policy, to provide guidance and directives on how information literacy activities should be conducted, as the main barrier to information literacy activities in the universities studied. Lack of an information literacy policy led to the existing information literacy programmes not being allocated official time within the university timetable, hence they were being attended by students on a voluntary basis. Lack of a formalised programme and inadequate resources are also among the factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness. However, the study found that the potential opportunity for conducting information literacy in a more systematic and effective manner can be created through involving teaching staff in infoffi1ation literacy activities and integrating information literacy into the mainstream curriculum. / SUA-NORAD.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermartizburg, 2000.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Library Services (KZNPLS) is attempting to address the reading needs of black adult users neglected during the apartheid era. The provision of popular adult English fiction, which consumes a considerable portion of the KZNPLS book budget, has catered for the recreational reading tastes of a small, educated, predominantly white group. This study explores whether popular adult English fiction has a role to play in the reading needs of black adult users in libraries affiliated to KZNPLS. An exploratory survey using the semi-structured interview was conducted in black libraries affiliated to KZNPLS to investigate whether there was an interest in popular English fiction and whether it was assisting readers to develop English language reading skills. The findings of the survey suggested that needs were very broad. However, basic literacy material was the most needed, and popular English fiction was playing a significant role in improving English language reading skills and fluency. The study suggests that if transformation and development is to take place in South Africa, the country's inhabitants must cultivate the critical thinking skills necessary for full utilisation of information technology. The oral tradition is not sufficient for South Africa's information needs but should be incorporated into a synergic union with global information systems. Reading has an established role to play in the development of critical thinking skills but South Africa lacks a strong reading culture. The fostering of English-language reading ability is appropriate as English is the lingua franca of South Africa and the foremost language of technology. The structure of much popular English fiction has transcultural appeal due to its use of archetypal formulas. Popular English fiction provides reading motivation but has a controversial history due to elitist condemnations of its literary quality. To overcome the debate of whether libraries should prefer literary merit or popularity in their fiction collections, it is recommended that diversity be the touchstone and that readers be given full opportunity to indulge in the free voluntary reading that provides fertile ground for the cultivation of critical thinking skills. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

The University of Natal was unique in South Africa for many years in that, unlike other South African universities, it was split between two geographically distant campuses, Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The research problem which was central to this study was to document the development of the libraries of the University of Natal from inception in 1910 to the point of merger at the end of 2003 in order to arrive at an understanding of how the libraries in the two centres, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, developed. Linked to the central problem were two sub-problems which were, firstly to discover whether the two libraries had, as stated by a highly placed University Task Team, developed “too independently ...” (1) was true or at least partially true and secondly to find out whether the personalities of individual University Librarians had a significant influence on the development of the libraries. In order to solve the research problem and the two sub-problems as well as to guide the structure of the chapters, four research questions were posed: • What administrative problems were encountered as the libraries expanded and how did the dual-centred nature of the University affect their development? • What level of financial support did the University provide to the libraries and was this sufficient? • What impact did the introduction of information and communications technology (ICT) have on the development of the libraries? and lastly; • What services were offered to users of the libraries and how did these differ between the two centres. The broad approach to the study is interpretative. It has been written as a narrative, with interpretations interwoven throughout the discussion, in chronological order to best show change over time. Understanding the present and anticipating and managing change with some measure of success depends to an extent on our appreciation and understanding of history. This study, by investigating the historical record of the nine decades of existence of the University of Natal Libraries, is not only a revelation of the past but will also, it is hoped, assist in identifying possible future trends in academic librarianship in South Africa, particularly as far as the management of multi-centred university libraries is concerned. The value of the study also lies in the consolidation and interpretation of information in numerous unpublished records and scattered, ephemeral resources. The historical research method was chosen for this study. Given the nature of the research problem it was deemed to be the optimal method for the collection and analysis of data. In order to gain an understanding of the problem, evidence was gathered from primary sources, such as letters, library committee minutes, memoranda, newsletters, photographs and reports, including library annual reports, as well as secondary sources. Oral testimonies assisted in verifying information pertaining to the written record, shedding light on certain events and providing added insight. The research undertaken for the study showed that an offer of a Library Fellowship by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which would enable a staff member to undergo professional training in librarianship in the United States, was the catalyst for the unification of the two libraries. This system prevailed for 22 years. Thereafter the unitary library system was dismantled and the two libraries developed in completely different directions until economic necessity resulted in a concerted effort to bring the libraries together again in 1997, although this time as a federal rather than a unitary system. The research showed that the criticism that the two libraries had developed too independently was true and that a holistic approach to library services at the University of Natal was lacking. Secondly, the research also showed that the personalities of individual University Librarians did exert a significant influence on the development of the libraries although other elements also influenced their development. Although the study is an history of a university library rooted in a “first world” (2) culture there are lessons to be learnt which could be applied to other institutions, particularly in the context of post-apartheid South African higher education. Several dual- or multi-centred institutions now exist. The integration of different libraries, each with its own idiosyncrasies and its own ethos can be complex and is potentially divisive. There has to be institutional commitment to the idea of a unitary library system as the library service in any university is shaped to a large extent by the parent institution. The study was limited to an investigation of the historical record of the University of Natal Libraries. An historical analysis of university libraries on a national scale lay beyond the scope of this study. It was also limited to a focus on the institution itself and the difficulties encountered in the administration of a dual-centred library service rather than focusing on the library service from the users’ point of view. Lastly the study suggests several areas for future research. It is noted that there is a dearth of in-depth critical texts available on the history of South African university libraries. An historical analysis of university libraries on a national scale would become feasible if research is undertaken into the histories of more South African university libraries. (1) [University of Natal, Library Task Team], A report on the University of Natal Libraries submitted to the Executive Implementation Team, 1998, p. 31. (2) C. Darch & P. Underwood, Dirt road or yellow brick superhighway?, Library hi tech, vol. 17, no. 3, p. 285. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of information technology (IT) and strategies which academic and research libraries in Tanzania can adopt in order to facilitate the sustainability of information technology which has been acquired through external donor assistance. The motivation for undertaking the study emanated from the researcher's long working experience of twelve years in a university library. Through this experience it has been observed that many of the donor-funded or supported information projects like the introduction of information technology in libraries, thrive well and offer good information services when donor support is still available. However, once the donor project or donor support comes to an end very few of these have been able to continue delivering the intended information services and products. What this implies, is that very little is known by both donors and recipient libraries alike about factors or strategies which can affect the future sustainability of such donor-funded information projects in libraries. The study assumed that if information technology is effectively sustained it would reduce the vulnerable dependence of libraries on donor funding and support, and in turn facilitate effective local planning and development of the technology and related information services which responded to the needs of the library clientele. Eighteen libraries possessing and using some form of information technology were studied. The survey research method comprised the questionnaire; interview schedule and observation through visits as data and information gathering instruments was used in the investigation. Its selection was determined by the under-researched nature of the problem. Data and information generated by the instruments was content analyzed and formally presented by the use of descriptive statistics. The major findings of the study revealed that despite donor support to libraries, the status of information technology reflected early stages of its introduction in almost all the libraries. No all-round IT infrastructural development existed. Shortages or non-availability of various IT equipment and accessories resulted in differences in the quantity of the technology possessed by each of the libraries studied. Consequently, effective use of the technology was hampered by the scarcity or inadequate availability of the equipment and accessories as well as limited IT skills, knowledge and competence among library staff. While all the libraries indicated that they had great needs for IT training, the levels at which it was required differed from one institution to another. As a result, not many of the IT-related information needs were currently being satisfied. The findings also reflected positive concurrence on the feasibility of IT sustainability by the libraries. Most of the libraries agreed that despite being under-resourced, the sustainability of information technology based upon own library resources could be feasible provided all or most of the proposed sustainability strategies were effectively and concurrently implemented by the libraries. Proposed sustainability strategies have been presented in the study. These could be conceived within three broad categories namely, strategies related to: the need for adequate resource-generation, formulation of IT policy informed by effective IT planning and management practices, and the enhancement of the role and value of information and related services as vital elements for its adequate support. All these strategies affect library parent organization managements, library managements and professionals as well as donors of the technology. The study concludes that libraries need to become more involved in charting out the required direction of IT development which would ensure the availability of adequate and appropriate technology in response to user needs and its effective sustainability. This would involve improvement of the status of IT; formulation and actual implementation of IT policies and planning; the need for continuous assessment of user needs, and effecting continuous IT education and training in libraries. The recommendations and areas for further research put forward by the study were based on the implications reflected by the study findings. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998