Information Studies

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Implementation and administration of an integrated library management system in academic libraries in KawZulu-Natal.
(2017) Radebe, Hombakazi.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.; Kheswa, Siyanda Edison.
This study examined the Implementation and Administration of Integrated Library Management System (ILMS) in three academic libraries in KwaZulu - Natal from the perspectives of Librarians, Systems Librarians, Library Management and Universal Knowledge Software (UKS) who were the vendors of the ILMS. The study conducted biographical sketches of all the participants who were interviewed. The purpose of this was to establish who the participants were, how long they have worked in the library, what modules they were using, and lastly establishing what type of challenges and experiences they have encountered during the implementation of the ILMS. In this study interview schedules questions were compiled with specific questions related to the ILMS. The population of the study consisted of 20 staff members, which consisted of 12 Librarians, three System Librarians, three Library Management and two UKS staff members. All 20 staff members were interviewed as they were all involved during the implementation of the system. The intention of the study was to measure what motivated the change to the ILMS, to establish problems and challenges related to the change, and lastly to evaluate if the change added any value to the staff members in terms of improving efficient and effective service delivery to library users. The results of the study as well as lessons learned will be used to map the future of ILMS, assist other institutions who wants to engage on the similar study, and identify gaps in the study as most institutions have currently moved to Cloud Based Computing. The interviews were conducted with participants in various institutions and appointments were scheduled with participants and permission to conduct interviews was granted by all the participating institutions. The research method used for this study was the qualitative research method. The results were analyzed based on the responses from the Interviews conducted. Based on the evidence from the interviews it is recommended that library management must play an active role regarding improving the implementation and administration of an ILMS. They must ensure that all staff members are on board with the new system, and that they embrace change and they must be involved throughout the planning process. There must also be adequate resources available to solve problems related to ICT infrastructure, downtime, bandwidth and turnaround time must be improved to ensure efficient service delivery. To ensure that the implementation of the ILMS has been achieved the following strategies must be employed.
The information needs and information-seeking behaviour of community library users in Msunduzi branch libraries, Pietermaritzburg.
(2013) Moodley, Tracy Ann.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
The purpose of this study was to identify the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of community library users in Msunduzi branch libraries, Pietermaritzburg. Identifying the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of community library users in the Msunduzi branch libraries helped to determine whether the Msunduzi branch libraries met their needs or not. The study involved a quantitative investigation into the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of community library users in Msunduzi branch libraries, within the context of community information and community information services. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The instrument used for collecting data was the self-administered questionnaire. The instrument consisted largely of closed questions and a few open-ended questions. A sample of 200 registered members of Northdale, Woodlands, Eastwood and Sobantu Libraries was surveyed, with 196 respondents giving a response rate of 98%. The validity and reliability of the instrument were established by pre-testing the questionnaire with ten community library users at Georgetown Branch Library. The data was captured onto the computer via Microsoft Excel. The data was then tabulated, and then appropriate analysis was conducted on each question’s data. These were presented in the form of graphs. The community library user’s information needs and information-seeking behaviour was identified using Wilson’s second 1981 model of information behaviour which suited the group under study. The results of the study indicated that the demographic and socio-economic status of the four communities influenced the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of the users. It is evident that in all four communities the information needs of the users were basically related to personal existence, survival and development. In terms of information-seeking behaviour, it can also be concluded that the community library users often used the information providers and information sources which they knew best or those which where the most convenient. Barriers experienced by the respondents were insufficient and relevant materials in the libraries and the lack of internet access. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to address certain problems presented in the study.
An investigation into staff development activities at the University of Natal libraries on the Durban campus.
(2001) Mabengu, Mabel Ncumisa.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
Abstract available in a PDF.
An investigation into the possibility of mainstreaming library user education into the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty of the M.L. Sultan Technikon.
(2000) Webster, Lucille Elizabeth.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.; Leach, Athol Brian.
This study investigated whether it is possible to include user education in the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty at the M.L. Sultan Technikon. Although the user education programme is offered to all students at the Technikon, it is based on an informal arrangement between the lecturer and the librarian. The programme is not time-tabled or credit-bearing, and many students regard it as a course outside the curriculum which has little, if any, impact on their studies. In a bid to assess the feasibility of including user education in the curriculum, the study sets out to establish the views of the academic 1 staff of the Engineering Faculty and the librarians from the Library as well as those the Department of Library and Information Studies, regarding the inclusion of user education. A further objective of the study is to determine what type of skills both groups of respondents think should be taught in user education and who should be teaching the course. A description of the M.L. Sultan Technikon and the origins of its establishment and the impact of the recent inclusion of outcomes-based education in educational institutions in South Africa provide an introduction to the research. User education and its origins in tertiary institutions are discussed and the literature dealing with the inclusion of user education in international and local institutions is reviewed. The population of this study consisted of ninety-one respondents, eighty from the : lecturing staff of the Engineering Faculty, six librarians from the Library and five from the Library and Information Studies Department. Two population-specific questionnaires were designed and the method and data collection technique used in this study was the survey and the self-administered questionnaire. Thirty-two (40 %) questionnaires were returned from the Engineering Faculty and seven (64 %) from the librarians. Of the 7 responses from the librarians 4 were from the practicing librarians and 3 from the librarians from the Department. The findings of the survey reveal that the majority of both groups of respondents support the possible inclusion of user education into the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty. The ability to use the online public access catalogue (OPAC}, computer literacy and information in electronic format were rated as important skills by-the Engineering Faculty, while the librarians rated the ability to use the OPAC and indexes and the ability to find journals as important skills that should be taught in the user education programme. Conclusions, recommendations and suggestions for further research are made in the light of the results of the survey.
The management of indigenous knowledge (IK) in museums : a case study of Pietermaritzburg.
(2017) Mncube, Delisile Beatrice.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
The purpose of the study was to examine the management of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in museums: a case study of Pietermaritzburg. The study investigated the strategies used by museums in Pietermaritzburg to collect and preserve indigenous knowledge (IK) for future use. Indigenous knowledge is often seen as achievements of the past, to be conserved in the present because they are becoming extinct under the impact of modern knowledge. Without such management, knowledge is vulnerable to change or, worse still, it could be lost. Indigenous knowledge may be defined as body of knowledge belonging to communities or ethnic groups, shaped by their culture, traditions, and ways of life (Moahi, 2005:77). An interpretivist approach was adopted for this study. The reason for this was that the researcher sought the perspectives of the participants on their management of IK within their institutions. The qualitative approach with which interpretivism is associated, therefore, was considered the appropriate approach to achieving this. The study population consisted of directors of the museums, managers, curators, researchers, collection officers, museums practitioners, information managers and the librarians. In this study observation and interviews were used as data-collection tools. Tables were created to interpret the data using Microsoft Word. The analysis of the findings revealed that the four institutions have the effective management of IK as a priority, and that they understand its value and importance. It was revealed that the four institutions use tape recorders, video cameras, and digital cameras to record IK. The results also showed that they are faced with numerous challenges when collecting IK. These include the difficulties in knowing who the IK holders are, where they are located, together with poor recognition of IK in the communities concerned. Recommendations were made based on the findings of the study; and suggestions for further research were put forward.
The management of indigenous knowledge (IK) initiatives in Swaziland.
(2009) Dlamini, Rose-Junior Tfobhie.; Leach, Athol Brian.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is an important resource which needs to be collected and preserved for present and future generations and also disseminated in every possible way. Muswazi (2001) states that Swaziland has an immense quantity of IK dealing with almost every aspect of daily life such as food production, preparation and preservation; agriculture; leadership; medicinal plants and their use and so on. It is therefore important that this useful information be well managed to be accessible for present and future generations. If not well managed, its abundance would be of no significance to potential users. IK if appropriately utilised, can enhance productivity and development. A lack of knowledge or inappropriate use of it, can lead to poor decision making and generally impact negatively on production and development. The fact that IK systems are at risk of becoming extinct pose a very big challenge to the Swaziland National Library (SNL), the Swaziland National Archives (SNA), the Swaziland National Museum (SNM) and the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Library which are sites for this study. This is because among other functions they are tasked with managing IK. This present study was conducted to investigate the strategies used by the four institutions to collect and preserve IK for future use. This study adopted the qualitative research methodology. The study population consisted of four administrators and eleven staff members dealing with the management of IK in the four institutions. Semi-structured interviews and observation were used as data collection tools. Information gathered through the interviews was analysed using content analysis and then presented in the form of tables and graphs.
The merging of the library catalogues of the Edgewood College of Education library and the University of Natal, Durban libraries : lessons learnt.
(2009) Naidoo, Lovekumarie.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
Mergers of higher education institutions in South Africa have had a significant impact on the higher education sector. Unfortunately, libraries are not often regarded as a key component in a merger between two institutions. Rather as a result of the merger, libraries have to find how they fit into the broader picture. Very little research has been published in terms of the effects these mergers have had on library catalogues. In this study, the merging of the library catalogues of the Edminson Library at the Edgewood College of Education in Pinetown and the E.G. Malherbe Library of the University of Natal on the Durban campus was researched to determine how these library catalogues were merged and how successful this process was. To meet the objectives of this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the major role-players who were involved in, or affected by this process. Considering that this was the first time that a study of this nature pertaining to the merger of library catalogues was conducted in South Africa, a literature review was conducted to investigate similar studies involving library catalogue mergers. Important themes from the literature were identified. Unpublished material such as minutes of meetings and annual reports formed an integral part of the information gathering process. An analysis of the information collected at the interviews was done through content analysis. The evidence from all these sources finally resulted in conclusions and the lessons learnt throughout the process of the merger.
The representation of the literary works of Anglophone and Francophone African women writers (1960-2012) in UKZN library.
Kilyobo, Virginie Kabala.; Stilwell, Christine.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
The emergence of African women as authors in the world of literature has been recorded as a phenomenon of the 1980s which has brought dramatic changes in the literary world. Many African authors are of the belief that although African women are well known for their skilled oral storytelling, they are also well known for their neglect, and marginalisation in the literary world. However, against all odds, African women have not only managed to break the pattern and have their voices heard but they have also established the importance of their voices to be heard. Universities and their libraries are such places where that voice could or should be heard. The purpose of the study was to attempt to establish the extent to which the literary works of Anglophone and Francophone African women writers, published between 1960 and 2012 were represented in UKZN Pietermaritzburg and Howard College campus libraries. This will help to raise awareness of and the value of the literature by African women, in UKZN. The research questions constituting the focus of this study were: To what extent have Anglophone and Francophone African women writers had their works published between the years 1960 and 2012? What are the distribution patterns of this literature in terms of country of origin, and language and to some extent publisher? What are the perceptions and the views of academics in French Studies and English Studies of the significance of this literature? To what extent do these academics focus on this literature in their curricula and in the delivery of their modules or to what extent does it form part of their modules, and is it part of their own research? What are the views of Subject Librarians and Principal Librarians responsible for English and French in UKZN Pietermaritzburg and Howard College campus libraries, regarding the significance of this literature? Is it adequately represented in the library holdings, the acquisition of which is generally driven by academics? Has the situation described by d’ Almeida (1994) as true of the 1980s improved and if so, to what extent? The findings on the extent of the works published by Anglophone and Francophone women writers deriving from the results that emanate from the search for the literary works of the authors revealed that the number of published Francophone countries were greater that the Anglophone; but the number of Anglophone authors were greater than the Francophone. In terms of the perceptions of the participants, the findings revealed that academics both French and English, as well as subject librarians strongly believe that African women’s literature was an exceptionally fascinating literature. The significance of the literature was linked to a number of elements such as their history of endurance and perseverance, the themes and topics explored by women writers. The availability of books by African women writers was believed to be scarce on African libraries’ shelves. The poor relationship between African authors and African publishers was seen as one of the elements contributing to the situation, while republication was seen as one of the solutions to increase availability and accessibility. The study revealed that the teaching of the literature by African women was considered a necessity due to its significance both by the English and the French academics. Although the literature was considered well taught, and that UKZN did demonstrate that African women’s literature in English was taken into consideration in terms of teaching, however in terms of the representation of this literature in the curriculum, the study revealed that African women’s literature was not well represented. With regard to the teaching of the French literature, it was not perceived as an issue that needed questioning in the French studies. French academics believed that literature and African women’s literature included was neither discriminated against nor unequally taught, although the study revealed that not much of it was taught in UKZN. Although the impact of the works by women writers in terms of its significance was confirmed and felt to a significant extent in UKZN, the study revealed that the teaching of the literature was limited in both the English Studies and the French Studies. UKZN Library did represent both Anglophone and Francophone women writers in its collections, however, the level of representation of the authors, be they Anglophone or Francophone, was not found to be satisfactory. Womanism was the preferred approach for this study because it enabled the explanation of, or at least the interrogating of and at times, even the challenge of the significance of the literature as it was elaborated throughout the study by interviewees. The approach proved useful by shedding light on the collection of the literature in UKZN Library. Recommendations were made, as they emanated from the study, mostly with regard to the promoting of this literature and implicitly raising its awareness in UKZN and beyond.
Third-year students' perceptions of the library services at the Butterworth campus of the Eastern cape technikon, south Africa.
(2005) Mgqalelo, Nomonde.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.; Ngulube, Patrick.
The purpose of the study was to investigate third-year students' perceptions of library services at the Butterworth campus of the Eastern Cape Technikon (ECT) in South Africa. The study was conducted with full-time and part-time third-year students in all the three faculties, namely the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Business Sciences and the Faculty of Applied Technology. The methodology included a review of related literature and the data collection involved a descriptive survey using self-administered questionnaires. Proportionate stratified random sampling was used to select respondents from all three faculties. Out of the 274 questionnaires distributed, 220 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 80%. The questionnaires focused on the library resources and services available to third-year students of the ECT, ranging from the extent of awareness and usage to the level of satisfaction with various library resources and services. The data collected was analysed by means of SPSS®. A coding list was developed from the variables in the study and the results were interpreted in relation to these variables. The findings of the study revealed that third-year students were aware of the resources and services available in the ECT library. However, the study also revealed that the resources and services are not fully utilized by the ECT students whom they are supposed to serve. There were a variety of problems perceived by the students which emerged from the results of the study. These were: the lack of space in the library, the shortage of computers, out-dated library books, the attitude of librarians, library opening hours, long queues, lack of individual user instruction, level of noise, the need for a study room, the need for training of library staff, lack of photocopiers and difficult access to the electronic room. Many respondents found the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to be inadequate, in the sense that it did not give a true reflection of all the books on the shelves in the ECT library. However, the majority of them were generally satisfied. Recommendations for possible future library services were made in the light of this discussion. Suggestions for future research form part of the conclusion of this study.
User perceptions of education students with special reference to the quality of service at Walter Sisulu University Library, Butterworth, South Africa.
(2017) Matiwane, Nozuko.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.
As academic libraries continue to serve as the heart of academic institutions they should focus on their users. This calls for a better understanding of the specific needs of different library users in order to meet their needs. The main objective of the study was to determine student library users’ expectations and perceptions of service quality provided by Walter Sisulu University Libraries (WSUL) on the Butterworth campus. In this study, a survey was used to determine the expectations and perceptions of undergraduate and postgraduate Education students to determine their satisfaction with the library services provided by Walter Sisulu University. The identification of the gaps in WSUL services and the assessment of results can improve the quality of service delivery. To fulfil a qualitative aspect the Library Manager responded to an interview schedule of questions which provided useful background information. The research method used for this study was the descriptive survey. A sample of 200 undergraduate and post graduate Education students were surveyed. An adapted LibQUAL+™ self-administered questionnaire was used for data gathering from these respondents. A total of 103 undergraduate students and 12 postgraduate students responded. The results are displayed in the form of tables. The study yielded a response rate of 58%. The findings of the study showed those services with which respondents were least satisfied with. These included: prompt inter-library loan from other libraries, prompt action regarding missing books, easily available access to electronic databases, sufficient space for group learning and group study, adequate photocopying facilities and an adequate number of computer work stations. Services which respondents were most satisfied with were: online searching without the help of a librarian, a safe and secure place to study, staff who have the knowledge to answer students’ questions, online searching with the help of a librarian, and the OPAC which is clear and has useful information. Based on the findings, certain recommendations were made to improve service quality and increase the level of user satisfaction at the WSUL on the Butterworth campus.

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Browsing Information Studies by Author "Bell, Fiona Ruth."