Investigating the optimisation of South African university library budgets in an austerity environment = Ukuphenya ngokusetshenziswa kahle kweSabelomali somtapo wezincwadi wasenyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika endaweni ene-austerity environment.

Abstract

South African Research University Libraries (SARULs) strive to provide essential information resources to support their universities' learning, teaching, research, and community engagement functions. However, the ever-tightening library budgets reduce library resources in South Africa (SA) and worldwide. The existing optimisation strategies appear to be short-term, spontaneous, and unsustainable. There is, therefore, a need to develop long-term sustainable optimisation strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimisation of South African university library budgets in an austerity environment. In so doing, the following research objectives were pursued: firstly, to determine if austerity budgets were the only problem causing the shrinking of library resources. Secondly, this study sought to establish what optimisation strategies were in place and their sustainability. Thirdly, to investigate if the Theory of Constraints (TOC) could be used successfully to optimise SARULs’ budgets in an austerity environment. This study adopted the qualitative research approach and employed in-depth interviews to collect primary data from purposively sampled respondents through WhatsApp, Skype, and Microsoft Teams. The study’s target population consisted of 42 respondents selected from six research universities in SA according to the Carnegie Cooperation of New York (CCNY) classification. The universities were Rhodes University (RU), Stellenbosch University (SU), University of Cape Town (UCT), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Pretoria (UP), and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Data on the reasons for shrinking library resources and optimisation strategies were collected. Thematic content analysis was used to clarify the meaning of the qualitative data. Qualitative data collected were analysed using ATLAS ti.22. The findings of this study revealed that only paid-for resources were shrinking, while there was an information explosion on alternative Open Access (OA) resources for libraries to access. Several reasons for the shrinking of library resources and optimisation strategies were brought to the fore by the librarian and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research (DVC:R) respondents. It was of concern that some optimisation strategies were not long-term but aimed at short-term solutions. The study concluded that there was a need to develop long-term, sustainable optimisation strategies that would help strengthen SARULs role as a learning resource centre. The study would contribute to the body of knowledge by recommending policies and practices that would help optimise budgets. This would help decision-makers make informed decisions when supporting libraries with financial and technical assistance. Extending this study to other SA universities with different resources and experiences could be a valuable avenue for future research.

Iqoqa.

Imitapo yolwazi yamanyuvesi aseNingizimu-Afrikha ilwela ukuhlinzeka ngezinsiza zolwazi ezibalulekile ukuze isekele ukufunda, ukufundisa, ukucwaninga, kanye nemisebenzi yamanyuvesi. Kodwa-ke, isabelomali semitapo yolwazi esihlale sincipha siletha izithiyo ekuhlinzekweni kwezinsiza eNingizimu-Afrikha nasemhlabeni jikelele. Amasu okuthuthukisa akhona abonakala engezesikhathi esifushane, ayazenzekela, futhi angasimami. Kunesidingo sokuthuthukisa amasu okuthuthukisa okuzoletha imiphumela yesikhathi eside. Lolu cwaningo luphenye ukwenziwa kahle kwesabelomali semitapo yolwazi yamanyuvesi aseNingizimu-Afrika esimweni esinzima. Izinhlosongqangi ebezifezwa yilolu cwaningo yilezi: okokuqala, ukuthola ukuthi ngabe isabelomali sokungabi namali bekuyiyona yini inkinga edala ukuncipha kwezinsiza zomtapo wolwazi. Okwesibili, ukuthola ukuthi yimaphi amasu okwenza kahle abekhona kanye nokusimama kwawo. Okwesithathu, ukuphenya ukuthi injulalwazi yokuncishishwa kwezinto, iTheory of Constraints, ingasetshenziswa yini ngempumelelo ukuze kuthuthukiswe ibhajethi yomtapo wolwazi. Lolu cwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu lukhiqize imininingo lusebenzisa izingxoxo ukukhiqiza imininingo njengoba injalo kubahlanganyeli abakhethwe ngenhloso kusetshenziswa uWhatsApp, iSkype kanye neMicrosoft Teams. Abahlanganyeli bocwaningo kwakungabantu abangu-42 abakhethwe emanyuvesi ayisithupha eNingizimu-Afrikha kulandelwa uhlelo lweCarnegie Cooperation yaseNew York. Amanyuvesi abandakanyeka kulolu cwaningo yiRhodes, iStellenbosch, iNyuvesi yaseKapa, iNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali, iNyuvesi yasePitoli, kanye neNyuvesi yaseWitwatersrand. Kwakhiqizwa imininingo ngezizathu zokuncipha kwezinsiza zomtapo wolwazi namasu okuzithuthukisa. Imininingo eyikhwalithethivu yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa indlela yokuhlaziya ngokwezindikimba kusetshenziswe ukucacisa incazelo yedatha yekhwalithethivu. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iveze ukuthi izinsiza ezikhokhelwe kuphela ebezincipha, kanti ukusebenzisa ulwazi olutholakala kwezobuchwepheshe kona kwenyuke ngesivinini esikhulu. Izizathu ezimbalwa zokuncipha kwezinsiza zemitapo yolwazi kanye namasu okuzithuthukisa zabekwa phambili ngabahlanganyeli ukuthi amanye amasu okuthuthukisa ayengezona izixazululo zesikhathi eside. Ucwaningo luphethe ngokuthi kunesidingo sokuthuthukisa amasu aletha imiphumela yesikhathi eside naqhubekayo azoqinisa imitapo yolwazi njengezikhungo zezinsizakufunda. Lolu cwaningo lukwazile ukwengeza olwazini olukhona ngokuphakamiswa ukubhalwa kwezinqubomgomo nezinqubo ezingasiza ekuthuthukiseni isabelomali. Lokhu kuzosiza abasemandleni ukuthi benze izinqumo ezinolwazi lapho besekela imitapo yolwazi ngosizo lwezezimali nobuchwepheshe. Ukusabalalisa lolu cwaningo nakwamanye amanyuvesi anezinsiza ezahlukene kanye nolwazi kungasiza ekwenziweni kocwaningo lwangomuso.