Resource Description and Access Lecture Series
1367 days ago
The National Library of South Africa collaborated with experts in the cataloguing field to present the Resource Description and Access (RDA) Lecture Series from 22 to 24 July 2009. A total of 300 participants came from academic, special, public/provincial Libraries as well as Library schools within South Africa. The South African Department of Arts and Culture and the South African Library Information Trust funded the Lecture Series. University of Witwatersrand was represented by six staff members from the Library’s Information Resources Department.
Dr Robert Maxwell, a Senior Librarian at the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA opened the workshop with his keynote address on cataloguing. He traced the history of cataloguing from earliest times to the present and why Libraries needed to change from Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2). AACR2 is based on rules while RDA is based on guidelines.
Libraries are now operating in digital, web based environment that involves relationships with metadata creators and users outside the Library sector. RDA provides instructions for cataloguing digital as well as traditional resources. It builds on the strengths of AACR2 and focuses on the needs of users to easily find, identify, select and obtain the materials they need.
What was important for the Libraries to know was that records created using RDA will be compatible with AACR2 records, so they would be no need to recatalogue older records. Libraries would also be able to use RDA content with many encoding schema e.g. Machine readable cataloguing ( MARC21) or Dublin Core. MARC21 provides the mechanism by which computers exchange, use and interpret bibliographic information. Its data elements make up the foundation of most Library catalogues used today. Dublin core is a standard for cross-domain information resource description, which defines conventions for describing things online in a way that makes them easy to find. It is widely used to describe digital materials such as video, sound, image text and web pages.
It is however important to note that it might take time for Wits Libraries to use RDA since we have to cooperate with Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC), Millennium, Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC) and Southern African Bibliographic Information Network (SABINET) in the provision of the RDA framework.
cnc 29/07/09
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The Library is going cashless!
1368 days ago
Since 1 June 2009 no payments in cash have been accepted at the Wartenweiler Main Desk and all WWL users (staff and students) now pay Library fines and conduct any other Library cash transactions through pre-loaded ICAM swipe cards, the system already in use in all libraries for photocopies and computer printouts ("Pay-for-Print"). The cashless system is being rolled out to all libraries, one by one, across all campuses and service points, to eliminate handling of cash in libraries wherever possible. Notices will be posted prominently in each library branch or section as it is put on the new system. The Library is aware that there are certain operational sections where a swipe card cannot at this stage be used to pay, and individual procedures will be developed for these few cases.
If preferred, payment of large amounts for lost book replacements or very large fines can be made at the Cashiers' office in Senate House and the receipt presented at the Library desk, allowing the fine or lost book record to then be cleared. PLEASE KEEP ALL RECEIPTS!
Inquiries to Clare.Walker@wits.ac.za or Paiki.Muswazi@wits.ac..za
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First International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA-1)
1394 days ago
The University of Witwatersrand Library, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Library and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) jointly organised the first historic conference on African digital libraries and archives which took place in the United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1–3 July 2009. There were 200 participants from all over Africa representing librarians, archivists, curators, information management specialists, documentalists, academics and professionals from universities, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, and other international and national organizations. The participants were from Ethiopia, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, Kenya, Lesotho, Sudan, Uganda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, The Netherlands, India and the USA.
In the first session the issue of the urgent need to putting knowledge production, governance and management on the African development agenda was discussed and debated while the second session focused on the need to develop policies, strategies and capacity building efforts to enhance the digital future of Africa while at the same time recognising the endemic technological and intellectual challenges. Existing African digitization initiatives were also presented.
The Conference came out with a Declaration and Recommendations on Knowledge for Development in Africa and the Digitization of African Knowledge and Heritage. One of the key recommendations was that an African Digital Library and Archives Programme should be established and that the programme should spearhead the formulation of comprehensive policies, strategic framework and a road map for digital libraries and archives on the African continent.
The Conference was made possible with generous support from IFLA-ALP (Action for Development through Libraries Programme) and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Source:
Reported by Felix Ubogu and Michele Pickover
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Scholarly Journal Publishing Using Open Journal Systems (OJS)
1394 days ago
PKP held its 2nd International Scholarly Publishing Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 8 to 10 July, 2009. It attracted 175 participants from across the globe. With sponsorship from PKP and the Library, Paiki Muswazi attended the conference and also undertook library research support study visits to Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia Libraries. Among the highlights, the conference reviewed international progress in the implementation of the Open Journal Systems and Open Conference Systems for scholarly journal publishing and conference management, respectively.
Over 3 000 journal titles are publishing through the open source software, OJS, with the library providing the publishing platform in many cases. A large proportion of these titles are on open access (OA) and some are accessible by subscription. Some journals and universities publishing through OJS have widened access to their scholarly articles and witnessed increased citations. The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) was singled out for its increased impact factor since adoption of the OA model. In South Africa, Professor Pierre de Villiers of the University of Stellenbosch shared his experience with the OJS online publishing of the African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine (PHCFM) since 2005. He is willing to share his experiences with any journal publishing academics in South Africa.
Following the PKP workshop held at Wits Library, 23-24 April 2007, some members of Wits academic staff expressed interest in using OJS for journal publishing. Faculties and Schools interested in getting their journals online will be excited to know that Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) is installing OJS and OCS to meet this need. OJS provides an opportunity to further increase the visibility of Wits scholarship.
View a slide show of the conference and study visit and play an entertaining video taken in the heart of Chinatown, Vancouver by Paiki.
Blogger: Paiki Muswazi
29 July 2009
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Getting to know our Research Commons users
1395 days ago
Getting to know our Research Commons users
Percy Makholwa is a Masters Student in International Relations, Social Science.
Librarian: You have been a regular visitor of the Research Commons, how did you hear about the facility?
Percy: The library staff at Wartenweiler library made me aware of this facility and explained that it would be a suitable environment for me.
Librarian: Tell me more about your research topic:
Percy: The topic is “Human rights in
Librarian: How long have you been engaged in research?
Percy: In relations to my MA research report this is my second year and I hope to complete in 5 months. I have been actively involved in research since my first year I guess.
Librarian: What has been the hardest part of your research process?
Percy: Definitely the proposal stage
Librarian: Where did you learn your research skills?
Percy: The Departments of Political studies and International Relations have courses in Research and Methodology- these courses do not encompass library research however I have therefore had to attend workshops hosted by the Wartenweiler library in their electronic classroom this has supplemented the courses offered.
Librarian: Which library resources do you most frequently use and why?
Percy: Electronic journals are very essential; news paper clippings on SABINET and official documents on the SA foreign Affairs website.
Librarian: How do you keep up to date with new developments in your research area?
Percy: I have set up an online notification which emails me the latest news on human rights and
Librarian: What would be your advice to newly registered postgraduate students? Percy: To consult with the library on available resources especially SABINET
Librarian: What training to our Postgraduate students would be the most useful? Percy: Definitely a refresher course on how use and access other sources like Proquest, SABINET and Taylor Francis
Librarian: Do you have any suggestions on how the Research Commons librarians could improve their support to researchers?
Percy: Everything is at this stage satisfactory to me- although it would be nice to have research commons being 24 hour facilities- that is probably a long term consideration
Creating the Research Commons in the William Cullen Library
1396 days ago
Creating the Research Commons in the William Cullen Library
By
Margaret Northey, Senior Librarian: Africana
The William Cullen Library is a library of special collections much used by post-graduates and researchers. Locating a space, with special facilities for the exclusive use of academic staff, masters and PhD students, in the building seemed logical. But, realizing the project was challenging.
There were the structural challenges posed by a 1930s building. Could it support the proposed ceiling-to-floor glass partition which would define the area? Could it take the additional weight of the raised flooring? Would the ageing electrical system cope with the extra demands of a high-tech area? Would our design meet current safety regulations?
Equally important was finding alternative space for the stock and furniture that would be displaced by the Research Commons. Would this alternative space allow growth of the collection? Would the Africana Reading Room loose reading places? Given the chronic shortage of space in Cullen there was little room in which to maneuver.
Investigating possibilities and solutions took months of measuring, checking, redefining ideas, consulting. In time the engineers declared that the structure could take the weight of the glass partition and raised flooring, but that it would be unwise to further load the existing electricity system. A new board should be installed.
The major challenge which the Library faced – re-housing the displaced Africana stock and furniture – was solved with two moves. First, the theses on the West Gallery were moved and inter-shelved with the theses collection in the 2nd Basement. The hard work was done by ABC Movers. Apart from opening space this move had the advantage that in future all theses would be in one place. Then the OPAC desk was dismantled and recycled to create a new OPAC desk around two sides of the central stairway’s railing. The space released was considerable. Indeed without this area it would have been very difficult for the whole project to proceed. This change turned out to be one of the most successful of the changes in the Reading Room, in terms of aesthetics and efficient use of space.
Now the Africana stock and its bookcases could be moved from the north side to the gallery and to the south side of the Reading Room. This move involved unpacking the cases, shifting the bookcases to their new positions and then re-shelving the books. ABC Movers moved another 656 metres of books with good will and minimum of disruption. It must be pointed out that at no time during the project was the Library closed.
Then the planned choreography broke down. The upgrading of the tattle gates and turnstile, which would have opened the entrance of the Reading Room and allowed the surplus bookcases to be moved out, did not happen. When the building team arrived they had to work around, and eventually had to move these cases into the Reading Room so that the partition could be erected and the raised flooring installed.
With the builders on site things became noisy and during the installation of the new ceiling, very dusty. Then came the unwelcome news that the door into the foyer was too narrow for current safety regulations. Some more shelving was lost and part of a masonry wall broken down to create an opening of the specified width.
Once the glass partition and the internal partitions were in place, the area lost its building site appearance. The raised floor was installed and carpeted. The curtains were hung. The air-conditioning units were installed. And for the first time we had a glimpse of how well the area was likely to look.
However the Reading Room looked like a second-hand furniture store with stacked tables and chairs and surplus bookcases occupying a section of the reading area. The approaching deadline for the completion of the project concentrated minds, and the problem was solved by an ICAM staffer. Once he ascertained the width of the bookcases, he knew that without the turnstiles and central pillar, the width was sufficient to allow passage of the bookcases. ABC Movers with clever use of two trolleys got the bookcases out in a day. The cleared area was carpeted and the tables and chairs put back into position. The Reading Room returned to normal.
The creation of the Research Commons was in its finishing stage. The doors were installed and the area was made secure. Furniture arrived, then docking station for the laptops, and finally the laptops themselves. At the beginning of July 2008 the Research Commons opened for use and at the end of the month was officially launched by Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation.
Within the 8 months of its existence it is evident that the facility is liked by a growing number of post-grads and researchers. When one looks across the Reading Room into the Research Commons and sees a full house, then the measuring, meetings, upheaval and dust were worth enduring.
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Networking in the Research Commons - William Cullen Library
1396 days ago
Networking in the Research Commons - William Cullen Library
By Janet Zambri, Librarian: Education & Training
Social Networking is alive and well in the William Cullen Post Graduate Commons.
For those of you that don’t know, the William Cullen Library boasts an exclusive environment for Academic staff, Master’s and Doctoral Students currently involved in research - the “Research Commons”. It is truly a Research haven for researchers. It is a VERY user friendly environment which bears testimony to how the behaviour changes in this secure part of the William Cullen Library. Admission is by virtue of registration with the University as a Post Graduate for Masters or PhD and employment as an academic staff member irrespective of the discipline.
We are not using “Techno Speak” when mentioning “Social Networking” and no, it is not of Wikis, blogs, and twitters we speak (although I am sure that the electronic networking does follow) but of real live networking with fellow Postgraduates.
The observed behaviours:
Initially a Post Graduate tentatively swipes his/her card at glass door entrance to the Research Commons to see if the doors will magically open as they have seen others pass through. There is a look of amazement and relief when the doors swish open wide to give them access. Yes I can…!
Students are allowed to get up close and personal with a laptop in this environment, students hand over their cards, and laptops are handed over in return, along with the returned student card. If one prefers one’s own personal computer, no problem, you get connected to the Library network with a LAN cable which get’s issued to you. How cool is that!?!
o There is a little irony however; the Library issued laptops are chained to the desks by attending library staff. In the dim and distant past I seem to remember tales of Medieval Books and Monasteries with chained books for the use of the exclusive few…but there is where the similarity ends. This environment is designed to be high tech where one can connect to Internet and download the latest articles from the many databases and e-content the library subscribes to.
The researcher returns, more confidently the next day, greeting fellow post graduates he noticed there the day before.
The following week he leaves his laptop and bag behind, while he goes out for coffee and a break with his new found research buddies – knowing that his place and belongings are secure. There is a librarian on duty after all, and for the past few days he has been assessing what everyone else is doing.
Debate over coffee about the progress or non-progress of the almighty dissertation takes place. Or are they “dissing” the dissertation?
“Have you tried?”, or “I have found…” seem to be the order of the day.
The environment – first class.
The intellectual stimulus – awesome.
The Library professional support – always available.
The networking – seeing is believing.
If we don’t have the answers, we will find someone that does…
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Archives