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Hopkinson, Alan (2007) Linking librarians:North-South cooperation viathe Commonwealth Professional Fellowship scheme. Link, 1 . pp. 4-5.

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Librarianship is one of the most long-standing professions within university

life. It has a particularly strong profess -ional ethos, and already has a record ofinternational collaboration. Why, then, has theACU chosen this area to launch its fourthprofessional network?

Part of the answer to this question comesfrom our experience, over the past five years, indeveloping our programme to provide accessto discounted journals. As the programme hasgrown, it has become clear to us that new chan -nels for regular, informal communication arestill welcome at several levels – between, forexample, librarians in developed and devel op -ing countries, librarians and their institutions,librarians and publishers, and librarians andpolicymakers.

Making these connections is critical at atime when higher education is prominent on thedevelopment agenda, and when the bound ariesbetween libraries and other forms of inform -ation dissemination have become more blurredthan ever. The potential is huge – but to meet itwe need comprehensive information aboutcurrent provision, problems and good practice.

The ACU journals programme started inAfrica, and it has since expanded to otherregions. It is important that our network, too,involves the whole Commonwealth. In this

context, I would particularly encourage thosefrom developed, as well as developing coun -tries, to sign up. Membership is free, as part ofyour wider ACU membership, and furtherdetails can be found on page 12.

The experience of our three existing net -works suggests that the prospects are bright.Research management, human resource man -age ment and public relations and comm un -ications have proved to be fertile ground for thetype of collaboration that we are now seeking.Each has attracted over three hundred mem -bers, and has developed its own mechanisms –conferences, publications, electronic mailingsand scholar ships – depending on specificcircumstances. In each case, the emphasis hasbeen on finding practical solutions to practicalproblems.

We all hope that the Libraries and Inform -ation Network will do the same and that youwill want to play your part, by returning theform enclosed. In the meantime, I hope thatyou find this first edition of our networkmagazine interesting. Needless to say, feedback,ideas and offers of future contributions are allwelcome!

John KirklandDeputy Secretary-General (Development)

The Association of Commonwealth Universities

L I N KIssue 1 August 2007 C O N N E C T I N G C O M M O N W E A L T H L I B R A R I A N S

The magazine of the Association of Commonwealth Universities’ Libraries & Information Network

This issue

2-3 Protecting universitylibrariesJonathan Harle looks at theACU journals scheme and howit led to the creation of ournew Libraries and InformationNetwork.

4-5 Linking librariansAlan Hopkinson reports onthe benefits of north-southexchanges.

6-8 Developing digital librariesin African universitiesDiana Rosenberg and BuhleMbambo-Thata consider theobstacles to creating electroniccollections, and how they canbe overcome.

8 Commonwealth Scholarships andFellowships – ProfilePhilemon K Chebon on theimpact of his ProfessionalFellowship at Book AidInternational

9 News

10 Recent publications

11 Funding opportunitiesAn update from Jon Thornton.

12 About our Network

LIB

RA

RIE

S& I N FORM

AT

ION

••

NE T W O R K

2 LINK August 2007

Protecting university libraries –the ACU journals scheme

Journals are an essential resource, as anyuniversity librarian well knows. Whateverthe field, it is through journals that the

latest research is tracked and back issue coll -ections allow the development of earlier think -ing to be traced. Articles in the many thousandsof journals now published allow academics todevelop and discuss their ideas, and to presentthe latest methodologies and theoretical persp -ectives for review and comment by their peers.

But providing good journal collectionsalso presents a considerable challenge. Librariesmust ensure access to a range of titles acrossmany disciplines, keeping up to date with newpublications and maintaining past collections,all on limited – and in some cases dwindling –budgets. Many publishers now offer electronicjournals, as a complement to, or in place of,printed titles. These are a powerful way ofwidening access to information, but they alsopresent new problems and place new demandson existing resources, requiring improved ICTfacilities and better internet connections.

These problems will undoubtedly be fam -iliar to university librarians across the globe.Higher education and research have becomeincreasingly internationalised, and with sharedgoals come common challenges, although someinstitutions are, of course, in a better position torespond. Access to academic literature, whetherin print or electronic formats, is a particularconcern for developing country universities.Years of under-funding have depleted coll ect -ions in many universities and rising prices

represent even greater outlays. Escalating pricesare often met by declining budgets and fluct -uating currencies. Even where budgets are stable– or perhaps even beginning to increase – theyare typically constrained by competing demandsand ever-growing needs. Major internationaljournals are often simply unaffordable; someuniversities have been forced to massivelyreduce subscriptions, or even abandon themaltogether. It is sadly ironic that in a worldawash with information, many universitiesstruggle to maintain basic collections.

Developing the journals schemeAt the ACU’s 2001 Conference of ExecutiveHeads, a number of VCs emphasised theseproblems, and highlighted the need for acollective and coordinated response. Severalschemes were already in operation, so the firststep was to consider these, and identify wherethe ACU could play a role. In recent years,electronic publishing has expanded dramat ic -ally and a developing trend for online public -ation was clear from the outset. Reflecting thisshift, many organisations had correspondinglyfocused their schemes on providing onlinejournals.

Electronic publishing continues to presentexciting horizons for academic publishing, andfor the ways in which libraries are able to deliverknowledge to their students and researchers.But, while it has the potential to allow the latestresearch to be more widely accessed, in realitylimited ICT facilities, problems with conn ect -

ivity, and the prohibitive cost of bandwidthmean that it is yet to become a viable solutionfor many universities. As the ACU scheme wasdeveloped, it was clear that demand for hardcopy journals continued to be strong and thatmany libraries were keen to build up theirphysical collections.

After negotiations with a number of lead -ing academic publishers, the ACU launched theProtecting the African Library scheme in 2002.This was subsequently expanded to assist univ -ersities in Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.Under the banner of the Low Cost JournalsScheme, 24 countries across the Common -wealth are now eligible to participate, enablingthem to purchase journals via at massivelyreduced rates – from 25% to 10% of the orig -

inal cover price. Over the last five years, thesediscounts have enabled the scheme to deliverjournals with total cover prices of at least USD3 million. All administration is undertaken bythe ACU; universities send their orders andpayment, and this is then passed onto thepublishers who dispatch journals as normal.For the past five years, the scheme has beencoor dinated by Deborah Bennett, SeniorProgramme Officer at the ACU.

Importantly, both universities and pub -lish ers gain something from the scheme, which

Importantly, both

universities and publishers

gain something from the

scheme, which helps to

keep it running.

For more information on the Low Cost Journals scheme visit www.acu.ac.uk/lowcostjournals or contact [email protected]

Publishers participating in the scheme include:

The ACU has run its discounted journals scheme since 2002, delivering over USD 3 millionworth of journals, at discounts of 75%-90%. Several years on, the scheme has grown,and so has our understanding of the wider challenges facing university libraries.Jonathan Harle reviews the achievements of the scheme and considers what the newnetwork hopes to achieve.

August 2007 LINK 3

helps to keep it running. Both benefit from asimplified order process, and can deal with onecentral contact. Publishers improve their circ -ul ations in areas where they had previouslystruggled to maintain subscriptions, and do sowithout credit risks or the problems of currencyconversion. That publishers can establish devel -oping countries as feasible markets is crucial,because it is this that ultimately encouragesthem to engage more deeply with the challengesthat are faced by a growing proportion of theworld’s universities. But of course mostimport antly, universities have anopportunity to rest ore theirlibraries at much lower cost.

However, the problemis not simply one of finance.Although bringing down thecost of journals is the firsthurdle, subscriptions need to besustained, and support needs to bedelivered in a way that dovetails with univ -ersities’ existing systems and their membershipsof other schemes. Universities need to be able tobuild resources such as journals into their corebud gets and into long-term strategies, so thatif at some point these schemes disappear, or iffinances become more secure, they can eitherstep up to full rates, or negotiate new pricingstructures them selves. The ACU scheme there -fore set out to be as flexible as possible.

Measuring its successSo does it work? By some measures the schemeis a modest one, but crucially it has demon -strated its sustainability. 12 leading publishersparticipate; all but two of the original numberare still involved and new publishers have join -ed, showing that it meets their needs effectively.Regionally the scheme has been able to expandtoo; there are now 15 universities taking part,with 23 participating over the last five years.While some have been forced to suspend theirinvolvement from year to year, due to otherpressures or difficulties, the flexibility of thescheme means that they can effectively take upwhere they left off as soon as funding allows.There are also no deadlines, so universities canplace orders and pay for jour nals when they are

able to do so, rather than needing to meettimetables imposed from outside.

The number of universities who havegain ed from the scheme represents a realsuccess, but we also recognise that there areother universities which would benefit, buthave yet to take part. This is partly determinedby agreements with publishers. Indian memberuniversities are unfortunately ineligible, as pub -lishers feel that they already have an establishedmarket in this area, and are unwilling to include

them. That not all eligible membershave part icipated is in part exp -

lained by a number of fact -ors. Some libraries alreadysecure comp arable accessthrough other schemes andthis is entirely positive. The

ACU intends to address gapsin provision, rather than att -

empt to draw libraries out of exist -ing support mechanisms. Other members

may not be in a position to make even thereduced investments in journals that thescheme enables. This is unfortunate, but is partof a larger problem which must be addressed inother ways. The agreement with publishers alsomeans that only new orders can be placed, sounfortunately universities with existing directsubscriptions cannot opt to bring these throughthe scheme. We welcome feed back, however,and would encourage any elig ible memberswho have not participated to get in touch.

Although we try regularly to recruit newpublishers, many are already involved with oneor more existing programmes, or have theirown in-house discounts which universities canaccess directly. Others are willing to offer dis -counted subscriptions at different rates, or to adifferent set of countries, and therefore cannotbe included in the scheme; the ACU insists thatdiscounts are offered to the full set of part -icipating countries.

Beyond the schemeJust as the problem is broader, so measuring thesuccess of the scheme goes beyond numbers ofjournals dispatched or universities benefited.From the outset the ACU positioned itself as a

facilitator, rather than a donor, aiming to workwith, rather than compete against, other init -iat ives. The International Network for theAvailability of Scientific Publications (INASP)and Book Aid International have both beenpartners, and events have been held involvingpublishers and universities to help improvecoordination between schemes. These part ner -ships have fostered closer understanding andplaced the ACU in a strong position to broadenits libraries work, and to begin to address thewider need for coordination, management andcollaboration. Clearly journal access is just partof the complex challenges facing universitiesand their libraries across the Commonwealth.

The ACU Libraries and Information Net -work, launching through this, the first issue ofits new magazine, aims to harness the widerinvolvement of librarians and other colleaguesacross the Commonwealth – from both devel -oping and developed countries – combiningexpertise and experience to encourage collabor -ation and share best practice. As well as meetingthe day-to-day needs of their users, libraries andlibrarians have a crucial role to play in thefuture development of their institutions. Newtechnologies of information access and retrieval,from sophisticated databases to the ever-inc -reasing potential of the internet to link peopleand information in new ways, mean that univ -ersities will rely more and more on their info -rm ation professionals. It is critical that librariesare fully included in universities’ strat egicplanning, and that institutions recognise thepivotal role of libraries as they seek to meet thechallenges offered by societies and econ omiesincreasingly driven by knowledge and inform -ation. We hope that the network will raise theprofile of libraries within institutions, and in sodoing support librarians in their negotiationswith senior management, ensuring that theyreceive the resources appropriate to this miss -ion. We hope you will get involved. L

Jonathan Harle is Programme Officer

(Libraries) at the ACU.

[email protected]

4 LINK August 2007

Linking librarians: North-South cooperation via theCommonwealth Professional Fellowship scheme

Gaining through cooperation

Professional exchanges are quite commonin the library world; CILIP, the UK-based Chartered Institute of Library and

Information Professionals hosts LIBEX, anexchange scheme for librarians and informationworkers in the UK. Exchanges are also commonbetween European academic libraries. Throughits LIBEX scheme, CILIP recognises that UKlibrarians have much to gain from placementsabroad, in the way of professional experienceand knowledge, learning how libraries in othercountries operate, new ways of doing things,and developing relationships with informationprofessionals internationally.

Between 1997 and 2002, through contactsdeveloped at the International Federation ofLibrary Associations (IFLA)’s annual confer -ence, Middlesex had hosted visitors from Tha -mmasat University, Thailand. They had workedvery hard to help reduce our cat al og uingbacklog and in return had learned about ournew Horizon system, ready for implem entingit themselves. From time to time I had reportedat international meetings on the exch anges withThailand, and on numerous occas ions I hadbeen asked by librarians in dev eloping countriesif they could come to Middlesex for a similarplacement. Invariably, finance was a barrier.Again, I received emails from librarians indeveloping countries about various matterswhich had convinced me that they wouldbenefit from a visit to the UK. When I saw the

new Commonwealth Prof essional Fellowshipscheme advertised in 2004 it seemed to beexactly what I had been looking for.

Under this scheme, we have now hostedthree Commonwealth Fellows and are about tohost another three in the autumn of 2007. Inthe space available here it is only possible to talkabout one, but all have benefited themselvesand ourselves in different ways.

Bibliographic exchange Rajesh Chandrakar, from the Information andLibrary Network (INFLIBNET) Centre inIndia, had corresponded with me about bib -liographic exchange formats. Catalogue recordsare generally not created by the library acquir -ing a book or other item; they are downloadedfrom external databases or sent by the booksupplier in a format that is used internationally.There are a number of these and internationalagreement has never been entirely reached.India has been using the Common Comm un -ic ation Format but is now gradually movingtowards the MARC21 (Machine ReadableCataloguing for the 21st century) format,which was developed by the Library of Con -gress in the US and is used the most universally(although the non-English speaking world alsouses UNIMARC). Rajesh was int erested inconversion between these and I thought wemight also be able to benefit from his work ashe is the convenor of the MARC21 CoreGroup at INFLIBNET, where they are under -

taking extensive conversion projects for theirclients.

I originally met Rajesh in Ahmedabadafter running an IFLA training course ondigital libraries in India. INFLIBNET, wherehe works, is an organisation operating withinthe University Grants Commission (UGC) toprovide digital services to university libraries.For example, they negotiate contracts for e-jour nals, are developing a national uniondatabase of library resources available in UGC-funded universities, are setting up libraryautomation on a system which they developed,and run training courses in using these tools. Irealised Rajesh would benefit greatly fromseeing how we do the same things at Middlesex,and that we might also learn from him.

The Fellowship programmeRajesh is an expert on bibliographic exchangeformats in India and while with us he workedon a conversion program, something whichlibrarians in Namibia had also identified as arequirement for converting records from theMARC21 to UNIMARC formats. He alsospent some time in Middlesex’s Library SystemsTeam, working with Horizon (the integratedlibrary system), particularly on aspects of thelibrary circulation system, which is one of thefirst to use Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) for stock control and security. He wasalso able to attend a meeting of the UK Hor -izon User Group, gained some general exper -ience of the Learning Resources Centre at ourHendon Campus, and attended various libraryand learning resources meetings.

At Middlesex we use a package developedby UNESCO – CDS/ISIS – and its web-basedcounterpart developed in Brazil – WWWISIS –as our backup catalogue, and Rajesh was ableto ask questions about this. At the same timehe was able to do some work for us on itsenhancement. The Fellowship funded him toattend the UK Serials Group Conference inEdinburgh, which discussed issues of electronicjournals and he was also able to attend meetingsof a number of external committees I sit onincluding a formal British Standards meeting,dealing with language codes, and a meeting ofthe Book Industry Communication (BIC)

Further informationLIBEX: www.cilip.org.uk/jobscareers/libexCommonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK: www.cscuk.org.ukINFLIBNET: www.inflibnet.ac.inUNESCO CDS/ISIS: www.unesco.org/isisHopkinson, A; Chandrakar, R. ‘Introducing RFID at Middlesex University LearningResources’, Program: electronic library and information systems, 40 (1) (2006), pp. 89-97

Alan Hopkinson has worked on a number of international projects focussing on theintroduction of library automation and ICT services, and for a variety of agencies includingthe British Council, UNESCO, UNDP and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asiaand Pacific. Here, he discusses his involvement in hosting librarians at MiddlesexUniversity, UK, through the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.

Alan Hopkinson is Head of Systems and

Bibliographic Services at Middlesex University’s

Learning Resources service.

[email protected]

August 2007 LINK 5

Product Metadata Group.Over the three months spent at Middlesex,

Rajesh made many external visits. He visitedthe British Library of Development Studies atthe Institute of Development Studies, Sussex,from where CDS/ISIS is distributed in the UK,and the Library of the London School ofEconomics. One of the Deputy Directors of theBritish Library was very interested to meet him,in order to find out more about the librarysituation in India, and the Online ComputerLibrary Centre (OCLC) office in Birmingham– INFLIBNET is the nearest equivalent inIndia – were also interested in more bilateralcooperation with institutions in India.. A visitto the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford,provided another chance to see the arrange -ment of collections and user services in anacademic library.

One of the highlights of the Fellowshipwas a visit to Eduserv, the body which dealswith authentication through the Athens system,and both they and INASP, the InternationalNetwork for the Availability of Scientific Pub -lic ations which deals with making digital lib -rary material available for developing countries,gained from the chance to hear first-hand aboutwhat is happening in India.

In addition to making many visits, Rajeshwas also able to present a paper at one of theinformal monthly meetings of the InternationalLibrary and Information Group of CILIP,which was very well received. Together we alsopublished a joint article on RFID in Program

in January 2006. This was one of the mostaccessed articles in the electronic form of thatjournal in 2006.

Aims, successes and impactThe overall objective of the Fellowship prog -ramme was to provide training in the man -agement of academic libraries. During his timeat Middlesex, Rajesh was able to investigate ouruse of CDS/ISIS, understand how electroniclibraries are used in UK higher education, andgain experience in the implementation of RFIDtechnology and software for running day-to-day inter-library loans. Rajesh was also inter -ested to understand the issues in managing auniversity library where library and academiccomputing run as part of a converged service.The only outstanding area was time to learnmore about implementing virtual learningenvironments. Most important in his opinionwas the chance to become acquainted with theuse of ICT services and their role in managingan academic library.

It is difficult to evaluate what differenceRajesh’s visit has made to India; the impact maybe unquantifiable. However, one of his roles atINFLIBNET is to visit university librariesaround India to run training courses, and theopportunities of the Fellowship are likely tohave benefited him here. Three years after theFellowship, I met Rajesh at a conference ondigital libraries which he was helping toorganise in India, and he had much increased inconfidence. Our connection with INFLIBNET

has also been sustained, as one of Rajesh’s seniorcolleagues has been awarded a Fellowship forAutumn 2007 and will be taking this up atMiddlesex.

At Middlesex, many colleagues were int -erested to meet Rajesh and explain their jobs,and occasionally these discussions made themthink differently about what they were doing.In general it is not onerous or time-consumingfor Middlesex staff to explain their work to avisitor, and it can highlight for them reasons forperhaps doing things differently. It also inc -reases their knowledge of how things are donein other parts of the world and adds to personaldevelopment and a greater international under -standing for the visited as well as the visitor.The visit did cause some extra work for staff butthis can be readily justified. Middlesex regardsitself as an international rather than a nationalor local modern university, and the university’scorporate plan notes that it is recognised for‘the excellence of its research and the strength ofits partnerships and international activity’.Middlesex benefits from its many foreignstudents and it is right and proper that throughits Learning Resources service it should begiving something back in this way. L

Rajesh Chandrakar atwork in the Library atMiddlesex University

6 LINK August 2007

Developing digital libraries in African universities

Over the past few decades, universityeducation has been transformed byinvestment in electronic infra struct -

ure and connectivity, as well as attention paidto e-learning and related approaches. Thesekey tools will enhance the quality of highereducation and make it more accessible, anduniversity lib raries are an important part ofthis trans formation. They acquire, organiseand deliver digital information. They enableand promote its use. Libraries provide thebridge between digital content and the enduser. They provide the pathways through theinternet jungle.

Over the past fifteen years, libraries world -wide have increased their holdings of elect -ronic information and automated theiroper ations. But within Africa digital dev el -

opment has been more uneven. E-journalsupport programmes offering discounted orfree titles are available, but inadequateinfrastructures and connectivity can preventeasy access. It is still finance – or lack of it – thathas prevented many African university librariesfrom devel op ing a dynamic interaction withICTs, building electronic information manage -ment systems and creating digital services fortheir users. In a recent survey (Towards theDigital Library; INASP; 2005), librarians, whenasked about the key challenges in the future,identified lack of funds for the purchase andmaintenance of hardware and e-resourcestogether with a lack, or the retention, of trainedstaff, followed by the low levels of ICT literacyand e-resource use among users. All the librariesstressed the need for enhanced support from

their institutions and continued supportfrom funding agencies, both financial andin the provision of expertise.

The University of Zimbabwe Library isone that has faced the challenges andsucceeded in developing digital resourcesand services. Desp ite working in a season ofeconomic decline, it was determined to stayon the cutting edge of 21st century inform -ation provision and build a digital library inspite of economic restraints. The articlebelow tells their story.

Diana Rosenberg is Adviser at the

International Network for the Availability of

Scientific Publications (INASP).

[email protected]

In developing a digital library, the Universityof Zimbabwe (UZ) Library focussed onimplementing those critical areas in the

University of Zimbabwe Strategic Plan 2002–2007 that fell within its mandate. It focusedspecifically on the following strategic goals:■ produce graduates that are ICT literate■ create an environment supportive of grad -

uate students■ create an environment conducive to learn -

ingThe library emphasised creating a service thatwas vibrant and responsive to the clients’ needs.It sought an entry point of relevance todevelopment in the university community. Theuniversity strategic plan thus served as a goodinstrument to guide the library’s intervention.The library’s vision was to create a digital librarythat complemented its book stock.

We strongly believe that the digital librarywe have built is sustainable because it is builton our plans. It is not superimposed onactivities but has been part of our strategic plan.Our partners have complemented the plansthrough resources – human, financial andmaterial.

The University Library consists of the MainLibrary and five branch libraries: the College ofHealth Sciences Library, the Law Library, theEducation Resources Collection, the MapLibrary and the Veterinary Science Library. TheMain Library contains 75% of the totalcollection of nearly half a million books.

AutomationAutomation was the first step. In 1983, the firstfeasibility study on library automation at UZwas conducted. By 1987, a library automation

group had been set up and in July 1988 aLibrary Computer Committee was formed. Itstudied previous reports and indicated theywere inadequate. It resolved to seek externalfunding for library automation and comm issi -oned an internal feasibility study on libraryautomation. The discussions and preparationsintensified from then on. In 1991, CDS-ISISwas introduced. It provided for the creation ofcatalogues but was not an integrated librarysystem. By 1995, work on Erudite, a libraryautomation system, was in full swing but by1999 the pilot project had been discontinued.A new approach was needed. An externalfeasibility study provided clear guidelines onhow to approach library automation. This timethe top management of the university wasclosely and actively involved. There was a strongpartnership with the university’s Computer

Electronic collections represent the libraries of the future but, as Diana Rosenberg explains, they pose major challenges to Africanuniversities. However, there is also reason to be optimistic about a digital future; Buhle Mbambo-Thata led the University of Zimbabwein its work to build digital resources, and takes up the story in her case study article below.

Case study:

University of Zimbabwe Library

August 2007 LINK 7

Centre, which was very important for imp lem -entation and maintenance. The needs ofstakeholders were identified from the start anda dedicated ICT Unit based in the library wasset up. Training of library staff was given toppriority. The Innovative Millennium systemwas chosen and has been successfully implem -ented and sustained.

CD-ROMsThe Medical Library spearheaded the introd -uction of CD-ROMs in the 1990s. They werealso embraced in the Main Library. By 2000, adedicated workstation had been set aside toprovide access to CD-ROMs. In 2002, a serverto hold several CD-ROM titles was purchasedand made available for use by readers in thelibrary.

E-journalsThe initial introduction to e-journals wasthrough the eIFL-funded EBSCOhost prov -ided through OSI to Southern Africa from1999–2001. UZ also became a site for theAfrican Virtual Library, which provided accessto 2,000 online journals and e-books throughNetLibrary.

Access to e-journals was increased throughparticipation in the Programme for the Enhance -ment of Research Information (PERI) of theInternational Network for the Availability ofScientific Information (INASP), the ZimbabweUniversity Libraries Consortium (ZULC) jointpurchase scheme and participation in eIFL.Availability thus increased from access to asingle e-resource EBSCOhost in 1999 to accessto 19,500 online journals by 2006. By 2005,institutions in Zimbabwe were contributing80% of the cost. The library on its own maynot have afforded access to all these e-resources.It was facilitated by being a constituentmember of ZULC, through which universitylibraries share the cost of access to onlinejournals. However, we do not lose sight of thefact that if it was not for carefully negotiatedlicenses by both INASP and eIFL, the effortsof ZULC may not have added much. Boththese organisations helped access nationwidelicenses.

Local e-contentThe UZ Library put in place a mechanism toensure that the university would not only be aconsumer of the internet but would also inputcontent to the global information space. Theprocess started with uploading content to theuniversity’s intranet. In 2002, the database ofexamination papers was created. This was search-able from any PC on campus linked to thecampus-wide network. This greatly increased

access to past papers.Also in 2002, the UZ Library started

participating in the Database of African Thesesand Dissertations of the Association of AfricanUniversities (DATAD). Through this facility,abstracts, authors, titles, supervisors of studentswere uploaded to a database that is searchablevia the internet.

A natural growth from this was the dev el -opment of a full text e-theses database (ETD).This is searchable and accessible on the cam -pus-wide network. At the time of writing, thelibrary is engaged in discussion with the univ -ersity community on how to further increaseaccess to the e-theses by the wider communitybeyond UZ. The latest development in inc -reasing access to locally published research isthe Institutional Repository (IR), a digitalrepository of the output of UZ academics.

CostsThe Past Examination Papers Database is ahomegrown solution that runs on an opensource operating system (Fedora Core 3), usingan open source scripting language (PHP) andan open source database backend (MySQL).The costs incurred in setting it up were thepurchase of the server (which in our case is aPentium 3 machine, with 256 RAM and a20GB hard drive) as well as the man hoursspent in developing the application. The wholeproject was financed internally and no externalsupport was sought from partners.

The Electronic Theses and DissertationsDatabase (ETD) also uses an open source app -lication, one developed at Virginia PolytechnicInstitute and State University (Virginia Tech)in the USA and maintained by a community ofvolunteers. As with the Past Examination PapersDatabase, the costs incurred in setting it upwere the server and the man hours spent in

installing and customising the application. Nodonor funds were used in setting up the data -base.

It is not possible to quantify all costs andstaff time that went into establishing the Inst -itutional Repository. Some costs were imbedd -ed into staff work time. These included the costof marketing, liaising, and familiarising staffwith process. Because the university did notwant to see this as an ‘independent’ project,from the beginning it was located as part of thework of delivering information within SpecialCollections. However some costs could bequantified, particularly those for which wesought help from our partners to acquireservices that were not available either withinUZ or in Zimbabwe generally. eIFL providedinitial assistance (approximately GBP 6,000)whilst INASP helped with expanding the sizeand depth of the repository (approximatelyGBP 6,000).

Long-term costs are being met by UZ.Although the software is free, the university hasthe responsibility for upgrades and servermaintenance, as well as migration of software.Populating the database has been incorporatedinto the activities of Special Collections. Thisis to ensure that IR ceases to be a project but issustained as part of the process of informationdelivery of UZ library.

Strategic planAs referred to earlier, the library found a nichein the university strategic planning document.In 2001, the library set about establishing itsown strategic plan for 2002–2007, which set adirection and broad objectives for the comingfive years. The plan clearly stated the library’sdesire to be modern and provide a cutting edgeservice. Creation of digital libraries and prov -iding users with the skills to use them werecentral to this.

From then on, the library sought partners,strategic alliances and funding to meet thesebroad objectives. We are grateful to our part -ners who assisted us in the building of thedigital library, in particular AAU, eIFL, INASP,Sida-SAREC and UZ itself, in particular theVice-Chancellor’s Office. The implementationof the plan has continued to grow in thebackdrop of a declining economy and increasedcompetition for scarce resources. However, wehave been fortunate in that we have hadpartners who have supported us in fulfilling ourplan.

Information Literacy Skills (ILS)The library included ILS in its strategic plan2002–2007 to provide an integrated andassessed user education programme. It was ▼

Buhle Mbambo-Thata

8 LINK August 2007

envisaged that a formal programme would bemore beneficial to students than the hithertoinformal training in user education. The library,being a non-teaching department, identified astrategic partner in the Communication SkillsCentre of the university. Information literacywould be taught as part of essential skills foruniversity education. A formal programmestarted in the academic year 2004–2005. To us,the ILS programme was a critical bridgebetween the digital content and the end user.The ILS programme was funded fully by UZ.We had tried in vain to seek for partners andestablish link programmes with other univ er -sities that offered more advanced informationliteracy programmes without much success.One hopes at a later date it will be possible toestablish such links.

Lessons Learnt■ Vision: It is critical to have a vision. If we

had looked at means first, we would have

been paralysed by lack of capacity. Ourvision kept us on course.

■ Resources Will Follow The Vision: Once wehad a vision, we could go to partners andseek for assistance. We learnt that a well-articulated vision statement and a plan ofaction attract support.

■ Strategic Partners: Without the assistance ofour strategic partners we would not havemanaged. The closest partner in all this wasUZ’s Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

■ University Management Support: It wascritical that the library worked in tandemwith other developments in the university.The library’s efforts were thus based on thekey deliverables of the university’s strategicplan.

■ Teamwork: Within the library we built ateam that was committed to the vision.Each section’s team worked to fulfil themandate of its section in particular and thatof the library in general.

■ National Collaboration: The advent of theZimbabwe University Libraries Consortium(ZULC) helped to achieve our goals ofincreasing digital content. Through collab -oration in ZULC between 2002 and 2005the library participated in a scheme thatshared the cost of access to e-journals.

This article is an abbreviated version of ChapterOne of Building a Digital Library at the Univ -ersity of Zimbabwe: A celebration of Teamworkand Collaboration; Mbambo-Thata, B. (ed.);2007; INASP (www.inasp.info). L

Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata is currently

Executive Director, Library Services at the

University of South Africa. She was previously

University Librarian at the University of

Zimbabwe.

[email protected]

Ijoined the Kenya National Library Services(KNLS) in 1986 and worked in severalbranch libraries in various capacities. Through

the course of my work I was confronted by anumber of problems which impeded theeffective provision of public library services.Foremost of these problems was how to resolvethe lack of adequate funds which hamper thedelivery of library services. Although the Kenyagovernment implemented major restructuringprograms in the provision of basic public

services, it did not adequately address the dec -line of public library funding and the resultantpoor provision of services.

The Fellowship program with Book Aidincluded training in advocacy, fundraising andcommunications, leadership, and IT, as well asa placement with Leicestershire Library Service.A key aim of the visit was to exchange ideaswith UK librarians on encouraging the growthof a reading culture to support literacy andlifelong learning. During the visit I also selected

2,500 books from Book Aid’s warehouse forshipping to libraries throughout Kenya. Everyeffort needs to be made to support literacythroughout sub-Saharan Africa to support oureconomic development, and books and inform -ation are vital to underpin this.

Although I always considered myself atraditional librarian, my visit to the UK lastyear was a turning point in my career. I realisedthat it was time for me to move on and engagein activities which benefit the communitydirectly. I left KNLS in April this year to joinChildren International, a US-based charitableorganisation, to coordinate their book distrib -ution programme. I have been tasked withoptim ising the programme’s fiscal and operat -ional efficiencies and expanding it in EastAfrica. The first phase entailed making contactand developing relationships with the nationallibrary boards in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,Malawi, and Zambia. The contacts that I madeat a Book Aid workshop for library directorsfrom Africa have therefore been very useful.

L

Commonwealth Scholarshipsand Fellowships – ProfileThrough the awards offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK,a number of library and information professionals have come to the UK in recent years tostudy towards further qualifications or to undertake professional training with a UK basedorganisation. For further information, please visit the Commonwealth ScholarshipCommission’s website at www.cscuk.org.uk

Dr Philemon K Chebon was a Commonwealth Professional Fellow at BookAid International in 2006. He previously studied at Kenya Polytechnic andLoughborough University in the UK, and subsequently gained a Masters anda PhD at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Here he talks about howhis work and academic studies have led him to his current role as coordinatorof book distribution for Children International.

August 2007 LINK 9

NewsNick Mulhern, ACU Librarian, rounds up the latest news.

Global science gatewayThe British Library and the US Departmentof Energy are collaboraing on the develop mentof a global science gateway. The prototype ofthe gateway, called ‘WorldWideScience.org’,aims to make science information resources ofmany nations globally accessible via aninternet portal.

(http://www.worldwidescience.org)

Blackwell Reference OnlineBlackwell Reference online is the largestacademic collection of reference material inthe humanities and social sciences to be pub -lished online. Users can make a one-timepurchase for perpetual access to the wholecollection, or buy access to individual subjectareas.

(www.blackwellreference.com)

Canadian Research KnowledgeNetwork (CRKN)CRKN is a ‘partnership of Canadianuniversities, dedicated to expanding digitalcontent for the academic research enterprisein Canada’. The consortium aims to workcooperatively with librarians, researchers, andadministrators. CRKN intends to undertake‘large-scale content acquisition and licensinginitiatives in order to build knowledgeinfrastructure and research capacity inCanada’s universities’.

(http://researchknowledge.ca/en/index.jsp)

Google News archive searchGoogle News has launched a new serviceenabling users to ‘search for events, people,ideas and see how they have been describedover time’. As well as providing access toarchives, the search facility can automaticallycreate a timeline of results.

(http://news.google.com/archivesearch)

UNESCO distributes 45,000 e-learningmodules on informationmanagementFAO, UNESCO and partners worldwidehave developed and distributed theInformation Management Resource Kit(IMARK) to over 45,000 users. IMARK is an

e-learning initiative to train individuals andsupport institutions and networks worldwidein the effective management of information.

(http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID

=23973&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_

SECTION=201.html)

Libraries’ role in stimulating economicdevelopmentThe Committee on DevelopmentInformation (CODI), at their fifth session inMay 2007, called on African governments to‘invest in knowledge, library and informationservices as critical agents for the provision ofresources and services that ensure continuousemployability and entrepreneurship for all’.CODI is a subsidiary body of the EconomicCommission for Africa, and provides policyand technical guidance for the sub-programme ‘harnessing information fordevelopment’.

(www.uneca.org/codi)

Digital age in Sri LankaThe National Conference on Library andInformation Studies (NACLIS), organised bythe Sri Lanka Library Association and held inMarch 2007, discussed what the digital ageholds for Sri Lanka. The potential of digitallibraries was considered, as exemplified by the‘The E-tuktuk Project’, a mobile multimediacentre serving a rural community.

(www.slla.org.lk)

(www.sundaytimes.lk/070325/Plus/

013_pls.html)

Reducing internet costs is the nextstepThe benefits of internet cost reduction forending the digital divide were emphasised atthe UN Global Alliance for ICT forDevelopment meeting in March. Technologyleaders predicted that bringing down costscould ‘set off the same wave of connectivitythat has made mobile phone usagecommonplace in developing countries’.

(http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID

=24202&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_

SECTION=201.html)

Ask-a-Librarian onlineQueensland University of Technology haslaunched a new MSN-based ‘Ask-a-Librarian’service, available to all students via a PC orlaptop. A SMS (short message service) is alsoto be trialled later this year.

(www.qut.edu.au)

New science search serviceA consortia of the world’s leading science andtechnology societies and publishers havelaunched a new free search service which givesaccess to over 3 million documents.Scitopia.org includes peer-reviewed journalcontent and technical conference papers fromleading electronic science libraries.

(www.scitopia.org)

Journal of Information LiteracyA number of information partners, includingthe Chartered Institute of Library andInformation Professionals (CILIP), havelaunched a new journal which aims toinvestigate and analyse how informationliteracy impacts on organisations, systems andthe individual. The journal is available online,as an open source publication.

(www.informationliteracy.org.uk/JIL.aspx)

New resource for managing librariesLAMA, the Library Administration andManagement Association, has launched a newonline journal, offering practical advice onmanaging libraries.

(www.ala.org/ala/lama/lamapublications)

World Information Society Report2007Beyond WSIS is the second in a series ofreports produced by the World InformationSociety ‘intended to track progress towardbridging the digital divide and implementingthe outcomes of the WSIS’.

(www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/

worldinformationsociety/2007)L

10 LINK August 2007

Recent publications

Nick Mulhern, ACU librarian, summarises.

Africa: A Guide to ReferenceMaterialA revised (2nd edition) of a majorreference directory, first publishedin 1993, which assesses the valueof available sources on Africa. Itcomprises entries reviewing atlases,dir ect ories, encyclopaedias, andyearbooks, among other sources.Information is organised accord -ing to broad regional groupings inaddition to national listings. Thisedition, for the first time, alsoincorporates review coverage from ‘leadingAfricanist and professional library journals’ aswell as some specialist titles.[McIlwaine, J. (ed.); 978-0-9541029-3-7; 2007;Hans Zell Publishing (www.hanszell.co.uk)]

Changing Roles of Academic andResearch LibrariesAn online essay on technology and change inacademic libraries based on a meeting hostedby The Learning Alliance’s Robert Zemsky andattended by senior university staff, as well asrepresentatives from related sectors. It addressesthe opportunities which academic libraries mayvalue, both within and beyond the sector. Theessay, and an option to contribute to the issuesraised, is available on the Association of Collegeand Research Libraries (ACRL) website.[ACRL; 2006; ACRL (www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/future/changingroles.htm)]

E-Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region:Results of a Survey to Assess theNeed for ICT Training for InformationProfessionals in the RegionA report of a survey undertaken in 2005-2006of 16 Asia Pacific countries (including severalin the Commonwealth). Covers issues of infra -structure, access, and the availability of res -ources, in addition to the availability and needfor training. The report specifically rec ognisesthe ‘imbalance of connectivity, infra structureand skills between the cities and the rural areasin the countries surveyed’. It ack nowledges therole which university libraries can have inproviding the ‘technology, infra structure andskills required for efficient Internet access’.Although useful for its com parative inter nat -

ional statistics and analysis, the report makessome specific recommendations: namely that

‘comprehensive ICT trainingpackages are devel -oped for info rm ationprof essionals in theuniv ersities that buildon existing ICT skills’,and that a cat eg or is -ation system be dev -eloped to identifycharacteristics that arerelevant to e-readiness.[CAVAL Collab orat -ive Solutions forUNESCO Bangkok

(Comm un ication and Inform ation)and Japanese Funds In Trust; 2006; JFIT;Unesco (http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=22780&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html)]

Higher Education in theInternet Age: LibrariesCreating a Strategic EdgeAn analysis of, and argument for,the role which university librariescan have in contributing to inst -itutional strategy. It is based on anearlier ACE title by the sameauthors, though ack nowledges thetransformation that has since occ -urred both in libraries through theInternet, and more generally inteaching/ learning pract ice.[ACE/Praeger Series on HigherEducation, Breivik, P.S.; Gee, E.G.; 978-0-275-98194-5; 2006; ACE/Praeger (www.acenet.edu)(www.greenwood.com) (www.praeger.com)]

Librarianship as a Bridge to anInformation and Knowledge Societyin Africa Reproduces some conference papers from aStanding Conference of Eastern, Central andSouthern African Library and InformationAssociations (SCECSAL XVII) meeting in2006. It acknowledges the importance of‘libraries becoming more inclusive and servingthe needs of all’. Collectively the papers ‘prov -ide an insight into the struggle of informationservices in this part of Africa to be part of anemerging information and knowledge society’.[IFLA Publications; 124, Mcharazo, A.;

Koopm, S. (eds.); 978-3-598-22031-6; 2007;K.G. Saur Verlag (www.saur.de) (www.ifla.org/V/pr/saur124.htm)]

Libraries, Literacy &Poverty Reduction: a Keyto African DevelopmentA research paper looking atlibraries in Africa, Comm iss -ioned by Book Aid International& sponsored by the Comm on -wealth Foundation. Sets out thechallenges faced by libraries andinformation centres in Africa,with case studies (both withinand outside the region). Includesrecommendations for library

networks as well as for governments and aiddonors.[Mchombu, K.; Cadbury, N.; 2006; BAI(www.bookaid.org/resources/downloads/Libraries_Literacy_Poverty_ Reduction.pdf )]

Researchers’ Use ofAcademic Libraries andtheir servicesA detailed study, based on sur veysand focus group analysis, foc us -sing on the relationship betweenresearchers and research librariesin the UK. Comm iss ioned byRIN and CURL. It aims to con -tribute to the dev el opment oflibrary strategy, given the chang -ing use of libraries by researchersand significant trends in research

practice (e.g. increasing collab or ation, inter dis -ciplinary study, and the increasing availability ofresearch publications elect ron ically).[Research Information Network (RIN)/Con -sortium of Research Libraries (Curl) (2007)(www.rin.ac.uk/whats-new-libraries-report)]

Forthcoming: World Guide to Library,Archive, and Information ScienceEducation (due 10/2007)A comprehensive directory of professionaleduc ation and training programmes in libraryand related information studies offered inhigher education throughout the world. This isthe 3rd revised edition.[2007; K.G. Saur Verlag (www.saur.de)(www.ifla.org/VII/s23/pub/WorldGuide3rd.htm)]

L

August 2007 LINK 11

FP7 ICT based e-infrastructuresClosing Date: 5pm Brussels, 20 September2007Details: The European Commission has laun -ched a call for proposals for collaborative proj -ects and coordination and support actions,under its Framework 7 capacities work prog -ramme, on support for: existing research infra -structures; and support for policy develop mentand programme implementation.

http://www.researchresearch.com/getpage.

cfm?pagename=FundingOpRecord&lang=

EN&type=default&id=184331&orgLang=EN

Carnegie international developmentprogramClosing Date: proposals are reviewed eachFebruary, April, June and OctoberDetails: The Carnegie Corporation of NewYork invites letters of interest for its inter nat -ional development program. The programprov ides support for strengthening Africanuniversities, enhancing women’s opportunitiesin HE and revitalising African libraries. Averagegrant is between USD 25,000 and USD50,000. NGOs and universities from sub-Saharan Africa are eligible to apply.




Finnish Technology Award FoundationMillennium technology prizeClosing Date: 01 October 2007Details: The purpose is to recognise out stand -ing technological achievement specifically dir -ected to the advancement of society and itsability to sustain quality of life in the fields of:energy and the environment; communicationsand information; new materials and processes;healthcare and life sciences. The prize is worthEUR 1 million.




Library and information scienceClosing Date: 01 October 2007Details: The Association for Library and Inform-ation Science Education invites proposals forits research grant programme competition.Awards totalling USD 5,000 may be made tosupport research related to education for libraryand information science.




EU FP7 ICTClosing Date: 5pm Brussels, 09 October 2007Details: The European Commission Frame -work Programme 7 Cooperation work prog -ramme has released the second call under theinitiative Information and CommunicationTech nologies. The funding schemes availableare: collaborative projects, networks of excell -ence, coordination and support action. Thefoll owing topics are being called: pervasive andtrusted network and service infrastructures;components, systems, engineering; towardssustainable and personalised healthcare; ICTfor mobility, environmental sustainability andenergy; ICT for independent living and inclusion.




IDRC Doctoral research awardClosing Date: 01 November 2007Details: Awards for field research at doctorallevel, between three and 12 months to a maxi -mum of CAD 20,000 per year to promoteCanadian research on sustainable and equitabledevelopment. Available to Canadian citizens orcitizens of a developing country registered at aCanadian university. Areas corresponding toIDRC’s research priorities include social andeconomic policy; environment and natural res -ource management; information and comm un -ication technologies for development; innov ation,policy and science.




Developing country meetingsClosing Date: 01 June and 01 DecemberannuallyDetails: The Third World Academy of Sciencesinvites applications for its grants for scientificmeetings held in developing countries. Grantsencourage the organisation of high level inter -national and regional scientific activities indeveloping countries by offering financial ass -istance to the organisers of conferences, work -shops, symposia and special meetings. Up toUSD 3,000 available for travel grants for prin -cipal speakers from abroad or participants fromdeveloping countries.




Pirelli ICT prizeClosing Date: 12 midnight, 31 December 2007Details: Set of prizes awarded every year to thebest multimedia works oriented toward educ -at ion, the environment or the latest ICTs thatpower multimedia itself. Awards are granted inthe following categories: physics, chemistry,mathematics, life sciences, and information andcommunications technology. Overall budget isUSD 130,000.




Global Biodiversity InformationFacility – Ebbe Nielsen prizeClosing Date: 01 March 2008Details: The prize is for innovation in bio syst -em atics and biodiversity informatics research.EUR 30,000 offered to a promising researcherin the early stage of his or her career and allowsthe recipient to engage in research outside theircountry of residence for three to six months.




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LINK is the newsletter of the ACU’s Libraries andInformation Network,published by the Association ofCommonwealth Universities.

The Association ofCommonwealth UniversitiesWoburn House20-24 Tavistock SquareLondon WC1H 9HF Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7380 6700Fax: +44 (0) 20 7387 2655

LINK is published for inform -ation purposes only and noliability is accepted for itscontents by the ACU or by anycontributor to it. While allreasonable efforts have beenmade to ensure that the inform -ation contained in LINK wascorrect at the time of comp il at -ion, it should not be regarded asdefinitive and no responsibilityis accepted for the inclusion oromission of any particular itemor for the views expressed therein.© The Association ofCommonwealth Universities2007

Libraries and information services are an

essential feature of any university. Information

technol ogies are advancing and offering great

potential, as well as new challenges. At the same

time, higher education and the need for

improved access to information and knowledge

have gained greater profiles in development

agendas. As countries and their universities

across the Common wealth embrace the idea

of ‘the knowledge society’, libraries have an

increasingly important role to play.

While there is already inter nat ional

activity in these fields, and while librarians by the

nature of their profession are likely to be among

the best connected of university professionals,

there are still considerable challenges. Problems

of information access globally are not always

well under stood, and there is still greater scope

for improved links between librarians in

developing and developed countries. Libr arians

commonly engage with a range of professional

associations and groups, nationally and inter -

nationally. We intend to work with and

alongside these. But we also believe that the

ACU Libraries and Information Network offers

unique perspectives and opportunities. It will

help to foster informal links between a diverse

group of institutions and people, and in doing

so create a forum which belongs to both

developing and developed country members.

The network is open to librarians in all

ACU member universities, and is completely

free to join. Members will receive a free copy

of future issues of LINK, the network’s regular

magazine, and will benefit from shared prof -

essional expertise, knowledge and best practice.

Publishers with an interest in working more

closely with members are also invited to join.

Simply fill in the enclosed form and return

it to the address provided. We welcome your

thoughts on how the network could help you,

the issues it should address, and your particular

areas of interest – please note this in the space

provided. We are also looking for articles for

future issues of this magazine, so if you have

something to contribute please get in touch.

Most of all, we encourage you to get involved!

[email protected]

ACU Libraries and Information Network

The University of Botswana Library

Inaugural Planning Meeting The Libraries and InformationNetwork will hold an inauguralplanning meeting at the University ofBotswana Library in October 2007.The event, supported by UNESCO, willbe the first step in building up theactivities of our network, and will helpto decide the focus and activities ofthe network over the next year. It willbe an opportunity for librarians,publishers and representatives of keyagencies to discuss the currentchallenges facing library andinformation services, and to formulatea practical response throughidentifying areas where training andprofessional best practice prog -rammes might have a role to play.Further details are availablefrom [email protected]

12 LINK August 2007

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