South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science

An overview of South African studies on and with wordless picturebooks

Adrie Haese — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:14:35 +0000

Wordless books, spanning generations and intriguing illustrators and scholars, convey narratives through visuals, fostering creativity and overcoming language barriers. They hold cultural potential for promoting multilingualism and cultural awareness in South Africa, but local production and research on wordless picturebooks are limited. This study synthesises academic interest in wordless picturebooks in South Africa, published in English from 1990 to 2023, summarising current research themes and suggesting new directions. A semi-systematic literature review (SSLR) using Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted. After eliminating duplicates and applying exclusion criteria, 23 publications were selected for comprehensive analysis. The review provides a thematic overview, analysing publishing patterns, aesthetic and analytical approaches, visual catalysts, cultural appropriateness, reading strategies, audiences and involvement. This review highlights their research potential and suggests future theoretical and practical advancements.

Digitising museum collections

Makutla Mojapelo, Levona Mains — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:21:53 +0000

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has transformed the landscape of museum practices. As museums increasingly digitise their collections to enhance accessibility and engagement, they face numerous ethical dilemmas regarding intellectual property rights and copyright protection. Through this comprehensive case study, the authors explore the Albany Museum’s strategies, procedures, and initiatives to balance digital access with the imperative of complying with legislative requirements. Guided by an interpretivist worldview, this research is grounded in the Albany Museum’s experiences navigating the complexities of digitising its collections without compromising ethical standards. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, utilising semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the delicate equilibrium the museum must maintain to uphold ethical standards while leveraging digital technologies to increase access to its collection. The study recommends that staff members at the Albany Museum receive training on digitisation and the protection of intellectual property rights and copyrights. Additionally, it suggests the implementation of quick-response (QR) codes for all exhibitions at the museum.

Intellectual property awareness, education and training programmes at universities in Zimbabwe

Sibongile Ngwenya, Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:26:33 +0000

Zimbabwean universities demonstrate significant creativity and innovation; however, the full benefits are not realised due to low intellectual property (IP) awareness. This study investigates the extent of IP awareness, as well as the education and training programs available within Zimbabwean universities. The study surveyed five universities, including lecturers, research officers, an IP officer, faculty librarians, and final-year undergraduate students. Questionnaires were distributed to lecturers and students, and interviews were conducted with IP officers, research officers, and faculty librarians. Data was analysed using Google Forms and Microsoft Excel. The findings show that, while universities prioritise IP awareness and make IP information available through university websites, libraries, and research offices, students, and lecturers face difficulties in accessing it. IP concepts are introduced in specific courses and degree programmes, usually during the first year, with a strong emphasis on copyright. This study recommends strengthening IP education and training content in Zimbabwe and similar contexts.

Implementation of resource description and access in the Gauteng Province, South Africa

Sihle Golden Xaba, Mzwandile Shongwe — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:30:42 +0000

Resource description (cataloguing) and the organisation of knowledge (classification) have evolved over the past decade due to the shifting online landscape. Currently, there are more electronic resources than there were a decade ago. The utilisation of such resources has also escalated due to the continual advancements in information technology (IT). Consequently, the resource description environment has had to reevaluate its approach to resource description. A new resource description standard, termed Resource Description and Access (RDA) has been developed to accommodate these changes. This standard was intended to be implemented in South Africa in 2013. Nonetheless, the extent of progress in the implementation phase within libraries and other resource description contexts remains uncertain. This study sought to examine the current implementation status of RDA in Gauteng Province, South Africa. This study involved eight heads of cataloguing library departments and 15 cataloguers. They originated from four academic libraries and four public libraries. The results demonstrate that RDA has been partially executed in six out of the eight libraries. The implementation period spans from 2013 to 2016. The rationale for adopting RDA is that libraries aspire to integrate into the global cataloguing community. Individuals who had not yet implemented RDA attributed their decision to its complexity and insufficient IT infrastructure. The RDA is disseminated through the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) interest group known as the Interest Group for Bibliographic Standards (IGBIS), the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), and various other organisations. The study advises libraries to fully implement RDA to ensure interoperability of bibliographic records and to allocate resources for this endeavour.

Strengthening service delivery to support information needs of users at Springs Public Library in South Africa

Mosadi Dorothy Malekana, Kabelo Given Chuma — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:37:03 +0000

South Africa public libraries face significant challenges in delivering quality services to meet the diverse needs of their users. The Springs Public Library is no exception, encountering challenges that hinder the provision of quality library services. Therefore, this study aimed to explore service delivery at the Springs Public Library in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used in this study. A purposive sampling was used to select four librarians, three library assistants, and library manager. The results revealed four main themes and 20 categories: (1) legal frameworks for service delivery (Batho Pele Principles, Protection of Personal Information Act, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa); (2) causes of poor service delivery (lack of infrastructure, corruption, limited budget, and poor internet connectivity; (3) effects of poor service delivery (decreased library usage, user disappointments and frustrations and damaged reputation). The study underscores the need for Springs Public Library to establish and enforce well-defined policies and procedures to enhance service delivery and effectively meet the diverse needs of its users. The library should actively collaborate with local government and stakeholders to secure increased funding and better budget allocations. This study has broader implications for other public libraries in similar contexts, providing insights that can inform future strategies to strengthen public libraries' role in fostering knowledge, access to information, and community empowerment. It is concluded that clear policies and legal frameworks are crucial for guiding service standards and ensuring consistent, high-quality experiences for library users.

Going mobile for smart public libraries

Johannes Masenya, Gabriel Mashabela — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:45:13 +0000

With the advent of mobile technology in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), public libraries revolutionise traditional library services and push boundaries of digital innovation by integrating emerging technologies into the provision of the Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) in order to remain relevant and competitive and increase digital presence. This study sought to unearth the factors influencing library patrons’ behavioural intention to use smartphones to access EIRs in the City of Johannesburg Libraries in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The study applied a conceptual framework underpinned by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The survey research design was adopted, following the quantitative research approach anchored in the positivism worldview. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 223 library patrons who were selected through convenience sampling. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS) software was used to analyse the data. The results revealed that 98.7% of library patrons own smartphones or mobile phones. The findings also showed that 62.3% of the respondents preferred to use smartphones to access the library website and the internet. The study further revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitating conditions were the key factors for the adoption and use of smartphones to access EIRs in CoJ’s libraries, accounting for 39.4% of the variance. It is recommended that public libraries should develop mobile library websites and mobile apps to make the latest trend of “libraries in the pocket of library patrons” a reality in line with the digital transformation strategy.