First International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA 1)

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https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/8917

1 – 3 July 2009 United Nations Conference Centre Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Knowledge or Information Management for Digital Future: The Case of Lesotho
(2013-09-27) Makara, Mabafokeng; Moetsana, Thabiso
Knowledge management is commonly mistaken with information management, while in actual fact they are different although they are normally used interchangeably. This paper will therefore draw a line of demarcation between these two terms in order to discuss clearly the digital future of Africa. It will dwell basically on Knowledge management rather than Information management. Digitizing Africa’s future is one challenge facing Information professionals especially Africans. Once Africa’s knowledge is digitized, its power will therefore be noticed and it will then be noticeable that developments effectiveness is solely based on knowledge. This paper will again discuss importance of digitization of knowledge for the development of nations. It will further look into constraints hindering Africa in global drive. It is clear that some nations develop faster than others, but in some cases we see governments being obstacles towards development of their nations, there is no support given to either knowledge or information management. This paper will also discuss the skills and competencies needed for developing policies and strategies for Africa’s Digital future.
Communiqué - Summary and Recommendations
(2010-12-17) Walker, Clare
The summary and recommendations are captured in the following communiqué, presented at the conclusion of the First International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA-1), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1st-3rd July 2009
Creating an Institutional Repository at the University of Dar es Salaam: Some Experiences
(2010-12-17) Muneja, Paul D.
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Library is establishing an institutional repository (IR) to preserve, and provide wider visibility and accessibility for, its intellectual outputs. In order to understand stakeholders’ views a needs assessment survey was conducted. The objectives of the study were to assess users’ levels of awareness of IRs, users’ interest in the establishment of an IR, and users’ recommendation on the types of materials to be included in the IR. In addition, the survey intended to take users’ view on the modality of deposition, moderation, access and use of IR materials. The sample was drawn from UDSM academic and administrative staff, and postgraduate and undergraduate students. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample from the population, and secondary data was collected using a documentary review. Primary data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Research tools were tested to check validity, reliability and clarity. Both qualitative and quantitative data for the study were analysed and presented. Quantitative and Qualitative data were codified and analysed using SPSS and content analysis respectively, The study reveals that most users at UDSM are not aware of the institutional repository. In comparison with other users, academic staff are aware of the IR and because of this, they use the IR to access and disseminate materials. Postgraduate students follow by using the IR to access materials; administrators use the IR to disseminate, in contrast to postgraduate students. Undergraduate students have low levels of awareness and few of them use IR for any purpose.
An Institutional Repository (IR) with Local Content (LC) at the Redeemer’s University: Benefits and Challenges
(2010-12-17) Adebayo, Emmanuel 'Layi
The paper discusses extensively the benefits and challenges of creating an institutional repository (IR) with local content (LC). The similarity of this to the National Library of Nigeria Legal Deposit (LD) Law was examined. Some of the challenges highlighted include sourcing for materials, cooperation of faculty members, finance, stocking, staffing and use. Despite all these challenges, many benefits can be derived if one faces the challenges squarely.
The Progression from Repositories to Institutional Repositories: a Comparative Examination of Repositories at the Durban University of Technology and Stellenbosch University
(2010-12-17) Raju, Roy; Raju, Reggie
The South African higher education environment was re-landscaped to redress, inter alia, an apartheid higher educational system. In this re-landscaping process, the M.L.Sultan and Natal Technikons were merged to create the Durban University of Technology (DUT). This newly formed University of Technology had to transform from a vocationally focused institution to an institution striving for exponential growth in research and postgraduate student output. Stellenbosch University (SU), on the other hand, is a traditional university with a history of excellence and a claim to be a leading research institution in Africa. Given the history of these institutions, the road to be travelled for the adoption of an institutional repository (IR), is interpreted to be the same, but different in terms of challenges: as described by Thomas et al. (2005: 65), “the same destination with different paths”. Hence the purpose of this paper is to examine these different paths. However, before engaging in the discussion about the paths traversed by each of these institutions, it is important to tease out the fundamental principle governing IRs and the influence of these in formulating policy and procedures.
Think Big Start Small: Institutional Repositories: Policies, Strategies, Technological Options, Standards and Best Practices. The Case of the University of Buea
(2010-12-17) Ngum, Harry; Shafack, Rosemary; Koelen, M. Th.
In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the number of people living in hunger and poverty and stimulating economic growth to enhance rural household economies, the stakeholders involved need to provide access to resources and technology as well as effective information services. Information and knowledge are fundamental for education and development as well as essential requirements to improve the quality of life for people living in regions where the population has not reached a high level of economic and social development. Libraries play an important role in this educational and research process. For strengthening educational capacity and building up research capacity, access to relevant information is of great importance. In this paper an initiative at a university in Cameroon is described. The purpose of this paper is to give insight into the challenges most African universities face in developing their institutional repositories. The aim is to investigate how evolving digital technologies could be integrated into the libraries of these African universities. In the light of existing realities in most African countries, the creation of an enabling institutional environment for information repositories to blossom is of prime importance. Information repositories often stand low on the scale of priorities and this can be attributed to the laxity in national and institutional regulation and policies. How therefore do we get to run an institutional repository when the platform for information resources (the library) is not a priority for policy makers and for the institutions themselves?
It's Vital to have Repository Services!
(2010-12-17) Guivernau, Silvia
Institutional Repositories: Towards Harnessing Knowledge for African Development
(2010-12-17) Moahi, Kgomotso
Information and knowledge are the drivers of socio-economic development. According to a World Bank report, weakness in the application of knowledge is a major factor behind the economic stagnation in Africa. Compared with other countries, Africa has not had much success in acquiring and using knowledge for development. The application of knowledge is directly linked to the availability and access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and in the African setting there are documented challenges in availability and access to ICT. However, the greater challenge in applying knowledge for development lies in the fact that although knowledge is generated in universities and research centres, it is either disseminated in expensive international journals, or gathers dust in the offices (and computers) of the generators, as well as those that have funded or commissioned the research. The tragedy is that after a number of years, such studies are replicated without the knowledge that they have been carried out before. Much of the knowledge that is produced is in digital form as a result of the ubiquity of ICTs in many universities and research centres. However, the challenge is that the information and knowledge is not captured, organized for easy access and use by others. The application and use of information and knowledge can only become a reality where that information is collected, processed, and made visible for dissemination and use. This can only occur if developments in ICT are leveraged to develop digital libraries that can make African-grown knowledge visible. The trend worldwide has been to establish information repositories in order to make knowledge visible and accessible.
IR and OA Initiatives in Africa
(2010-12-17) Ubogu, Felix
Early IR and OA initiatives in Africa began in 1998, before the term OA was current. • Rhodes University (RU) in South Africa mounted its first digital thesis on the World Wide Web in 1998; it became the first institution in Africa to do so. Other grey literature also gathered. • RU, like many institutions in South Africa, has developed an OA repository, using EPrintsoftware, containing other digital knowledge products. • The Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) programme of the Association of African Universities (AAU), which was designed to improve management and access to African scholarly work, was a precursor to the development of OA repositories by institutions which participated in the programme.
Digital Libraries and Prospects of a Programme on Technology-enhanced Learning in Africa
(2010-12-17) Islam, Baharul
The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) in India is an illustrative project based on the concept of multimedia based courses with high potential for interactivity. It has become a popular and viable option for both developed and developing nations, though for different reasons. Offering multimedia courses in technology-assisted modes has not only become invaluable for the learner, but also an attractive and creative option for faculty. . The broad aim of the project NPTEL in India is to facilitate the competitiveness of Indian industry in global markets through improving the quality and reach of engineering education. The operational objective of NPTEL is to make high quality learning material available to students of engineering institutions across the country by exploiting the advances in information and communication technology. The present paper presents a prospect for such an initiative for African countries and institutions (as potential Associate Partner Institutions) to enhance the quality of human resources in technology and in the arena of the digital library itself.
Optimizing National Transforming Structures for Open Access Agricultural Repositories in Africa
(2010-12-17) Kahinga, Esther
Agriculture is a crucial sector for most of sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya for instance agriculture is the largest sector in the Kenyan economy, generating a quarter of the gross domestic product and two-fifths of export earnings. Indeed reports have shown that efficient and effective dissemination of agricultural knowledge and information can help governments meet six of the eight millennium development goals. But for this to happen, transforming structures (policies and strategies) that encourage digital documentation of agricultural indigenous knowledge and digitization of valuable information emanating from agricultural research in Kenyan institutions of higher learning and research centres must be formulated, publicized and implemented. The Kenya Agricultural Information Network (KAINet) was established in 2006 in response to a need for coherence in the management of agricultural information and to enhance exchange and access to agricultural knowledge and information through a digital collaborative institutional repository. From a national perspective, KAINet is enshrined in the Kenya government Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture (SRA). The SRA, launched in March 2004, aims at achieving a reduction in unemployment and poverty through application of, among other things, new technologies and information as the basis for a thriving agricultural system. Besides the SRA, another policy that has been launched to create an enabling environment for projects such as the KAINet initiative, is the National Information and Communication Technology Policy. The paper will look at the KAINet progress in the light of these policies and at what lessons can be learnt from them. In addition, suggestions will also be discussed about the additional digital agricultural content that Kenya and Africa at large can develop to have Africanized open access repositories available on the World Wide Web, which will ensure that Africa establishes her niche in the information and knowledge age.
Digital Libraries and Archives in Senegal
(2010-12-17) Sow, Mody
The 20th century was marked by the advent of electronic libraries and archives in most of the developed countries. In December 2004, the Google print library project announced the creation of an online digital library of 15 million books stemming from collections of five American libraries. Faced with this gigantic project, the European countries, fearing American cultural imperialism, set up the Digital European library. How does the situation of digital libraries and archives seem in Senegal? In this paper we will try to answer this problem by analysing some experiences of digital libraries in Senegal: the digital library of University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, the digital library of Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire of the University Cheikh Anta Diop and the National Archives of Senegal.
Planning for Building Digital Memory of the Sudan “DMS”
(2010-12-17) Ghobrial, Rafaa; Sharif, Sami
Advances in information and communication technologies led to the emerging of modern digital systems which facilitate sharing and preservation of information and innovations. These systems are thus supportive of the cultural "collective" memory of the nation, a local repository of explicit and tacit knowledge. This paper aims to study the digital systems that help to secure and improve the reliability of memory of the Sudanese nation with the transfer of information and communication technology from perceptions of the users. This paper has reviewed and assessed infrastructures, resources, systems and ICT readiness which will contribute to building the Digital Memory of Sudan. The outputs guide running reforms and rehabilitation, building capacity and revitalizing the infrastructure of the digital environment, which affects reliability and shared resources in memory institutions. It is concluded that memory institutions are a repository of Sudanese intangible and tangible content which will be represented in the Digital Memory of Sudan. Finally the paper proposes to revitalize the country's cultural policies in line with the principles of cultural diversity and development of a comprehensive strategy for long-lived digital explicit and tacit knowledge.
Knowledge as a Basis of Development Effectiveness: the Automation/Digitization of Library Services of Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), to Enhance Access to Knowledge for Development Effectiveness
(2010-12-17) Idrisa, Ssesanga
Development has many meanings depending on the context. In this context, it is the positive transformation/change of people’s ways of living, attitudes and behaviours as a result of their exposure/access to relevant, adequate and timely information services, as a result of the prevailing digital age/revolution. Similarly, knowledge refers to wisdom, information and skills as exhibited differently by people’s ways of living, habits, attitudes and beliefs among other things. It is embedded in various sources, both formal and informal. Libraries, archives, registries, museums, among other sources, form bases where such knowledge can be accessed to trigger people’s development initiatives. It should be noted that information, communication and development are inseparable for sustainable development. The Islamic University in Uganda has been keen to support the role of information and knowledge in the development of communities and has therefore put in place structures and systems to harness the community’s wisdom and knowledge through documentation so that these can be shared and used by a wider audience. The Library Services of Islamic University in Uganda has initiated and supported projects like the “Wednesday colloquium” where knowledgeable experts in different sectors are brought together and share their experiences, skills and wisdom which is in turn documented and preserved for access by others to trigger development initiatives. Of significance is that this colloquium attracts many participants, both students and staff, of multinational cultural identities because of the University’s international nature and status. Impact assessment reports so far indicate that the beneficiaries of the colloquium, the majority of whom are youth, have implemented positive development initiatives back home when they complete their studies or during their holidays.
Selective Digitisation of Information - The CSIR’s Strategy for a Sustainable Effort
(2010-12-17) van Deventer, Martie
Building Online Global Access to African Cultural Heritage: DISA - An Appropriate Model?
(2010-12-15) Liebertrau, Patricia
Digitization and Data Preservation Centre - A Collaborative Initiative of the Carnegie Foundation and National Research Foundation
(2010-12-15) Selematsela, Daisy
Stakeholders identified the NRF as an important organisation in bringing resolution to the digitization / preservation issues in playing a central role as convener and facilitator of collaborative solutions
Building Capacity for Archives and Dissemination of Information in Uganda: A Case Study of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and Directorate of Information
(2010-12-15) Magara, Elisam
In today's information age, knowledge has become the gold standard. A great deal of information is being generated every day in central and local governments and this is likely to increase with the continued empowerment of the population. In Uganda the government has been for a long time committed towards building an integrated, self sustaining and independent national economy. For instance, there have been a number of attempts to enact laws and policies in Uganda regarding access to and protection of information including the National Records and Archives Act, 2001, the Access to Information Act, 2005, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, 2006, The Press and Journalist Statute, 1995, the Electronic Media Statute, 1995 and the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act, 2005. These laws been not properly utilised, nor have proper guidelines for building capacity for storage, archiving, utilisation, dissemination and use of information been put in place. Building capacity in any organisation requires considerable effort, covering restructuring systems, development of human resource and institutional capacity, and organisational structure. The aim of this study is to review the current state of the audiovisual records and materials in the Directorate of Information (DOI) and the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), to provide a digitization strategy to enhance effective information dissemination in Uganda.
Providing Access to Knowledge in Africa: the Need for Capacity Building in Classification, Indexing & Abstracting Skills
(2010-12-15) Imo, Nwabuisi T.; Igbo, Harriet U.
The realities of the present era of globalization and information and communication technologies (ICT) culminating in the African Virtual Library and Information Network (AVLIN) have made it expedient that African information professionals should be able to develop, showcase and make accessible African indigenous information to the knowledge world. This literature-based opinion paper has tried to identify with the view of the conference organizers that “Major digital initiatives involving African content are currently being undertaken by non-African organization without widely accepted protocols and agreement”. The paper argues that there is a serious need for a theoretical and policy framework necessary to provide a basis for systematic training of library and information science professionals to place African knowledge on a pedestal that will make it accessible to the world of knowledge. It was found that the library schools in most African universities are ill-equipped to train professionals to handle information in the new digital era. This is exacerbated by the fact that professional associations are not doing enough to retool the existing workforce for the task ahead. The paper recommends, among other things, that much emphasis should be placed on the training of cataloguers and indexers in African research institutions and universities to be able to organize African knowledge and produce information surrogates that will help researchers locate them on the internet.
Utilizing the e-Government Framework as Principles for the Development of Digital Libraries and Archives
(2010-12-15) Kamar, Nerisa; Otenyo, S.C.
Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been embraced in most developing countries as a vehicle to provide government information and documents through the e-government concept. This paper attempts to give highlights of Kenya’s 2006 ICT strategy, Strategic Plan (2004), e-Government Strategy (2004), ICT Investor Guide, Draft Freedom of Information Bill (April 2007), Freedom of Information Policy (April 2007) and e-Transaction Bill 2007, and how these can guide the development of digital libraries and archives. It concludes by discussing hindering factors and challenges in the development of digital libraries and archives. These include infrastructure, finance, copyright and human resources, and gives highlights on the way forward and recommendations.

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