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Dear GAELIC friends
This month we introduce a new staff member at FOTIM and in the GAELIC Office, tell you about the Innopac System survey results and reintroduce you to the new strategic structure of GAELIC
With warm and springy smiles
The FOTIM and GAELIC Team
Zodwa, Anke, Tanya, Shayna & Carole
Welcome to Carole Willis who joined FOTIM as the new GAELIC Programme Manager
Contact details for Carole:
carole@fotim.ac.za
011 786 4185
The GAELIC Governing Board members have for some time been aware that the structure of GAELIC requires a facelift, and so after much discussion the new structure was accepted at their meeting in July. Although the goals of GAELIC will remain the same, the plan is to move away from a focus group structure and concentrate more on our strategic objectives.
Focus Groups
In light of the new structure that has been decided by the Board, the Focus Group structure will no longer be in effect. The emphasis will change from these specialised group areas to the 3 major objective areas of the new strategic plan. Some of the groups will automatically fit into an objective area while others might find that their previous focus areas are now split over 2 objectives. Some groups will find that they have been "put on ice" for the time being as their focus is not currently relevant.
The Way Forward
In support of the new approach, 3 teams have been formed.
They each comprise the following member structure:
members of Focus Groups who have expertise in that particular Objective
members of the GGB to champion the team;
a Convener (at the level of Library Director) to guide each group.
Objective 1 : Investigate and implement a joint integrated Millennium system
This area is the most functional at the current time and the members of the Innopac Project Team have just finished presenting the results of the system survey that was conducted.
Results of this survey will be sent to individual institutions for viewing in the near future.
In July a very successful workshop was held to assess the results of this survey and to discuss the way forward. Some of the questions that were posed include…who is responsible for training? What is the role of the user group? How to ensure ownership of the processes?
Objective 2 : Build capacity through identification and provision of training needs and services for the optimal utilization of resources
Virtual Learning Environment:
Is Higher education keeping up with the expectations of our students? Students are increasingly 'transliterate', communicating across a range of technologies. Can academics keep up?
And where are the GAELIC libraries in this problem? Well if you support the VLE Survey that was sent out earlier in the year and is about to be sent out again with a slightly amended approach, we will be able to assess this situation within our member institutions.
Objective 3 : Improve cost efficiency through joint procurement and resources sharing
As this area is still to appoint its Operational Manager there is nothing to report but Watch this space...
IUG-SA 2008
Theme: "Innovate or mummify"
Don't forget to diarise the 12th-14th November as these are the dates when the annual IUG-SA is happening on the NNMU North Campus in PE.
The theme of the conference is "Innovate or mummify" or how to maximize the Millennium products to make the most of the library system. Some of the subjects under consideration are Statistics, using Macro's and templates, Millennium ILL, Collection Development & reporting tools, Cataloguing challenges of FRBR, Copyright management and course packs, New releases and System enhancement requests to name just a few. Please note the cut off date for early bird registration has been extended until 30th September.
Don't forget the Directors Symposium happening on the 12th November.
Under discussion:
What is expected of the library in the research environment?
eResearch and the challenges facing libraries to deliver
IFLA
Well IFLA has come and gone again and for those lucky people who went to Canada this year we hope you came back inspired and motivated and ready to share your new insights with the rest of us. Next year the event takes place in Milan, Italy and of note is that a proudly South African Librarian is to head IFLA next year. Ellen Tise of Stellenbosch University is the incoming president for 2009.
IFLA Regional Office for Africa
The first public lecture in the annual UNISA Library/ IFLA Regional Office series was delivered on the 1st of September by Ms Kay Raseroka, Director of Library Services at the University of Botswana and former President of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). This was a very inspiring talk about the need to engage with Africaness and the particular challenges facing libraries in Africa. Of note were the issues of oral traditions and indigenous knowledge management and the need for libraries to collaborate on all levels. We look forward to Kay's input in the new GAELIC strategic structure.
And more IFLA news…
From the Pen of Prof Theo Bothma sent out on the Sabinews list 3 Sept 2008...
Prof Dr Peter Johan Lor, outgoing Secretary General of IFLA(the first South African to hold this position)and extraordinary professor in the Department of Information Science at the University of Pretoria, will receive an honorary doctorate, DPhil (honoris causa), from the University of Pretoria. He will receive the degree for the exceptional leadership role he played in the LIS profession in South Africa and internationally and for his outstanding research contributions to this field.
International Literacy Day : 8 September
As a result of educational deprivation in the past, there are currently 4.7 million adults in South Africa who never went to school and are totally illiterate. A further 4.9 million adults are functionally illiterate (as they left school before grade 7). Acquiring literacy and numeracy skills goes a long way towards addressing the inequalities of the past, as adults learn not only to read and write, but to take control of their everyday lives through activities like banking, filling in forms, reading work instructions and voting.
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"A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library."
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QUOTE OF NOTE
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Also happening soon is the 10th Annual LIASA Conference from 6-10 October at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The theme this year is Looking ahead: the changing role of LIS
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LIASA
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Are you using the covers display option in your OPAC? Well here is a new offering from LibraryThing a social book cataloguing site that is offering the use of over 1 000 000 book cover images for uploading with no strings attached i.e. there is no link back to the product or the vendor and no further commitment.
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NOTEWORTHY
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