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This paper assesses the data management of digitized Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in IKS repositories in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method. The multiple case study research design was adopted to collect data from eight respondents in four Indigenous Knowledge Systems Documentation Centres (IKSDCs) in repositories spread across three provinces in South Africa. The findings revealed that the Department of Science and Technology (DST) coordinates the national IKS programmes under the National Recordal System (NRS) and they are responsible for the management of digitized IKS. The findings also revealed that although the National Indigenous Knowledge Management System (NIKMAS) was built for the management of the data, the system is still in its planning phase, and work is still in progress. In addition, it was discovered that information professionals like archivists and records managers are currently not involved in the management of IKS data in the repositories. The paper offers recommendations on the data management and storage of IKS, data description, mitigating the challenges, and some measures to help ensure the authenticity of the IKS data collected in the repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community radio has gained traction with the grassroots in South Africa, especially subaltern groups excluded from the public sphere during the colonial and apartheid years. This paper argues that rural audience acceptance of and participation in community radio is closely associated with indigenous language, which invokes cultural affinity. The paper used a qualitative methodology within the framework of the theories of cultural affinity to interrogate community radio listeners in Northwest Province, South Africa, looking at how local languages might influence listeners' preferences and interactions with the stations. The results suggest language was essential for listening in and participating in community radio programmes among those interviewed. Community radio provides listeners with the outlet, social and linguistic resources to evoke and express their cultural heritage and participate in national dialogues. It also offers subordinated communities the opportunity to deconstruct dominant frames of reference and representations of themselves and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to bring to light the obstacles to collecting contents from faculty members in universities in Nigeria and South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a survey research design. OpenDOAR database search, online questionnaire, and IRs investigation methods were used to collect data from 41 institutional repositories in universities in Nigeria and South Africa. Findings: The study found that the most popular content submitted to IRs in Nigeria and South Africa are electronic theses and dissertations, journal articles, special items (Africana collections, images, artifacts, paintings), conference and workshop papers, and research and technical reports. The comparison of institutional repository development between the two countries revealed that, South Africa is far ahead of Nigeria in terms of institutional repository development using contents emanating from the universities. South Africa is a leading African country in terms of Open Access (OA) policies and South Africa embraced open access movement earlier than Nigeria. The study identified some factors such as: lack of awareness of the existence of institutional repositories by faculty members; lack of mandatory self-archiving policy by institutions or funding bodies; considering copyright and intellectual property issues; some faculty members are skeptical on the principle of open access; some faculty members are not interested in IR; some faculty members believe it is too risky to submit their research work to IR; lack of technical skills for some faculty members to self-archive as obstacles which are peculiar to collecting contents from various contributors in both counties. Research Implication: The findings will inform University Librarians, University management and policy makers on possible ways to overcome the obstacles to recruiting content to IRs. Originality/value: The study reported on the obstacles of recruiting content from faculty members in universities in Nigeria and South Africa and the findings will inform stakeholders by designing strategies to overcome such obstacles and populate the IRs with different contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper was to highlight the digitization of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in institutional repositories in South Africa with a view to develop a framework for Web archiving IKS-related websites in South Africa. Anchored on the interpretivist paradigm, the qualitative research method was adopted for this research. The multiple case study research strategy was considered appropriate for the study. Data was gathered through face-to-face in-depth interviews and content analysis. Interviews were conducted with eight IKS staff at the IKS Documentation Centres across four provinces in South Africa. The study revealed that although there are efforts to digitize IKS and make them accessible through some channels online, there are no specific digital preservation policies guiding the project. Apart from the fact that there are policies in place to support any Web archiving initiative, the concept of Web archiving was generally unfamiliar to the respondents. The respondents admitting to the lack of a standard policy guiding the digitization project also admitted to a lack of knowledge or in-depth understanding of Web archiving and its prospect as a digital preservation measure. The research, therefore, proposes a Web archiving framework that should be incorporated in the digital preservation policy framework. This research will be useful to policymakers and all stakeholders in South Africa and other parts of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is part of a larger qualitative multiple case study that sought to explore the integration of indigenous knowledge in public libraries in South Africa. The paper draws from semi-structured interviews with selected heads of provincial library services in South Africa to determine the extent to which public libraries provide targeted resources to enhance access to IK. Results reveal that that there are no targeted resources to facilitate access to IK. Concerted efforts to facilitate access by increasing the number of libraries were noted. Notwithstanding these efforts, there seems to be a paucity of IK, which has implication for inclusive services. It is recommended that libraries look beyond enabling access to the Internet but also explore how they can further optimise ICT usage as a way of facilitating access to IK through capturing, organising and disseminating knowledge of indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has been attributed as beneficial by aiding fast and reliable communication which cuts across time and geographical boundaries. In South Africa, reports indicate that most people have access to social media. Such attributes can be harnessed by municipalities to educate about water conservation, especially considering the drought and water crisis that was experienced in Eastern Cape, South Africa. This paper focused on local municipalities in Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, which was declared a high risk zone due to the drought that prevailed in 2016 till 2017. The Government to Citizen Model (G2C) was used as a theoretical framework which supports participation. Purposive sampling was used, with water messages being prioritised. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse content on the local municipalities' social media platforms. The researchers found that local municipalities in Amathole District, excluding the district municipality, were not using social media platforms for participatory water conservation education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preservation of medical histories records is very crucial to patients' healthcare quality since when preservation is not being discharged properly; medical histories records are either inaccessible or difficult to access, which has a detrimental effect on the healthcare services provided to patients. The purpose of the study was to investigate strategies for the preservation of medical records and to recommend a framework that healthcare institutions may use to ensure that they have their patients' medical records/histories at their fingertips (readily available). Stratified random sampling was used in the study to collect questionnaire data from records management officials and heads of clinical, nursing and records management units at 40 state hospitals in the province of Limpopo in South Africa. The data was augmented with observation, system analysis and document analysis. The study revealed that the preservation of medical records in public healthcare institutions in Limpopo was very chaotic, to the extent that access to patients' medical histories was not always a possibility. Healthcare institutions need a framework for medical records preservation throughout the process of healthcare service delivery, to avoid chaotic healthcare service that eventually hamper health of the patients. The study provided a generic framework that may be localised as a centre of benchmark for healthcare institutions to suit their own environmental needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public archives in east and southern Africa are functioning in a competitive information environment. Institutions such as libraries and museums also offer information, but fewer people utilise public archives. More effort is required to make archives a part of the daily lives of citizens in east and southern Africa. This study sought to explore whether or not public archives should collaborate with other information providers in their mission to increase social interaction with the archives. Directors of National Archives, archivists and members of the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) Board were invited to shed light on their experiences and views regarding collaboration in outreach initiatives. The directors completed a questionnaire, while the archivists and board members participated in face-to-face interviews. Country reports from the different ESARBICA member states were also reviewed. The findings indicate that collaboration in outreach initiatives took place to a certain extent, but libraries and museums were rarely part of this. This paper recommends that public archives play a stronger role in collaborative efforts to improve their visibility and widen their outreach to the public in east and southern Africa. The findings provide an overview on collaborative outreach projects from the perspective of selected archivists from this region, and therefore cannot be generalised to represent the common views of this entire region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing is a relatively new concept that holds significant promises for the future development and delivery of computer resources to secondary or basic education in South Africa, especially in schools most affected by the digital divide. The aim of this paper is to briefly review the extent to which cloud computing applications and services currently used by secondary education systems in developed countries around the world can be used to help breach the digital divide that currently exists in the secondary (basic) education sector in South Africa. The authors believe that South Africa has the required technology and skills to bridge the digital divide in secondary education and by doing so set the pace for the rest of the African continent. All it lacks is the political will and determination to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While libraries still spend much time and money on building and maintaining catalogues according to accepted international standards, there is considerable evidence that users are inclined to bypass libraries and their catalogues in their search for information and to rely solely on information provided by web search engines. This paper discusses the different and sometimes conflicting needs of on the one hand instant information seekers and on the other the needs of scholars that may be better served by information not obtainable by web searching alone. It proposes that one way of promoting and facilitating catalogue use is to include records for remote electronic resources into online catalogues, so that information about both print and electronic resources could be retrieved by a single search. The paper concludes by reporting on a survey done at a training workshop on the cataloguing of electronic resources, which was held by the Library and Information Association of South Africa's Interest Group for Bibliographic Standards, in July 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A necessary foundation for implementing Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) projects is an understanding of the existing status of a rural community, in terms of its socio-economic status and its readiness to uptake innovative development activities supported by ICT. A Baseline Study of the Mpume rural community in the Dwesa-Cwebe area of the Wild Coast in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa was conducted as part of an initiating component of the newly adopted Living Lab concept for the Siyakhula ICT project. The Siyakhula Living Lab exists as a collaboration between public-private-civic partnerships to co-create innovative solutions for development. An understanding of the targeted rural community was essential to set a foundation for building on existing living lab activities, and a new Village Connection project aimed at offering affordable mobile phone services in rural contexts. This paper presents the Baseline Study findings, including a summary of the existing local economy and quality of life of the targeted community, and a detailed discussion of the readiness of the communities to be or become partners in the living lab. The findings illustrate the reality and need for development in a typical rural area of South Africa; not only highlighting targeted areas for development that can be supported by information access, but also informing and guiding project stakeholders on how best to implement living lab activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this paper are to identify factors influencing the adoption of innovations, specifically e-commerce readiness and to identify specific barriers or obstacles to the use of ICT by small and medium tourism enterprises in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Enterprises studied included guesthouses, lodges and self-catering, bed and breakfast, and tour operators. A survey research design was adopted and data collected through interviews, observation and administration of a structured questionnaire. The results reveal that high cost, limited funds and not knowing what to adopt are perceived as barriers to the diffusion of ICTs among the tourism service providers in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archival records exist for the benefit of society; therefore, people are at the very centre of the purpose of keeping archives. The South African government developed the Batho Pele principles to embrace them as a charter for public service to ensure a reliable and customer-oriented public service. Archival institutions such as the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives are not exempted from this responsibility. These repositories form a part of the South African Public Service and play a crucial role in promoting the preservation and access to significant records that have enduring value. The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives are responsible for preserving public and non-public records and promoting them to the public. In this quantitative study, an online survey completed by 20 archivists from these repositories helped establish whether archivists from the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa and the provincial archives utilised public programming initiatives to fulfil the Batho Pele principles. The analysed data indicated that the public archival institutions struggle to conduct public programming initiatives, and their limited efforts were not effective. This implies that most of these repositories did not consider public programming initiatives as tools to implement the Batho Pele principles. The study recommends that South African public archival institutions take advantage of the 'window of opportunity' presented by the Batho Pele principles to strengthen their outreach strategies to improve archival service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, government departments are under legislative obligations to adopt a systematic and organised approach to the management of records. This is because sound records management is fundamental for good governance and effective and efficient administration of government units. This article analyses records management trends at Statistics South Africa (StatsSA). Qualitative desktop research was used with key legislative and policy sources, StatsSA documents and international literature. The study revealed that numerous challenges existed in the organisation's records management. These challenges include: creation of the record retention and disposal authority granted by the Archivist; stakeholder relations and engagement; compliance with the National Archives and Records Services of South Africa (NARSSA) Act No. 43 of 1996 as the primary legislation for records and archives management in South Africa; and digitalization and transformation. The article recommends that the resource centre be digitalized by adopting the Millennium and Sierra Integrated Library Systems software for records management, skills development archiving and enhanced stakeholder relations. An effective and efficient records and archives management system promotes good governance, accountability, and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of the application of ICT tools in the education of high school learners have been well-established in various studies. As developments in technology have increased the reach of electronic information resources and enhanced learners' access to educational information, it is imperative that these tools be available and accessible without any hindrances whatsoever to high school learners. This study was set out to evaluate the state of ICT infrastructure available to high school learners for the advancement of access to educational information while accentuating the efforts by the South African government to promote computer access in schools. This study underscores the importance of ICT tools for high school learners in ensuring quality educational outcome. A triangulated design was adopted to collect both qualitative and quantitative data on the condition of ICT-enabled access to educational information from Grade 12 learners and teachers in the Fort Beaufort Education District, Eastern Cape South Africa. Results show that learners' access to educational information is constrained by inadequate provision of ICT infrastructure, restricted access to ICT tools, regulations for use of personal ICT tools and absence of information literacy for high school learners. The study, therefore, recommends the improved and dedicated provision of ICT resources, ICT-enabled educational information literacy program and flexibility of rules regarding the use of personal ICT tools at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most African states, the majority of the population depend on indigenous healing knowledge for their healthcare. This knowledge is in danger of being obliterated due to a number of factors such as it being not documented, low life expectancy where people die before transferring it to the next generation and the governments failing to incorporate it into the mainstream health system that is often overloaded. This qualitative study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenology to investigate the development of a framework to integrate knowledge of traditional healing into the mainstream healthcare system in the Limpopo province. Data were collected through interviews with traditional healers chosen through snowball sampling technique augmented by observations and analysis of legislation, notes, records and other forms of documents held by healers. Data were analysed and interpreted thematically according to the objectives of the study. The study established that indigenous medical knowledge is marginalised, and healers are not getting support from the government despite the important role they play in the national health systems. Traditional healing is not properly regulated creating a loophole for anyone to practise as a healer. A framework that points the link factors that attempt to create an understanding of how knowledge of traditional healing can be managed and integrated into the mainstream healing is proposed. It is concluded that failure to recognise traditional healing and integrate it in the mainstream health system will continue to hamstring the health system with resources in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical records management needs to be governed using a legal framework to avoid records being lost, modified, altered, misfiled and/or damaged, since that may result in a struggle to locate them and wasting time. Medical records management, like any other field, has to be guided by a sound legislative framework. The application of legislation in the management of medical records can help safeguard privacy and confidentiality and curb the loss, modification, alteration, damage and misfiling of records. The study sought to assess the extent to which public hospitals in the Limpopo Province, South Africa apply legislation in the management of medical records. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires completed by records management staff members in the hospitals of Limpopo. This study applied a quantitative research methodology and a survey research design. The study revealed that legal prescripts were not appropriately followed in the healthcare institutions due to a lack of fundamental resources. The study recommended, among other things, the provision of adequate resources and the appointment of suitably qualified records managers and staff or the development of staff capacity to ensure that appropriate legal frameworks are implemented adequately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community libraries are crucial for people to have access to information to satisfy their multiple needs. As custodians of information and knowledge in diverse spheres, they play a role in the socio-economic development of nations. This article attempts to investigate challenges faced by libraries in three different settings in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The users, librarians and a well-placed official of the relevant department were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used to select users and librarians while purposive sampling was used to select an official. Face-to-face interviews and observation and a checklist were used to collect data. Senior officials of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture need to study challenges revealed by the findings and to take action to remedy the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries are important institutions to support access to information services. Many communities, especially in rural areas, cannot afford to access information services and rely on free libraries in their communities in their quest for information services. The need for libraries to serve multicultural information users should therefore be reflected in their attempts to provide access to information services in their communities. This article reports on a study of libraries as facilitators of access to information services in a developing context. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 conveniently selected librarians from 9 public libraries in Northern Library Region in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Interviews were further conducted with 98 diverse information users who were randomly sampled during data collection. Findings indicate that public libraries provide diverse information services to learners, parents, general workers, students, women and young adults and children in their different age groups, occupations and general activities performed in their role of facilitating access to information services. These diverse users have diverse information needs, which create some challenges in the provision of information services. It was found that limited funding, shortage of skills and knowledge, technology and time, among others, are challenges limiting provision of information services in these libraries. Recruiting potential users, contesting for increased funding, lobbying for support, facilitation of technological training of skills are some recommendations made by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in public libraries at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM). In line with the principles of Batho Pele (People First), libraries in Ekurhuleni started adopting ICTs such as computers and their Internet-based facilities, photocopiers, printers, laminators, DVDs, CDs, CD-ROMs and faxes in order to improve their services to users. Despite the adoption of ICTs, there is neither a record nor existence of strong evidence on the extent to which these facilities are used. The study targeted all public libraries in Ekurhuleni and, within the libraries themselves, library users were surveyed (using questionnaires). The major findings suggest that, although ICTs in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) libraries are well utilized, poor ICT facilities, access time limit, an insufficient number of ICT facilities in these libraries and restrictive library policies made it difficult for users to maximize the full benefits offered by ICT applications. The study revealed that the lack of ICT knowledge and skills, among other things, have the potential to discourage people from maximizing the full benefits offered by ICT in public libraries, hence the need for user ICT training in public libraries. The public libraries in Ekurhuleni should address these problems in order to provide services in a manner that meets and sometimes exceed the public’s expectations in line with Batho Pele principles. This article contributes to the understanding of the use, access and perception of ICTs in public libraries in the Ekurhuleni Municipality of South Africa. It also contributes knowledge to the library and information services profession on the value of ICTs in public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the use, types, and availability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in four government departments in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the context of work productivity and creativity. Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations Theory was used to inform the study in an attempt to understand the diffusion and use of modern ICTs in the government departments under investigation. Through a survey, government departments that are considered to be central to service delivery were targeted. Due to the dispersed nature of the public sector in South Africa, the study was confined to government departments in KwaZulu-Natal. The study used multistage probability sampling to select the elements for the survey method. The sample size for the study was 260 managers. One hundred and fifty-two questionnaires were completed and returned. The data collected was analyzed using thematic categorization and tabulation and the findings presented descriptively. The results indicate that a variety of ICTs have been adopted in the sector for interaction and communication. The respondents' level of interaction with some of the ICTs was very high, while the use of ICTs such as video conferencing, television and radio was very poor. The most common obstacles to the effective use of ICTs in government departments were found to be lack of skills or competence, the lack of an ICT policy, and the lack of proper planning for the adoption and diffusion of ICTs in the sector. Recommendations for the way forward are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Archives collect and manage traces of the memory of nations. All their efforts will come to naught if all those memories are lost due to disasters. As other archivists in the world, South African archivists and records managers as temporary guardians of the national heritage owe it to the future generations that the heritage is preserved. Disaster management should be part and parcel of the strategy to preserve archives for the present and future generations because emergency preparedness has the possibility of reducing the effects of disaster and ensuring business continuity. This article presents the findings of an assessment of disaster management activities in public archives of South Africa. A quantitative approach with a triangulation of data collection methods was used for the study. The findings revealed that disaster management did not feature prominently on their agenda as evidenced by a lack of written disaster management plans and strategies. It was concluded that without disaster plans public archival institutions are unable to preserve the South African heritage and guard against collective cultural amnesia. Among the recommendations is that South African archivists should ensure that the national documentary heritage is preserved through initiating disaster management activities nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Participatory communication, focusing on the active involvement of the people in all stages of development projects, is crucial for sustainable development. South Africa acknowledges the importance of following a participatory communication approach for development, and policies and strategies both on national as well as local government level support this resolve. This article discusses a study which aimed at ascertaining to what extent local government follows accepted participatory communication principles and practices to communicate with the community. The investigation focused on the Kungwini Local Municipality. Interviews with relevant role players were conducted, meetings between the municipality and the community were observed, and documents used by the municipality to communicate with the community were studied. Results indicate that the participatory communication approach is appreciated as being critical for development at local government level and is being successfully applied by the local municipality. Some challenges for further practical implementation of participatory communication were identified, and recommendations for addressing them are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Diane Orentlicher's 'Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through Action to Combat Impunity and their implications for African countries. The article argues that these principles provide avenues through which records relating to human rights violations, abuses and those arising out of truth and reconciliation commissions may be preserved and made accessible as part of a nation's collective memory. The article further examines how these principles are currently applied to the management of South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission archives, though the principles themselves were formulated after the Commission had finalized its work. The article concludes by examining the possibility of adopting these principles by African governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the development of the major cooperative electronic networks or consortia among academic libraries in Southern Africa: Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC); Free State Libraries and Information Consortium (FRELICO); Cape Libraries Cooperatives (CALICO); Eastern Sea-board Association Libraries (ESAL); and South Eastern Academic Libraries' System (SEALS), all concentrated in South Africa. Also discusses cooperative activities in the region of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) and the eIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) Direct Project. Describes the strategic importance of the (South African Bibliographic Information NETwork (SABINET) for cooperating libraries, and the formation of the Coalition of South African Library Consortia (COSALC). Advises academic and other libraries to embrace the concept of cooperative electronic networks in order not to lose their relevance, but notes that the sustainability of such projects can be a problem due to resource constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will provide an overview of the historical background of library associations in South Africa, the current position, issues facing library and information science in South Africa, strategies adopted by the Library and Information Association of South Africa to develop the profession and U.S. services in South Africa, and the way forward. The big question is, can library associations assist in bringing about social change? The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides the constitutional framework for the provision of library and information services in South Africa. Part A of Schedule S to the Constitution lists libraries other than national libraries' as one of the functional areas of exclusive provincial legislative Competency. Recent statistics indicated that in addition to the libraries above, there are presently 77 higher education libraries, 9,416 school libraries, 79 government departmental libraries, approximately 100 corporate libraries, 1,800 public and community library service points, 6 metro library services, S legal deposit libraries, and 14 library schools attached to universities and Technikons.