RUL News, Quarter 1, 2013
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16125 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020860
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: A new year is always welcomed as a time for new beginnings, new ideas, new considerations for continuity and sustainability - so too with the Rhodes University Library! In 2012 staff embraced wholeheartedly the exercise to identify the strategic focus areas for 2013-2015 and defining the organizational culture. I’m pleased to share the organizational plan and culture that will guide the RUL for the next three years. Introducing new students to the RUL is an exciting process as it gives us the opportunity to become familiar with and understand the evolving learning needs of the young student. We also need to assure new and returning students of certain constants within the Library. To this end, we have introduced the Personal Librarian programme for 1st year students, who through this initiative will be able to work consistently with a librarian to learn about and use the library resources optimally. Regular training sessions, offered by the faculty library teams, on how to access information, the use of databases and other eresources, Libguides, etc. are critical for a dynamic undergraduate learning experience. The RUL is committed to its ongoing support for research and making the RU research output visible. Digitisation of research outputs and the creation & management of institutional repositories at academic institutions have become the key ways of ensuring this visibility. The retrospective digitization of theses and dissertations, going back to the 1930s, is moving along consistently. Proper harvesting and metadata protocols will ensure the optimal visibility and access of these items. We also need to seriously consider the physical environment for a digitization unit within the library. This team has been enhanced by the placement of an intern who is being taught and exposed to a new skills set. The SEALS Consortium is a very successful example of collegiality and institutional collaboration. Whilst its primary goal is to ensure a stable shared library management system in the region, discussions have also commenced on how we may use this platform to enhance staff skills and development. The importance of benchmarking, standardization of skills sets and workplace development is critical for ensuring a cohort of strong professionals for succession planning in the region. To date, two workshops on Systems Librarianship and Skills Development were held. The aim was to understand how each institution is addressing these issues, what is the role of SEALs, and what should be addressed going forward. Task teams have been identified to continue the conversation on Systems Librarianship and the 21st Century academic librarian. I strongly believe that the success of an organization resides in the ability of its staff to give expression to their ideas, concerns and professional goals in alignment with the organisation’s goals and strategies. I’m confident that the RUL staff will succeed in this and collectively strengthen this dynamic organization in 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16125 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020860
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: A new year is always welcomed as a time for new beginnings, new ideas, new considerations for continuity and sustainability - so too with the Rhodes University Library! In 2012 staff embraced wholeheartedly the exercise to identify the strategic focus areas for 2013-2015 and defining the organizational culture. I’m pleased to share the organizational plan and culture that will guide the RUL for the next three years. Introducing new students to the RUL is an exciting process as it gives us the opportunity to become familiar with and understand the evolving learning needs of the young student. We also need to assure new and returning students of certain constants within the Library. To this end, we have introduced the Personal Librarian programme for 1st year students, who through this initiative will be able to work consistently with a librarian to learn about and use the library resources optimally. Regular training sessions, offered by the faculty library teams, on how to access information, the use of databases and other eresources, Libguides, etc. are critical for a dynamic undergraduate learning experience. The RUL is committed to its ongoing support for research and making the RU research output visible. Digitisation of research outputs and the creation & management of institutional repositories at academic institutions have become the key ways of ensuring this visibility. The retrospective digitization of theses and dissertations, going back to the 1930s, is moving along consistently. Proper harvesting and metadata protocols will ensure the optimal visibility and access of these items. We also need to seriously consider the physical environment for a digitization unit within the library. This team has been enhanced by the placement of an intern who is being taught and exposed to a new skills set. The SEALS Consortium is a very successful example of collegiality and institutional collaboration. Whilst its primary goal is to ensure a stable shared library management system in the region, discussions have also commenced on how we may use this platform to enhance staff skills and development. The importance of benchmarking, standardization of skills sets and workplace development is critical for ensuring a cohort of strong professionals for succession planning in the region. To date, two workshops on Systems Librarianship and Skills Development were held. The aim was to understand how each institution is addressing these issues, what is the role of SEALs, and what should be addressed going forward. Task teams have been identified to continue the conversation on Systems Librarianship and the 21st Century academic librarian. I strongly believe that the success of an organization resides in the ability of its staff to give expression to their ideas, concerns and professional goals in alignment with the organisation’s goals and strategies. I’m confident that the RUL staff will succeed in this and collectively strengthen this dynamic organization in 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
RUL News, Quarter 3, 2013
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16124 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020859
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: This has indeed been an extremely engaged period for all staff at the Rhodes University Library (RUL). In addition to ensuring the delivery of professional services to the Rhodes community, strategy development, quality of service, continuing professional development, human resources management and national professional engagement defines this period. The LibQual online library quality survey conducted during 13-31 August 2012 was a success, which surpassed our expectations. The comparison between the 2005 and 2012 results show a significant improvement in the perceptions of the RU community towards the quality of service, information resources and the library as place. This affirmed that the new Library building and Faculty Library liaison model are serving to locate the library positively in the academic endeavor. However while we savour these results, concerns have been raised about the lack of awareness and proper use of the wide array of electronic resources available. Therefore we will be focusing on a concerted marketing and training campaign to ensure that the subscription -based electronic resources are optimally used by the RU community, especially the academics. I wish to acknowledge the sterling and creative work of the team that led this project. This collection development & management workshop held on 17 September 2012 was attended by all professional library staff. The workshop was aimed at establishing an understanding of basic aspects of collection development & management, the supporting policy and guidelines, as well as the Information resources (IR) grant. The discussions took cognizance of the context in which the RUL functions as well as the various industry trends such as patron driven acquisition (PDA) and demand driven acquisition (DDA). As this is a key responsibility of librarians, it is critical to regularly revisit collection development patterns and trends to ensure the continued development of core balanced collections. The successful migration of the SEALS consortium libraries to the III SIERRA next generation library management system during September-October 2012 may be attributed to professional collaboration and collegiality. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the RU ITD especially Jonathan McKeown who together with Ms Allwright worked across time zones with the III team (US-based). The level of support and professionalism displayed is to be commended. By the end of November 2012 task teams were able to present their identified strategies to all staff. The e-Strategy, Staff Development, User Services and Marketing strategies, as well as the RUL Culture Statement will be collated into a single document that will be aligned to the RU Institutional Development Plan (IDP). The level of interaction, inclusion and participation augers well for taking these strategies forward in 2013 as staff were able to experience the dynamism of participative engagement. I wish to congratulate staff members for their various achievements during the course of 2012! I also wish to thank you for your willingness and openness to engage with the various ideas and processes proposed during this year. It has indeed been an exciting, challenging and fulfilling year which was made possible by your support and involvement. Happy holidays and best wishes for 2013!
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16124 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020859
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: This has indeed been an extremely engaged period for all staff at the Rhodes University Library (RUL). In addition to ensuring the delivery of professional services to the Rhodes community, strategy development, quality of service, continuing professional development, human resources management and national professional engagement defines this period. The LibQual online library quality survey conducted during 13-31 August 2012 was a success, which surpassed our expectations. The comparison between the 2005 and 2012 results show a significant improvement in the perceptions of the RU community towards the quality of service, information resources and the library as place. This affirmed that the new Library building and Faculty Library liaison model are serving to locate the library positively in the academic endeavor. However while we savour these results, concerns have been raised about the lack of awareness and proper use of the wide array of electronic resources available. Therefore we will be focusing on a concerted marketing and training campaign to ensure that the subscription -based electronic resources are optimally used by the RU community, especially the academics. I wish to acknowledge the sterling and creative work of the team that led this project. This collection development & management workshop held on 17 September 2012 was attended by all professional library staff. The workshop was aimed at establishing an understanding of basic aspects of collection development & management, the supporting policy and guidelines, as well as the Information resources (IR) grant. The discussions took cognizance of the context in which the RUL functions as well as the various industry trends such as patron driven acquisition (PDA) and demand driven acquisition (DDA). As this is a key responsibility of librarians, it is critical to regularly revisit collection development patterns and trends to ensure the continued development of core balanced collections. The successful migration of the SEALS consortium libraries to the III SIERRA next generation library management system during September-October 2012 may be attributed to professional collaboration and collegiality. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the RU ITD especially Jonathan McKeown who together with Ms Allwright worked across time zones with the III team (US-based). The level of support and professionalism displayed is to be commended. By the end of November 2012 task teams were able to present their identified strategies to all staff. The e-Strategy, Staff Development, User Services and Marketing strategies, as well as the RUL Culture Statement will be collated into a single document that will be aligned to the RU Institutional Development Plan (IDP). The level of interaction, inclusion and participation augers well for taking these strategies forward in 2013 as staff were able to experience the dynamism of participative engagement. I wish to congratulate staff members for their various achievements during the course of 2012! I also wish to thank you for your willingness and openness to engage with the various ideas and processes proposed during this year. It has indeed been an exciting, challenging and fulfilling year which was made possible by your support and involvement. Happy holidays and best wishes for 2013!
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
RUL News, Quarter 1, 2012
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16122 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020856
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: It is now two months since I joined Rhodes University Library on February 01 2012 as the latest Director in a list of respected professionals who have led this Library to what it is today. I feel extremely privileged to have inherited an amazingly beautiful library building that has all the trappings of a modern 21st century academic library. To this end I acknowledge the former Director Gwenda Thomas who drove this reconstruction and renewal process together with Ms Jeanne Berger, former Acting Director and Deputy Director. I believe that together we are poised to embark on a new trajectory that will redefine this institution. This redefinition will include a new vision, mission and values statement; an articulated organizational culture; staff enablement and development for consolidation and innovation; and increased visibility and appreciation of the Library. While we enjoy the physical Library environment, we also need to explore the frontiers of the digital library. Unprecedented growth in technology provides us with vast new opportunities for identifying appropriate or relevant models for library services and communication. We need to commence this conversation proactively so that we understand and embrace the newest technologies to enable and contribute to the success of our users and the University. I believe that we have an exciting future ahead of us and that collectively we can set the agenda for this future. The African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together” certainly holds true for us and I look forward to working with each one of you.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16122 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020856
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: It is now two months since I joined Rhodes University Library on February 01 2012 as the latest Director in a list of respected professionals who have led this Library to what it is today. I feel extremely privileged to have inherited an amazingly beautiful library building that has all the trappings of a modern 21st century academic library. To this end I acknowledge the former Director Gwenda Thomas who drove this reconstruction and renewal process together with Ms Jeanne Berger, former Acting Director and Deputy Director. I believe that together we are poised to embark on a new trajectory that will redefine this institution. This redefinition will include a new vision, mission and values statement; an articulated organizational culture; staff enablement and development for consolidation and innovation; and increased visibility and appreciation of the Library. While we enjoy the physical Library environment, we also need to explore the frontiers of the digital library. Unprecedented growth in technology provides us with vast new opportunities for identifying appropriate or relevant models for library services and communication. We need to commence this conversation proactively so that we understand and embrace the newest technologies to enable and contribute to the success of our users and the University. I believe that we have an exciting future ahead of us and that collectively we can set the agenda for this future. The African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together” certainly holds true for us and I look forward to working with each one of you.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
RUL News, Quarter 2, 2012
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16123 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020858
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: The last three months have been an exciting time for me at the Rhodes University Library (RUL) as it coincides with my first 100 days as the Director. It’s been a time for observations, questions, conversations, reviews, meetings, gaining trust, challenging assumptions and old habits, and taking ownership with the intention of facilitating change and innovation for a redefined future. After all of this, I must admit that the future looks extremely positive. An invitation to speak at the 11th South African Online Information Meeting (SAOIM) on 06 June 2012 on the topic “Change and Innovation: the need to push the limits” gave me pause for thought regarding innovation and organizational development. While there is a tendency to link innovation to technology, it may be used to implement change at every level of an organization. Change refers to altering one’s approach or attitude; a process which enables transformation, becoming different or doing things differently. Peter Drucker defines innovation as “change that creates a new dimension of performance.” Therefore an effective organization must be prepared to grasp the opportunities, alongside the threats, by responding to the challenge of change to continue adding value to its defined audience. An innovative organization focuses on the following four significant areas: - Alignment of internal strategies to corporate/institutional goals and strategies - People, skills and roles - Defined workflows or processes - Cultural engagement and support Keeping the above in mind, the following activities were held towards redefining the organization’s purpose and culture, and identifying the focus areas for 2013-2015: Review of the Faculty Library model on May 03 2012 with all the Principal Faculty Librarians. The following questions were addressed: - What are we doing well? - What are we not doing well? Why not? - How could we do things differently? - What are the burning issues critical for success or failure? - How well are we positioned for the future? 2-day strategic planning session on 14-15 June 2012 which was facilitated by Dr Noel Pearse of the Rhodes Business School. The context was set by Dr Sizwe Mabizela, the Acting Vice-Chancellor and the Dr Peter Clayton, DVC: Research who focused on the Rhodes priorities and the research agenda respectively. Presentations on Open Scholarship; Mobile Technologies; Library Leadership; Changing User Needs and Library as Space were made by staff and the World Café concept was used to encourage open discussions and exchange of ideas among staff in teams and across levels. The most positive and encouraging outcome hereof is that various task teams which include every member of staff have taken the responsibility of developing the eStrategy and the strategies relating to Marketing & Communications, Staff Development, User Services and Infrastructure, as well as the Purpose Statement (Vision, Mission and Values) and the Organisational Culture. This is indeed an innovative way of the staff taking ownership of the future of the organization. I believe that the greatest asset of an organization is its human capital and RUL is fortunate to have a corps of staff that is representative of different skills, expertise and varying experience. Collectively we can define the conditions for successful innovation by enhancing existing strengths; committing to change; focusing on specific needs; innovating for the present which will have long-term impact; and changing our behaviours and processes. This gives us the opportunity to: - demonstrate our value to the University management - take the lead in being strategic and inculcate the “One organization, many leaders” mindset - focus on exceptional user experiences - use technology as an enabler - redefine our role through collaboration and embedded librarianship Jean Sykes (Chief Librarian and Information Services Director: London School of Economics) is of the opinion that “Librarians are very well-placed to make a difference and secure an enviable reputation for our profession if we continue to watch, listen, think, analyse, collaborate, share, test and try and if we deploy real leadership skills, displaying a genuine willingness to keep reinventing ourselves and our old skills to match the changing environment we find ourselves in at any stage.” I agree!
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16123 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020858
- Description: [From Introduction] Message from Ujala: The last three months have been an exciting time for me at the Rhodes University Library (RUL) as it coincides with my first 100 days as the Director. It’s been a time for observations, questions, conversations, reviews, meetings, gaining trust, challenging assumptions and old habits, and taking ownership with the intention of facilitating change and innovation for a redefined future. After all of this, I must admit that the future looks extremely positive. An invitation to speak at the 11th South African Online Information Meeting (SAOIM) on 06 June 2012 on the topic “Change and Innovation: the need to push the limits” gave me pause for thought regarding innovation and organizational development. While there is a tendency to link innovation to technology, it may be used to implement change at every level of an organization. Change refers to altering one’s approach or attitude; a process which enables transformation, becoming different or doing things differently. Peter Drucker defines innovation as “change that creates a new dimension of performance.” Therefore an effective organization must be prepared to grasp the opportunities, alongside the threats, by responding to the challenge of change to continue adding value to its defined audience. An innovative organization focuses on the following four significant areas: - Alignment of internal strategies to corporate/institutional goals and strategies - People, skills and roles - Defined workflows or processes - Cultural engagement and support Keeping the above in mind, the following activities were held towards redefining the organization’s purpose and culture, and identifying the focus areas for 2013-2015: Review of the Faculty Library model on May 03 2012 with all the Principal Faculty Librarians. The following questions were addressed: - What are we doing well? - What are we not doing well? Why not? - How could we do things differently? - What are the burning issues critical for success or failure? - How well are we positioned for the future? 2-day strategic planning session on 14-15 June 2012 which was facilitated by Dr Noel Pearse of the Rhodes Business School. The context was set by Dr Sizwe Mabizela, the Acting Vice-Chancellor and the Dr Peter Clayton, DVC: Research who focused on the Rhodes priorities and the research agenda respectively. Presentations on Open Scholarship; Mobile Technologies; Library Leadership; Changing User Needs and Library as Space were made by staff and the World Café concept was used to encourage open discussions and exchange of ideas among staff in teams and across levels. The most positive and encouraging outcome hereof is that various task teams which include every member of staff have taken the responsibility of developing the eStrategy and the strategies relating to Marketing & Communications, Staff Development, User Services and Infrastructure, as well as the Purpose Statement (Vision, Mission and Values) and the Organisational Culture. This is indeed an innovative way of the staff taking ownership of the future of the organization. I believe that the greatest asset of an organization is its human capital and RUL is fortunate to have a corps of staff that is representative of different skills, expertise and varying experience. Collectively we can define the conditions for successful innovation by enhancing existing strengths; committing to change; focusing on specific needs; innovating for the present which will have long-term impact; and changing our behaviours and processes. This gives us the opportunity to: - demonstrate our value to the University management - take the lead in being strategic and inculcate the “One organization, many leaders” mindset - focus on exceptional user experiences - use technology as an enabler - redefine our role through collaboration and embedded librarianship Jean Sykes (Chief Librarian and Information Services Director: London School of Economics) is of the opinion that “Librarians are very well-placed to make a difference and secure an enviable reputation for our profession if we continue to watch, listen, think, analyse, collaborate, share, test and try and if we deploy real leadership skills, displaying a genuine willingness to keep reinventing ourselves and our old skills to match the changing environment we find ourselves in at any stage.” I agree!
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
RUL News, Quarter 2, 2013
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020861
- Full Text:
- Authors: Rhodes Library Services
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:16126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020861
- Full Text:
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