Carnegie Library Leadership Academy April 2012: Day 14, Thursday 26 April 2012

A huge plasma screen displays encouraging announcements at the entrance to the library

The visit to the University of Pretoria Library was well worth the effort of getting an early start - the bus departed at 7:30am. The building is very impressive with its large open spaces and attractive sculptures. I was particularly impressed with the fact that the library has a huge sign at the entrance which says : " Your Library has gone Mobile". This reinforces the realization that UCT is suffering a huge deficiency in the use of mobile technologies in its libraries - another reason for me to advocate for these current trends when I return to work! In fact, my individual assignment will be about implementing mobile technologies at our law library.

The tour guide, one of the librarians, showed us each of the six levels of the library. The Research Commons is admirable for its beautiful artworks and spacious interior as well as private tea room. Here Doctoral students work at leisure and can also enjoy a study break while

Ornamental displays in the Research Commons tea room

having a cup of coffee.

Postmodern artwork at the entrance to the research Commons

Spacious area and ample computers at the Research Commons

Beautiful paintings miniaturize a librarian at the desk

The design of the research commons area is very similar to that of UCT, except for the separate leisure area which is also used for discussion purposes.

A sculpture on level 4

Unlike the law library's policy at UCT, students may book group study rooms for the entire day. There is no limit to the time it may be used.

Students having a discussion in one of the many group study rooms

Autobiography of an Icon - Nelson Mandela exhibited in a glass cabinet at Africana

The classical cataloguing card system on display

Although the catalogue card is outdated and replaced with computerised searches, the cabinet is on display to remind us of how far libraries have progressed in this regard.

The Digitisation Unit is well established at UP and coordinated by Ria Groenewald. The unit has a full compliment of honours students who assist with the process - each of them introduced us to a different step in digitisation. The pictures below depict the digitisation of rare items, scanning and editing by using special software. (More fascinating is the fact that QR codes are pasted on all the walls, not only in this particular unit but on the other levels of the library. When I asked Ria for her contact details, she referred me to her QR Code!)

Ria Groenewald explaining the process of digitization while onlookers admire the machinery in action

Fragile and Valuable- these pages are carefully placed for scanning

We attended classes in the Library Auditorium where Robert Maropa started off with a discussion "Locating libraries on the Radar Screen". It is imperative that our libraries are kept on the radar screen for the right reasons. The library should be well positioned in the minds of the decision makers. We have to place ourselves on the radar screen by redefining ourselves - avoid being known as the "whiner" or the "moaner"and start seeing yourself as a leader who can take the library to new heights. Maropa advised that librarians must try to participate actively in finding solutions to the institution's problems and be prepared to make sacrifices when necessary. I will always remember his words: " A leader is not a Chicken, but an Eagle. Chickens are earth-bound, Eagles soar".

Robert Maropa: Locating Libraries on the Radar Screen

Christa North's discussion on Quality Assurance in the Library was impressive - not just the content of the presentation but the actual slides which she had used. (I think Flash Player was used and I should try it out myself). Quality Assurance is defined as a set of activities that are implemented to monitor and improve staff performance. Safety and efficiency of services are essential to any institution's success and normally quality assurance is planned for in the long-term strategy.

Christa North

The ever popular QR Codes

Karin Kitching discussing the Advocacy Toolkit

Karin Kitching, librarian at the Information Resources Centre, US Embassy, Johannesburg, is an inspirational figure to all librarians. She explained that advocating for libraries entail building relationships with influential individuals, increasing the perceived value of the library in the process and creating support for the profession. We were taken aback by her last slide which depicted herself and President Barack Obama, where he was the Keynote Speaker at the ALA ( American Library Association) Annual Conference, Chicago, 2005. The caption reads " Never underestimate the power of Advocacy".

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have visited the Oliver Tambo Law Library on UP campus - I was accompanied by Jill Otto and Isaac Mkadimeng while the rest of our class opted to wait in the bus. It therefore was a very quick visit, but one that was worth the long walk. Sonto Mbena who works at UP Libraries, guided the way. I am impressed by the space, rich collection of legal materials and large postgraduate area. Again, the use of QR codes are everywhere for easy access to important legal information via mobiles! Note the picture below which is captioned " Dangerous gaps". Robert Maropa's loves this branch, but his main and only concern for this library is the gaps alongside the stairs which had been brought to his attention. Students on the first floor could get hurt when a book falls through the cracks! "An architectural mishap", he says, and he hopes to rectify it soon.