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Kay Looks Back

Practice of librarianship in a period of forty years: viewed through a

Botswana mirror

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Academic library and information service

• Background• University of Botswana Lesotho and

Swaziland: Roma Lesotho- assistant librarian-learning through apprenticeship &distance learning: UNISA

• 1971 July : transfer of a basic collection of 1000 titles to Botswana

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Academic context #1

• Teaching : textbook ,discussion assignments • Library support : inadequate collections, few

journal titles use of reserve collections; inter campus loans

supplied through snail mail from RomaInadequacy of resources- Strategy: partnership with the State library:

access to ILL services

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Organization of library service

• Traditional library mission: collection building, local availability and long term preservation

• Functional organization and systems approach to assure speed of access

• Manual ordering & cataloguing systems,Accession list &catalogue cards production and

management reliance on clerical staff, checking accuracy, time

consuming

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Organization of Library Services

Manual• Ordering,• accession list production • Catalogue card production• Sharing of cataloguing data

with State Library• Checking for Accuracy• Clerical support staff

Automated systems• Integrated acquisitions,&

accession list control • Shared sources for

catalogue data

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Change management

• Process systems change : integrated library systems information technology and regular upgrades Impact: Review of job descriptions: Elimination of clerical positions; Ongoing capacity building for enhanced efficiencymonitoring of quality and productivity

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Academic context #2

• Elite system to mass higher education• human resources for national development• Support knowledge-based industries for

economic development• Quality teaching and facilitation of learning• research

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Information Communication technologies

• Digital information resources• Ease of access, proliferation of information• Student expectations vs required expertise• Graduate attributes: information literacy

skills; ability to learn how to learn in job situation; life-long learning

• Work effectively in multi-disciplinary contexts asynchronously

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Strategy and tactics

• Facilitation of learning• Engagement with academics in curriculum• Information literacy • Teaching skills

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