Browsing by Author "Ocholla, Lyudmila"

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    Cataloguing and Classification Education (CCE) and training in Library and Information Science/Studies departments in South Africa
    (LIASA, 2014) Ocholla, Lyudmila; Ocholla, Dennis
    Recent reports complain about the lack of cataloguers in South Africa to support Library and Information Services. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature, level, status and challenges of teaching cataloguing and classification in LIS schools in South Africa. Qualitative and quantitative methods, through a survey and content analysis, were employed in this study. All twelve LIS/IS departments in South Africa were targeted. Within these departments, the main sources of research data were the department heads and/or lecturers teaching cataloguing and classification, as well as the course outlines or study guides of cataloguing and classification modules or courses. Survey data was collected through interviews and largely through questionnaires that were emailed to the respondents in the various LIS departments. Content analysis was employed for curriculum and syllabus analysis. Most respondents agreed that CCE should be offered in its current form and some uniformity in the titling of courses should be achieved. While most CCE challenges are not new, intervention is still required, particularly with regards to Resource Description and Access (RDA) which must be addressed by LIS schools as soon as possible. This study informs cataloguing and classification education in South Africa, and perhaps elsewhere, by providing baseline information for the planning, teaching, marketing and recruiting of graduates qualified in the two research domains.
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    The changing library and information research landscape: an analysis of Library and Information Science Research in South Africa by LIS academics in the last decade (2007–2016)
    (Russian National Public Library, 2017) Ocholla, Lyudmila; Ocholla, Dennis
    Library and Information Science, along with research in the domain, is changing in South Africa. Building on a previous 2007 study, this paper explores Library and Information Science (LIS) research in South Africa by LIS academics from 2007–2016 through the analysis of research publications indexed in the LISTA and SCOPUS databases. This particular analysis focuses on author and university or institutional productivity, collaboration, subject, publication trends, and sources. It is noted that a large number of LIS academics do not appear in journals indexed by LISTA or SCOPUS, two databases that are known for in-dexing the largest number of scholarly research in LIS and all its respective categories. Most publications occur in local South African (SA) scholarly journals that are accredited by the government for research sub-sidies. LIS research publication trends over the course of the decade reveal an insignificant increase during this period. While traditional LIS research subjects are still dominant, emerging technology driven domains are growing increasingly popular. Research collaboration in LIS in South Africa has grown beyond 50% and is steadily expanding, although most collaborations occur within institutions. Challenges relate to LIS research capacity building, poor visibility of LIS academics/ faculties on university or institutional web-sites, and some indexing omissions in the databases which make searching cumbersome. Although this re-search is still in progress, the paper provides some insight for LIS research development in South Africa. The findings may also interest research in LIS outside the region.
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    The impact of new information services on teaching, learning and research at the University of Zululand Library
    (LIASA, 2017) Ocholla, Lyudmila; Mutsvunguma, Grace; Hadebe, Zanele
    The rapidly-changing academic environment demands innovative library products, facilities and services. Libraries have to navigate shrinking budgets, currency fluctuations, and the high cost of print and e-resources. Other challenges include the growing need for research support services, improved information literacy, information client support services, and marketing of library services using social media. At the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) Library, information librarians have played a pivotal role in the training of the academic community on modern information services for teaching, learning and research support. The purpose of this paper is to report on the perceived impact of the new information services initiated by information librarians and to establish how these services have made a difference in the teaching, learning and research activities at the university. A case study of UNIZULU Library was conducted using survey data collected from a sample population of academic staff and a random selection of evaluation forms that were completed by the students. The results of the survey showed a positive response from UNIZULU Library users to the newly-developed information services system. The paper concludes by noting the challenges to the services and suggesting areas for improvement.