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27 July 2020 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Charl Devenish
Ronet Vrey.

She is affectionately called ‘Tannie Ronet’ by the dozens of students coming her way, and Faculty of Education librarian Ronet Vrey would not have it any other way. While Vrey loves to remain behind the scenes, her passion for students makes her a big hit with every student crossing her path at the University of the Free State Library and Information Services on the Bloemfontein Campus. 

Vrey has been a librarian for as long as she can remember; a path she says was inspired by her educator mother. But instead of standing in front of a class, she gets to invest in students' academic journeys by being a helping hand in times of need. She is a UFS alumna, having graduated in 1988 with a degree in Library and Information Sciences, specialising in Education, Library Services, and Technology. 

"I was interested in library information services because back then, we were exploring the use of computers and moving in the direction of technology. Little did we know about digitisation and curation that would follow."

In 2005, she started working as librarian for the Faculty of the Humanities, before working jointly for the Faculties of the Humanities and Education. Since 2011, she has focused solely on the Faculty of Education, serving as the link between the library and the faculty. "I am supposed to focus only on students from the first year to honours level, but because of the relationships built there, many students often choose to stay with me. When they come to me for help, I don't say no," she says.

Information literacy a lifelong skill

Vrey shares the love for her job with her fellow librarians from other faculties. In 2019, the group presented a paper on embedded librarianship at the International Conference on Information Literacy (ICIL). She said they are in the process of having their paper published. "We want to be embedded in faculties in order to make students at the UFS information literate. If we can teach students information literacy skills to help themselves, we will have lifelong learners who can develop all the time, and you would have established a community of lifelong learners," she said.

One student who has benefited from Vrey's dedication and passion for students, is Dr Norma Lehasa, who obtained her PhD in 2019 after a seven-year journey due to ill health.

Vrey known as beacon of hope

Lehasa met Vrey in 2016, and says she owes her success to the likes of Vrey. Lehasa said each year when students graduate, it is people like Vrey who are supporting them behind the scenes to reach their goals. 

"My wonderful librarian, Ronet, made me focus and never give up. She used to go the extra mile for me, even teaching me how to use the resources to search for literature myself. The outcome of me being a Doctor of Philosophy today is because of people like Ronet. People like her need to be recognised for the good work that they do," Lehasa said.
Lehasa's PhD topic was: An Adult Learning Perspective on Professional Development in the Human Resources Department of the Free State Premier.

News Archive

‘Leadership is formed through ethical behaviour’
2012-08-20

Mr Edward Kieswetter
20 August 2012

“Being ethical is not about what we can do, it is about what we ought to do.” This is according to Mr Edward Kieswetter, Group Executive of Alexander Forbes Limited. During his lecture to MBA students in the Business School, Mr Kieswetter allowed the audience to engage in a discussion about ethics and leadership in the business world. Mr Kieswetter is also Vice-Chairperson of the UFS Council.

Part of the lecture was discussing South Africa as a country that was not born in ethics. Mr Kieswetter commented that although context was is very important in making decisions, South African people tended to, for example, and “feed on corruption, instead of acting actively against it”. Questions about South Africa’s ethical foundation were raised. Mr Kieswetter explained that one of the greatest challenges with the South Africans was to help them understand that a person always had a choice. “If you have to compromise on your own values, you are not doing anybody justice.”

Ethics can promote common and social goals if they are not determined by what people feel and strive to reach beyond the barriers that religious beliefs put up. He shared of his life’s most valuable lessons learned about people in leadership positions. “A great leader has incredible self-awareness and displays a huge amount of humility.” He said that in life it was not about being perfect; it was rather about being authentic, even in challenging times where the outcome might affect the current situation negatively. “My greatest successes came from lessons I learned in making mistakes and growing from them.

“If you have nothing to die for, then what is there to live for?” Mr Kieswetter said when asked whether he would compromise his financial position if he did not agree with the ethics of the company he worked for. “By constantly complaining instead of progressing, we are giving up our power to change, and that is a scary thing for South Africa as a developing country.” 
 

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