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20 January 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Dr Anamika Megwalu, an assessment and engineering librarian at San Jose State University in California in the United States (US), addressed a group of staff from the UFS Department of Library and Information Services.

Dr Anamika Megwalu, an assessment and engineering librarian at San Jose State University in California in the United States (US), pointed out that building a lasting and sustainable relationship with departments and upholding quality in the library environment is key. 

She addressed a group of colleagues from our Department of Library and Information Services (LIS) on 25 November 2020.

Tight budgets call for proper assessment

Her presentation, titled Library Collection Development, was aimed at sharing her experience of working in the collection development and liaison sections within the LIS ecosystem. 

“This librarian-cum-computer science lecturer has the benefit of both worlds, having worked in private and public academic libraries such as Stafford University and City University of New York respectively,” says Monde Madiba, Deputy Director: Collection Development and Management of LIS at the University of the Free State.

San Jose, the oldest public university in the western US, is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, serving more than 33 000 students enrolled in 10 colleges and 67 departments.

According to Dr Megwalu, the tight budgets that public academic libraries such as San Jose receive, call for proper assessment of library collections in order to deal with the constraints. She emphasised the need to “uphold quality within the constraints”.

Moving from collecting information to creating information

Some of the ideas that Dr Megwalu shared for conducting assessment and collection development, includes the following:
• Change the library’s image from being a collector of information to being the creator of information.
• Consider the size of the different departments: some may need little or no attention due to size, while others may need close attention due to intensive research by lecturers within the department.
• Identify gaps and focus your attention on filling them with the relevant collection.
• Make sure that you are aware of the accreditation period of different programmes, since the role that academic libraries play in collection development is recognised by such agencies.
• Build a lasting and sustainable relationship with departments. This includes knowing the lecturers’ research interests, assisting the newly established departments, attending free webinars, and participating in student activities.
• Ensure equal distribution of the budget and ensure that everyone has equal access to it.
• Create a timetable where everyone knows when to submit requests for prescribed books. Make it clear that it takes approximately three weeks on average for ordered books to be delivered.
• Develop department-specific collection development policies.
• Be ready to move with the times, e.g. replace DVDs in favour of video-streaming services.
• Shift towards a 100% electronic reference collection.
• Consider having an electronic version for popular but currently in-print collections.
• Develop an indigenous collection based on the contributions of communities around the university.
• Create a portal for open educational resources (OERs) from participating institutions across the globe.

“Dr Megwalu’s presentation was not only informative but a testimony that collection development and assessment are dynamic and driven by passion and love,” says Madiba.

News Archive

2015 First-years: this is how Kovsies will welcome you
2014-11-20

The UFS can hardly wait to welcome you into our family! Wondering about when, where and how? Read on and find out all you need to know... 

The official welcoming of the 2015 first-years will take place on Friday 16 January 2015 at 18:00 in front of the Main Building on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The welcoming of 2015 first-years by the various faculties will take place from 09:00 on Saturday 17 January 2015 at the different faculties.

•    Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in the EMS Auditorium
•    Faculty of Education in the New Education Building
•    Faculty of Health Sciences in the Kovsie Church
•    Faculty of the Humanities in the Odeion
     Session 1 - 09:00 ; Session 2 - 11:00
•    Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in the Wynand Mouton theatre
•    Biological groups in the Wynand Mouton theatre
•    Agricultural programmes in the Agriculture Building, LG 1, 2 en 3
•    Consumer Sciences in the Agriculture Building, LG 4
•    Physics and Chemistry in the Chemistry Building, CEM 108
•    Information Technology in WWG 114
•    Mathematics and Applied Mathematics in WWG 226
•    Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Sciences in the West Block, W111
•    Geography in GEO 1,5
•    Geology in the Main Lecture Hall 1
•    Architecture in the Architecture Building
•    Faculty of Law in the CR Swart Auditorium
•    Faculty of Theology in the H van der Merwe Scholtz Hall 10 (HMS 10)

An information centre will be available at the parking area in front of the Red Square.

Also, the Campus Ministries Forum will be welcoming first-years during an inter denominational church service on Sunday 18 January 2015 from 09:00-11:00 at the Kovsie Church. Everyone is welcome to attend this.  
 
2 February 2015:  lectures start

More information for 2015 first-year students

 

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