Disciplinary documentation in Apartheid South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Richard Hugh Kosciejew
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Ethnic Identities ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Creation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that information is an important effect of documentation. It is in this way that documentation studies distinguishes between concepts of and practices with “information” and “document”: that is, documentation studies helps illuminate how information is created, stabilized, and materialized such that it can emerge and, in turn, how it can then be controlled, deployed, enforced, entrenched, managed, and used in many different ways, in various settings, and for diverse purposes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a conceptual framework on documentation, drawing upon the work of Bernd Frohmann, Michel Foucault, Bruno Latour, Hannah Arendt, @@and Ian Hacking, and applied to a case study of Apartheid South Africa. Findings – Apartheid’s documentation helped achieve apartness at the macro and micro levels of society: on the macro level, the creation and subsequent separation of different racial and ethnic identities were drafted, adopted, and turned into law through legislative documents; on the micro level, these identities were reinforced through routines with personal documents and public signs. This documentation functioned as a documentary apparatus, providing a tangible link between individuals and their official racial and ethnic categories by creating a seamless movement of documents through various institutions; further it helped transform these racial and ethnic identities into lived facts that disciplined and controlled life. Originality/value – By examining documentation, one can present a fresh and unique perspective to understanding the construction of various things, such as the construction of identities. This conceptual framework contributes to Library and Information Science (LIS) by illuminating the central role of documentation in the creation, stabilization, materialization, and emergence of information. By using Apartheid South Africa as a case study, this paper demonstrates how this framework can be applied to shed new light on different kinds of phenomena in diverse contexts; consequently, it not only contributes to and extends parts of the scholarship on documentation studies within LIS, but also presents new directions for other academic disciplines and multidisciplinary analyses and research.

Role of social networks in library and information services in India: a case study of efficiency and effectiveness

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 11-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Mannan Khan ◽  
Aslam Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Technology Literacy ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Develop Technology ◽  
Information Professionals

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effective and efficiency account of social networking (SN) tools and how it affects communication with others and anticipatory awareness. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of the study, a set of questionnaires was prepared by the authors and furnished to information professionals. Findings – The findings disclose that some SN tools are gaining popularity among Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals in India. The most active professionals are aged 26-35 years; the habits of using SN are different from traditional searches for research purposes. The professionals provide opinion that SN is very effective to deliver LIS. Research limitations – The present study assesses the role of SN in LIS from information professionals of Indian science and technology institutions. Originality/value – SN is growing rapidly as a medium of communication between individuals to share their experiences and information regarding interests, and also helps to build ongoing relationships. In the field of LIS services, it may help to develop technology literacy and proficiency.

Leading with love and hospitality: applying a radical pedagogy to LIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole A. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Radical Pedagogy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to suggest that classroom instructors should reflect and revise their pedagogy to lead a classroom designed to produce future information professionals who will be prepared to serve their communities in a radical way. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the literature related to radical and humanizing pedagogies and then features an auto ethnographic case study which details how the author implemented some of the strategies. Findings Formal study of pedagogy can improve the library and information science (LIS) teaching and learning process. Practical implications Examining pedagogy in a formal way yields concrete suggestions for improving classroom management and content delivery. Social implications Using a radical pedagogy can improve relationships between teachers and learners, and learners will be able to model the classroom strategies in their own professional practice. Originality/value The study builds upon current examples of radical practice in the field and examines how such practices can be instilled even earlier in LIS graduate classrooms.

The use of bibliographic management software by Indian library and information science professionals

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shri Ram ◽  
John Paul Anbu K.
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Management Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Library Professionals

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to have a closer look at the awareness of referencing utilities among the library professionals in India. In a research environment, referencing and bibliography play an important role in the dissemination of research findings through scholarly writings. Citing references while writing scholarly articles has become more eloquent mainly due to the availability of a range of bibliography management utilities. Currently, there are various types of Bibliography Management Software (BMS) available for the management of the citation, referencing and compiling bibliographies. Librarians have a crucial role to play in helping the faculty, students and research scholars in the process of writing their scholarly articles and theses, especially in the area of referencing. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted through an online survey with an aim to assess the perception, awareness and use of BMS by the Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals in India. Findings – In the academic environment, published results of research findings are crucial for the advancement of knowledge. The published research findings are often supported and disputed using the citation of previous studies. There are a number of supporting technologies that are intended to help in procuring needed citations and streamlining them for better research output. The role of the librarian in this endeavor is undisputed. This study shows that there is a need for strengthening the awareness of BMS at the institutional level and also hands-on experience is needed for library professionals to help in the process of research writing and advocate for adopting correct referencing style (citation style) while writing scholarly articles. Practical implications – The increased use of information and communication technology in the process of scholarly writing, especially in the search and retrieval of relevant articles and the availability of electronic journals and books, have resulted in an increased number of research articles being written by research scholars. The downside to this overflow of scholarly and creative writing is the incorrect way of using referencing style in the dissemination of research and the possibilities of malpractice and plagiarism. This study will help in creating awareness of the utility of citation and BMS in content writing, especially among library and information professionals, as they play an important role in facilitating research. Social implications – This study will be beneficial for the LIS professionals in understanding the effectiveness of their services when complemented by the use of technology-powered tools. Creating awareness of the use of BMS in content development in scholarly communication promises to create a flawless scholarly output as library professionals will help researchers in guiding research writings with correct referencing and citation. Originality/value – Use of BMS helps in the development of content in an organized, methodical and scientific way. The role of library and information professionals working with different researchers and scholars in advocating and practicing the use of BMS will go a long way in creating more streamlined content.

scholarly journals Archives, libraries and museums in the Nordic model of the public sphere

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Håkon Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Archival Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Public Sphere

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of ALM organizations within a Nordic model of the public sphere. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper discussing the role of archives, libraries and museums in light of a societal model of the Nordic public sphere. Throughout the discussions, the author draw on empirical and theoretical research from sociology, political science, media studies, cultural policy studies, archival science, museology, and library and information science to help advance our understanding of these organizations in a wider societal context. Findings The paper shows that ALM organizations play an important role for the infrastructure of a civil public sphere. Seen as a cluster, these organizations are providers of information that can be employed in deliberative activities in mediated public spheres, as well as training arenas for citizens to use prior to entering such spheres. Furthermore, ALM organizations are themselves public spheres, as they can serve specific communities and help create and maintain identities, and solidarities, all of which are important parts of a civil public sphere. Research limitations/implications Future research should investigate whether these roles are an important part of ALM organizations contribution to public spheres in other regions of the world. Originality/value Through introducing a theoretical model developed within sociology and connecting it to ongoing research in archival science, museology, and library and information science, the author connects the societal role of archives, libraries, and museums to broader discussions within the social sciences.

How can dynamic capabilities make sense in avoiding value co-creation traps?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinbo Sun ◽  
Qingqiang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Archival Data ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Network Capability

PurposeThe existing research rarely explains the role of dynamic capabilities in the creation of value co-creation behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to explore how dynamic capabilities play a role in avoiding value co-creation traps and generating new value co-creation behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper collects rich interview and archival data from two Chinese manufacturing companies to examine value co-creation in digital servitization by the case study.FindingsThe paper discovers the value co-creation traps that enterprises face in digital servitization and analyzes the important role of resource and technology integration capabilities in avoiding these traps. Also, the research explores how network capability affects the generation of new value co-creation behaviors.Originality/valueThis paper develops a framework for dynamic capabilities to avoid value co-creation traps and generate new value co-creation behaviors.

Ignorance or Intent?

2017 ◽  
pp. 182-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Baker-Gardner ◽  
Cherry-Ann Smart
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property Rights ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Cheating Behavior ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Faculty And Administrators ◽  
Method Approach

Plagiarism among students at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) remains of great concern to faculty and administrators globally, as well as in the English-speaking Caribbean. Although this Cheating Behavior (CB) has been examined in multiple disciplines, few studies have examined it from the viewpoint of Library and Information Science (LIS) students. This is an important lacuna given CB's link to workplace practices and the imminent role of LIS students as information disseminators and protectors of creators' intellectual property rights. Using an explanatory sequential mixed method approach, this small scale case study sought to acquire a better understanding of LIS students' understanding, awareness and knowledge of plagiarism. The views of first and third year undergraduates and postgraduates were analyzed and assessed. The results demonstrated the need for early pedagogical interventions on plagiarism, greater collaboration between faculty and the library, and LIS students' engagement into the Community of Practice (CoP) and profession of librarianship.

Exploration role of volunteerism on the digitisation project: case of the office of the premier in Mpumalanga province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Youth Empowerment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mpumalanga Province ◽  
Volunteer Labor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of volunteerism during the digitisation project by the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga with a view recommending the best practice. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data was collected through the semi-structured qualitative interviews with the records manager and ten volunteer archivists employed by the Office of the Premier. Findings Local pupils within the Mpumalanga province were recruited to participate in the digitisation project as a form of youth empowerment. The Mpumalanga Provincial Archives was not involved in the digitisation project to ensure that all digitisation specification was in line with the requirement of the provincial archives. Furthermore, a lack of resources to implement the digitisation project was cited as the main stamping block for the successful implementation of the project. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to the Office of the premier, in the Mpumalanga province. Practical implications Archivists interested in recruiting volunteers on a digitisation project can use this paper to understand the benefits and cost of volunteer labor before putting volunteer projects into practice. Social implications The success of a digitisation project depends on the involvement of the Mpumalanga Provincial archives. Originality/value This paper presents a unique case study in South Africa of a digitisation project staffed with volunteers in the office of the Premier.

Library software in Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadeem Siddique ◽  
Khalid Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Principal Researcher ◽  
Theses And Dissertations ◽  
Standard Library

Purpose – This paper is the part of PhD research of the principal researcher. This paper aims to describe current status of library software being used in the libraries of Pakistan, role of national and foreign agencies in the development of library software in Pakistan, problems faced by the libraries in implementation and to highlight the recommendations by the experts in the field to overcome the problems. It also attempts to provide a bibliography on the topic to researchers in the field of library and information science. Design/methodology/approach – Available literature was reviewed. The articles were usually published in national and international journals of library and information science and contributed by Pakistani authors. Other sources consulted were books, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations and websites of libraries and professionals’ organisations. Findings – The situation in Pakistan regarding library software cannot be compared with the that in advanced countries. Lack of standard library software, the multilingual nature of the library collections, poor budgets, computer illiteracy, software piracy and unavailability of support from local vendors are the main hindrances in the effective implementation of library software. In the available literature, experts have recommended the formulation of a consortium or a body under the umbrella of the Government of Pakistan which could provide standard library software, along with technical support, innovation and upgrades of the software, to meet the needs of Pakistani libraries. Originality/value – This is the first paper that presents the current status of library software in Pakistan, problems faced by the libraries in implementation of library software and recommendations suggested by the experts to overcome the problems.

Mnemonics in the Mouseion

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Olesen-Bagneux
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Book History ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
The One

Purpose – Mnemonics was a tool in classification and information seeking processes in pre-print libraries. The purpose of this paper is to study the role of spatial mnemonics in Hellenistic libraries, including the one in Alexandria. Design/methodology/approach – Since library- and information science has not explored this subject in depth, philology, rhetoric, book-history and archeology constitute the core literature. From this literature, the role of mnemonics in the libraries is discussed. Findings – A new description of the practice of classification and retrieval in Hellenistic libraries, based on spatial mnemonics. Originality/value – This paper is a new analysis of spatial mnemonics in the Hellenistic libraries. As will become clear, they blend easily and logically with each other.

scholarly journals Mobile phones for development

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper relayed an important line of Mark Hepworth’s work, which engages with information technologies and development. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a subfield of library and information science (LIS) for development to reclaim the role of information services and systems for social change in rural areas. The paper looked at the extent of development gained with the advent of mobile phones. Design/methodology/approach Rather than undertaking traditional large-scale, quantitative, context-independent and survey-type research, the paper employed capability approach and semi-structured interviews to ascertain the experiences that mobile phone kiosk vendors in the rural Congo had of mobile phones. Findings It was found that mobile phones should be geared towards the liberation, and not utilization or commodification of humans and their needs and that mobile phones were not a catalyst of human basic capabilities. Research limitations/implications Since the method employed is an in-depth qualitative analysis of mobile phone kiosk vendors, obtained results can be used to enrich or inform mobile phone experiences in other settings and groups. Practical implications This paper provided empirical evidence as to how an important group of mobile phone users could harness development with their mobiles. Originality/value Most LIS literature has presented mobile phones along the lines of information freedom or access, mass subscription, adoption rates, technological and entrepreneurial innovation, micro-credits, etc. However, the paper placed the topic development at the heart of LIS debates.

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