Proposing a Library Consortium Model for National Development in Zimbabwe

Globally library cooperation and collaboration is transforming the scholarship landscape as academic libraries battle to survive amidst escalating costs of subscriptions. Zimbabwe is no exception to this phenomenon as evidenced by the development of local consortia for resource sharing. The main purpose of the research is to gather the views of librarians on the need for a library consortium to support national development in Zimbabwe. The researcher used a mixed method approach. Zimbabwe does not have national library consortium for nationwide access to information. Such a consortium is key to harnessing the collective buying power of member institutions to negotiate and guarantee license agreements for digital content. The study recommends a federated library consortium model built on lessons learned from other countries. The model elevates library consortium principles of cooperation and collaboration into Zimbabwe’s national development agenda.

Proposing a library consortium model for national development in Zimbabwe

Globally library cooperation and collaboration is transforming the scholarship landscape as academic libraries battle to survive amidst escalating costs of subscriptions. Zimbabwe is no exception to this phenomenon as evidenced by the development of local consortia for resource sharing. The main purpose of the research is to gather the views of librarians on the need for a library consortium to support national development in Zimbabwe. The researcher used a mixed method approach. Zimbabwe does not have national library consortium for nationwide access to information. Such a consortium is key to harnessing the collective buying power of member institutions to negotiate and guarantee license agreements for digital content. The study recommends a federated library consortium model built on lessons learned from other countries. The model elevates library consortium principles of cooperation and collaboration into Zimbabwe’s national development agenda.

Trending Usage Levels of EIFL-Based Electronic Resources among the Zambian Library Consortium Institutions

Electronic resources are invaluable tools in research and academics. Their emergence and use have been major issues of discussion in scientific practice and literature. While some institutions have enjoyed using e-resources for some time now, others have recorded low usage.This study has revealed various challenges of EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) e-resources usage in ZALICO (Zambian Library Consortium) institutions. Today, ZALICO has access to over 30 databases from reputable publishers, most of which come under open access through EIFL membership. Despite having been with EIFL for more than a decade, ZALICO members still experience the low usage of electronic resources. The real causes of low usage of e-resources at the institutional level are not clear hence the need to establish factors behind this problem and the way to solve it. This picture may be worrying as the consortium continues to spend financial means on e-resources that are not appreciated by users. Other concerns may be on the quality of literature users are using in their academic activities.The main aim of the study was to establish factors behind the low usage of EIFL resources among ZALICO institutions. The study examined these issues as a case study. The questionnaire and usage analysis were used for data collection. The Statistic Package for Social Sciences software and Microsoft Excel were used for analyzing quantitative data, while content analysis was used for qualitative data from the questionnaire open-ended questions. The study reveals various access and usage challenges such as poor Internet connections, inadequate search skills among users, ineffective e-resources promotion strategies resulting in low awareness levels, problems of registration to EIFL resources, and non-proactive librarians.To improve the situation, the research identifies four undertakings: continuous user training, more sensitizations and promotions of e-resources using various methods, improved Internet connections (increased bandwidth, provision of more hot spots at various locations and increased Internet access points), and training of institutional librarians on the registration process as it is deemed to be cumbersome.

Optimization of the Personalized Service System of University Library Based on Internet of Things Technology

In library applications, radio frequency indentification (RFID) technology, sensors, and wireless transmission networks have been applied to various services such as self-service checkout and return systems, electronic reader cards, intelligent bookshelves, intelligent monitoring of library premises, augmented reality (AR) interactive picture books, physical corridors, and seat reservations; in regional library alliances, real crossregional and cross-system alliance cooperation through IoT technology is also becoming increasingly important. Continuous information resource sharing is an important means to maximize the effectiveness of library information resources and meet the information needs of various users. The development of IoT technology opens new ideas and methods for information resource sharing in regional library alliances, effectively expanding the scope of information resource sharing and improving the efficiency of information resource sharing. This paper briefly presents the relationship, architecture, and key technologies of IoT technology and the definition, characteristics, and types of regional library consortium and content. Analysis of the characteristics and principles of regional library consortium information resource sharing is in the context of IoT and the corresponding studies on information sharing between regional library consortia at home and abroad. We also propose strategies to establish a specialized agency for information resource sharing, establish a sound investment mechanism for information resource sharing, ensure the security of information resource sharing of the regional library consortium, and increase the publicity and training capacity of information resource sharing of the regional library consortium.

Use of E-Resources Through Consortia With Special Reference to College Libraries

A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. Library consortium gives the freedom for a library having a smaller collection to access any product at a nominal price. The chapter has shown that 58 (31.53%) assistant professors occasionally use it, followed by 44 (23.92%) respondents using it frequently, 39 (21.2%) respondents use it rarely, 26 (14.14%) respondents use it very frequently, and 17 (09.24%) respondents never use it.

Use of E-Resources Through Consortia With Special Reference to College Libraries

A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. Library consortium gives the freedom for a library having a smaller collection to access any product at a nominal price. The chapter has shown that 58 (31.53%) assistant professors occasionally use it, followed by 44 (23.92%) respondents using it frequently, 39 (21.2%) respondents use it rarely, 26 (14.14%) respondents use it very frequently, and 17 (09.24%) respondents never use it.

Zimbabwean Academic Libraries — Success through Cooperation and Collaboration

Library cooperation and collaboration have become the key to the success of academic libraries in their endeavour to provide for the dynamic and diverse needs of users. The future trajectory of library development will require innovative and flexible strategies for cooperation transcending time and space. This article examines the challenges and opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among Zimbabwe’s library consortia. The study used a case study approach in assessing challenges and opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among academic libraries in Zimbabwe. The key research questions steering the study are “What are the main reasons for joining the consortium?” and “How can academic libraries in Zimbabwe utilise cooperation and collaboration to improve service delivery?” The research sites for this study were academic libraries subscribing to the Zimbabwe University Library Consortium (ZULC) and the College and Research Library Consortium (CARLC). The researcher selected 10 members from the ZULC and 5 members from the CARLC as research sites. The researcher also reviewed literature on developments relating to library cooperation from other countries within and outside Africa. The study recommends library cooperation and collaboration among the different sectors of the library profession. It also recommends negotiations for an inclusive model for cooperation for all types of libraries to avoid the pitfalls of separate development and to strengthen the library system in Zimbabwe.