Zimbabwe's E-Government Readiness and Adoption of Cloud-Based Records Management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Zimbabwe is one of the developing countries striving to reach a middle economy status by year 2030. In its bid to achieve this vision, it has adopted an electronic government strategy (e-government strategy) where government business is done electronically. An e-government strategy is a plan for e-government systems and their supporting infrastructure, which maximises the ability of government to achieve its objective of Vision 2030. An e-government strategy must give direction where the government is going, its goals, vision, mission, and some implementation guidelines. In order to reach this objective, the government has to become more accountable and transparent on its journey to Vision 2030, and one of its key drivers is proper records and archives management. Properly managed electronic government records bring about accountability, transparency, and good governance.

Library Services to Patrons With Disabilities

Libraries are coming to terms with the fact that their primary role is to provide information resources and services to all equally without any category of users being neglected or feeling left out. Those with disabilities need specialized services and attention, which libraries as public places must be ready to offer. How should patrons with disabilities be treated when they visit the library or need the assistance of librarians? Do they have access to library resources in the format that suits their form of disability and enhances their getting their information needs met? This chapter sheds light on how patrons with disabilities can be served adequately by libraries and librarians.

The Role of Edge/Fog Computing Security in IoT and Industry 4.0 Infrastructures

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) has led to many innovative technologies. The integration of technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, and machine learning concepts have given rise to Industry 4.0. Fog and edge computing have stepped in to fill the areas where cloud computing is inadequate to ensure these systems work quickly and efficiently. The number of connected devices has brought about cybersecurity issues. This study reviewed the current literature regarding edge/fog-based cybersecurity in IoT to display the current state.

Open Access (OA) Movement in the Libraries of Bangladesh

The purpose of this chapter is to explore current trends of the open access (OA) movement in the libraries of Bangladesh in the light of librarians' perceptions. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data from 20 respondent libraries selected purposively. The result of the study shows that the mean value of the concept of open access as “literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions” is jointly highest (x̅=4.25) with the definition given by Budapest Open Access Initiative, which indicates “agree” in the Likert scale. Fifty percent of the respondent librarians remarked that proper depositing guidelines are necessary for submitting researchers' works into the institutional repositories (x̅=4.10, σ=1.12). More than half of the respondents (55%) strongly agreed that libraries should implement OA initiative due to “support for development” (x̅=4.50, σ=0.61) as the libraries don't have sufficient funds (x̅=4.50, σ=0.61).

Institutional Repository as a Knowledge Management Tool for the Enhancement of Library Visibility in the 21st Century

The chapter focused on the institutional repository as a knowledge management tool that enhances the visibility of libraries in the 21st century. The researcher mainly relied on content analysis to gather research data. The researcher took a swipe on the uptake of institutional repositories the world over and an analysis of how an institutional repository could be used as a knowledge management tool was done. The researcher also conducted a situational analysis of the MSU institutional repository and assessed the impact of the digital repository on the visibility of the library. The author used the Webometrics Ranking of Universities in Zimbabwe to assess how universities are ranked in Zimbabwe.

The Use of a WhatsApp Record for Communication With Students

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of WhatsApp usage in disseminating information to students at the Management, Zimbabwe Open University's Mashonaland West Regional Campus. This study employed a mixed methodology wherein both the qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires were distributed to students through WhatsApp groups for all faculties. A total of 255 questionnaires were distributed to students through the existing WhatsApp groups. Of the distributed questionnaires, 128 were returned, and of these, 69 were usable for data analysis. The study revealed that the majority of students utilize WhatsApp for communication with the university. The other finding was that WhatsApp communication was characterized by data bundle costs and internet connectivity challenges. The study recommended that there be a WhatsApp policy and widening of the use for teaching and learning.

Global Research Output in Occupational Health From 1998–2018

An analysis of 12,317 publications published by Research Productivity on Occupational Health during 1998-2018 and indexed by Web of Science online database indicates the publication output in the global level research productivity of the publication. The highest numbers of papers were published during the year 2018 with 1,237 records followed by the year 2016 with 1,189 records. Overall, 31,498 authors contributed 2,866 publications in the journal and global cited scores with 149,345 records of the articles. A total of 138 countries have contributed in publications of the output of total research productivity. In this research, it is found that articles have been written using 25 languages.

Open Educational Resources in Africa

The open access movement came as a result of the rising cost of learning materials and the need for having publicly funded research or works available on the public domain. This is a movement which is in support of having educational learning resources freely available on the internet. Despite the intellectual properly issues surrounding use of learning resources, many institutions in Africa are adopting these digital learning resources. The chapter documents how the OER movement started, its advantages and disadvantages, copyright and licensing issues, models, and challenges in adopting OERs.

Management of Local Authority Records at Zvishavane Town Council

This study evaluated records management practices at a local authority in Zimbabwe, with reference to Zvishavane Town Council in the South Midlands province of Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to establish the records management practice to expose the bedevil and recommend the best practice. To achieve the purpose of the study, qualitative research methodology was used through a case study design. Data was collected using interviews, document analysis, and direct observations. The findings of the study revealed that Zvishavane Town Council was practicing records management without a standard written down policy of records management. This led to an ad hoc system of practice in terms of good governance, accountability, and transparency in managing council records. The study recommends that records management at this council be done using a well-documented records management policy.

Emerging Roles of Libraries and Librarians During and Post COVID-19 Pandemic

This chapter highlights the challenges and opportunities that have and will arise as a result of the epidemic. When the spread of CoronaVirus 2019 (COVID-19) was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO), most schools, colleges, and tertiary institutes around the world were ordered to close so as to contain the spread. Currently, most learning institutions are experiencing challenges related to how to provide critical services; the most critical ones are linked to the library services. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in place, it is evident that libraries will greatly be affected in their service delivery. This chapter, therefore, brings into perspective the eminent changing roles of libraries and the challenges and opportunities that did and will emerge as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides different library case studies and how the COVID-19 pandemic is being handled in Kenya, Morocco, and Hungary. The chapter puts into perspective new insights that will enable libraries to adapt quickly to the new technologies substituting the obsolete and redundant ones.