Browsing by Author "De Jager, Karin"

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    Access barriers : an investigation into the availability and accessibility of high-demand materials in the Short Loan Centre of an academic library
    (1996) Leibbrandt, Shirley; De Jager, Karin
    Academic libraries in South Africa are facing the challenge of tighter budgets, increasing student enrolments, greater diversity in students' backgrounds and library experience, and a call for greater accountability to all the stakeholders. The effectiveness of a library service can be measured in terms of the availability and accessibility of library materials, two attributes of a library's document delivery capability. This study focused on the availability of prescribed materials for undergraduate students in an academic library. It involved a micro-evaluation of the immediate materials availability rate in a short loan collection, by using a combination of a quantitative simulation study, and a qualitative user survey. Generally, the availability rates determined were high, which suggests a high degree of collection adequacy. However, the user study confirmed that many SLC users experienced difficulties in using the system, indicating a need for continuous user education programmes and constant dialogue between the staff and the users concerning future service improvements. The study indicated that overall materials availability rates can be misleading if accepted at face value. A introspective analysis of the reasons for the non-availability of high-demand materials revealed hidden access barriers such as poor information retrieval skills on the part of the users and certain inefficient organisational procedures on the part of the library. The study reiterates the fundamental importance of constructive communication between the various stakeholders in meeting the educational goals of the institution and the necessity of regular library performance evaluation to ensure a dynamic, proactive service. The coexistence of print-based and electronic resources in the forseeable future underscores the importance of convenience and accessibility factors in making required documents available to the users.
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    An evaluation of the information architecture of the UCT Library web site
    (2008) Mvungi, Susan Haikaeli; De Jager, Karin; Underwood, Peter
    Web users are becoming more critical of the web sites they use. This dissertation evaluates the information architecture of the academic library web site at the University of Cape Town. The evaluation of the information architecture of an academic library web site is important because the web site functions as an international gateway to the institution's valuable library resources. A library may therefore be judged on the basis of its web site. It is no wonder that a lot of effort is put into ensuring a well-designed web site. A multi-approach evaluation was completed to evaluate the library web site. Firstly, a formal usability test was conducted with five users to establish the required site structure and to identify any possible problems with the usability of the site. Secondly, a heuristic evaluation with an expert was conducted to test the web site content, information architecture, and navigation design. Thirdly, a closed card sort analysis with ten participants was completed in order to establish the required site structure and terminology for the potential web site re-design. Fourthly, a comparative analysis of the previous versions of the university library web site was done to highlight the main differences and improvements. Reviewing "prior-art'1/previous versions of any web site guarantees the development of an improved information architecture. In addition to the aforementioned evaluation techniques, the study recommended the use of a requirements document that was developed for the purposes of this study that details a set of standard guidelines for the academic library site maintenance. In an attempt to improve the navigation problems identified on the library web site, a site map was developed for the web site as well. 11l This research found that the library web site had an overall usable web site with users rating their satisfaction with the site between good and very good. The site however exhibited a few problems with the terminology used, there were also problems identified with the navigation design. Issues relating to identifying specific information were also identified. This dissertation presents recommendations to handle the aforementioned problems. The study also encourages continual web site evaluation.
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    An exploration of the current status of information literacy tuition in South African tertiary institutions and proposals for curriculum design
    (2003) De Jager, Karin; Nassimbeni, Mary
    An investigation was launched at the University of Cape Town (UCT) with the aim of determining measurable competencies in students' information literacy at tertiary level educational institutions. It is increasingly clear that students need both technological skills and information competencies in order to access and employ a wide range of electronic and other information resources. As courses are being developed to inculcate these competencies, it is imperative to generate and incorporate a rationally justified system of standards and benchmarks according to which the outcomes and impact of such interventions may be measured and evaluated in order to ensure continuous improvement. Members of staff at the Centre for Information Literacy at UCT are working towards the establishment of such standards and intend making them available to the information community throughout southern Africa in order that best practice may be shared by all. This paper specifically reports on two exploratory surveys in which firstly, responses were received from ten different information literacy providers from a number that had been identified at the 2001 LIASA conference, and a follow-up survey at the 2002 LIASA conference. It concludes with a suggested approach to obtaining consensus on preliminary standards for information literacy among South African students and a process of evaluation.
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    An analysis of school library use in Government Aided Community Junior Secondary Schools in Gaborone city and the Southern district in Botswana
    (2002) Sehuhula-Mooketsi, Bojelo; De Jager, Karin
    School libraries can have a significant impact on students' academic performance and the quality of learning. This thesis explores the factors surrounding school library use or non-use of school libraries in Government Aided Community Junior Secondary Schools (GACJSS) in Botswana. Background information pertaining to the quality of teaching and learning in GACJSS in Botswana is provided, highlighting policy statements towards the improvement of the quality of learning.
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    Archiving social survey data in Africa : an overview of African microdata curation and the role of survey data archives in data management in Africa
    (2009) Woolfrey, Lynn; Underwood, Peter G; De Jager, Karin
    This study examines current practice in the curation of social survey data in African countries and makes suggestions for future improvements in this regard. Curation of data refers to its preservation and management for reuse. Utilising survey data for the study of social phenomena other than those for which the original survey was initiated is a relatively new research approach in Africa. Thus best practice for this type of research is still being put in place by African organisations. This involves the development of optimal means of processing and storing the data for re-use. Of concern to this study is what constitutes the most effective way of managing and sharing the information garnered from these surveys as a resource for economic and social development in Africa. Social survey data refers to both the statistical information which is the final product of censuses or sample surveys, and the documentation provided with the data to facilitate its reuse. Documentation includes technical notes and questionnaires used in the survey process, as well as meta data (detailed information about the data) and reports produced concerning the final survey findings. The research looks at the history of the management of social survey data worldwide and in African countries, and the policies and processes involved in curating survey information in these countries. The comparative component of the study examines developments in this field internationally and compares these to practices on the African continent. International best practice in the field has been used to evaluate current methods of survey data archiving in African countries. The study presents strategies to ensure the optimal preservation and effective sharing of survey data among countries of the region. Strategies for the establishment of a Pan African network of data sharing organisations are suggested to support future repurposing of African census and survey data.
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    Building biodiversity data infrastructure for science and decision-making: information needs and information-seeking patterns in South Africa
    (2020) Daly, Brenda; De Jager, Karin; Higgs, Richard
    Biodiversity information is critical to inform science-based policy development as well as to support responsible and accountable land-use planning and decision-making practices. The uptake of available information for these uses is, however, not yet quantified or understood. Here, the extent to which the needs of biodiversity information end-users in South Africa are supported via existing information sources was investigated, at the science, practice and policy interface, using the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI's) online conservation mapping service users as a case study. A quantitative investigation of the information needs of end-users of biodiversity information was made, their information-seeking patterns analysed and the various uses of information by different user groups in South Africa investigated. This allowed for the implications of these needs and behaviour on system design and information provision to be formulated to better design the envisaged National Biodiversity Information System at SANBI. Based on a representative sample of end-users from policy, implementation and research backgrounds, a questionnaire was used and the responses were examined to determine which content was most useful, what barriers and enablers they face when trying to access biodiversity information, and what degree of interdisciplinary information is needed in addressing environmental problems. A sample of 778 (13%) respondents from a total of 5977 biodiversity information users was analysed from across the country. The study found that the lack of appropriate or available information remains one of the three highest unmet needs of biodiversity information end-users. The absence of good prior knowledge of sources of biodiversity information and unreliable and inaccurate information are two additional factors that hinder respondents in finding biodiversity information and achieving their goals. The major implication of information deficiency identified by respondents related to uncertain and/or inaccurate outcomes resulting in ill-informed decision-making. A key outcome of the analysis of the survey results are a series of recommendations on how these issues might be addressed, and it is envisioned that these may be used to help guide the development of a National Biodiversity Information System. A broad range of recommendations have been proposed, principally that the interoperability of information from various adjacent and disparate fields of study be combined with biodiversity information as a means of addressing environmental problems.
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    Data archiving, management initiatives and expertise in the Biological Sciences Department, University of Cape Town
    (2015) Koopman, Margaret Marie; De Jager, Karin
    Researchers produce large amounts of data during their research investigations and have a variety of interventions for the management of these data. It has not been the responsibility of academic institutions to manage research data, this responsibility has resided with the researchers and their research units. This investigation attempted to understand how pre-digital, early digital and current digital research data in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Cape Town had been and is being managed, if researchers had archived any of these data and what their opinions were on sharing their research data. Long-term ecological data are an important component of research in the Biological Sciences Department as researchers wish to understand ecosystem changes such as climate change, the spread of alien species and the impact of humans on land and marine exploitation. It is consequently critical that research data, past and present are properly managed for future research so that meaningful management decisions can be made. Research Data Management and the Research Life Cycle are phrases that are very much in the literature at present as librarians and university administrators grapple with the task of implementing data policies and data repositories. The literature review revealed that although the University of Cape Town may be a somewhat behind other international institutions in engaging with Research Data Management and repositories, investigations have been ongoing in other parts of the world and in the international community the groundwork has already been done. Research data have been the preserve of researchers and they are reluctant to give up control of their hard-earned data, usually the result of hours spent on funding applications, and field or laboratory work. Data sets of sufficient quantity and quality to answer research questions can take a researcher a lifetime to accumulate and they understandably do not wish to make these openly available without the insurance that their work will be acknowledged. The findings of this research project revealed that in the absence of systematic data management initiatives at institutional level, researchers had preserved many long-term data sets and in some instances were archiving with international repositories specific to their data types. The findings resulted in a range of suggested interventions for the support of Research Data Management at the University of Cape Town.
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    Developing Internet research skills among criminology honours students and researchers in the Institute of Criminology, University of Cape Town : an evaluation of the methods and materials used for this purpose
    (2002) Atkins, Elaine; De Jager, Karin
    In order to assist honours students and researchers in the Criminology Department at theUniversity of Cape Town to fully utilise resources available through the Internet and other online databases, an online electronic research skills tutorial was developed and implemented. The aim of this research is to assess whether this tutorial is a useful and efficient method of imparting information literacy skills and assisting users to use the rich array of information available electronically. The concept of information literacy is reviewed internationally and in South Africa, in order to place this research within this framework. Concepts of benchmarking and best practice are examined to assess whether the tutorial meets these criteria. Internet trainer certification is studied as well as the importance of linking information tutorials to specific subjects and integrating them with the curriculum. In developing and implementing this tutorial, other information literacy initiatives and Internet tutorials were examined to provide background information and to inform the construction of the tutorial. Initiatives at the University of Cape Town were explored to avoid duplication and overlap and to build on prior training of students and researchers. The practical component of this research reviews the implementation of the tutorial with 13 participants. The participants completed pre-tutorial assessment questionnaires, using open and closed questions, to assess their knowledge and skills. The questionnaire responses were scored on a scale of I to 5 and represented in graphical form. The participants completed the online tutorial, which introduced important sites for criminologists that can be found on the Internet as well as in other electronic databases, and explored how to use the Internet to support research. The tools and techniques to improve Internet searching were reviewed with the participants, as was the critical thinking needed to evaluate information found on the Internet. A post-course evaluation was completed to assess whether the participants had found this a useful experience, whether the course was at an appropriate level and whether the objectives of the course had been achieved. A self-administered follow-up evaluation questionnaire was completed 2 to 3 months after completion of the tutorial in order to assess whether the information contained in the tutorial had been used, sites visited and whether in retrospect, the participants found the experience a useful one. The findings of these questionnaires are analysed and presented in graphical form on a scale of 1 to 5. The analysis of the research shows that the participants of this case study found the experience of doing thc online research skills tutorial a valuable one and that it assisted in developing new skills and in providing a window into all the electronic resources available in their field.
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    Evaluation of an information literacy intervention of nursing students at four Universities of Technology in South Africa
    (2013) Borephe, Sello; Nassimbeni, Mary; De Jager, Karin
    The delivery of high quality patient care and the preparation for lifelong learning requires that nursing students be afforded the opportunity to develop their information literacy (IL) skills. This study explored the IL skills offered to nursing students by the Universities of Technology (UoT) in South Africa. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of an IL intervention for nursing students at four UoT. In South Africa, IL is recognised in higher education as one of the critical outcomes of a qualification. It covers the lifelong competencies of finding, locating, and using information to find solutions to daily problems, to enhance decision-making and to improve the creation of knowledge. The history of IL within academic libraries indicates its evolution from bibliographic instruction, user education and now IL. Most academic libraries in South Africa have placed it high in their strategic plans. In South Africa there is little information on the evaluation of IL interventions for nurses. This study endeavours to investigate the effectiveness of IL intervention for nursing students undertaken by UoT in South Africa. It moves away from subjective evaluation methods in order to establish the extent to which nursing students have benefited from the intervention. The evaluation is learner-centred, and will inform the librarians concerned about the effectiveness of IL intervention. The American College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education were used to evaluate IL intervention at the four UoT that offer Nursing. These UoT are: Vaal University of Technology (VUT), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The study used a questionnaire to assess students’ IL after their training sessions. The findings suggest that the IL interventions were effective, but that attention should be paid to their integration into curriculum. The study provided an insight into how IL interventions should be improved and offered within UoT. It recommends that IL interventions should be credit-bearing.
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    An evaluation of information literacy of postgraduate students of the National University of Lesotho (NUL)
    (2006) Mariti, Lineo Mary; De Jager, Karin; Nassimbeni, Mary
    In this global information age many technological advances have changed approaches to education and the way libraries are managed. The massive increase of unfiltered information has resulted in high demands for information literacy programmes. Therefore, students need to be assisted throughout their learning process. The result of this change is the shift from teacher-centered type of learning to student-centered learning. The gap between the library and the classroom needs to be bridged by insisting on the use of information literacy skills and by promoting cooperation and collaboration of efforts between the teaching staff and the library. The learning organizations need to realize the need to embed information literacy within their curriculum to enhance quality education. The transformation requires libraries to embark on student learning and empower students with necessary information literacy skills. This issue of empowering students with necessary skills had become a motivating factor that drove me to carry out this research in order to find out the status and level of information literacy for postgraduate students of NUL. Information literacy standards were used as a measure. The study used a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. A questionnaire was used as a main data collection instrument and the results were measured against the American Library Association (ALA) information literacy standards. Interviews were also conducted at NUL to supplement the main data collection instrument. Findings reflect a moderate to poor performance of a group of postgraduate and senior Law students who participated in this survey study. Findings from interviews provided evidence that NUL is aware of the concept of information literacy.
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    An evaluation of the attitudes of public library staff to the use of information and communication technologies
    (2007) Thornton, Rian; De Jager, Karin
    This thesis explores the attitudes of public library staff of the Cape Town Administration library Service in 2005 to information and communication technologies (ICTs). This inquiry was appropriate because free Internet access was in the process of being rolledout to public libraries in the Western Cape, and library management was considering investing in a new library management system (LMS). The two systems investigated were the Internet and the BookPlus LMS. The survey instrument was a hardcopy questionnaire, which incorporated an amended version of a well-established technology acceptance model, and was designed to allow for both quantitative and qualitative data to be collected. Analysis of the results suggest that librarians' attitude to ICTs was generally positive. Concerns were raised about both systems, mainly due to their unique characteristics, service history and the manner in which the systems had been implemented. Quantitative results indicated that staff attitudes towards the use of both systems were strongly related to staff perception of the usefulness of the system. The insights obtained from the results of both systems suggest that an understanding of staff attitudes towards ICTs can positively inform implementation strategies and improve user adoption of new technologies.
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    Exploring the impact of library instruction on the Human Sciences Research Council staff, in support of achieving their research and academic goals
    (2020) Pillai, Viveka; De Jager, Karin
    This study explored the impact of library instruction (LI) on the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) staff, in support of achieving their research and academic goals. The study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design, which consisted of two separate phases: quantitative data collection followed by qualitative data collection. The researcher surveyed the HSRC staff members, by using two online questionnaires. The first was for staff members who previously attended LI and the second for those who had never attended. A Likert scale was used to gauge the extent to which a participant agreed or disagreed with certain statements posed. A combination of open and closed ended questions were used in the questionnaire. The researcher used the free survey software Google forms to create and disseminate the quantitative questionnaires. The data files were then downloaded from Google forms into an Excel file and uploaded into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Participants volunteered for a follow‐up interview; this option was included in both questionnaires. The researcher had separate semi-structured interview guides for staff who attended and for those who never attended LI. Face‐to‐face and telephonic interviews were used to gather data. Interviewees were asked to sign a consent form, granting the researcher permission to audio record the interview. The total number of staff members, with valid e‐mail addresses that were sampled was 385. The total response rate was 27%. A total of 104 staff responded, with 69 staff members responding to the questionnaire for those who had attended LI and 35 staff responding to the questionnaire for those who had never attended LI. There were 40 staff members who volunteered to be interviewed, the researcher interviewed the first 30 who responded with signed consent forms. The findings illustrated that LI had a positive influence on the ability of the staff to achieve some of their research and academic goals. Participants indicated that they developed and learned new skills by attending LI. They also attributed their ability to find relevant sources, critically evaluate information and use information responsibly iv due to LI. LI however had little influence on staff publishing more, finding and applying for researching funding, or increasing citation counts. The findings provided an opportunity for the HSRC LI team to develop and explore alternative methods to contribute to staff success in these areas. The study also found that the HSRC library could explore the need for alternative instructional models, consider hosting LI sessions for similar post level groupings and consider offering more LI classes so staff could have more opportunities to attend.
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    Faculty of Humanities: handbook on citation and related matters
    (2010-03) De Jager, Karin
    This document can be used as a reference guide for students and staff when facing questions around referencing and citations. Students are often unsure of exactly what plagiarism is and how it affects them. Especially these days with the ease of cutting and pasting from the Internet, student plagiarism has become an issue of great concern in academic institutions and it is very important to realize that any accusation of plagiarism will be serious and could be dealt with very severely. This handbook has been designed to help you understand and appreciate the need for proper referencing, evaluate different resources, and properly cite varying resources according to internationally approved citation styles.
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    Information literacy and academic performance of students in two halls of residence of the University of Cape Town (South Africa)
    (1999) Makotoko, Likonelo Constance; De Jager, Karin
    Information literacy may be regarded as the ability to recogruse and identify an information need when it arises, and act upon this need to find the relevant information. It involves critical evaluation of information and application of cognitive thinking skills to various types of information sources. An information literate person uses and accesses variety of information sources in different formats so that s/hc may use information effectively to try and solve problems, make proper decisions and prepare for life long learning. Information literacy is regarded as very impor1":mt to people living in the Information Society, and to students studying at the university, on the job and in life as a whole. Therefore, there is a need to establish the information literacy skills of students at tertiary institutions to last them a lifetime. This dissertation investigates the different levels of information literacy skills of some undergraduate students at the University of Cape Town with a view to establish pattern~ of information use and to find if this may have any relationship with their academic performance. In orde: ·to access information for the solution of the task that the researcher pre posed to achie . a questionnaire was prepared and administered to the students of Tugwell and Kopano halls of residence of the University of Cape Town, South Africa. That was to establish the different levels of students' information literacy with the purpose of finding whether there was any positive correlation between the information literacy skills of undergraduate students and performance in their studies. The researcher compared the students' actual examinations results with the way they responded to sectiom of the questionnaire. The researcher made use of a total number of 184 students as the research sample on whom the research questionnaire were administered. The instrument used for this study consisted of 60 items broken into sections 1 - 9. The data used comprised of two sets. The first set, wrich was collected with the aid of the research instrumert, was coliected on the 20th - 22nd September, 1998. The second set of data was collected from the 15th December, 1998 - 20th January, 1999. It was analysed using tables which show totals and percentages of the totals. The study revealed that some relationships might exist between the information literacy skills and information use Xlll of the students and their academic performance and it was also established that some students have problems while studying at UCT. The study showed that positive correlation might exist between good academic writing and academic performance. Students who had indicated that they were able to express themselves and prepare reference lists performed better in the examinations. Students who reported to work more by supplementing their textbooks and course packs with extra material performed better in their examination, and therefore, there may be said to exist some positive correlation between students' u.cademic performance and their information literacy.
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    Information Literacy in Practice: engaging public library workers in rural South Africa
    (SAGE, 2007) De Jager, Karin; Nassimbeni, Mary
    Mpumalanga Provincial Library Services, South Africa, offers public library services in a largely rural 'new' province created in 1996. Many of the libraries are in isolated areas and have to meet the very diverse needs of their communities. This paper reports the results of an information literacy intervention designed for public library workers in this province. The campaign, a first of its kind in Mpumalanga (and South Africa), gave public library workers the opportunity to develop their information literacy skills and to apply them in their libraries. This paper discusses the information and training needs that were identified, the campaigns that were constructed, their progress and the outcomes. From the outset, emphasis was placed on the importance of measuring and evaluating activities throughout their campaigns in order to be able to assess the impact of their interventions. The paper attempts to show what difference even small public libraries with unqualified library workers can make in tackling social exclusion in disadvantaged communities.
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    Information technology and deskilling of professional cataloguers with special reference to academic libraries in the Western Cape
    (1996) Lephoto, 'Mapasane; De Jager, Karin
    An investigation was undertaken to establish whether it was possible to assume that information technology has had an influence of the skills levels in the jobs of cataloguers. The research was conducted in two parts: the literature survey and the empirical investigation. The survey of literature was done on the literature from the United States of America (USA), from the United Kingdom (UK) and also from limited South African resource. The overseas literature was related to the situation in South Africa. The empirical investigation was confined to the academic libraries in the Western Cape region of South Africa. For the empirical investigation a mail questionnaire was constructed and sent to respondents in order to determine whether information technology was indeed affecting the skills of cataloguers in the academic libraries. 'The analysis of data obtained from the results of the questionnaire indicated that there was no sign of a negative influence in the skills levels of cataloguers in Western Cape Africa. Indeed, it seemed was apparent from the analysis of data that cataloguers find information technology to be a positive influence on their skills and on enhancing their status.
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    An investigation into the theoretical foundations of library cataloguing and a critical analysis of the cataloguing of the South African national bibliography, 1981-1983
    (1984) De Jager, Karin; Smith, Janet Gretchen
    This thesis proposes that the foundations of the library catalogue are not rooted in a coherent, encompassing and comprehensive theoretical structure. Instead, it shows that it rests upon a number of principles that evolved during the nineteenth century from the work done by cataloguing experts such as Panizzi, Jewett and Cutter. These principles are shown to be either principles of access or of bibliographical description, and they still form the basis for the construction of modern catalogues according to the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2). The South African National Bibliography (SANB) is then used as an example of an actual catalogue constructed according to the AACR2. A study is conducted of the cataloguing records in the SANB in order to establish how these Rules are put into practice, and how usable a catalogue may be produced according to these Rules and principles. It is concluded that the SANB is a high quality catalogue according to the standards set by the AACR2, but that such a catalogue may not be optimally useful from the point of view of the user. Certain ideas from Artificial Intelligence are then employed to find out to what extent a user is able to utilize the library catalogue as a channel of communication in order to gain maximum benefit from the information available in the catalogue. It is found that the user is indeed not equipped to make full use of the catalogue, and it is suggested that the potential for increased access facilities brought (v) about by computer technology may be employed to bridge the communication gap between the user and the cataloguer. The thesis therefore concludes that the established principles according to which catalogues are constructed, are inadequate for the formulation of a comprehensive theory of cataloguing, but a search for such a theory is shown to be ultimately inappropriate. Cataloguing is essentially a problem-solving pursuit which aims at the production of a tangible object; a usable catalogue. Modern computer technology has brought the library catalogue to a crossroads in its development, and a detailed study of user needs will have to form the basis for the development of additional principles according to which the new technology will most successfully be applied to library catalogues.
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    Opening the library catalogue up to the Web: a view from South Africa
    (SAGE, 2007) De Jager, Karin
    While libraries still spend much time and money on building and maintaining catalogues according to accepted international standards, there is considerable evidence that users are inclined to bypass libraries and their catalogues in their search for information and to rely solely on information provided by web search engines. This paper discusses the different and sometimes conflicting needs of on the one hand instant information seekers and on the other the needs of scholars that may be better served by information not obtainable by web searching alone. It proposes that one way of promoting and facilitating catalogue use is to include records for remote electronic resources into online catalogues, so that information about both print and electronic resources could be retrieved by a single search. The paper concludes by reporting on a survey done at a training workshop on the cataloguing of electronic resources, which was held by the Library and Information Association of South Africa's Interest Group for Bibliographic Standards, in July 2006.
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    Place matters: undergraduate perceptions of the value of the library
    (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015) De Jager, Karin
    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore from a number of points of view the perceptions of mainly undergraduate students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) about the value they derive from visiting the physical library. Design/methodology/approach: Data from different investigations were assembled to derive a composite view of undergraduates’ perceptions of the value of the library. LibQUAL+® data reflecting the “Library as Place” dimension of the survey completed in 2014 were scrutinized; data from two surveys conducted in the information commons and the 24/7 venue of the main library at UCT were compiled and data from gate counts during the past three years showed different aspects of undergraduates’ opinions and behavior. Findings: The combination of data from difference sources provided convincing evidence that undergraduate students value the library as a physical space and that they believe their working in the library enables them to get better marks for their university work. Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies in the combination of different datasets to focus on one particular issue, the value of the physical library.
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    The role played by academic libraries in the enhancement of information literacy : a study of Fort Hare library
    (2004) Somi, Ntombizodwa Getrude; De Jager, Karin
    Many technological challenges today require libraries and various stakeholders to embark on student learning and empower students with the necessary information skills to function efficiently and effectively in the global information age. The aim of this study was to investigate the role played by the University of Fort Hare Library in the enhancement of information literacy. A survey method was selected. Findings and recommendations from students, the lessons of information literacy at the University Fort Hare library and other libraries are presented. Recommendations about what the library needs to do to empower students for lifelong learning is also presented.