Libraries and academic development strategies in South African universities

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of university libraries in academic support and development programmes in South Africa. It focuses on how libraries and librarians can assist under-prepared students whose educational backgrounds under apartheid have not equipped them for the transition from school to university. The socio-political, educational and library contexts are analysed in comparative perspective by looking at the experience of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom. Issues of nation building and multi-culturalism in both Britain and South Africa are critically discussed, and the institutional aspects of professional librarianship are construed as the backdrop of user education in academic libraries. Academic development strategies in university libraries are reviewed under the rubric of affirmative action, racism awareness training, a multi-media environment, reading programmes and information retrieval and censorship. Recommendations are offered on the basis of an investigation of the literature on user education in libraries and its application to academic development for under-prepared students.