The document summarizes the changing information environment in South African academic libraries, using the University of Johannesburg Zoology Department and library as an example. It discusses the growth of online resources, social media, and mobile technologies. The librarian describes transforming her role from traditional to more technologically-focused, using tools like blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and networking to better serve patrons.

1. The Technologically Challenged Academic Librarian:
What has changed in the provision of information services in
the age of social interactions?
Pavlinka Kovatcheva,
Faculty Librarian: Natural Sciences
pkovatcheva@uj.ac.za
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
IAMSLIC Conference
19 October 2011, Zanzibar, Tanzania

3. South African Research Environment

4. The South African Higher Education
 2003-2004 started with reforms in the HE
 Mergers/Incorporation of small Universities /Technikons
into Larger Institutions
 From 32 to 21 Public Universities
 Divided into three type of Universities
- Traditional Universities (Theoretically oriented)
- Universities of Technologies (Vocational/Practical)
- Comprehensive Universities (Combination of both)
 Large in student numbers
 Focus on Research
 Focus on 1st generation students

5. Top Africa Universities Ranking (Jul 2011)
http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=afric
a

6. South African Research: Subject Areas (2009-2010)
http://www.scimagojr.com/aboutus.php

7. Country Ranking: Research in Aquatic Science (2010)

8. Country Ranking: Research in Animal Science & Zoology (2010)

9. University of Johannesburg
Faculty of Science &
the Department of Zoology

10. The University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg came in existence from a merger
between the Technikon Witwatersrand, Rand Afrikaans
University and Vista Universities in 2005.
•Over 45,000 students
•9 Faculties on 4 Campuses
•5 Academic Libraries
Challenges for the SA Education:
•Poverty and Crime
•Cultural and Language diversity
•Urban vs Rural education
•Access to Internet and Bandwidth http://www.uj.ac.za/
•Information and Computer Literacy

11. UJ Faculty of Science overview
 14 Departments Up-to 90 Rated Researchers in 2010
 2 Campuses
 2010 - 151 permanent & 79
non-permanent academics
 94.5% of the Academics are
with Masters
 56.3% are with Doctorate
degrees
2010 Science Students
Enrolment
- Undergraduates 2332
- Postgraduates 584
http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/Faculties/science/Pages/default.aspx

12. UJ Zoology Department
 In existence for 43 year
 Currently 10 academic staff members & 6 support staff
 Research active department
 Published almost 1000 manuscripts
 Well known for its work in freshwater biology, specifically
with regard to biodiversity of freshwater animals and
the effect of pollutants on the histology, morphology
and physiology of animals.
 Lectures in Zoology, Human Physiology, Human
Anatomy, Ocular Anatomy and Physiology and
Microbiology – 17 semester courses, almost 750
undergrads and almost 60 postgrads students
Source

13. Zoology Department Research Areas (1)
 Current Research in Genetics
 Research in Fish Parasitology
 The Centre for Aquatic Research (CAR) research projects
focuses into the field of fresh water and estuarine ecotoxicology.
- Hartbeespoort Dam Water Monitoring and Algae Management
Program
- Monitoring of metallic and organic pollutants along the South
African coastline
- Ecological Risk Assessment for pesticides at Vaal harts Irrigation
Scheme
- Marine Fish Parasitic Isopods from Southern Africa
- Ecological Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials in the Aquatic
Environment, etc.

14. Zoology Department Research Areas (2)
 Research in Fish Histopathology and Reproductive
Biology
 Research in Comparative Respiratory Functional
Morphology
FETWater programme in Rivers and Wetlands
Aquarium facility
Collaborations:
 Students & Research Exchange with the University of
Hong Kong
 Collaboration with the University of
Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan

15. http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/Faculties/science/departments/zoology/Pages/Econ@UJ.aspx

16. Where does the UJ Aquatic Researchers Publish?
 AFRICAN ZOOLOGY (ISI Accredited)
 AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AQUATIC SCIENCE (ISI
Accredited)
 ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
 HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT
 MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
 PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH
 SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE (Open
Access, ISI Accredited)
 WATER SA (Open Access, Accredited Journal)

17. Online resources for
zoology users

18. Online Resources for Zoology Researchers
http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbwiki.com/Zoology

19. Online Book Collections
http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbworks.com/Online-Books

20. UJ Zoology Department Institutional Repository:
UJDigispace
http://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za:8080/dspace/

21. Open Access Science Directory
http://atoz.ebsco.com/Titles/8623?lang=en&lang.menu=en&lang.subject=en

22. the south African libraries
The university of
Johannesburg library

23. SA Libraries Initiatives UJ Library Highlights
 National Consortium (SANLiC)  5 Libraries in 4 campuses
 Library Associations (SAOUG;  Archive & Institutional
LIASA; SLIS, etc.) Repository Collections
 Carnegie Foundations for SA  Dewey project
Libraries  Mobile project
 Open Access in SA – SciElo  eReaders project
 Institutional Repositories  One-book-One Library
 Web 2.0 technologies project
 Mobile technologies (iBala)  Open Access Seminar,
26 October 2011
http://www.scielo.org.za/

24. The Transformation of a
Science Librarian
A Web 2.0 experience
The technological & social
librarian

25. The Metamorphosis Life of a Librarian
 The 80s – The traditional role
 The 90s – The transitional role
 The 1st decade of the 21st Century
- The growing online access to Information
- The implementation of Web 2.0 Technologies
- The increase use of Mobile Technologies
- The practice of Embedded Librarianship
 The 2nd decade of the 21st Century
- It is all about Embedded Librarianship, Social
Media, Mobile Devices &
Applications, eReaders & Tablets, Open
Access…. Adapting to the changing needs of patrons,
make it a necessity for the libraries and librarians
to embrace the new technologies.

26. The transitional role of the Modern Librarian
The Traditional The Web 2.0 Librarian The Mobile Librarian
Librarian do: make use of: provides:
• Information Retrieval • Blogs • Library services on
• Reference Services • Social Networking the GO!
• User Education & • Social Bookmarking • Access to Mobile
Information Literacy • RSS feeds Library
• Collection • Wikis catalogues, websites
Development • Instant Messaging , services &
resources
• Marketing the Library • Mind Maps
Services & • Podcasts & Videos • 24/7 access
Resources • Widgets • Social Interactions
• Liaison with Library via Mobile Web 2.0
Applications
stakeholders To ENHANCE her
TRADITIONAL role by • Current Awareness
Helps PATRONS within
the Library Physical contributing, sharing and
wall collaborating with patron To BRIDGE the GAP in

27. UJ Sciences Librarian Web 2.0 Strategy
Stage 1: 2007-2008 Stage 2: 2009
(Individual Experiments) (Integration + further experimentation)
Created accounts to the following tools: Updated the Wiki Portal (Jan’ 09)
- Over 45 web pages
- UJ Sciences Librarian Blog (Oct’07) - IM/Chat account: MeeboMe (Feb’09)
- UJ Librarian News Blog (Oct’ 07) - Embedded Widgets on the Portal (IM; Blogs;
- Delicious: tag articles (Oct’ 07) Twitter; Delicious; Google widgets, etc.)
- Flickr account (Nov’ 07) Some more experiments:
- YouTube account (Dec’ 07) - iGoogle web profile (Apr’ 09)
- Wiki portal (Early’ 08) - Netvibes portal (May’09)
- Facebook profile (May’ 08) - Custom Search Engine for the Portal
- Second Live account (May’08) - Library Google Maps (Aug’ 09)
- Mind Maps (Mid’ 08)
- Twitter (Sep’08) Stage 3: 2010 +
- Library Thing account (Sep’ 08) It all comes together within the:
- UJ Science Library News Blog (Oct’08) - Virtual Learning Environment
- Technorati; Snap Shots; Share This; - Embedding Library Services
Scribd, LinkedIn, many more ….. - Mobile Technologies

28. Support to users with the Technological & Social Tools
Web 2.0
Applications Adapted from Chua, 2008
Information Information Information
Push/Pull Retrieval Exchange
Instant Social
Blogs RSS feeds Social
Messaging Networking
-Web pages -ToC Bookmarking
- MeeboMe -Facebook
-Posts -News - Delicious
-Skype -Twitter
Wikis
-UJ Sciences
Subject portals

29. Library News; Library Services; Projects & Initiatives; Trial
databases; New databases; Publisher’s news and updates; etc.
http://ujscienceslibrarynews.wordpress.com/

30. SOCIAL BOOKMARKING
& SHARING
Implications for Librarians, Researchers and Learners
Tagging information resources with keywords has changed the
way we store and find information.
Use Social Bookmarking & Sharing websites to:
- Simplify the distribution of Reference lists, bibliographies,
articles; news and other resources among peers and
students
- Use for Current Awareness and Selective Dissemination of
information (articles, news; ToC, websites; blog posts, etc.)
- Databases with Social Bookmarking: ACS, RSC,
EbscoHost, IOP, etc. http://delicious.com/sciencelibrarian

33. Use your
Researchers
FB
to reach to
them

34. http://twitter.com/#!/ujlibscience

35. WIKI: UJ SCIENCES LIBRARIAN PORTAL
Provide access to:
- Sciences Subject Portals
- Teaching, Research & Undergraduates
Support for Sciences users
Aim:
- Top Electronic Resources for Sciences
Make scientific information
- User Education, Guides & Tutorials
easily accessible
- Virtual Learning Environment: Special
Tailored made content
websites with instructions for Courses
& Assignments One stop to find subject specific
information
- Social Networking tools: Twitter;
IM/Chat; Library & Research News Promote Open Access initiatives
(blogs); Social Bookmarking (articles) Integrate Library & Internet
- Current Awareness Services Resources

36. http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbworks.com/

37. http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbwiki.com/Zoology

41. The Transformation of a
Science Librarian
The Mobile experience

43. The Mobile Academic Librarian provides:
• 24/7 Access to the Library
catalogue, websites, services &
resources
• Social Interactions via Mobile
Web 2.0 Applications
• Current Awareness to Services
and Resources
• Information Retrieval &
Reference Services
• eBook Readers on loan
At the PALM of your PATRONS HANDS

44. Why make use of the Web 2.0 Apps on your Mobile?
 Bridging the GAP in being connected & informed
 You are the Librarian on the GO!
 Increase the visibility of the Library & yourself as a librarian
 You are connected at any time to your Social Network community
 Use Twitter to tweet or re-tweet from
conferences, workshops, while waiting in a queue or just walking
 Push notifications keeps you up-to-date with the latest news an
developments in any area of interest
 To be able to train and advice your patrons of what they can
access on their Mobile
 Mobile Access to Online books, Locations, Educational
Applications, Entertainment, Research; Latest
news, Chats, Photo sharing, Google are at the palm of your
hand.

45. iPhone Examples

46. QR Code UJ
QR Code UJ
Sciences Librarian
Library Catalogue
Portal

48. The Transformation of a
Science Librarian
The embedded experience
“Embedded librarianship takes a librarian out of the
context of the traditional library and places him/her in an
“on-site” setting or situation that enables close
coordination and collaboration with researchers or
teaching faculty” (Carlson & Kneale, 2011)

49. Embedded Librarianship is about …. (1)
a Partnership with your Faculty and Students
Build relationships & increase the visibility of the
Library Services by:
 Providing Information literacy instruction away from the
Library facility (Lecture hall; Laboratories; Offices or
Research facilities)
 Collaborate with the Faculty members on students’
research projects (Library-Subject based assignments)
 Make use of Virtual Learning Environment to reach to
students in their study space
 Attend faculty Workshops, Open
Lecturers, Seminars, Classes and Practical tutorials

50. Embedded Librarianship is about …. (2)
a Partnership with your Faculty and Students
Build relationships & increase the visibility of the
library services by:
 Attend Faculty Board and Departmental meetings to
learn about the latest on Research & Teaching, and
information needs of its members
 Work together with Faculty to enhance the library
presence in all relevant places.
 Outreach to users by using Social Networking tools to
communicate, share and collaborate.
 Make use of Mobile technologies to connect and
provide services to patrons

51. The Embedded UJ Natural Sciences librarian (1)

52. The Embedded UJ Natural Sciences librarian (2)
Curriculum Course on
Plagiarism: Sciences for
Civics
1st year
Sciences, October 2011

53. Life Aquatic: the UJ Field
Librarian, Zanzibar, 18 Oct 2011

54. The Multi Skills & Roles of the Academic Librarian
http://www.wordle.net/

55. In Conclusion
 The Academic librarians are challenged on so many
levels
 If we want to stay current we need to adapt to the
changing world and the new research environments
 The library patrons use new tools to find and retrieve
information, the librarians should lead the change and
not be left behind
 Skills are learned, change is possible, social & mobile
tools can be very helpful and we, the librarians, are
still current and competitive
THANK YOU