Who we are and what we do:....

GAELIC is an academic library consortium founded in April 1996 within FOTIM (Foundation of Tertiary Institutions of the Northern Metropolis), which is a regional academic consortium of 9 universities. The region covered includes the provinces of Gauteng, North-West and Limpopo. Fotim aims to promote collaboration and capacity development within the South African higher education sector.



February 12, 2010

February 9, 2010

Welcome back colleagues Jan/Feb 2010


It’s back to the grindstone and some of us are already up and running and have dealt with the first intake of students and presented the introductory library orientation sessions. 2010 promises to be a busy and exciting year and all of us at the FOTIM Office wish you success and strength as you face the challenges.

Zodwa, Anke, Tanya, Lawson & Carole

The GAELIC Strategic Plan report back


We have several new ideas for GAELIC projects and in support of the general excitement

around the World Cup, we are hoping to adopting the theme of

Think global ~act local

for 2010 focusing on the challenges facing academic libraries globally from a local viewpoint l encourage all of you to work together within GAELIC to make this a reality.

GAELIC Members Note


Targeting Talent programme at Wits received a much-welcomed boost when international

literacy organisation Room to Read donated 636 books to its cause.


Adam Habib of UJ comments about the challenge of journal costs to the universities. Nov 2009

Read the UP library newsletter for an overview of all the exciting things happening at the University of Pretoria library

(Please let us know of other member newsletters which we can highlight)

Congratulations to Erika Rood who is to be the Assistant to the current IFLA President Ms Ellen Tise for the duration of her term until 2011. Erika's is the Training Librarian at North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) and a member of one of the GAELIC strategic Teams

FOTIM Notes


VUMA! Notes

The VUMA! video is available on YouTube - please encourage the students to use VUMA as a support resources and consider using it as a way to create your blog or as a means to communicate with them.

There are a lot of new and exciting options on the portal for 2010. Take a look at the TOP Ten survival tools for the beginning of this year…. 10. News and Events happening on the campuses. 9. Career profiles to find out more about study options & requirements 8. Keep an online journal at Blog-it!!! 7. Find articles and online information Library 6. Get a daily inspiration 'Quote of the Day' 5. Find friends - new and old. 4. Join in online discussions about university life, relationships, and lecturers - Say-it!!! 3. Locate health centres, financial services, & important offices on your campus - UNI Contacts 2. find part-time work at your university. 1. Relax and have some fun

Disability Project Notes

GAELIC is working with the FOTIM Disability Group on a proposal to investigate services to library users with disabilities. Please contact the GAELIC Office if you have any interest in this area.

IFLA and DISABILITY Read about the update on copyright developments within WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) discussed at the 19th Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. Topics included: educational exceptions; visually impaired readers; audio-visual issues and broadcasting rights.

The president of the National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest organisation of blind people in the US, addressed staff at the Library of Congress in January on the need for digital information and electronic books to be made available

Students with print disabilities will soon will have access to a larger library of web-based college textbooks. (by Dennis Carter, Dec 15th, 2009) Read more>>>>


JISC TechDis launches a tool to improve internet accessibility for everyone especially for the disabled users (from IWR News Desk 20 Jan 2010)


Objective 1: Promote Optimal Use of the Millennium System in GAELIC member libraries







IUG:SA 09 read the report from staff at the University of Pretoria who attended the event

Objective 2 Build capacity through identification and provision of training needs and services for the optimal utilization of resources


The Library Journal Directors’ Summit, "Successful Fundraising in a Tough Economy," held in November 09 produced some useful sources for contemplating. See the “7 Key ingredients for a successful capital campaign” produced by The Friends of San Francisco Public Library and others.

We are planning the training and workshop timetable -despite the interruption of the World Cup. - keep an eye out for notices and call for participations.

Objective 3 Improve cost efficiency through joint procurement and resources sharing

The debate on the tax on books is once again raised. Read about>>. “ a tax on books is a tax on learning”

Another exciting project is under discussion for GAELIC focused on an African digital library initiative. Watch this space.

Kenya calls for a policy for Africa: the Continent Needs Strong ICT Policies Read more>>>>

Open access and Institutional Repository Notes

New works in the South African Public Domain [by Andrew Rens ] Find out more>>>>

Google publishes Stanford dissertations online Read more>>>


OpenThesis is a free repository of theses, dissertations, and other academic documents Read more>>>>

Open Access journal : Codex: the journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRLA peer-reviewed journal examining academic libraries and librarianship

Blog Notes


How to produce Video Interviews for your blog using Skype. Read more>>>

Best Blogs 2009

® PC Mag publishes its favourite blogs of 2009 Read more>>>>

® From Edublog - the awards for best blogs 2009 top 10

Best librarian / library blog Never Ending Search ; Bright Ideas ; Library Tech Musings

Best educational tech support blog : iLearn Technology ; Langwitches ; Life Feast

Best elearning / corporate education blog : MPB Reflections — 21st Century Teaching and Learning ; Angela Maiers ; e-learning, conocimiento en red y web colectiva

Best educational use of audio : Xyleme Voices Podcasts ; Musical Blogies ; My Audio School

Best educational use of video / visual : Bitácora de Aníbal de la Torre ; The Longfellow Ten ; Inanimate Alice

Best educational wiki : Greetings From The World ; Soar 2 New Heights ; HUMS3001: Censorship and Responsibility

Best educational use of a social networking service : English Companion Ning ; EFL Classroom 2.0 ; RSC Access and Inclusion Ning

Best educational use of a virtual world : Virtual Graduation at the University of Edinburgh– ; Virtual Round Table Conference ; ISTE’s Second Life island and SecondLife Education New Zealand

February 8, 2010

Noteworthy


Library Transformation Charter: The 6th Draft of the Library Transformation Charter can be found on the National Library site. Read Chapter 4 section c (Page 27) about University Libraries.

Download the full 2010 Horizon report . Read about the Key Trends ; a comprehensive look at Electronic Books and the academic environment ; and Six new technologies to watch are just a few fascinating subject covered.

Longshots Library Podcast Celebrates its 200th Episode with an interview of Dr. Peter Lor, on how February 11, 1990, the day Nelson Mandela walked out of prison, was a turning point. He also relates how libraries have strived to play a part in the educational and cultural development of the country after apartheid.

Musical notes


DeweyMusic is a new public domain music library, where you can listen to, download, remix, and share anything you see on this site legally free.

Take note

69 of the best web applications from 2009. See how many you know


SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries). Read the latest Focus newsletter online. No 45 is a special Subject Librarians issue

Support Notes

More about the eBook revolution from the Horizon report

Things You Need To Know About Sony Readers in a Higher Education Environment Read more>>>>

Devices to Take Textbooks Beyond Text :Read about the new e-book readers >>>>


E-Book Fans Are Proving to be Enthusiastic Reader Read how they may be creating a greater interest in books

Library Trivia notes


Many of the words we use have become so familiar that we don’t think that their usage became popular in the last 10 years. Read "words of the decade" from Portrait of the Decade Part 1

Did you know that Wikipedia is 9 years old this year Read about it >>>> Happy Birthday!!!!!

Future Notes

South Africa National Library week runs from the 20th to 26th of March this year with the theme “Reading Changes Lives”.
The 10th Southern African Online Information Meeting: Past, Present and Future will be held at the CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria from 4th - 5th August 2010. Run by SAOUG (Southern African Online User Group), SLIS (Special Library Information Specialists) and OSALL (Organisation of SA Law Librarians) the call for papers is open until 3 May. Contact glenda.myers@wits.ac.za
International Conference on Digital Scholarship and Emerging Technologies. 25-27 May 2010. University of Botswana New Conference Complex. Organized jointly by the University of Botswana, the University of Pretoria and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
The Future is Now: new roles and relationships for academic libraries. 16 - 18 May 2010. University of Johannesburg, Council Chambers, Kingsway campus. For more information >>>
2010 Annual LIS Research Symposium – University of South Africa (UNISA) Library Services and Department of Information Science. 22 to 23 July 2010. UNISA School for Business Leadership (SBL) in Midrand, Call for papers/poster presentations now open. For more information >>>

Quote of Note

Quotes of Note “I am a part of all I have read” (Theodore Rubin)

Vartan Gregorian (Carnegie Corporation) “The library is not only a diary of the human race, but marks an act of faith in the continuity of humanity”

January 12, 2010

GAELIC Notes December 2009

Welcome Note
Well we have nearly reached the end of the year. The Jacaranda is in full bloom and the students are just about finished their exams. Staff are looking forward to the summer break and the few days off to relax and enjoy the sun.
We wish you all a smooth end to 2009, a relaxing time off and an exciting start to 2010
  From all at FOTIM
    Zodwa, Anke, Tanya, Lawson and Carole

The GAELIC Strategic Plan report back

Once again we have seen and exciting time for GAELIC with several new ideas on the table, including and investigation into the challenges facing the 21st century academic libraries and the need to consider ways to update services to users with disabilities.
Also under the microscope is the need to look at succession planning and joint projects related to African content. Keep a watch for developments.

We ended 2009 on a high note with the Summer Training Camp and thank all of you who attended and presented. 2010 promises to be a year providing many thrilling opportunities, new challenges and lots of hard work

GAELIC Celebrations Notes



The FOTIM Disability and GAELIC Programme Managers recently paid a visit to the University of Venda. Library staff were introduced to the new GAELIC Structure and the VUMA! portal. We received a very warm and friendly welcome.





Wits holds a FOSS awareness day (Free and Open Source Software)

The University of Pretoria Library Services launches its list Accredited Open Access Journals - South Africa (AOAJSA)

The University of Botswana did us proud by giving a presentation at IFLA on the Millennium system

FOTIM Notes

Read all the FOTIM News in their online newsletter

FOTIM in the news leading the initiative on Student Accomodation

VUMA! focus
There are several self test option on the web now Try the Test anxiety levels and see just how you rate.

Sub articles



Blog Notes
Japanese university plans huge 'manga' library         




Noteworthy

Twitter dictionary - Twittonary


Feature of Note



GAELIC congratulates Ellen Tise on her appointment as IFLA president. Read her acceptance speech and her presidential theme: Libraries driving access to knowledge


Noteworthy Publications

The report on the Impact of the economic recession on university library and IT services in the UK is thought provoking. Download the full report 

Virtual World Watch report "Choosing virtual worlds for use in teaching and learning in UK higher education" October 2009.

Objective 1: Promote Optimal Use of the Millennium System in GAELIC member libraries

Read the latest Pew Internet Project Findings and Implications for Libraries report State of the Internet 2009 by Mary Madden (Oct 2, 2009) presented by the Metropolitan New York Library Council


Once again a successful IUG:SA was held in Port Elizabeth with about 140 delegates attending from around Southern Africa. Papers are on the web and cover many interesting and relevant topics. A password is needed to access them - please contact the GAELIC Office


The TEAM presented several aspects of the Millennium System at the Summer Camp held at Wits University - thanks for the support and input guys!

January 11, 2010

Objective 2 Build capacity through identification and provision of training needs and services for the optimal utilization of resources

GAELIC Summer Training Camp: Over 100 people registered for this event which was held at the University of the Witwatersrand Library. Four parallel sessions were held focusing on differing needs and interest of the GAELIC member's library staff. Presentations and photos can be found on the website.A big thank-you to all who participated in any way. Feedback on this event is welcome so that we can improve on it next time.


*OCLC Research Roadmap Working group is writing a manifesto in the form of a call to action for staff working in academic libraries. Spelling out the current state of affairs, their objective is to keep the library at the heart of the research process. Read the manifesto.

*"From Librarian Habilis to Librarian Sapiens" - making web 2.0 work / by Milica Cvetkovic  Information today. vol 29 (9) Oct 09  

*Some advice for those considering the e-book reader as an option
      >Top 5 e-book readers  from Liane Cassovy of PC World Nov 9, 2009

      >Google sparks an e-book fight with Kindle .. from the Reuters Blog Oct 15, 2009 by Georgina Prodhan

      >Gary Price - Resource Shelf provides 100 useful links for the e-book lover

Objective 3 Improve cost efficiency through joint procurement and resources sharing

Google translate has a long way to go before it accommodates all South African official languages but at least it has the Afrikaans option.

The University of Toronto Press places its journals on Facebook

Open access and Institutional Repository Notes

The latest South African DSpace repository list 
can be found here ......

Need a comparison of institutional repository software?  See a list with thanks to Ina Smith.

Learning to share: "free, immediate and permanently available research results for all"  open access campaigners / Zoe Corbyn & Matthew Reiz from THE 12 November 2009

Accredited Open Access Journals - South Africa (AOAJSA)
The University of Pretoria celebrated Open Access Day in a uniquee way by launching the AOAJSA , a list of open access journals acknowledged by the South African Department of Education and thus    qualifying  for university subsidy. Read more

"Online collections vs Print"
A new approach to weeding - not sure what to withdraw. Read the Ithaka report Sept 2009

Digital Preservation:  (from JISCmail):- Digital Preservation Coalition (DCP) : a summary of selected recent activity  Issue 21 (May-Sept 09) or read the Handbook

Join the Australian digital preservation discussion group Padiforum


Support Notes

*EU Bookshop is an online catalogue and archive of all European Union publications which now allows users to search EU publications, place orders or download free copies where available.

*16 Applications that make sharing files a snap... by Orli Yakuel of Techcrunch, August 8, 2009

*Manage your online social life. Tips for social networking management. Part 1 & Part 2

*An introduction to Google Wave 

Safety Notes:  Safeguard your Facebook privacy by Mahendra Palsule (13 Sept 2009)

January 7, 2010

Worth Noting



Happy 40th birthday Internet : The internet celebrated its 40th birthday on 29 Oct  The web inventor regrets 1 small thing … He would get rid of the double slash “//” after the “http:” in Web addresses.