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!

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)

Worth Noting

Happy 40th birthday Internet : The internet celebrated its 40^th 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.

From the Blog Post:

Library Trivia notes

• 100 Hilarious College Courses that Really Exist  Read more>>>>>

•  A proposal to “Ask a Librarian”  Read more>>>

Future Note

eLearning Africa 2010 - learn, share, network. 5^th pan African gathering of eLearning and education professionals.  Lusaka, Zambia May 26-28  http://www.elearning-africa.com/index.php

February 23-26, 2010: International Conference on Digital Libraries (ICDL) in New Delhi, India

Quotes of Note

~The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn.” – Alvin Toffler (with thanks)~

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please -  Mark Twain