Using ICTs effectively to leverage global communications: the case of public libraries in Zimbabwe

Using ICTs effectively to leverage global communications: the case of public libraries in Zimbabwe

By

Bhowa tg & Hosea Tokwe

The last two decades has seen significant changes in the information and communication technology (ICT) landscape, resulting in a fundamental shift in public library services and skills required of public librarians.  ICTs are becoming more interdisciplinary and interpersonal in nature, requiring a broader range of skills to meet ever changing end user needs.  ICTs have the power to create and deliver public library products and services that are on time, within budget, and of high quality.  The advent of ubiquitous computing and the birth of e-terms such as e-books, e-mail, and e-agriculture are just but small indicators of the degree of change that an information-hungry culture has experienced over the past 20-25 years.  For many public library end users, ICTs are now an enabler, rather than an enigma and has become the province of a broad user base.  ICTs permeate each and every aspect of our lives and public libraries are no exception. This article explores the extent to which public libraries have been affected by modern ICT’s.  The researchers also explore the extent to which public libraries have adapted to the ICT (r)evolution, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for public libraries in the technology driven world of the new millennium. The article also highlights the advantages and disadvantages of ICT’s as applied to public libraries and provision of public library services.  The writers also look at how ICT’s can be used to promote access to information in order to enhance social cohesion.

Key words: Information and Communication Technology; public libraries, public librarians

1.      Introduction

The adaptation of ICT’s in libraries has resulted in the radical transformation of the role of library professionals and services and products provided by such institutions, argues Kawatra (1999). Furthermore, modern technology has helped to transform ‘public’ libraries from being mere warehouses to critical access centres for ‘sustainable’ information retrieval. This ICTs manipulation calls for a new thinking, new technology and new strategies, which will help to ensure these public social institutions remain vibrant and relevant in providing for the dynamic information needs and access of the society. ICT uptake is an inevitable and necessary weapon for developing countries in order to contribute, shape and influence the direction of the international information order which is skewed heavily in favour of the resource endowed countries resulting in the information and digital divide. Kevin (1996:51 – 52) basing his arguments’ on Ranganathan five principles describes libraries as growing biological organisms that adopt themselves over a period of time to changing environments. ICTs have become more pervasive as it now permeates all aspects of our daily lives, socially, culturally, economically and politically. In sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included public libraries are adjusting to ICT’s amidst socio-economic and technical challenges.

2.      ICTs

A school of thought unpacks ICT as a combination of telecommunication and computing techniques which makes possible new systems, services and products to help people at work, in education and at home. In public libraries ICTs maybe be seen as the use or application of various technologies such as computer, reprographics, video recording and other electronic devices for the storage, retrieval, reproduction and dissemination of information in a library environment. The role of ICTs is that of a unified communications and the integration of telecommunications intelligent building management systems and audio-visual systems in modern information technology. Lalitha (2004) writes that ICT’s consists of all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware, communication middleware as well as necessary software. A notable and simpler way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals; businesses and organizations use information for sustainable development. The use of information communication driven technology is fast spreading in almost all spheres of human, social and economic endeavors notes the United Nations ICT Task Force (2005).  For long periods public libraries were viewed as mere warehouses of knowledge but they have now been given a new image in the modern information and communication era. Vinitha (et.al) (2006) argue that activities which were carried out in libraries with soreness and nervous tension can now be accomplished with ease through the use of ICT’s, for example, the organization of knowledge, circulation, acquisitions and other technical processing have become easier and more quantum of work can be accomplished in a stress-free mood.

3.      Public Libraries: Embracing the ICT (R)evolution

Public Libraries have gone through different phases from early oral traditions, ancient libraries of Alexandria (Egypt) and then print culture manifested through manuscripts, and books. These phases are well documented in ancient human narratives such as rock paintings. The invention of the printing press by John Gutenberg in the fifteenth century popularized the book culture.

It can be noted that public library (r)evolution has passed through various stages, for example, the traditional, automation, electronic, digital and virtual library. The traditional public library consists of holdings in hard copy, while the automated one refers to the automation of library functions, for example, online public access catalogues (OPAC), circulation, acquisitions and reference services. In traditional libraries browsing was based on physical proximity of related materials, for example, hard copies of books are manually, classified, catalogued, indexed, and abstracted. Information is physically assembled in one place; equally important users must travel to the library to learn what is there and make use of it . The automated public library is a byproduct of the ICT’s (r)evolution in the second half of the nineteenth century whereby library functions like acquisitions, cataloguing, classification, indexing and circulation automated while the holdings remained print based with a small number of electronic resources. The electronic public library refers to fully automated functions and CD –ROM networking with a balance between print and electronic resources. The shift from traditional libraries to the automated/digital is not merely a technological (r)evolution, but requires a change in the paradigm by which people access and interact with information. The Digital library refers to a fully automated library services with a migration from analogue to digital resources during the last decades of the twentieth century. It also involves browsing based on hyperlinks, keyword, or any defined measure of relatedness; importantly materials on the same subject do not need to be near one another in any physical sense

4.      ICTs changing public library services and new skills for public librarians

The skills that public librarians require for a modern public library are continuing to change due to the dynamic nature of ICTs. The impact of these ICTs has been demonstrated in the changes in the nomenclature of the traditional librarian, for example, the use of such terms like, e-librarian, cybrarians, digital librarian, and so on. The world over public libraries are now providing a wide range of sophisticated services and this has resulted in new names to reflect the creation of new services, for example, information portals, OPACs, databases, learning and ICT’s hubs services. ICTs are being manipulated to bring new services, for example, internet cafes, virtual library services facilitating access to resources to distance learners and clientele.

5.      Impact of ICTs on public libraries

ICT concepts entails technologies, the facilitation of communication, processing and transmission of information by electronic means, embraces complex communication technologies such as internet, the computer, geographical information systems and simple ones such as the television and radio notes Warren (2002). In the context of public libraries such technologies have the potential of assisting users to gain access, disseminate and respond to sustainable information in a faster and more far reaching way than ever before. ICT’s covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form, for example, personal computers, internet, digital television, social media networks and email have become indispensable tools with regards to provision of public library services.

Information technology has extended the availability and easy access of information thus public libraries are slowly embracing this opportunity to improve on effective information dissemination, acquisition, storage and organization and also start networking for wider resource sharing.  ICTs enables or makes possible the storage, retrieval, manipulation, transmission or receipt of data and this becomes an advantage to the libraries especially the public libraries that caters for a diverse of clientele.  Importantly, it is also concerned with the way these different uses can synergize with each other, for example, a virtual reference desk can be open to everyone with a computer and an internet connection independent of opening hours and location, and this enables patrons to use the library whenever they need. On the other hand the librarians can co-operate and help each other globally through established networks, in discussion groups, on mailing lists and they can create list serve archives or wikis for questions which they answer in real time.

 Inter-public library co-operation and specialization has resulted in efficiency thus enhancing the quality of library services. ICT’s also affects the provision of access to the catalogue and availability of resources online. Online catalogues have revolutionalised the way in which materials are made available and are able to be viewed.  The use of online catalogues facilitates an ease of use which has become critical in the age of information technology. The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and Machine Readable Catalogue (MARC) facilitate easier access to online information Roush (2005).

6.      Value for public libraries in using ICTs

Resource sharing among (public) libraries is imperative, as no single library can acquire all its needs according to Adekunle (1978). The concept of resource sharing is manifested through interlibrary cooperation, inter-library loans, Interlending and document supply services and other initiatives.  Resource sharing activities are imperative because there is nothing like “library autarchy” and hence the inevitable need for networking. ICT uses in public libraries has been encouraged as a positive learning and recreational practice that allows clientele to learn through access to ICT’s and to a wider communication networks such as the internet. ICTs provide an extended role to public libraries in terms of increasing the range of their services, linkages with other like-minded institutions and for sharing their resources and expertise.

Information explosion renders individual public library unable to acquire all its requirements due to prohibitive cost and limited storage space available. Adeogun (2003) in Mphidi (2004) calls for (public) libraries to utilize ICT’s to promote resource sharing at all levels, “…libraries need to establish effective resource sharing schemes. As a result of present proliferation of information, high costs of information resources and dwindling library budget; it is difficult for any library to provide all the information needs of its clients…” The utilization of ICT based networks facilitates resource sharing, inter-library collaboration, raising an awareness of existence of current and retrospective materials and the provision of access to materials. Networking through inter-institutional cooperation helps to overcome the problems of institutional insularity.  ICTs provide an extended role to public libraries in terms of increasing the range of their services, linkages with institutions and for sharing their resources and expertise. Watson (2003) notes networking is the key to survival in the information/knowledge driven economies.

7.      Internet and the public library

Generally the internet is viewed as a worldwide interconnected group of networks. The networking of people through innovative communication and computer technologies has created limitless opportunities for accessing all existing forms of social learning and intelligence. The internet is a classic example of convergence because it represents the coming together of computers and communication. The relationship between content and the technology to deliver it are now closer. The emerging convergence of technologies will result in a set of new services, solutions, infrastructures and other opportunities for example, digital technology and audio video and textual technology has resulted in multimedia technology.

Most public libraries depend on networked infrastructures to access e-resources from funded programmes or free of use or open access such as EIFL, UNESCO, and the popular American corners among others. These provide easy access to the most diversified sources of information hosted by individuals and institutions worldwide on a vast number of servers.

The human brain and public libraries do not exist in a vacuum but they are intertwined with other institutions and its critical to internet because:

1) Internet provides current information to users.

2) A number of information sources like electronic journals, electronic discussion forums, technical reports, catalogues, database, abstracts, and online educational material are available online.

3) Access to bibliographic and full text databases.

4) Facilitates resource sharing

5) Helps to overcome information overload

6) Helps to enhance visibility of the public libraries, librarians and other stakeholders.

7) Facilitates ability to locate / search huge amounts of data using search engines

The provision of free internet connections enables public libraries to develop library based websites as well as institutional repositories and this helps to create and sustain organizational memories, facilitate access to information and increase visibility.

On the other hand the expectations from the public are changing, they want "everything" and the speed of access to it is "immediate", they want prompt delivery of the answer, rather than guidance or instruction. This can be traced back to why they ask for information. There has been an increase in questions people carry and transact on behalf of others, such as school assignments and company projects. This however can only be solved through the use of providing e-recourses, digital libraries and the internet making it imperative for public libraries to use ICTs to develop their services.

8.      Advantages of utilizing ICTs in public libraries

Public Library automation saves essential time in storing information, information handling, information processing and information access and retrieval. Technical library operations and procedures are done with higher speed and the time lag between the acquisition of documents and their availability to users will be reduced significantly. The opportunities for inter-library cooperation will increase, for example, networking of libraries through ICT’s, for example the use of Free Open Source software packages to facilitate Interlending and interlibrary cooperation. Jakupec (2000) states that amplified advancements in the kingdom of ICT’s and mounting connections to computer mediated communication and information networks , such as internet has ensured that access to information overcomes physical and time barriers allowing for easier access to information. Automated public libraries are not limited to physical boundaries and the users need not to go to the library physically and people from all over the world can gain access to the same information, as long as an Internet connection is available. The same resources can be used simultaneously by a number of institutions and patrons.

The user is able to use any search term (word, phrase, title, name, and subject) to search the entire collection. Automated public libraries can provide very user-friendly interfaces, giving clickable access to its resources and making information retrieval less painful. While traditional libraries are limited by storage space, automated libraries have the potential to store much more information, simply because digital information requires very little physical space to contain it.

Makori (2009) notes that, the cost of maintaining a automated library is much lower than that of a traditional library especially with regards to space. A traditional library incurs high costs in paying staff, book maintenance, overheads, and additional books. Automated public libraries may reduce or, in some instances, do away with these fees. Both types of library require cataloguing input to allow users to locate and retrieve material. Automated libraries may be more willing to adopt innovations in technology through providing users with improvements in electronic and audio book technology as well as presenting new forms of communication such as wikis and blogs, conventional libraries may consider that providing online access to their OPAC is sufficient.

Omekwu (2006) singles out some important advantage to automation as increased accessibility to users. They also increase availability to individuals who may not be traditional patrons of a public library, due to geographic location or organizational affiliation.

 Zimbabwe Public Libraries ICT Challenges

In Zimbabwe the ICT (r)evolution in public libraries faces the following challenges: the major being that ICTs are a relatively new concept not yet fully embraced, as most public libraries are still steeped in traditional way of doing things.

1) Poor communication networks (slowly improving with massive laying of fibre)

2) High costs of maintaining ICT infrastructure (limited or no financial resources)

3) Limited access to ICT hardware and software (heavily depend on donations i.e. American corners)

4) Lack of funding to provide ICT infrastructure

5) Digital and information divide

6) Neglect of ICT resources

7) Computer /Information illiteracy

8) Technological obsolescence

9) Poor Policy guidelines (national and local government levels)

10) Technological dependency as technology begets more technology

11) Utilizing technology to promote indigenous knowledge

12) Limited ICT based services (popular being internet and wifi)

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