LEARN IN THE LIBRARY

 

                                                                  By Desmond Beharilal

The World map known as the Globe.

In many schools the world map was displayed in the form of a globe, and it was aptly referred to as such. I used to be very impressed watching the teachers carry the globe from one classroom to the next for different subjects such as history, geography and the guidance class which is comparative to the current Life Orientation lessons. Teachers used to gather the class around the globe and point out each country as per their lesson plan and further enticed scholars to visit such countries if such opportunities did arise. Over the years, some of us could not remember the contents of such lessons and the position of the various countries but took the opportunity to travel to some countries.

At UKZN Library Services one finds large world maps on frames or on charts which can be borrowed from some libraries. The reason I write about such lessons regarding the globe, pertains to the requests from students regarding the current situation between Russia and the Ukraine My writing has nothing to do with the actual invasion or war but simply to inform our potential library users to familiarize themselves with the locations of various countries by using the maps available at UKZN libraries which will equip them with the required information for their academic work and in their discussions regarding such topics.

I had a request for information about the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the economy of the United States of America. The student thereafter asked me about the locations of these three countries and their main source of production. I recalled the geography lesson and the globe, whereby the teacher pointed out the countries and their main sources of production, but I could not recall such details.

Fortunately, the Edgewood campus library has a large collection of charts and maps of the world, which I could refer the student to for such details. While searching for the world maps, I was asked about my views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine as it is a trending topic of discussion in the academic arena and on social media. I simply replied that the focus should be on the academic arena and not social media as I did not perform my tasks with personal preferences on any issues.

 I was under the impression that libraries and librarians were very neutral in their political views, hence, over the years library staff were not allowed to become actively involved in, represent or promote their political views or partake in student protests to show support to any political party.  Librarians tried to maintain the historical impression of both public and academic libraries with such a neutral stance especially in South Africa, due to our historical past which I will not go into details about.

I was pleasantly surprised when librarians from various countries that are affiliated to International Library Associations decided to share their political views publicly in support of a specific country during a so called “war or invasion”. Such international library organisations expressed their intention to call for peace and end to any wars or invasions. Such international associations focused on the preservation of libraries and museums rather than political engagements. As a graduate in Political Science, my view of international library organisations and libraries should be the hosting of seminars and discussions regarding the impact of such wars or invasions on library services and the preservation of materials and collections both nationally and internationally. I still do not see the correlation between librarians and politicians in the decision to wage war amongst or within any country.

Some South African universities do have memorandum of understandings with their counterparts in Russia and Ukraine and therefore the sharing of library resources or information could be affected. Universities in other countries could also have such MoUs and their librarians should maintain their neutral political stance and focus on the impact of such on their libraries.

I still firmly believe that librarians should not publicly share their political views and maintain the libraries as apolitical environments and assist library patrons with the necessary political information as required in their academic work. Library users are from across the political arena and should not feel intimidated using the libraries due to their political affiliations. Information on politics, politicians or political parties should be offered without any prejudice.

Please comment or share your views regarding librarians or libraries engaging in politics.

Thank you

Edgewood Campus (Edminson Library)

 

                                                                 By Desmond Beharilal

                     The above structure is in the park at the entrance to Edgewood Campus.

My first day of deployment to the Edgewood Campus in April 2014 resulted in a scenic drive from Durban to Pietermaritzburg as I missed the onramp to Richmond Road from the N3 freeway. Since then, my daily drive to the Edminson Library (Edgewood Campus) is very often full of surprises. The approximately 34 km drive was never something I had admired or enjoyed over the past years as my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of my previous routes to work, especially the Westville Campus Library where I was employed for about 27 years.

Most library staff, especially at the Circulation Desk, are asked at least once in their career for directions to the library they work in. Edgewood Campus is located just off the N3 freeway, which makes it one of the most easily accessible campuses amongst the five UKZN Campuses. While the N3 freeway is noted for traffic congestion and speeding drivers, my little car chugs along n the slow lane  so to simply enjoy my drive to work. I do enjoy the different and changing daily sights like expensive vehicles broken down on the side of the road, large abnormal loads being transported, and I also enjoy the scent of my journey to work, such as the smell of burning tyres coming off large trucks, the smell of oil from smoky car engines and the scent of various industries, especially the bakery near the Edgewood Campus. Most days when there is a slight breeze, the library is filled with the scent of freshly baked vanilla flavoured biscuits or cakes.

Unfortunately, the parking area is a distance from the library and very inconvenient, especially if one needs to deliver or collect goods, but the walk to the library is equally as exciting as the drive. Bubbly students expressing themselves about various issues including their journeys to campus, couples snuggling in some places, and oh that delicious smell from the nearby bakery.

Amongst all these experiences, there is still a sense of peace and quietness. I was once in the middle of a student protest whereby security personnel and various police officers were having violent interactions with some protesting students. To ensure my safety, I walked towards a plantation of trees only to realise that I was entering a little park that resembles the famous Japanese Gardens in Durban.

I sat on a rock in the park and faced a structure that I had seen for the first time in the five years of being employed in the Edminson Library. My initial thought was to avoid the violence and seek refuge near this structure, which was constructed by fine arts students many years ago in conjunction with a NGO to promote peace amongst all students and staff at Edgewood Campus.

Over the years of working in the library, I was very skeptical about reading stories of people having weird experiences after they are afraid or stressed or even just listening to descriptive nightmares. As I sat waiting for calmness to prevail, my thoughts also wondered weirdly, what will the buildings look like if they were burnt, what injuries would anyone suffer, either broken legs or hands, etc. I was very focused on the structure in front of me yet at the same time hoping that I would not be seen in this park. The protest situation was taking rather a long time to calm down as the students, security, or policemen ran from one spot to the next. I thought about flying insects like butterflies and locusts, etc.

 After about an hour of waiting, I sensed some calmness around so I decided to return to the library. As I got off the rock, I saw a group of security personnel heading towards me so I decided to lie on the ground to avoid being seen. I placed my hands at the edge of the structure as though I was praying or worshipping God, raised my head to get a better view of the group of security staff and then a sudden thought crossed my mind as they looked in my direction, the chorus of a  song I remembered when I was much younger,” It’s just an illusion…funk…it up”.

 As I looked at the structure, (in the picture above), I realized that my thoughts were synchronized with the image of the structure which resembled a battlefield with buildings destroyed and injured people with missing limbs lying around, a voice in the distance calling for peace and unity. I stood up at the structure and felt like a Superhero who survived a brutal war as I looked down upon my soldiers who lay wounded on the battlefield and thought that those cowards who escaped will never be as strong again. As reality began to set in, I asked myself how much more time do I have left, as the battle rages I need more defense, so I needed to hurry back to the library. Before the illusion faded, I decided to take a photo of my place of refuge or illusion-creating sanctuary and return to work.

There is a collection of books in the Edminson library that are available for students to prepare lessons for Junior phase teacher training. Some of these books make one recall one’s childhood days when educators read books to us or forced us to read books so that we could enjoy stretching our imaginations to explore places and characters in such stories. Some of us progressed with such imaginations, either excelling in the technical or academic fields of our choice while others remain in their imaginative worlds waiting for a return ticket to reality. Those educators were some of my Superheroes.Thirty-four kilometres may not seem far with some modern vehicles as compared to the older slower vehicles which make such a trip seems to take a lifetime of driving to such destinationsay you all enjoy the journey to your destinations to work , home or just a place of peace.

 

Working from home

By Desmond Beharilal

Many Librarians across most libraries (that includes public, academic, special libraries, and libraries operated by the private sector amongst others), have found their comfort zones in their respective work environments. For the purpose of this article, I would refer to all staff working in the library sectors as librarians with specific reference to the library staff employed at the various campus libraries within the University of Kwazulu-Natal.

The recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus which is a world pandemic as announced by the World Health Organisation, forced the governments of many countries, including South Africa, to implement a” Lockdown” or “shutdown” of all non-essential services within their countries. Such actions had a major impact on the academic environment especially university libraries, where library resources and services had to be offered away from University premises. Such drastic measures resulted in the change of the work environments and approach to library services of many Librarians although many resources are still located in-house.

Adjusting to the “new work environment” is no easy task as one would enjoy being at home for reasons other than the fear of contracting a virus during a pandemic. Some Librarians are unsure about working from home as their focus is on their health and that of their families rather than their work tasks.  Library users would not necessarily be disadvantaged by the lack of print library information as much information can be found online.  Where possible Librarians are accessible via email and circulation staff field general queries. There is someone available in all library sectors and the contacts lists on the library’s webpage have been updated to ensure that Librarians can be contacted. Such library services are being offered as part of the distance learning modules offered by many educational institutions including the University of Kwazulu-Natal.  With little time to discuss, plan or get clarity on many aspects of the impending lockdown, in mid-April many library staff, particularly Subject Librarians and core services and some admin staff  whose circumstances permitted working from home, gallantly took their laptops home and after getting data, began the process of trying to maintain and forge new ways of working from their homes.

In practice, some librarians who are not used to such work environments have really suffered, both mentally and physically. Some of us who have been employed for many years  felt that the environmental change has really affected our personal lives as daily routines have had to be changed, not only as individuals but in family units as well. After the usual hygiene practices and breakfast, my family usually sat around chatting about various issues, but unfortunately, such discussions have not been held anymore. Family members who gathered together were asked to occupy themselves with whatever they could as work needed to be done by the Librarians within such families. The fortunate or privileged (in terms of their spacious living facilities)  who have homes with separate spaces that can be identified as a “study” or separate lounges or guest rooms have not really felt the impact of working from home unlike others who have  had to ask their loved ones, spouses, children, etc. to leave common spaces in their homes or apartments solely for the purpose of the person who is working from home.

Amidst a world pandemic, one with paternal instincts cannot always find the courage to ask some loved ones, especially children, to excuse themselves. While library management has tried their best to equip staff with all the necessary tools to enable them to work from home , space requirements have had to be organized by individuals amidst the cries of toddlers, the needs of sick and aging family members and the calls of spouses that simply have to be ignored. Nevertheless, Librarians are trying their best to ensure that work is being done to the highest expectations so that the university community  can be provided with the necessary library information  requirements.

Unfortunately, some Librarians cannot function effectively due to personal illnesses or anxieties brought about by the world pandemic, especially those who have family members and children who are based in other countries where the pandemic is much worse than in South Africa; and others who have ageing or ill family members. The impact of not knowing the status and the medical conditions of such relatives impacts drastically on many librarians.

Alongside such personal circumstances, some Librarians are faced with technological challenges. In the physical workplace their comfort zones were always cushioned  of such impact. In the limited time allocated by the President before the national lockdown, library management had to ensure such services were also available to librarians who worked from home along with various other related arrangements like providing internet and WIFI connections to those who did not have such.

Personality traits of some individuals, both negative and positive, have come to the fore. Speaking to some colleagues who probably suffer with some form of anxiety or panic related illnesses, their fears of the Covid-19 pandemic have been heightened. Unfortunately, some colleagues have suffered so much that they cannot bring themselves to even keep up to date with the news relating to the Covid-19 virus.  The media and social media platforms also play a vital role in contributing to such panic and anxiety attacks. Some staff are fortunate to have good support systems such as family and friends while others do not have such privileges.

One feature observed amongst many of the librarians is their commitment to assist their library users and ensure that tasks allocated to them during the lockdown are being focused on, although within  limitations and obstacles. To add to these limitations there was peer pressure rather than the Library Management instructions, as some Librarians have exhibited their competitive characteristics which further demoralizes already traumatized colleagues. Although the University’s management provides psychological assistance to staff in distress, not many librarians use such services for fear of being identified as emotionally weak.

 Fortunately, staff who had close relationships with some of their peers keep their sanity by keeping in contact with their peers via phone calls, WhatsApp, emails and other technological means of communication.

 Some of you may be experiencing the “Lockdown” differently so please share such by commenting.

THE DISABILITY FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN UKZN LIBRARIES

Historically, the experiences of persons with disabilities were very rarely addressed and as such was regarded as sensitive. After a series of discussions and engagements with students with disabilities, their specific information accessibility needs were identified with the aim of designing inclusionary computer LAN facilities in UKZN library spaces or in close proximity to the library’s spaces. These engagements and discussions resulted in the acquisition of funding from the Department of Higher Education and Training (Infrastructure funding) and IPP (UKZN) with the following achievements within six months of the projects being initiated in 2018:

Edgewood:

The Edgewood Computer Lan facility for students with disabilities is located in the Edminson Library (Main Library) and houses 20 fixed accessible workstations.

This computer LAN facility includes a Teaching Practice laboratory where students with various disabilities will, through Learning Community support be exposed to experimential learning in their quest to become reflective educators in the real classroom setting.

There is also office space for one full time staff to assist users of this facility.

Howard College:

Facilities for the Disabled are currently located on Level 6 of Shepstone Building - on the Howard College Campus.

This Facility is fully accessible by all students (including those who use wheelchairs).

This Facility is fitted with 20 PCs however further discussions are being held to house such facilities in the library.

Westville:

The Westville Facility is located on the 3rd floor of the Library and houses 20 fixed workstations.

This Facility also has four offices which will be utilised by DSU staff. This will allow for easy access to services.

A Braille Printer will be assigned to this venue.

One of the rooms will be utilised to house Low Vision devices to allow students to interact with Library material immediately (without the need for reformatting).

PMB:

A major achievement was the successful allocation of space in the library on the Pietermaritzburg Campus to establish such a facility although there is such a facility located in the foyer of the New Arts Building with 10 fixed workstations.

This Facility also has a leisure area outside the venue for students to utilise.

An allocation has been made for users to bring in their own devices at all the Facilities.

All such facilities have the following:

Access control.

Allocation of accessible work stations.

Individual accessible lighting per station to respond to the visual needs of students with low vision.

Architectural accessibility. Designated carpeted routes have been attended to for students using wheelchairs.

Braille Reading Stands.

Leisure reading spaces.

Specialised technological software to support the academic integration and adaptation needs of students with disabilities, for example, SuperNova, JAWS and Zoomtex.

The UKZN Disability Support Units are presently providing support services to 609 students with disabilities.

The photo above captures some of the unique facilities available in the Disability Unit which includes air conditioning, soundproof walls, custom designed desks and chairs, computers with specialized software, controlled lighting as per needs of the users and there is a special carpet from the entrance of the library to the Disability Unit which is to guide partially sighted users of the “cane”.

Writer: Desmond Beharilal

EDMINSON LIBRARY POETRY CORNER (EDGEWOOD CAMPUS)

by: Desmond Beharilal

To commemorate the 21st edition of Poetry Africa hosted by The UKZN Centre for Creative Arts this year, Dr Roshini Pather, the Edgewood Campus Librarian, in collaboration with some undergraduate students engaged in organizing a Poetry Corner in the Edminson Library at Edgewood Campus for the duration of the Poetry Africa Festival, and possibly beyond.



Edminson Library Staff were tasked with organizing the furniture and poetry materials for the Poetry Corner to attract library users and to encourage such users to familiarize themselves with the art of poetry as a means of expression. The Poetry Corner is a very basic set up as per the picture above with books and other related materials regarding poetry. Some students who are studying poetry as part of their curriculum also supplied some interesting poems, frames of poets, and some of their own writings expressing their life and cultures. Current students who have an interest in poetry will also have the opportunity to meet and discuss their poetic talents and exchange ideas with like-minded students. The Edminson Library Staff would assist in rotating the materials on display as and when new items become available. Students will be allowed to display their
personal works in the Poetry Corner with the intention of expressing themselves and reaching other such platforms. The Poetry Corner will also allow for discussions regarding the future of budding Poets and how to showcase their talents at events like Poetry Africa and other such local and international platforms. All students are encouraged to make use of this facility and make their contributions by sharing or learning skills and talents with their fellow students. The creation of this facility is currently in its infancy and there will be further discussions for larger and more permanent premises with much more information and the possibility of forming partnerships to fund such ideas especially with the School of Languages and Arts Education.

THE E-BOOK DEBACLE

By: Desmond Beharilal

 

The introduction of e-books was regarded as a major breakthrough for libraries and a great innovation from publishers.

Universities were quick to buy into the new technology for various reasons which included cost savings, space savings, and keeping up with the trends of modern libraries, yet, ignoring the calls from local users who were “not ready” to adapt to the new reading formats.

After reading the following article on the current situation regarding the usage of e-books, my curiosity about whether we at UKZN should so actively pursue the purchase of e-books was aroused.

Please read the following article and answer the questions at the end of the article:

Pew Report: Overall Book Readership Holding Steady, but E-Books Have Stalled

By Andrew Albanese  

Sep 01, 2016 

Despite competition from an ever-increasing menu of entertainment choices now available to Americans, book readership in America is holding steady, according to a new survey. And most of the book readers surveyed, the report found, prefer to read print books. The report “Book Readership 2016,” released this week by the Pew Research Centre found that 73% of Americans have read a book in the last year, a percentage largely unchanged from 2012 levels (although lower than the 79% recorded in 2011, when Pew began tracking reading habits).  The Pew Research Centre is a nonpartisan American "fact tank" which is based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It also conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis, and other empirical social science research. Among the survey’s most notable findings are: reading of e-books has hit a plateau. After posting an 11 percentage point jump between 2011-2014 (from 17% to 28%), e-book readership has seen no change in the last two years. Overall, 28% of Americans reported reading an e-book in the last year. On the other hand, roughly two-thirds of Americans (65%) reported reading a print book in the last year, identical to the share of Americans who reported doing so in 2012. Notably, just 6% of respondents said they read e-books exclusively, while 38% said they are print-only readers. Despite finding a plateau in e-book readership, the survey found that how readers are accessing e-books has changed significantly. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of Americans who reported reading an e-book on a tablet increased nearly fourfold (from 4% to 15%), while smartphone reading more than doubled (from 5% to 13%). Just 8% of Americans said they used a dedicated e-reader, roughly unchanged from 2012 levels. The survey also found a modest bump among audiobook listeners. While the market for digital audio has been cited as a bright spot for publishers in recent years, the report found that the share of American adults who listen to audiobooks has risen only marginally. In 2011, 11% of Americans reported listening to an audiobook in the last year, compared with 14% now. The report was drawn from a national sample of 1,520 American adults (18 years or older) surveyed by the Pew Research Centre between March 7 and April 4, 2016, with 381 respondents interviewed on a landline telephone, and 1,139 interviewed on a cell phone. Please answer the following questions: 1)      Should UKZN Libraries focus on promoting the e-publication format?  YES/NO 2)      Should UKZN libraries be purchasing more e-publications? YES/NO You are most welcome to make further comments. Thank you Regards Desmond Beharilal References:  Albanese, A. (2016) Pew Report: Overall Book Readership Holding Steady, but E-Books Have Stalled, 20 September, 2016, http://www.publishersweekly.com