Working over 40 years at UKZN Library Services: some reflections (Dr. Praversh Sukram)

By Praversh Sukram

My first day of work at the University was on Monday 5 January 1981 on the Pietermaritzburg Campus.

I commenced working in the Collection Maintenance section of the Library. Some of my tasks included:

• Re-shelving of Library materials
• Shelf-reading
• Preparing and recording of Inter-Library Loan items that needed to be posted to Libraries in South Africa and abroad
• Repairing and binding of books
• Attaching of spine labels and University branding on books and journals
• Shelf construction
• Assisting in certain sections of the Library when staff were away on leave.

The first major change took place in 1982 with the introduction of a computer system for the library called URICA integrated Library system. This led to the automation of all library functions. Not many Librarians would have envisaged the Library without the Card Catalogue.

The Card Catalogue

In July 1990 the Pietermaritzburg Main Library was renovated to include an additional floor and passenger lifts. The stair case on the ground floor was demolished to accommodate additional slabbing for the first floor. This resulted in scaffolding been erected on the ground floor to support the slabbing on the first floor.

The journals, which were housed on the ground floor had to be stored in boxes. There were occasions when journals had to be retrieved from the boxes for users. The journals were relocated to the first floor.

The Library remained open during the renovations. The renovations were completed in 1991.

 

Pietermaritzburg Library before the renovations

 

The merging of University of Durban-Westville and University of Natal in 2004 brought about a number of opportunities for the Library.

One of these opportunities was for colleagues from the Libraries of University of Natal, Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses having a closer working relationship. Prior to the merger many staff from these Libraries did not know each other. Interaction between staff was limited as these Libraries worked independently of each other.

The Libraries of University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal navigated through the merger to form a Library that has become integral in supporting teaching and learning at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). A number of efficiencies were created.

The Circulation desk at the Main Library on the Pietermaritzburg campus was centralised to include Course Reserves which was located on the lower ground floor. This allowed for a more streamlined service with productive use of staff and space. The centralisation of the Circulation desk at the Main Library was modelled on the Circulation desks at branch libraries.

This model was adopted at other campus libraries.

In 2016 the Main Libraries and some Branch Libraries began opening 24/7. The Libraries are staffed by Student Assistants after hours. The centralised Circulation desks made 24/7 opening more cost effective.

Research Commons, to cater for the research needs of Masters and PhD students, were built in all Main Libraries.

More recently Accessibility LANs were built at Edgewood, Pietermaritzburg and Westville Campus Libraries. Planning for Accessibility LANs at EG Malherbe Library and the Medical School Library are at an advanced stage.

Discussions have commenced about creating Social Learning Spaces in the Libraries. 

The UKZN Library Services Strategy Plan (2023-2032) positions the Library to continue providing support for teaching and learning for the University to achieve its goals in an ever-changing environment.

 

Acknowledgements:

1.    University Archives and Library colleagues for confirming dates when events had taken place.

  

 

 

Every Book its Reader

By Praversh Sukram

The Library recently undertook a self-evaluation in preparation for the University’s Project Renewal programme. Every member of the Library had to contribute to the self-evaluation and had to provide input about their jobs based on the following two areas: the purpose of the post and implications if the post was not in the structure.

During the feedback sessions with the Circulation department, the author was reminded about what was studied at Library School years ago - S. R. Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science.

 It became clear that jobs were directed towards achieving one of the laws set out by Siyali Ramamrita Ranganathan in 1931. This law is Every Book its Reader. This law prescribes that every book in a library must find its reader. It implies that there should be maximum use of books by users and users must be able to find the books they want.

Every aspect of Circulation is fulfilling this law of Library Science. Colleagues in the collections maintenance section, for example, ensure that books are shelved correctly so that readers can easily access them when required. In addition to shelving books correctly colleagues also undertake shelf reading. The purpose for shelf reading is to maintain the proper order of books on the shelves based on the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) number. “A misplaced book is a lost book” as the saying goes.

The Inter Library Loans (ILL) function is aimed at providing users with items required for research which are not available at UKZN Libraries. These items are sourced from other Libraries. UKZN Library also makes its materials available to other Libraries.

Inter-campus loans are also provided where materials from other UKZN campus libraries are made available to users.

The Library also offers a Pay-Per-View (PPV) service which provides access to materials that cannot be sourced via the ILL service.

Another area where colleagues are fulfilling the law of Every Book its Reader is in the scanning of book chapters and theses. The scanned items are made available on the Library’s online platforms. This service is extremely beneficial especially during the lockdown.

The principle of job rotation is applied at Circulation where every employee is provided with an opportunity to be exposed to all functions at Circulation. With staff being multi-skilled the service to users is enhanced. An efficient and productive use of staff also fulfills the principle of the law of Every Book its Reader in that services are geared towards maximising access to Library materials.

The other four laws of Library Science proposed by Dr Ranganathan are:

• Books are for Use
• Every Reader his/her Book
• Save the Time of the Reader
• The Library is a Growing Organism.

 

 

 

 

Overcoming subjectivity when appraising employee performance

by Dr Praversh Sukram 

Performance management has become an integral management tool that measures individual and organisational performance and ensures that the organisation and individual meet their overall objectives.

The objectives of performance management are defined as:

1. To align organisational and individual goals
2. To foster organisational-wide commitment to performance-oriented culture
3. To develop and manage the human resources needed to achieve organisational results
4. To identify and address performance inefficiencies
5. To create a culture of accountability and a focus on customer service
6. To link rewards to performance (Bussin: 2017).

These objectives will have a positive influence on an individual’s and organisation’s output. So why is it that performance appraisals become stressful for some employees and managers. One of the reasons is that mangers can be influenced by certain subjective factors when assessing their subordinate’s performance and that could lead to disagreements between them which could result in ongoing stressful relations between them. 

Some subjective problems that both managers and employees must be aware of are:

The halo effect

This occurs when a manager’s assessment of the subordinate is influenced by one incident that affects the assessment for the entire assessment period. For example, if a subordinate performs one aspect of their job poorly, their overall performance is assessed as poor. The reverse can also apply, where the manager’s assessment of their subordinate is influenced by one incident of good performance and the overall performance is assessed as good. 

      Personal standards

Some managers are strict in their ratings and tend to give subordinates low ratings whereas other managers are lenient and tend to give their subordinates high ratings. This is a problem because it means that employees reporting to different managers are not being assessed on the same basis, which is basically unfair.

There are other subjectivity issues such as personal biases and prejudices that managers need to be aware of.

One way of overcoming subjectivity problems is to provide ongoing feedback to employees. Two-way communication should be at the heart of the performance management process. Giving feedback once or twice a year is not helpful. Performance management should become a standing item on the agenda for a manager’s monthly meeting with their subordinate. Issues discussed should be recorded which can be referred to during the performance appraisal meeting.

Providing feedback close to the time of the activity is more effective than that provided once or twice a year.

Employees should also be responsible for monitoring their own performance. This promotes employee ownership of their work.

References:

Bussin, M. 2017. The Philosophy of performance – part 1. www.humancapitalreview.org. (15.3.18).

Hunter C.R. 2016. Managing People in South Africa: Human Resource Management as a Competitive Advantage. Sherwood Books, Durban. 3rd ed.