The Last Post for 2011

Dear Colleagues

And so 2011 has almost come to an end. Some staff has already taken leave and many will go on leave soon and then their will be those you will stay until 15 December (thank you!).

This has been a wonderful year, with many successes and also a fair share of challenges, but we made it! As mentioned last week Friday, I want to thank each and everyone of you for your hard work, your dedication and for hanging in there during the though times. It is a great honor to work with people like you. I am looking forward to 2012 and know it will be just as productive as this year - or maybe even more.

I will be on leave from 1 December 2011 to 6 January 2012. I wish all of you a wonderful summer holiday: rest well and be safe!

I would like to end the last post of this year with photos taken during our braai last week Friday. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

                                  **************************ENJOY THE FESTIVE SEASON***************************

UJLIC Year end function - 18 November 2011

I would like to congratulate April and the Social Committee (Johannie, Mpo, Mdu Dlamini, Surprise, Kedi and Rose) with organising a wonderful gala event last week Friday. We all had an absolute ball!!!!!!

If you want to see more pictures, Pavlinka has put it on Picasa. Follow the link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/113686526313037246996/UJLibraryEndYearFunctionNov2011#

                                         Here are a few pics just to wet your appetites:

 

 

Update: 7 - 18 November

In this post I will share information on:
- The Quality Task Team meeting held on 7 Nov
- The Campus visit from Mrs Sander (9 Nov)
- The IUGSA conference
- Upcoming events

Quality Task Team meeting
The meeting was chaired by Dr van Vuren. The members received a feedback report from Beauty regarding the quality of cataloguing. The new quality control measures for cataloguing was discussed and members gave some additional input. Beauty reported that the problem areas in the catalogue seems to be with the older records, rather than with recent records. After the Dewey project, Carina and Miemie submitted a report with suggestions for regular clean-up. These suggestions have been implemented.

The meeting agreed that the male and female restrooms on minus one (opposite the bindery) can be allocated for staff. More information on this will follow soon.

The next peer review audit of the UJLIC will be done in 2013. From the meeting it was made clear that we have to change our focus to not only to include what we do, but the impact that our actions have on our clients with regards to their information needs. Our reporting must therefore change in order to accommodate the outcome of our tasks as well.

Campus visit from Mrs Sander
This meeting took place on 9 November and started off by Mrs Sander sharing more information regarding the implementation of the new structure. She informed the staff that Dr Bawa will now start on 3 January 2012 and not 16 Jan as previously reported. Mrs Sander kindly requested staff to fully support Dr Bawa in her new position as Executive Director of the library. She also mentioned that by now all staff should have received placement letters. If you did not receive a placement letter you can contact Mrs Sander and cc Hettie Wentzel.

The structure is also now available on the library intranet (log into the UJ Intranet, from there click on Forms and Documents, then click on Library Intranet, you will find it in the folder named UJLIC Organisational structure).

The Director for e-Services has not been appointed yet. In the meantime, Archives and Sharon Swart will report to Dr van Vuren and Pieter Hattingh and his team to Hannie.

Mrs Sander reminded staff that as from next year, all leave applications must be submitted electronically. Should you have any problems logging onto Oracle to submit your leave, please contact Vivian (ext. 4323).

The printing and photocopying services will be taken over by Konica Minolta as from next year. During the first phase, Minolta will focus on getting printing ready for the students. They will move in after 15 Dec this year and should be ready for the students on 3 Jan next year. Phase two will focus on printing for staff. Central printing might be effected for a while and staff are requested to communicate priorities to Hettie Wentzel.

Mrs. Sander ended off her visit by thanking staff for their hard work and dedication.

The IUGSA conference
From 14 to 16 November I attended the IUGSA conference at Potchefstroom (North West University). This conference is organised annually for all libraries making use of Innovative Interfaces Inc (III) or as we call it, Millennium. Have a look at their website: http://www.iugsa.co.za/

On the first day, Graham and Maryvonne of III gave us an overview of what is happening with the company and introduced us to new products. The most important announcement was that they are busy developing a new platform called Sierra. The reason for this is that the current Millennium platform is getting outdated and it is getting increasingly difficult to develop enhancements on the Millennium platform. The new Sierra platform will have an iGoogle look and feel and will be more customizable and seamlessly integrated with social media. For more information go and have a look at the website: http://sierra.iii.com/#/home

At the conference it was also mentioned that the Millennium and Sierra platforms will be maintained, but the Telnet (or QVT-platform) will disappear in the next few years.

We listened to very interesting papers, including two papers delivered by UJLIC staff. Mdu and Roedina from APB delivered a paper on ICL at UJ Libraries and my paper were on the Dewey project (what else?). My presentation is available on slideshare at: http://www.slideshare.net/janinavdw/a-road-less-travelled-changing-from-one-classification-system-to-another

Some photos taken at the conference:

Graham & Maryvonne of Innovative Interfaces Inc.

Roedina and Mdu

Upcoming events
Before I start with this topic, I want to congratulate April and his team with the wonderful and most enjoyable staff function last Friday (18 Nov). April we had a ball.........!!!!!!! (more info in a separate post).

On Thursday (24 Nov) a workshop on Social Networking in Libraries will be held. The workshop will focus on using Facebook, Twitter and blogs in our profession. Invitations have already been send to some staff members, should you also want to attend you are welcome to contact me (limited space is available due to the number of seats in the training center).

Do not forget our staff braai on Friday (25 Nov - or rather payday). Looking forward to see you there!!!!!

Update: 28 Oct to 4 Nov

In this blog post, you will find information on:

-          International papers presented by Pavlinka

-          Moving of the collection

-          The Campus Librarian meeting held on 28 Oct

-          IUGTT meeting held on 1 Nov

-          Circ Forum meeting held on 3 Nov

-          Important UJ dates

International papers presented by Pavlinka

The past few weeks Pavlinka presented not one, but two international papers at the following conferences: Zanzibar (16-21 Oct) and London (25-28 Oct). Well done, Pavlinka, we are very proud of you!

Should you want to have a look at the slideshows for the papers you can use the links below:

• The IAMSLIC paper: The technologically challenged academic librarian: What has changed in the provision of information services in the age of social interactions?

• The Internet Librarian International paper: New Roles & Skills for the New Normal: the multi skilling academic librarian in action.

Moving of the collection

I am sure that you have noticed that the shelving staff is currently moving the collection on level 4 to the right. This is to make space for all the 400’s on this level. Progress is not fast, but we hope to finish the move by the middle of next week. 

Once the move on level 4 has been completed, we would like to start separating the dissertations and thesis (D & T’s). I already drew lists of D & T’s for each level and we would like to start with the smaller collections of D & T’s, like levels 1 and 4. The idea is to move the rest of the collection to the right in order to group all the dissertations and thesis on a particular level together on the first few shelves on the left.

Feedback from the Campus Librarian (CL) meeting held on 28 Oct

The meeting was chaired by Dr van Vuren and all 4 Campus Librarians attended the last formal meeting of the year. Julia Paria was congratulated on being elected as Liasa’s Librarian of the year. Charlotte reported that Johanna of SWC is not well and the meeting expressed their sympathy towards Mlungisi (at DFC) who lost his brother. Santha reported that Rose is back from maternity leave. Janina reported that Gerda is recovering after a knee replacement operation and that Lizette recently became grandmother for the second time. Riette Zaayman has been appointed as the Head of Archices and she will start in her new position in January 2012. Prof Habib will be on 6 months sabbatical leave (starting January 2012), the person who will be acting in his position during these six months, still have to be announced. Our new ED (Dr Bawa) will start in her new position on 16 January 2012. 


One Book One Library (closure) – Dr van Vuren thanked everyone involved for making this project a success. More than 200 clients attended the discussions and Mr Meyer indicated that he enjoyed interacting with a younger audience. Copies of Infanta / Devil’s Peak will be sold in March 2012.


Space management policy – a draft policy in this regard has been compiled and will be finalized during the first meeting next year.


isiZulu Launch – The meeting congratulated Charlotte and her team for translating UJLink into isiZulu. A launch will be organized between LICIT and Client services for next year. Any suggestions regarding the launch are welcome. This is truly a remarkable achievement for UJ as the none of the other South African academic library have attempted a similar project. The catalogue will next be translated in Afrikaans and then in Sesotho le boa.


The CL planning session for 2012 will be scheduled for the end of January next year. This will be a separate meeting for the monthly meeting.


Pearson Initiative – This stems from the e-book strategy. Accountancy, nursing and biology want to use Pearson (MyLab). This is a prescribed e-book with enhanced media. Students will be buying it in print and then get a code that can be used on the Pearson website to access additional media and content. Training for staff on the new format has been arranged for November and it is compulsory to attend. For more info on Pearson, check out the following link: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/ 


The meeting agreed that all UJ libraries will close at 3pm on Saturday (26 November) to accommodate students who will be writing supplementary examinations early in December. The library will remain closed on Saturdays in December (as indicated on the library webpage).


Leave plans – All supervisors (Team Leaders) are reminded to manage staff leave during December and January in order to ensure that services can continue as normal during this period. All staff are kindly requested to submit their leave plans for December and January to their line managers by the end of this week (11 November).

Feedback from the IUGTT (Innopac User Group Task Team) held on 1 Nov.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Hattingh. At the start of the meeting he mentioned that there is no administrative assistant allocated to this meeting to take minutes. Janina suggested that we ask Vivian to act as secretary for the task team and Vivian accepted. It was decided that meetings will be held every second month and the next meeting will be scheduled for February 2012.


Self Check System – new software must be downloaded on the APK and APB systems in order to display both check-in and check-out on the same page. That will make it easier for clients to choose the function they want to execute. Dr Hatting will make the necessary arrangements for this to be done.


Basic review file training has been done on all campuses throughout the year. Review files that are no longer in use, are cleaned up by Carina once a month.


LICIT wants to implement Encore by April next year. This functionality will change the look and feel of the catalogue similar to that of Google, as mentioned in the blog post of 29 to 2 Sept 2011. Encore will give clients the opportunity to do one search and the results will include items in our catalogue, the databases and Google. Encore will later on replace Research Pro.


Acquisitions - The function to electronically submit orders is currently available on Millennium. ACP is currently investigating how this functionality can be used.


The sending out of mobile text messages to clients with outstanding fines are going well. The Circulation Forum was requested if they would like to extend this function to include overdue and hold notices as well.


An alternative method of logging onto UJLink and the databases is being investigated. By using an integrated login, the user will be able to login once to access UJLink and then open other library functions (like searching the databases) without having to log in again as long as the browser stay open. Details of the date of implementation will follow in due course.


Program Registration is a Millennium product that can be used to electronically book events and venues related to the library. Carina will schedule training with staff identified for November or early December this year.


The scoping of the collection will be revised next year and a special committee will be used to assist with this. Should you want to be part of the committee you can contact Pieter Hattingh of Carina Malan.


In future Blackwell will no longer be used for the uploading of table of contents (due to too many problems experienced). Blackwell will be replaced by a product by Bowker, called Syndetic Solutions. For more info check out their webpage: http://www.bowker.com/index.php/component/content/article/137

Downloads from Syndetic Solutions will include the book cover and the table on contents. However, the table of contents downloaded from Sydetics will not be searchable.

Circulation Forum feedback

This forum had their last meeting of the year on 3 November. In the absence of the current chairperson (Pascal Lukhele) the meeting was chaired by Mduduzi Madondo.

The meeting decided that items placed on ECR this year, will be removed early in 2012 to make provision for the supplementary exams that will still take place this year.

The updating of the interface between Innopac and ITS and Oracle will be done in phases as from next year. This will be a priority project for this forum in 2012.

The Circulation Forum charter will be revised early in 2012 and send to the Campus Librarian meeting for approval.

Members were reminded that students owing money (fines and overdue books) to the library are currently being blocked from:  

-           Re-registration

-          Receiving their examination results

-          Receiving their academic records

-          Receiving their certificates.

Should you receive any inquiries from clients in this regard, please refer them to Circulation staff.

At the end of the meeting the chairperson for next year was elected: congratulations to Mdu Madondo, who will be the chairperson for 2012 and April Mahlangu, who will be the deputy chairperson.

 

Important UJ dates

Exams	4 to 25 November 2011
Summer holiday (for students)	Start 26 November 2011
Supplementary exams	5 to 9 December 2011
University closes	15 December 2011
University opens	3 January 2012
Classes start	6 February 2012





Update: 21 to 27 October

I would like to share the following with you:

-          Library hours during the exams (Saturdays)
-          Feedback from the Collection Development Task Team (CDMTT)
-          Xerox and Konica Minolta (photocopying service)
-          Additional telephone extension at Circulation
-          Upcoming events

Library hours during the exams (Saturdays)

Just a reminder that as from this Saturday, the library will be open from 8am to 7pm. These hours will be applicable to Saturdays up until 19 November.

Please note: That as from 31 October to the end of the exams, assistance at the Law Library will be available until 6pm (weekdays) and 3pm (Saturdays). From 6pm to 10pm (weekdays) and 3pm to 7pm (Saturdays) , students will be referred to the Info point.

CDMTT meeting

This meeting took place on 21 October. The meeting welcomed Ms Neli Kuanda back (after maternity leave) and it was chaired by Mrs Annette Liebenberg.

ERC Books – The distribution of books from the ERC to other libraries is going slow at the moment due to a lack of space at ACP (Acquisitions, Cataloguing and Physical Processing).

ECR – There are some errors in the bib records of ERC items, this might be due to the possibility that some data might be incorrectly entered when ERC’s are done. Mrs Liebenberg will supply the detail to April, who will follow up on this.

Cleaning up of location codes – The clean-up of location codes at DFC has been completed. Attention is still being given to other errors in the catalogue.

E-book strategy – This strategy is mainly in regards to text books. The development of the strategy has been handed over to Ms Kaunda and is still in process.

Thesis and dissertations – This issue is specific to APK. Work on separating thesis and dissertations from other books will start in November. Mrs Liebenberg will investigate the possibility of making this collection searchable on the catalogue.

Xerox (Bytes) and Konica Minolta - Printing and Photocopying

As from next year, printing and photocopying services will be done by Konica Minolta according to a circular distributed electronically on 20 October. More detailed information is available on the Intranet: log onto the UJ Intranet and click on Printing Facilities 2012.

 

Circulation additional telephone extension

In order to improve service to clients an additional telephone extension has been added at circulation. Please advise clients that both extensions 2165 and 4465 can be used.

Upcoming events

Please keep your diaries open for the following events:

18 November – UJLIC Year End Function at 5pm at STH

24 November – Social Networking Workshop (more details to follow)

25 November – APK staff braai (more details to follow)

Update: 10 to 20 October

This post contains information about the following:

- One Book One Library (Deon Meyer visit)
- Extended Library Hours (Saturdays)
- LST & Mancom meeting
- Gerda's progress

One Book One Library (Deon Meyer's visit)

Deon Meyer visited our library on 18 October. According to feedback I received, staff and students enjoyed the interaction with Mr. Meyer. I want to thank the following staff for the arrangements and marketing of the event:

Vivian: for all the detailed arrangements regarding the venue;

Linda, Reneka and Yvonne for assisting Vivian;

April for sending out the text messages;

Adri for doing the announcements;

Sheliving staff for getting the venue ready.

A few photos of the event:

Extended Library Hours (Saturdays)

Please note that our library hours will be extended from 8am to 7pm for the following Saturdays:

-          29 October

-          5 November

-          12 November

-          19 November

The extended hours will only be applicable for the APK and DFC libraries, as there was no request for the other libraries. I sincerely want to thank the staff who agreed to work the additional hours. Note that Protection Services and Bytes have been informed accordingly.

I would also like to share with you the e-mail received from Mrs Sander regarding this issue:

Dear Colleagues

I sincerely appreciate your commitment to service for our students

Regards

Hannie Sander

LST and Mancom meeting

This meeting took place on 13 October and team coaching, the library structure and the year-end function was discussed.

Team Coaching – UJ started with a program on team coaching for the ELG earlier this year and this program will now be extended to include more staff members. A group of 8 to 10 library middle managers have been identified as the next group to receive coaching. Coaching will be done on leadership and the first of 9 sessions will probably start this year.

Library structure – For this discussion, Mrs Heleen Kruger of HR joined the meeting. Mrs Sander stated that ALL staff members will receive placement letters before the end of the year. This letter will clearly state where you fit in the new structure. Interviews for vacancies in SWC (due to the new structure) have been completed. Other vacancies of new positions will be advertised in due course. Mrs Sander also explained why not all positions were regarded. According to her, due to benchmarking, certain positions had to be regarded, as well as positions of which the job descriptions have changed. The ideal would have been to re-grade all positions, but due to the time constrains and the scope, it was not possible.

Year-end function – This function will be organized by the social committee under the leadership of April. Plans are in progress and more details are to follow soon.

Gerda's progress
As mentioned in my e-mail of 5 October, Gerda (from ILL) had knee-replacement surgery. I am glad to inform you that she is back at home. I spoke to her today and she is still experiencing some pain, but hopes to make a full recovery. Gerda, this is to you from all of us:

Update: 3 to 7 October

In this post I will share information regarding:

·         The central filing system

·         Children’s reading material

·         Moving of books on level 4

·         The new Library Executive Director

·         International presentations

Central Filing system (on level 3)

The central filing system on level 3 has been changed from print to an electronic shared and support drive (Admin Hub).  In future there will be no more paper copies of any documents unless as requested by line managers.

Children’s reading material

I refer to my e-mail send to you on 10 October: Should have any reading material appropriate for primary school children, please drop it off at Vivian’s office. This material will be used for primary school libraries.

Moving of books on level four
The shelving staff will start this week to move the books on level four to the right in order to create space for books in the 400 class. Book recently re-labelled in this class is currently placed on the right of this level. Once the moving of books has been completed, it will be interfiled with the rest of the 400’s on the left of this level.

New Executive Director for the Library

I suppose you all received the e-mail that Dr R Bawa has been appointed as Executive Director for the library. She will start in her new position on 1 January 2012. Below a picture of our new ED.

International presentations

Pavlinka has been selected to do two international presentations at the IAMSLIC (International Association of Aquatic & Marine Science Librarians and information Centre) Conference in Zanzibar, Tanzania and the other at the International Annual Internet Librarian Conference in London, UK. Both presentations will be done in October. Good luck, Pavlinka, we know it will go well.