Christine Stilwell

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• PhD
• Professor Emeritus at University of KwaZulu-Natal

Funding levels for public libraries have, in general, never been consistently adequate, and this has necessitated that they commonly pursue forms of funding over and above the income received via taxation. To appreciate how this situation developed, it is necessary to understand how library services to the public before the emergence of the rate or...

To better understand the funding issues confronting public libraries today, this article examines the development of library services for the public in the United States before the emergence of the tax-supported public library in the first half of the 19th century. It follows an earlier article on the development of such services in England. Adopti...

Funding levels for public libraries have, in general, never been consistently adequate, and this has necessitated that they commonly pursue forms of funding over and above the income received via taxation. To appreciate how this situation developed, it is necessary to understand how library services to the public before the emergence of the rate or...

This paper reports on the information needs of learners in the Emzamweni High School in Inadi near Pietermaritzburg Msunduzi in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A preliminary report, it presents the outcomes of a survey based on the critical incident approach. Students in the Post Graduate Diploma in Information Studies Programme conducted interviews o...

Drawing on Asante’s Afrocentric idea and the importance of location and agency in an Afrocentric paradigm, this article explores African identity. The study is located in the Centre for African Literary Studies (CALS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg, which was established to house the Lindfors private collection of Afric...

Traditional communities have a highly developed knowledge system. They struggle, however, to lobby for critical issues as this knowledge is not documented. The chapter addresses this problem by seeking a suitable knowledge creation model for South African and Tanzanian indigenous organizations. It draws on fieldwork and reviews the literature and o...

Libraries contain many collections but professional practice has long recognised the concept of “special collections”. The Centre for African Literary Studies (CALS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa, was established to house the private collection of Bernth Lindfors, a retired professor of English and African literature from...

Libraries contain many collections but professional practice has long recognised 4 the concept of “special collections”. The Centre for African Literary Studies 5 (CALS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa, was 6 established to house the private collection of Bernth Lindfors, a retired professor 7 of English and African literatu...

This article examines the effect of the adoption of social media to legal practice in Nigeria. It discusses some of the major challenges that have recently been experienced in the use of legal information in Nigeria within the context of the social media revolution particularly with respect to ethics. A survey method was employed and data was colle...

This introduction reports on a sample of recent research into information behaviour in the South African context. It updates Stilwell’s (2010) article on information behaviour research in South Africa between the years 1980 and 2010. It offers an analytical overview of the articles in the issue and discusses the subjects and contexts; which theoret...

Purpose This study investigated the leadership styles that academic and research librarians apply as well as their effectiveness in meeting their institutions’ strategic objectives. The study also compared and contrasted the leadership styles and their corresponding impact in the effective delivery of academic and research library services in Keny...

Purpose This article endorses the notion that information is the currency of democracy and explores the question of the public library’s role in promoting democracy through the provision of access to information. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature and a case study are used. Findings From the early days of the public library...

The emergence of Web 2.0, the read/write social web, has prompted a momentous change in the way library users seek information, communicate, and collaborate. This trend is affecting the usability and relevance of libraries as the epicentres of information and knowledge. It is essential, therefore, that libraries adopt this technology to fit their s...

In spite of the general understanding that collaboration and communication between researchers enhance research impact, information on the interactions of researchers in Kenya is unclear. This study investigated the social networks which currently exist amongst researchers in Kenya; their effectiveness; and how to maximise their potential for effec...

This paper reports on an empirical study which examined information resources provision to people with visual impairments in five Tanzanian academic libraries. A pragmatism paradigm and Oliver’s social model of disability were employed as well as the International Classification of Functioning model. Quantitative and qualitative methods, including...

Traditional communities have a highly developed knowledge system. They struggle, however, to lobby for critical issues as this knowledge is not documented. The chapter addresses this problem by seeking a suitable knowledge creation model for South African and Tanzanian indigenous organizations. It draws on fieldwork and reviews the literature a...

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Libraries can contribute to knowledge management processes using the Learning Management System, Blackboard, by embedding the librarian in the learning environment to support blended learning. Structured interviews were conducted at CPUT with eight lectu...

This qualitative study reports on teachers in the Western Cape as they attempt to embed information literacy in their classrooms. It explores how teachers come to understand information literacy and the extent to which they change their beliefs about guiding research projects in a more concerted way. The research questions were: (1) how do teachers...

PurposeSince the 1994 regime change many South African public libraries have been destroyed by the communities they were serving which raises questions about how communities perceive these libraries. With the loss of activist library organizations, few insights are gained from activists or critical librarianship on how to respond. In this context,...

The most important theme to emerge from this issue of the journal and one that leads from the comments by Merklen in his article is the critical need for political awareness and commitment in librarians. In other articles Lor identifies this need and Belletante urges the library to use its ability to deploy the available social and other media to p...

A true Library 3.0 environment can be realised only if all the stakeholders recognise and play their roles in creating a facilitative information ecosystem. Unfortunately, the focus of the discussions on Library 3.0 is currently largely on the roles played and skills required by librarians to deploy this model. Little, if anything, is said about th...

The promise of Library 3.0 as a service model is great for research and academic libraries. Its prospect has raised the hopes of research and academic library users and librarians alike. This chapter explores the reality of Library 3.0 by investigating the extent to which it has been deployed; the challenges libraries implementing it face or are li...

No transcript or recording of this event exists, but Michael Stephens has commented, ‘It was a brief comment I made between speakers during a track I was moderating. I said something to the effect “That sounds like it’s a library 2.0 service” in response to the previous speaker’s example’. Michael Stephens, email .message to P. G. Underwood, 2 June...

Library 3.0 is gaining popularity among research and academic library users faster than had been anticipated. In fact, it is currently deemed one of the most exciting advances in research and academic library development. The increasing popularity of Library 3.0 is attributed partly to its potential to provide an environment conducive to exploratio...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between different aspects of public library use with elements of economic growth and development. Design/methodology/approach – Statistical correlations were performed to uncover statistically significant relationships. Findings – Relationships are not uniform: strongly positive r...

The emergence of Web 2.0, the read/write social web, has prompted a momentous change in the way library users seek information, communicate and collaborate. This trend is affecting the usability and relevance of libraries as the epicentres of information and knowledge. It is essential, therefore, that libraries adopt this technology to fit their se...

The growth rate of civil society organisations (CSOs) in developing countries in the recent past has been increasing. Consequently, several donors currently channel development funds through CSOs. However, the lack of adequate capacity to work with governments, donors and other stake− holders has hampered the ability of local CSOs to deliver effect...

Library 3.0 explores the ongoing debates on the "point oh" phenomenon and its impact on service delivery in libraries. This book analyses Library 3.0 and its potential in creating intelligent libraries capable of meeting contemporary needs, and the growing role of librarians as apomediators. Contents include: Current issues and emerging trends in l...

This article reports on an empirical study which investigated access for people in wheelchairs and/or with visual impairments to Tanzanian academic libraries. A pragmatism paradigm and Oliver’s (1990) social model of disability were employed as well as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Using quantitative...

This study was part of broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances adaptation to climate change and variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and model to assess the dissemination of th...

Edda Tandi Lwoga, Christine Stilwell and Patrick Ngulube look at and compare knowledge management in two national cultures and draw some conclusions for indigenous organizations in general.

The available evidence reveals that although librarians have made good progress in adapting library services and products to current realities, usage of libraries remains low. This situation has been attributed partly to the poor marketing of library services to actual and potential users. Therefore, the library services delivered using shoe-string...

The available evidence reveals that although librarians have made good progress in adapting library services and products to current realities, usage of libraries remains low. This situation has been attributed partly to the poor marketing of library services to actual and potential users. Therefore, the library services delivered using shoe-string...

This paper investigated the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in information delivery for people with visual impairment and on wheelchairs in Tanzanian academic libraries. A pragmatism paradigm and the social model of disability of Oliver were employed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire, interview...

This paper is based on part of the findings of a PhD study that was carried out to determine how farmers have used indigenous knowledge (IK) to adapt to climate change and variability in the semi-arid region of central Tanzania. Two villages, Maluga and Chibelela, were used as the case studies. The study applied Rogers'(2003) Diffusion of Innova...

This article is based on part of findings of a PhD study that was carried out to determine how farmers have used indigenous knowledge (IK) to adapt to climate change and variability in the semi-arid region of central Tanzania. Two villages, Maluga and Chibelela, were used as the case studies. The study applied Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theor...

Much has been written about measuring the contribution of public libraries to society. Using a transformative paradigm, this article addresses the development of measures with regard to the public libraries' role in fostering social inclusion and alleviating poverty in South Africa. The approach taken is based on Sachs's notion of capital endow...

Grey literature can be perceived as the unpublished content produced by academic, research, public and private institutions. Grey literature comprises newsletters, reports, working papers, theses, government documents, bulletins, fact sheets, conference proceedings, minutes, PowerPoint presentations and other publications which are generally pr...

This article examines evidence of information literacy in the context of legal education and legal practice in Nigeria. It seeks to explore the application of Kuhlthau's Information Search Process model as the dominant framework used in investigating issues of uncertainty and task complexity in a study conducted among graduate lawyers in Nigeria...

The legal deposit of and preservation of digital materials depends on the proper legislative framework and implementation of the Legal Deposit Act. This article examines the challenges related to legal instruments affecting the legal deposit of digital materials in South Africa. Two main objectives of the study upon which this article is based were...

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play an important role in the socioeconomic development programmes in the developing countries. For instance, donors prefer to channel development funds through CSOs rather than directly to governments. However, the lack of adequate capacity to work with governments, donors and other stakeholders has hampered...

Changes in education and training are anticipated countrywide in terms of the National Qualifications Framework. This framework, based on a system of credits for achieved learning outcomes, is overseen by the South African Qualifications Authority, a parastatal body, which will assist professional bodies in the establishment of appropriate national...

Based on a study for a master's dissertation, this article reports on an investigation of the information seeking behaviour of blind and visually impaired students. It investigated whether the services provided by the University of KwaZulu-Natal on its Pietermaritzburg campus (hereafter UKZN-PMB) accommodated the information seeking behaviour of...

Research carried out in 2011 in Kirinyaga district, Kenya, shows how sense-making theory and methodology can be used to assess the use of local agricultural and external knowledge by small-scale farmers and its effects on small-scale agriculture. Two knowledge systems, the local knowledge system and the external or scientific knowledge system, are...

Using the 'point oh'naming system for developments in librarianship is attracting debate about its appropriateness, basis and syntax and the meaning and potential of Library 2.0. Now a new term, Library 3.0, has emerged. Is there is any significant difference between the two models? Using documentary analysis to explore the terms, the authors co...

This chapter examines the efforts undertaken to restructure the legal education system in South Africa and Nigeria. It investigates the connection between contextual influences and professional development, particularly with respect to the concept of legal information literacy and the value of acquired educational skills in the context of legal...

There are numerous obstacles to sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Arising from the Millennium Development Goals is the need to sustain reliable information and communications technology infrastructure. Good information management practices and such infrastructure underpin libraries and information services. Many libraries and library...

A survey of alumni perceptions of a post graduate programme in Information and Library Science. the B.Bibl. Honours. at the University of Natal. South Africa is described. Module content and apprapriateness are reviewed in relation to demands of the workplace. Alumni views on delivery and assessment methods are interrogated as are requirements in t...

This article is based on a study that examined library services provision for people with visual impairments and in wheelchairs in academic libraries in Tanzania. The article looks at access to the information resources available and the layout of library buildings in five universities in Tanzania. The broader issues in this study were grounded...

With poverty and hunger growing in sub-Saharan Africa, increased agricultural productivity is urgently required. Agricultural extension services should improve their delivery to those small-scale farmers who play a key role in production. There is a need to build on previous research focusing on the integration and sharing of knowledge from diff...

With the current problems of global warming and climate change, preservationists are applying green construction principles to depositories and archival facilities (Henry 2008: 3; Kim 2008; Nsibirwa 2012: 73). Collections stewards, architects and engineers face design challenges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop an adaptive response...

This study documented the development of the two libraries of the University of Natal from 1910 to 2003. The historical research method was chosen as the optimal method for the collection and analysis of data, the broad approach to the study being interpretative. Understanding the present and anticipating and managing change depends to some exte...

Several user studies have confirmed that academic libraries are under great pressure to adopt new technologies. This pressure has resulted in technostress and technolust among academic librarians. Technostress is defined as a feeling of anxiety or mental pressure caused by working with multiple and rapidly changing computer systems, and mediating b...

Literature on library service models is scarce and exists mainly in non-traditional formats such as blog entries and webpages. Nonetheless, the subject evokes heated debate among librarians with many supporting the model they are using, sometimes without understanding that there are other options which perhaps could be better for their circumst...

We live in an interactive society characterized by a desire for participation that involves citizens, workers, customers, politicians, decision makers and entrepreneurs. Libraries, as part of the larger human society, inevitably have to change with it. Although libraries have changed constantly through history, the prevailing environment require...

Discussion on competencies for librarians is not new. Several librarianship scholars and practitioners have proposed diverse skill-sets over the years. While some of these suggestions correspond, others contradict. Further, whereas specific skill-sets have been proposed for various types of libraries, only general job descriptions exist for researc...

This article assesses information and knowledge needs, access and use for agricultural development in the rural areas of developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. Data from focus groups and information mapping and linkage diagrams were used to triangulate with the interview data in order to bring together the strength of all data set...

The social sciences offer a rich array of paradigms within which to locate agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS) research. This article provides an overview of the major paradigms in the social sciences, identifying those which offer a lens through which the AKISs of small-scale farmers can be viewed. It is based on a review and...

The study upon which the article is based investigated the information literacy of aspirant barristers in Nigeria and examined the efforts undertaken to restructure the legal education system in Nigeria. It explored the connection between contextual influences and professional development, particularly with respect to the concept of legal inform...

South Africa has a long library history, with the first public library being established in 1761, as the result of the bequest of the book collection of Joachim von Dessin to the Dutch Reformed Church (Mostert, 1999). This collection formed the core of the South African Public Library, which was funded by a tax on wine, and opened its doors to t...

This article reports on research on the KwaZulu-Natal School Library Policy, its implementation strategy and feasibility for implementation in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The article is the base research article which draws on a larger study which was undertaken for a doctorate. The first research objective of the study was to analyse and critic...

In Tanzania, the Records and Archives Management Act of 2002 established the Records and Archives Management Department (RAMD) to provide for the proper administration and better management of public records and archives throughout their life cycle. This article is based on findings from an ongoing study of the government ministries of Tanzania whi...

This article provides a systematic analysis of the challenges of managing agricultural indigenous knowledge (IK), and accessing external knowledge in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary data from 181 smallscale farmers in the six districts of Tanzania. The...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess access to and use of agricultural knowledge and information in the rural areas of Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach Mixed quantitative, qualitative and participatory methods were deployed. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 181 farmers in six dis...

Is the full potential of public libraries and community centres, in combating poverty and social exclusion in disadvantaged communities, acknowledged in South Africa and can a heightened awareness of their role as social institutions make a difference in this regard? In addressing these questions, the researcher defines social exclusion and iden...

Information needs assessment is critical in developing and running relevant information services. This article explores the information needs and information-seeking patterns of the people living in communities surrounding telecentres. The research was based in four rural districts in Tanzania which have telecentres. These were Sengerema, Magu,...

This article is based on part of a survey that investigated journal cancellations in university libraries in South Africa. A study population consisting of 17 university libraries in South Africa was surveyed by means of an online questionnaire to establish whether university libraries in South Africa were adequately funded and to gauge the impa...

Do South African libraries and information centres contribute to development? Such interventions would require the effective addressing of poverty and social exclusion. This article refers to a two-phase survey which identified, documented, and shared examples of local instances of social exclusion initiatives in the public library sector. The r...

Legal depositories in South Africa are intended to ensure that the sources of the country‟ s heritage are collected, controlled bibliographically, preserved and made accessible for present and future generations. The guarantee of access to legal deposit materials depends on a number of factors affecting legal deposit libraries in South Africa....

New information and communication technologies have greatly affected archival institutions. It is therefore not surprising that the world of archival management has presently been confronted with many challenges as new technologies transform the archival landscape. Digital technologies are challenging custodians' abilities to preserve our archiv...

This article provides a review of the information needs and information seeking patterns of the rural farmers in selected districts of Tanzania. Focus group data was triangulated with interview data in order to validate, confirm and corroborate quantitative results with qualitative findings. The findings revealed that the information needs and info...

This paper is based on a PhD study (Lwoga, 2009) that sought to assess the application of knowledge management (KM) approaches in managing indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. This study used a mixed-research method which was conducted in six districts of Tanzan...

This paper is based on a PhD study (Lwoga, 2009) that sought to assess the application of knowledge management (KM) approaches in managing indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. This study used a mixed-research method which was conducted in six districts of Tanzan...

This article addresses the management of agricultural indigenous knowledge (IK) in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. It provides background details on IK and its importance for agricultural development. It introduces various knowledge management (KM) concepts and discusses their application in managing IK in the developing wo...

The article reports on research into information behaviour in the South African context from 1980 to date. While numerous papers have been presented at conferences and published as articles little is available in terms of an overview of the entire body of such research to date. More information is needed on the subjects and contexts of such researc...

This article is based on part of a survey that investigated journal cancellations in university libraries in South Africa. A study population consisting of 17 university libraries in South Africa was surveyed by means of an online questionnaire to establish the factors that influenced journal cancellations. Interpretation of the results revealed...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS) of small‐scale farmers in Kirinyaga district, Kenya by identifying the key agricultural actors, establishing the information needs of farmers and how they access, share and exchange agricultural knowledge and information. Design/methodology...

This paper seeks to establish the challenges and opportunities for managing agricultural indigenous and external knowledge in the rural areas of developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. Semi-structured interview, focus groups and problem trees were used to collect primary data from farmers in the six regions of Tanzania. The finding...

This article is based on a study that sought to explore small-scale farmers’ perceptions and understanding of indigenous farming with an ultimate goal of promoting the use of IK for agricultural development in Tanzania. This study was mainly qualitative, where semistructured interviews were used to collect data from 181 small-scale farmers in six r...

Ranganathan's five laws of library science were first published in 1931. Although initially devised for the Indian context, these laws have been adapted-in form and spirit-by libraries all over the world. With the emergence of new librarianship models such as Library 2.0, most practitioners wonder whether the laws still hold. This study used cri...

Library users have changed with the information environment. As a matter of fact, many library user studies indicate that the pace of this change is faster now than ever before. Consequently, a new breed of library users, known as Patron 2.0, has emerged. This study, conducted through documentary analysis, unveils the core characteristics of these...

Publishing, books and reading in Sub-Saharan Africa: a critical bibliographyby Hans M. Zell. 3rd revised edition. Lochcarron: Hans Zell Publishing, 2008.

Library 2.0 is a controversial concept that stirs debate on many fronts. As the concept continues to arrest the attention of most library users and practitioners, a number of issues relating to its real nature emerge. One of these is the character of change it represents. While many library scholars and practitioners agree that Library 2.0 repre...

An update of an article which appeared in the IFLA journal (Stilwell, 2007a), this article follows on from Part 1 (Stilwell, 2008) charting progress in terms of the fit between available library and information services and that which is expected in terms of the national transformation agenda. This second article picks up on libraries and inform...

The purpose of this survey-based study, undertaken at the Inkandla and Mbazwana school clusters in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was to investigate the awareness of community members with regard to the concept of clustering. The term community is used in the sense of a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality (Webster's o...

A study was undertaken in four Tanzanian universities to investigate the status and practice of information literacy (IL) so as to determine the best ways of introducing or improving IL programmes. This article reports on the findings related to challenges and opportunities that could influence the effective implementation and introduction of IL pr...

This article identifies sources of HIV/AIDS information used by residential students on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the former University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu- Natal). A questionnaire targeted at residential students on the Pietermaritzburg campus was used to determine which sources of HIV/AIDS information they used. The stu...

This article, the first of two parts, is an update of one which appeared in the IFLA journal in 2007 (Stilwell 2007a). Progress since 2007 is mapped in terms of the fit between the library and information services available and the national transformation agenda. It reviews information policy and describes information sources, systems and servic...

The article describes a crisis in access to scholarly journals at the former University of Natal, Durban Campus Libraries between 2002 and 2004. The Libraries experienced a substantial increase in the costs of the journal collection. From 2002 to 2003 the increased foreign exchange rate and frequent increases in the price of journal subscription...

This article reviews efforts made by higher education institutions in Nigeria and Tanzania in transforming student learning through information literacy (IL). It examines the need for higher education institutions in the two countries to create the necessary foundations for strengthening information literacy programmes as a strategy for ensuring...

This article reports on an exploratory study on the provision of information about low-cost housing to the residents of the Tamboville housing project in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. These residents were selected because they were the beneficiaries of a government low-cost housing subsidy. Data was collected through interviews and...

Opening with a review of information policy, the article describes information sources, systems and services in South Africa, embedding them in the wider national information system. A description of the library and information education and training sector and the organized profession follow. This overview is based on literature retrieved from the...

The article presents the various points of view regarding the definitions and uses of records and archives amongst the recordkeeping scholarly and practitioner communities. It demonstrates that whereas records and archives are useful tools for facilitating transparency, accountability and good governance in society, they could be used as instru...