Think like a Startup

A white paper to inspire library entrepreneurialism
by Brian Mathews

What if Residence Halls and Student Centers managed learning commons spaces?
• What if the Office of Research managed campus-wide electronic database subscriptions and on-demand access to digital scholarly materials?
• What if Facilities managed the off-campus warehouses where books and other print artifacts are stored?
• What if the majority of scholarly information becomes open? Libraries would no longer need to acquire and control access to materials.
• What if all students are given eBook readers and an annual allotment to purchase the books, articles, and other media necessary for their academic pursuits and cultural interests?9 Collections become personalized, on-demand, instantaneous, and lifelong learning resources.
• What if local museums oversaw special collections and preservation?
• What if graduate assistants, teaching fellows, post-docs, and undergraduate peer leaders managed database training, research assistance, and information literacy instruction?
 Read this interesting paper

EBSCOhost tutorials

These might be useful

Faculty Perspectives on Information Literacy as a Student Learning Outcome

"...This study (in J of Academic Librarianship) aims to fill this gap by surveying and interviewing a nationwide sample of teaching faculty in six disciplines for their perspectives on the importance and relevance of information literacy competencies for their students...."
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Given the emphasis which we wish to place on IL integration into the curriculum it would be useful if a similar study could happen at Rhodes. 

In the conclusion of the article the authors states: .... "the onus is still on the librarians to initiate and sustain discussions with faculty. The fact that interviewees strongly believe information literacy is important, but still have not found systematic ways to integrate it into their curriculum, suggests they might be open to suggestions and ideas from librarians in this area..." 

This has certainly been my experience at RUL and I am sure that the other Faculty team-members have similar stories.

SA author makes Booker Prize longlist

South African author Andre Brink has been nominated for one of literature's most prestigious awards - the Booker Prize.

Where is the library in the digital workflow of research?

Do we need academic libraries in the age of the internet?
This paper discusses how researcher and student workflow has changed and looks at the role of the institutional library in this new digital universe.

Who killed Britannica? interesting discussions

As you may know, the Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer being produced in print - see the comments around this issue

One of the comments, which elicited several responses from librarians reads:
"Kingston University library has removed the print version from the main centre! Librarians!

Effective Blogging for Libraries

http://www.neal-schuman.com/ebl
Renowned library blogger, speaker, and educator Connie Crosby shares her experience and expertise in this step-by-step guide to successful library blogging. As you build your skills with Neal-Schuman’s The Tech Set®, Effective Blogging for Libraries is the go-to resource for any librarian in search of practical, easy-to-implement instruction for creating and managing a winning library blog.

EXACTICA: Thesis and Dissertation Solutions.

Dear Colleagues,

I came across this page and I thought it would be interesting to explore and decide whether it's something we can tell our researchers about or not. Please check it.
http://www.exactica.co.za/ 

Nabisa

R we Still Relevant?

The Role of University Libraries in the Digital Age

from EdCetera

As cloud-based content becomes increasingly popular, it’s easy to wonder whether libraries will remain relevant in higher education. Students can download research materials in the blink of an eye, and professors can offer digital or scannable course packets just as easily as they can refer people to original hard copies.

Good news: more visibility for research from South Africa

"PHILADELPHIA, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Intellectual Property & Science division of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced it has partnered with Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) to host the SciELO database on Web of Knowledge(SM), ...."

The Espresso Book Machine Arrives at the University of Johanneburg Library, South Africa

Bringing what has been called “revolutionary” book-publishing technology to SA, Self-Publish Press – together with Xerox – has launched the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) at the University of Johannesburg's main library.The EBM is the creation of On Demand Books, in New York, and is capable of producing a bookstore-quality paperback with a colour cover, in minutes. The books can be printed in any standard trim size, and the machine eliminates the problem of minimum print runs

To read more, http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57140