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The study that directed this article sought to understand the dynamics of knowledge sharing in operational engagements in art practice within the indigenous communities of practice in Zimbabwe. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted based on a phenomenology of practice research strategy. Purposive sampling was used to identify the research sites, to study participants at the sites and to review documents for analysis. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews in the field from seven participants, by observations at the research sites and by means of an analysis of documents on biographies of six participants. The findings were that indigenous communities of practice were central in facilitating the sharing and acquisition of artistic knowledge in the art world. In operational interactions, socialisation was the main mode of engagement, both among integrated and naïve artists. The commonly shared knowledge types were artistic and social knowledge, irrespective of the quality of the artworks produced. Rhythmic knowledge was applied largely in the production of airport art. The recommendations were for the indigenous communities of practice to develop knowledge-sharing strategies and for the artists to form a national association that would help them to harness their efforts.

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks are the major ingredients of social research. Conceptual or theoretical frameworks assist researchers in framing their studies and explaining social phenomenon. Many researchers have difficulties in applying and understanding the utility of conceptual or theoretical frameworks when conducting research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application and understanding of conceptual and theoretical frameworks in open and distance education. Using content analysis, the researchers studied a total of 336 open and distance learning research articles from five core open and distance education journals. It was discovered that the use of one theory in a study is more prevalent. In most cases where more than one theory was used, the researchers referred to it as a theoretical framework. In some studies, they confused theoretical with conceptual frameworks. Some researchers regarded research frameworks, such as paradigms, as theoretical frameworks. Many studies did not explain the way in which conceptual and theoretical frameworks helped them to design their research. Furthermore, researchers did not demonstrate how and why a theory was more applicable to their studies than an alternative one. The study identified that there is a need for more clarification of these concepts when they are used by researchers.

The growing number of digital devices has led to the creation of many digital resources within academic libraries. Without proper protection, there is a risk that these digital resources can neither be retrieved from old storage media nor be rendered from old file formats. As a result, academic libraries have recognised a need for long-term preservation of their fast growing number of digital resources. However, preserving digital content over a long period has been difficult because both technology and relevant organisational context change over time. This underscores the need to examine the adoption of digital preservation strategies in academic libraries in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used, underpinned by a survey research design. The findings revealed that migration, bit preservation, replication and a risk management approach were the most widely used preservation strategies within academic libraries in South Africa. The study observed that there are only a few digital preservation studies that have been devoted to developing strategies to ensure long-term accessibility of digital resources in academic libraries in South Africa. This raises a concern and the researchers are of the opinion that academic libraries can overcome digital preservation problems if proper strategies are put in place. The study proposes a digital preservation strategy for academic libraries that is mapped with international preservation standards and certification tools.

Disruptive technologies are widely used in semi-periphery and core countries such as the United States of America, Australia, Croatia, and China to manage and preserve records. However, the same cannot be said about periphery countries, especially on the African continent. These countries, including South Africa, are struggling with the digitalisation of records, let alone the management of paper-based records. This study, conducted in the public sector in South Africa, explores literature review to critically analyse challenges to archival functions that can be mitigated through the application of artificial intelligence technologies. Findings reveal problems relating to governance in a digital environment, a lack of accountability, the high level of litigation rates, bad audit results, and a lack of or poor service delivery emanating from a breakdown in records systems in South Africa. Both paper-based and digital records management systems in the public sector in South Africa are in a state of disarray. As a result, the preservation of digital records is slowly taking place, which leads to the loss of memory for the entire public sector. It is concluded that the market is ripe for disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and blockchain in the management and preservation of records in the South African public sector. The study recommends that governmental bodies cautiously consider exploring the possibility of storing their records in a trusted digital repository cloud as an interim solution while observing legal obligations. Other technologies such as blockchain technology can also be adopted to ensure the security of records.

This study examined skills levels, gaps and needs of personnel who manage electronic records in Zimbabwe’s public departments. In the context of this study, skills refer to the ability and competence to manage electronic records professionally, effectively and efficiently. Many scholars have established that a solid educational background, experience, training and staff development programmes are indispensable in implementing a successful electronic records management programme. This is in tandem with the skills theory and the skills acquisition theory, both of which were used in this study. The study established that although an array of officers managed electronic records, most of them were not qualified in records management and as such lacked competencies to manage electronic records properly and professionally. There was no coordination in the manner in which electronic records were managed as different officers managed electronic records according to their personal intuition, ability and resources. This qualitative study involved 55 officers who worked with electronic records in government ministries in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. Data were collected using interviews which were triangulated by document reviews. Data were analysed thematically. The study recommended skills development through workshops and college courses, skills collaboration and the hiring of qualified records officers in order for Zimbabwe to turn around her electronic records management fortunes.

This article sets out to describe the usage of standards in the development of quality library services in universities in Kenya. Standards represent opportunities for librarians to add value as information providers and for the library profession to raise its visibility as an authority on information quality. The mixed research method was used for data collection. A total of 27 (87%) of the 31 respondents from private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) completed and returned the questionnaires. Based on the findings from the questionnaire survey, five heads of university libraries were interviewed. The findings revealed that the majority of the university libraries had used only five out of the ten Commission for Higher Education’s Standards and Guidelines for University Libraries in Kenya (CHE 2007), namely: vision, mission and objectives; organisation and access of information resources; information resources; ICT resources; and library building. The higher usage of these five standards could have been attributed to the eligibility requirements for licensing of the external quality assurance regulatory body, namely, the CHE. However, the least utilised standards were those that were crucial to demonstrate that students had mastered the specific objectives of education. The CHE standards used for evaluation of university libraries in Kenya only covered inputs. The article concludes with a number of recommendations for improvement. The standards should focus on outputs and outcomes of the library programmes as primary indicators of quality.

The National Archives are an important part of South African society because they serve as memory institutions. Fulfilling this mandate requires archivists to encourage societal engagement with the archives. This article sought to examine the role of an archivist’s knowledge and skills in promoting public archival institutions. Therefore, the perceptions and experiences of the directors of the National Archives, archivists who work at the National Archives and Executive Board members from the East and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) were explored. This was achieved through administering questionnaires to all the directors of the National Archives in the ESARBICA region, and conducting interviews with archivists from this region as well as ESARBICA Executive Board members. The intention was to identify whether archivists from the National Archives in the ESARBICA region thought that they have the relevant skills to conduct public programming initiatives; if public programming was part of the core archival curricula in the region; and furthermore, to determine the availability and awareness of public programming training and education in the region. The study provides an overview of public programming, together with a better understanding of the significance of archivists’ skills and knowledge regarding public programming in the mission of encouraging greater use of archives.

This study examined the contesting legal and cultural sensitivity binary surrounding the digitisation of indigenous music in South Africa. The Delphi technique was used to determine if there is any pattern or consensus around these issues. Questionnaires emailed to indigenous music collectors, indigenous music donors and various researchers in this field collected information on the intersection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and customary law in local digitisation initiatives. A review of relevant literature was also conducted to trace related trends in similar projects. The findings of the study show that, from a legal and cultural perspective, developing an ethical professional practice during the course of collecting and aggregating indigenous materials on the internet should involve managing a range of risks associated with breaches of both indigenous customary law and Western IPR. This risk should be managed through various sets of disclaimers, warnings, and other mechanisms for withdrawal of indigenous materials which stakeholders may contest. The study recommends that certain aspects of indigenous knowledge never enter the public domain (as prescribed by customary law) and remain protected as such in perpetuity.