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This paper reports on the contribution of the openness movement to the changing mode of distributing scholarly literature. It is argued that the University of Cape Town (UCT), a leading research university on the African continent with relatively high research output, has a social justice obligation to distribute freely its scholarly research to the widest audience possible. Contributing to this social justice obligation through the sharing of research output via open access (OA) platforms are the university's progressive OA policy and activities to ensure roll-out of the policy as well as its commitments to support article processing charges (APCs) and follow the global trend with regard to OA publishing. The authors, using a case study design, report that these factors have contributed to UCT's researchers adapting to publishing their journal articles on OA platforms. The investigation concludes that, in an era of fiscal constraints, the visibility of research is important to source funding and to meet the institution's social justice obligation; and therefore adapting to new publishing trends is an imperative for UCT researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing higher education pedagogy, digitisation of scholarly content and the increasing influence of relevant technologies have impacted on the transformation of academic library services. This paper examines research support through the lens of the transformation of academic library services. The authors have conducted a review of the literature to determine benchmarks by which to measure the research support services delivered by Stellenbosch University. The paper examines academic libraries' attempts to establish the "deeper meaning" of the librarian for the researcher and the research process. In support of that deeper meaning libraries are providing a new and expanded set of services which includes, inter alia, research data management, curation and preservation; facilitation of open access and bibliometric analysis. Using the research life cycle as a framework, this paper examines the research support services provided by the Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service (SULIS) to the research community. The Research Commons is used as the launch pad for new and innovative services at Stellenbosch. The use of research performance management tools to scan the research landscape, strengthening of self-retrieval of scholarly literature, assistance in the dissemination of research results via publication, and assistance in determining impact factor are all part of the suite of services offered by the Library at Stellenbosch University. The authors conclude that, for academic libraries, there is much to learn and contribute to in this dynamic environment of research production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the cooperation of higher education libraries and the library information sector (LIS) in South Africa. It cites South Africa's Ministry of Education's "The restructuring of the higher education system in South Africa" document on LIC cooperation. The collaborative activities of various consortia including the Cape Library Cooperative (CALICO), Eastern Seaboard Association of Libraries (esAL), and Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC) are also discussed.

South Africa came out of apartheid rule in 1994. This transition has brought with it its own set of challenges including that of access to information, an essential pillar in upholding a democracy. In this transitional period, South Africa is reliant on every possible institution to contribute to the growth of its fledgling democracy. It is clearly evident from the literature that democratic societies are dependent on such institutions as public libraries to uphold fundamental principles of democracy. This paper reflects on the public library, within the South African context, as an essential institution in the growth and sustainability of democracy through equitable access to information and knowledge. The paper discusses issues such as the public library and its role in equitable access to information, the contradictory environments within South Africa, recreational reading and the public library scenario, lifelong learning, and the public library and the educational system. Other issues such as support for indigenous materials and adult literacy are also addressed in the paper. The authors conclude that the real concern in South Africa today is the gulf between the "haves", of any colour, and the "have-nots" and the capacity of the public library to bridge that gap via its contribution to the reduction of illiteracy, poverty and unemployment, the scourge of Africa and South Africa. It is a given that public libraries play a critical role in the propagation of democracy, especially in a continent that has been plagued by dictatorships and military rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New technological advancements have significantly influenced the development of integrated library systems (ILS). Selecting such an integrated library system, either as an introduction or a replacement, is a complicated process that requires careful planning. However, this selection process becomes even more complicated given the fluidity of the vendor market and the continuous enhancements to integrated library systems. A more recent issue for debate in the selection process is that of 'buying' or 'building'. The purpose of this paper is to identify, via a review of the literature, the factors that influence the selection of on ILS and the implementation of the migration process. In the context of this review of the literature, this paper discusses the migration of three institutions in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, namely ESAL, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the eThewini Municipal Library, to such systems. All three institutions have migrated from a common product in Urica to a common vendor and product in SIRSI's Unicorn. Each followed its own strategy of selection and implementation. A growing trend is the move away from purchasing a system 'off the shelf' to building a system, using open access software, that meets the needs of a particular LIS environment. The authors make the recommendation that there should be an investigation into the possibility of developing a South African ILS product that would ensure the retention of financial resources within the country, the creation of job opportunities for local communities and the generation of local know-how and expertise in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the findings of a study that investigated the feasibility of unionizing LIS workers with special reference to the tertiary education sector in South Africa. The primary objectives of the study were to investigate the need for an organisation to address the industrial concerns of LIS employees and to investigate the organization most capable of addressing both the industrial and professional concerns of the sector. The majority of the respondents expressed the view that there is a need for an organisation to address the industrial issues of the LIS sector. The findings also reveal that there is substantial support for the professional association, as opposed to a generic trade union, to address the industrial and professional issues of the LIS sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of statutory status was raised by the Special Libraries Interest Group at the 2004 LIASA conference AGM. The Executive Committee of LIASA mandated the author to research the issue of statutory representation of the South African LIS sector. This paper reports on this investigation. The author reviewed the relevant literature to determine the factors that have contributed to the continued existence of LIS professional associations and to examine the transformation of LIS representation from an occupational association to a professional association and back to an occupational association. The author uses case studies to explore the three possible routes for the profession to debate. The paper recommends a referendum be held within the profession to determine a way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]