Search results

It has been a decade, as the collaboration between the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) to extend information and communication technology (ICT) and library services to rural deprived, unserved and underserved communities in Ghana dubbed the library connectivity project. This paper aims to evaluate this initiative from the perspective of relevant key stakeholders and through the lens of the digital inclusion model.

The study adopted a qualitative approach to evaluate the library connectivity project offered to deprived communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Interviews were conducted with the head librarians, ICT teachers and school librarians. Focus group discussions were held with pupils from four beneficiary schools of the project. The researchers also witnessed four of the outreach programmes and training sessions and observed the mode of instruction.

The study brought to fore the enormous benefits of the library connectivity project as it aided school pupils to acquire practical ICT skills, which were found to be useful towards their final exam. Despite the enormous benefit of the project, it was bereft with a lot of challenges such as inadequate logistics and personnel thereby restricting the project to very few schools. Low staff motivation and unmotorable roads were also found to be a challenge, which could all be as a result of lack of funds.

The paper underscores the importance of computer and information literacy and reveals how the GhLA is using innovative mobile library services to bridge the digital divide through the library connectivity project.

This paper makes a further contribution to the paucity of literature on the role of mobile libraries in the promotion of computer and information literacy.

This paper aims to describe an information and communication technology (ICT) training programme in the central library in Ghana, to discuss the benefits of the programme and the challenges faced by those delivering it and to relate this work to the broader development goals of the UN and the Africa Union (AU), offering some recommendations on how the programme can be made more effective.

The study adopted a qualitative approach to help determine the modality of the programme to two junior high schools (JHSs) in the area that benefit weekly from the training programmes offered at the ICT corner. Interviews were conducted with two staff of the ICT corner to help gather information on the services that the ICT corner offers and the challenges with the programme; ICT teachers and a library coordinator of the two JHSs were also interviewed to find out about their opinion on the programme and the impact they think the programme can make to help achieve the agenda of equipping the youth with ICT skills. Focus group discussions were held with two classes from the JHSs for them to indicate the ICT skills they have acquired from the training and what they can use the skills to achieve. The researcher also witnessed two training sessions and observed daily activities of the ICT corner and the method of instruction.

The study brought to fore the contribution GhLA is making to help Ghana achieve Agenda 2063 and 2030 by helping students acquire basic ICT skills that are motivating them to use computers in their daily activities.

The study highlighted the importance of libraries in the twenty-first century and recommendations were made, among others, that, the facility should be replicated in all public libraries to be used by schools that do not have their own ICT lab in Ghana and the library should employ more staff to help with the training.

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.

The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

The services of the libraries are to disseminate information and create awareness on issues of importance in the society. Often times, it is not very clear on what and how the entire community can be reached, thus denying some groups opportunities to be integrated toward actualization and contribution to the national development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the information activities provided by libraries and librarians in promoting development and social integration through identification of community members, harnessing the output indicators of what, where, when, why and how in engaging the people, investigating the constraints and the implications of the findings to community contribution toward national development.

The study was designed using Spidergram to incorporate 5Ws and H (who, what, when, where, why and how) in information engagement for social inclusion. There was no sampling as all the 88 participants have enriching discussion on sustainable development, filling the questionnaire that were structured on a four-point scale of strongly agree (SA), agree (A), disagree (D) and strongly disagree (SD). There was also the use of interview which the participants actively interfaced on. Data were collated and analyzed using frequency tables and mean scores with 2.5 benchmark set for acceptable or rejected item.

Result revealed that many people are unaware of national sustainable development but are willing to create spaces to be integrated in nation building. There is the need for libraries and librarians to provide information that goes beyond a simple consultation or support process but to expand into meaningful and inclusive collaborations, building stronger relationships and partnerships within the community. Participants expressed displeasure on late information, low literacy, lack of engagement from libraries and librarians, among others, and indicated that their meeting venues are excellent spaces for information activities.

If the community members are excluded from inclusive information participation, they will be denied of their fundamental rights to access to information. With that, they will not take their rightful place in sustainable national development. On the other hand, the libraries and librarians will continue to be relegated to the background. Since it has been established that many people need information and are willing to create spaces to get it, it is necessary that the best practices are adopted in adding values to national development.

Disseminating information to wide groups of audience enhances free discussion which can lead to understanding of needs, mutual respect, problem solving and increase in knowledge of national development.

This research employs spidergram with the adoption of who, what, where, when, why and how (5Ws and H) in tracing the engagements of libraries/librarians in service provision for active national development. it provides a unique approach toward investigating the relevance of libraries and librarians in ensuring national development.

I AM MOST GRATEFUL for the opportunity to contribute a foreword to this special Ghana issue of THE LIBRARY WORLD. Barely ten years ago, there was nothing of a library service worth the name in Ghana. Today we have a national wide library service, and a great measure of the success in this great experiment to provide books for a predominantly unlettered population is of course due to the support and patronage of the Government. The first step towards a national library service was taken in 1950 with the passing of the Ghana Library Board Act. By this legislation, not only did the Government give its recognition to the need for inculcating the reading habit among the literate masses, but also committed itself to providing the necessary financial support.

Examines the roles played by various international and government organizations in the development of libraries in Ghana. Argues some justification for the continued reliance on external assistance in Ghana′s library development, despite the controversial nature of such assistance. Concludes that all government efforts should be made to supplement external assistance in the development of libraries in Ghana.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the legal and institutional frameworks for, and the challenges to the payment of the reprographic fees in Ghana.

A qualitative research approach was employed to address the objectives of the study. This involved focus group discussion sessions with twelve purposively sampled postgraduate students (six each from the private and public institutions) and the five Technical Committee members of CopyGhana; and qualitative interview sessions with the head librarians of four academic universities (two private and two public).

This study shows that CopyGhana derives its existence from Copyright Act 2005, (Act 690) section 49, and Copyright Regulations (L.I. 1962) 2010, sub-regulation 18. Copyright Regulations (L.I. 1962), 2010, sub-regulation 18 mandates CopyGhana to identify all the outfits that engage in photocopying for immediate licensing, and to protect the economic rights of foreign rightsholders within the jurisdiction of Ghana. Though students and library staff generally agree to the payment of the reprographic fees (the students however want to see it legally insulated against possible future arbitrary increases), the position of university authorities possesses a big challenge to its implementation.

The paper evaluated the legal and institutional frameworks for the payment of the reprographic fees, and the challenges in its implementation, and proposes that CopyGhana may have to activate its legal right to sue in order to overcome the challenges posed by university authorities, as is being done in other jurisdictions.

This paper discusses the management of libraries in Ghana with reference to the existing practices in the country, and various problems involved in the administration of these libraries. Management plays a very important role in librarianship, yet librarians in Ghana find it difficult to execute this function owing to various constraints such as inadequate training facilities in the country, lack of funding for libraries, and the low image of librarians in the country. The writer suggests among other things, the organisation of regular seminars and conferences at local, national and regional levels for librarians to improve upon their management techniques and efforts by librarians themselves to change public misconception of their profession.

Libraries and information services form part of a larger community which exists to pass information from the originator to the recipient. This community also includes the producers and distributors of both print and non‐print information, information brokers consultants, educationalists and research workers.

On 24th January this year the new and long‐promised legislation for public libraries in England and Wales made its bow in the shape of the Public Libraries and Museums Bill. Its first reading took place in the House of Commons on that day, and the unopposed second reading was on 5th February. As we write, future timing is uncertain, and it may be that by the time our readers are perusing these pages that the Bill will hare been passed in all its stages. The 23 clauses of the Bill occupy only 12½ pages. Briefly, the Bill will place the development of the public library service under the superintendence of the Minister of Education, and will set up two advisory councils as well as regional councils for interlibrary co‐operation. Non‐county boroughs and urban districts of less than 40,000 population which are existing library authorities will have to apply to the Minister for approval to continue as such. Clause 7 states that every library authority has a duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service, while the succeeding clause provides that, apart from certain exceptions, no charges shall be made by public library authorities. The Bill places considerable powers upon the Minister. Like most Bills, there is much in it which is open to interpretation. Does, for instance, clause 8, subsection (1) mean that those library authorities which are at present charging for the issue of gramophone records will have to cease doing so? This would seem to be the case, and we hope it is the case. On the other hand, which precise facilities are meant in subsection (4) of the same clause? Librarians will be disappointed that there is no reference to the need for library authorities to appoint separate library committees, nor is there a duty placed upon them to appoint suitably qualified persons as chief librarians. The Minister is given the power of inspection, and few library authorities or librarians will fear this. On the other hand no state financial assistance to library authorities is mentioned. In the 1930s and 19405 many wanted state aid but feared the consequential inspection. Now we have got the inspection without the money! When the Bill appeared, The Library World asked several librarians for their brief first impressions and in the following symposium will be found the views of a city librarian, a county librarian, two London librarians, a Welsh librarian, the librarian of a smaller town, and a member of the younger generation whose professional future may well be shaped by this new legislation.