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The purpose of this study is to determine the students’ perceptions of librarians as teachers of information literacy at the North-West University in South Africa.

The study used a survey research method in which online questionnaires were used to gather data from students who would have attended information literacy classes.

Students found librarians to be effective teachers of information literacy, and they found the subject to be very useful. However, some of the surveyed students felt that a lot of the subject was presented in a short period, which could easily result in exhaustion and information overload. The use of local or vernacular languages was also indicated as an area requiring the librarians’ attention for the teachers to be more effective.

The results of this study support the assessment of librarians as teachers by students to assist them (librarians) to refine their teaching methods and to make the conduct of information literacy worthwhile for the students.

The outcomes of this study may be used to advocate for more information literacy (IL) contact time with the students by librarians when negotiating with faculty. Further, these results may be used to showcase the value placed by students to IL.

This study is a welcome addition to the scant literature on the quality of teaching delivered by the librarians and the assessment mechanisms used to provide feedback on students’ learning of IL. This study is a first of its kind comparing the perceptions of librarians’ teaching abilities by postgraduate and undergraduate students.

The landscape of teaching, learning and research has changed requiring the need for diverse information resources. Given the current budgetary constraints and financial conditions prevailing in many universities, sharing of information resources has become a necessity. The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services have thus become an important service to meet the immediate needs of library users. The aim of this paper is to analyse the ILL services of the North-West University in South Africa from 2006 to 2016. Using statistical data, the paper shows the emerging pattern in borrowing and lending between institutions as well as determines the existence of correlations between borrowing and lending libraries. The results of this study show that ILL amongst libraries has decreased in the past 11 years. A need exists for increased awareness of ILL and there is need for technological innovations that will ensure that library users are able to request for information resources seamlessly.

This is a quantitative study that uses ILL data from the North-West University. Data were downloaded from the SABINET ILL system using the three NWU JC codes. They were then collated and uploaded on excel spreadsheets. In the main, the excel spreadsheets were used to interpret the data. Further, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, in particular Spearman’s Correlation Analysis, was used to test correlations between data from libraries that requested information resources from NWU and data from libraries that supplied information resources to NWU during this period using Rumsey’s guidelines to interpret the correlations.

The findings of the study reveal that ILL among libraries in South Africa had generally declined owing mostly to the proliferation of online resources resulting to changes in user information-seeking behaviour. The decline is despite the challenges of low budgets received by most libraries for the acquisition of information resources. It can also be concluded that public university libraries still value ILL as demonstrated by the high number of items requested from other libraries. The findings also reveal that most ILL activities were conducted by public universities.

It was not possible to obtain the list of titles that have been requested and also to obtain the user’s details. This would have enabled the authors to determine the type of titles that are being requested, and the users that request them.

ILL should continue to be enhanced in view of the challenge of dwindling library budgets against the escalating prices of information resources. There is also a need for user education so that they become aware of the ILL service. From experience, library users normally give up once they realize that what they wanted is not available through the local catalogue and this calls for librarians to create an awareness to users that ILL could help solve their frustrations.

These results show that ILL can play a significant role to level the playing field between the well-resourced libraries in urbanized regions or provinces and the poorly resourced ones in rural regions or provinces. This social justice aspect of ILL is probably the reason why better resourced libraries in South Africa have decided to remain in the scheme unlike other countries where better resourced libraries opted out of reciprocal arrangements with small and medium-sized institutions.

The study adds to a very limited number of studies emanating from Africa. A study of this nature has never been conducted in Africa, as previous studies were nationwide studies. As far as the authors know, this is the first study that uses ILL data to research the impact of the global financial crisis on libraries in Africa.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the use of library spaces by postgraduate students at the North-West University in South Africa.

A survey research methodology was used in which both online and print questionnaires were used to gather data.

The major findings of the study were that postgraduate students frequently visited the libraries to make use of the quite study spaces, which include the research commons and the study carrels. The study further found out that postgraduate students rarely visited the libraries for the purpose of consulting librarians regarding their studies. Challenges expressed by the students include insufficient workstations, poor internet and Wi-Fi connectivity and limited seating capacity. The benefit of the study is that it will help librarians and the university administrators to better understand the postgraduate students space needs, as well as the challenges being encountered.

This biggest limitation of this study was a lack or low response rate by certain faculties, which mitigated against comparing the use of spaces by faculty.

The results of this study re-affirm the need for postgraduate spaces. University libraries that seek to build postgraduate spaces in the future need to ensure that an adequate number of computer workstations are supplied and Wi-Fi and bandwidth are improved. University libraries that already have postgraduate spaces should consider adding more workstations and improving bandwidth and Wi-Fi connectivity in those spaces. These results further point to a need for libraries in Africa and elsewhere to consider having more quiet study spaces for postgraduate students while reducing the number of group study spaces.

The results of this study point to a need for libraries and university authorities to periodically review library spaces as a way to ensure their continued optimal usage. They also point to a need for more funds to further enhance the library spaces for postgraduate students’ use.

South African libraries are faced with challenges including the addition of 15 per cent value added tax to print and online resources. In this environment, libraries are expected by university authorities to demonstrate return on investment. This study, therefore, is located within the realm of determining return on investment for the funds spent by universities to build dedicated postgraduate library spaces. This study will further benefit librarians and the university administrators by helping them to better understand the postgraduate students space needs, as well as the challenges being encountered.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight how North Western University (NWU) Library used Facebook and Twitter to inform, educate and communicate with library users during the students’ protests #FeesMustFall Campaign.

This paper follows a case study approach to examine how Facebook and Twitter were used to inform, educate and communicate with library users during the #FeesMustFall Campaign. Data was obtained from the NWU Library’s Facebook Insights, the Facebook page itself and Twitter account, after which content was analysed.

The paper provides insights that the teaching and learning (educational) aspect still lags behind on social media usage in libraries. Given the period in question, the expectation would have been a higher percentage of posts that could be categorized as educational.

The study is confined to one campus library of the NWU Libraries and the results cannot be generalised to the NWU.

Social media use policies should be developed and awareness created on their availability and meaning/implications to users.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study how social media can be used by academic libraries. The literature currently focuses on how Twitter has been used in library campaigns. This paper shows how Facebook can be used in a university setting during crises time.

The purpose of this paper is to establish and compare the provision of information literacy (IL) skills to university students both at undergraduate and graduate levels in South Africa (SA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This could in turn inform the development of appropriate/suitable IL programmes to support teaching and learning.

A review of available scholarly papers is performed for information collection.

The findings can identify variations in IL provision within and across disciplines, deficiencies in local current and ongoing research.

It must be noted that this is a review and conclusions from it are expected to reveal areas that require more in-depth study.

The study’s contribution to the field of IL lies in its revelation of what is understood by IL provision and how the ACRL standards are used to guide practice in the two different regions of the world.

The study is the first of its kind which compares IL practices at university libraries in SA and the UAE. It will assist policymakers and librarians in the development of appropriate IL programmes in support of teaching and learning.

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential causes of HIV prevalence among young women in South Africa. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa (SA) has the largest HIV pandemic in the world with approximately 7.2 million people living with HIV as of 2017. There is a disproportionate incidence of HIV between women and men, particularly affecting young women 15–24 years of age. This paper reviewed 10 articles on the impact of HIV in SA among young women.

A total of 10 articles on HIV in SA were selected for review using academic databases including Library One Search Pro, Google Scholar, the British Medical Journal and Elsevier. The search generated 11,095 articles, which were narrowed down to 10 by the criteria of being specific to gender and age and publication period.

Five themes were identified from the findings as to the potential causes of HIV prevalence among young women these included age-disparate relationships, social factors and sexual behaviour. Impact of HIV on communities and individuals, gender and patriarchy including poverty and social isolation.

The paper shows the impact of inequalities between men and women leading to HIV infection among young women. It also shows some gaps that require further research with regards to HIV infections among young women.

This research sought to empirically identify context specific dimensions of service quality at Zimbabwean State Universities. The study also sought to measure the ‘university-wide’ overall service quality at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and to explore differences in service quality perception based on selected students’ demographic characteristics.

A case study strategy was used. Focus group discussions were used to qualitatively identify service quality variables; which were then subjected to quantitative evaluation through the administration of questionnaires on a sample of 294 students. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to reduce the service quality variables into service quality dimensions.

Five dimensions of service quality were identified, namely: General Attitude, Facilitating Elements, Access, Lecture Rooms and Health Services. Results also showed that most students (48.3 per cent) perceived overall service quality at NUST to be average while 28.6 per cent and 23.1 per cent had a negative and positive perception of overall service quality respectively. Perceived overall service quality at NUST was found to differ significantly based on ‘students’ year of study’ and ‘faculty group’. Differences based on gender were found to be insignificant.

Identification of the five dimensions was a progressive step in developing a relevant service quality measurement instrument for a Zimbabwean State University context; and in so doing, contributing to literature on relevant service quality dimensions and measurement instruments in Zimbabwe and Africa in general. This was the first such study in Zimbabwe to address the context specific literature-gap on relevant service quality dimensions.

In the preceding rules the individual biographical entry has been ignored, as it lends itself to more convenient treatment apart. Collective biography is, of course, in no way different from the ordinary book ; and the same is to be said of autobiography. Owing to the change of form in the individual biographical entry, due to the author yielding in importance to the biographee, it is usual to separate collective and individual biography in the catalogue, whether this is done on the shelves or not. Individual biography might be further separated in the catalogue into autobiographical and non‐auto‐biographical, though I cannot recall any instance where this has been carried out. In any case, it is important to distinguish in some clear way, between the subject name and the name of the author. Mere position is hardly enough ; there should be a distinction in the type. Whatever type has been employed in the other parts for author should be retained for author in the individual biograhical entry, and the subject name should be in a different type. If the author is printed in a black‐face type, as suggested in these rules, the best type for the subject name will be small capitals, as :—

This paper is concerned with sustainable development (supporting profit‐making enterprises as alternatives to providing relief efforts in developing countries) of faith‐based enterprises in Kenya focusing on the question of measuring social enterprises as a strategy for the developing the sector. The purpose of the paper is to review existing literature and policy experience on this topic, whilst also reporting some results from a pilot investigation, undertaken in Kenya in 2004.

The paper used five theoretical foundations to advance discussions on sustainable social enterprises as a component of economic development in the country. Eleven social enterprise programs were selected using church networks and a series of qualitative interviews conducted to determine sustainability measures and motivations for commitment to developing such enterprises. A modified design of ethnography for listening and asking questions in the context of sociological and anthropological studies was applied.

Findings show that indeed there are other important measures of social enterprises and that the faith‐based organizations (FBOs) embrace the idea of supporting profit‐making enterprises as alternatives to providing relief. Incubating enterprises for older project beneficiaries yields better outcomes as they tend to be more motivated to build their enterprises, while younger ones see the projects as a step to something else. Enterprises succeed in part because FBOs provide a support structure that includes marketing (local and international), micro‐finance and training. The lack of monitoring and evaluation constrains the development of this emerging sector.

In view of the qualitative, in‐depth nature of this research, the author recognizes that the small sample size, and the regional focus of the study, mean that the findings must be viewed in context. As a consequence, the study does not seek to generalize the findings, but rather treat the cases as individual events from which evidence and themes can be drawn.

Whilst this is not a new topic, a number of recent trends suggest there may be greater scope for developing an understanding of social enterprises in the future than in the past. These include: a paradigm shift towards creating sustainable development programs, new sources of micro‐financing and social enterprises themselves, increasing signs of micro and small enterprises internationalizing their operations rather than simply exporting from their domestic base, emergence of creative marketing networks, as well as a continued increase in globalization.

This paper aims to identify factors that affect the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. Hence, this study looks at and evaluates these factors. The study then comes up with a model that clarifies the interrelationships between these factors.

The authors broke down the data analysis process into three steps. The first step was to conduct a literature review and use industry and academia experts' help to determine the essential aspects (fuzzy Delphi method). Then, a hierarchical model was developed, and the factors were categorised using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach. Factors' driving and dependency power were also determined using MICMAC analysis.

This work has identified 13 key factors related to the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. For a small island like Kish Island, the two independent variables (government support and destination political stability) that define the institutional framework for the destination are most important. Building corresponding competitive and support strategies to address these two independent variables is thus beneficial.

The research's results provide decision-makers, practitioners, and researchers with new insights into the hierarchical model of determinants. The study will fill the existing gap between theory and practice.

Sports tourism destination managers on small islands may benefit from the proposed model since the model will enable them to organise the managers' priorities better to enhance the managers' destinations' competitiveness and provide tourists with a more accurate depiction of the destination.

According to the authors' knowledge, the research design presented in this article has provided the first attempt to hierarchical analyse these factors and develop a model for sports tourism destination competitiveness on small islands and destinations with less-developed economies. This study fills the gap in the destination competitiveness and sports tourism literature by not only identifying the key influencing factors but also examining the interactions between these factors and providing empirical evidence supporting their relationships.