Managing a Library of a Distant
Learning site of TUT, South Africa
Rirhandzu S. Mhinga
Tshwane University of Technology,
Polokwane, South Africa
mhingars@tut.ac.za
INTRODUCTION
TUT Polokwane was established in 1995
as a non-resident campus by the then
Technikon Pretoria
 Situated in the Limpopo Province of SA
Introduction….
 Limpopo is the third largest province
in SA
 Population of 5 million distributed in
123 910 square km
 One of the poorest in the 9
provinces of SA
 86% live in largely under-developed
rural areas
 14 % live in urban areas
Introduction……..
Since inception Polokwane
campus has experienced a
steady growth
Student numbers escalated
to 1896 in 2006
Share and narrate
experiences that have been
encountered over 4 years…..
Pre-merger : Management
model
 Prior to the 2004 merger a hybrid
management model existed.
 Satellite librarians were not part of
the library management team nor
the main library staff structure
 No official link between satellite
libraries
 Main Library acted in an advisory
capacity when needed
Pre-merger : management
model…
 Hence very limited professional
interaction between satellite
librarians and other library
professionals at the main library.
 All Technikon Libraries shared,
computerized library system, most
of the library’s policy and
procedures and all electronic
databases
Pre-merger : funding
 Allocation of information resources
funds was done by Pretoria (main
Library)
 Pretoria processed all library
material.
 Expenditure was centrally managed
on the Innopac system.
 Operational budget was from the
campus budget and last allocation
prior to the merger was R21000.00
about $3000.
Pre-merger : human resources
Campus was semi-autonomous.
Staff recruitment was the
responsibility of the campus
director – funds dependant.
One professional Librarian and
one library assistant.
Student assistants were
appointed on an ad-hoc basis.
Interim-post merger
scenario
 3 Technikons merged in January
2004 to become TUT-Tshwane
University of Technology.
 Libraries had to merge with the
rest of the Institution.
 Satellite Librarians were only
invited in November 2004 to be
part of the LMC (Library
management Committee).
 LMC changed to LIS EXCO.
Post to interim merger scenario…
Library Management structure 2006+
Overall Head: LIS (1 New)
Current=Interim Executive Director
Secretarial Support
Logistics & Facilities (1)
Centralised
Support
Services
Head
(1 new)
Nelspruit
Head (1)
Lib. Assist:
Circulation /
MM / IntLib-Loans
(1)
Lib. Assist:
Continuous
Res. Admin
(1)
Student
Shelf
Attendants
(2)
Info. Lit.
Train / Info
Librarian (1)
ERCs
Manager (1)
Current: Manager
contract)
ERC Assist. (13
Temp, 36 Student
Assist )
Current: ERC Assist.
Contract / Student
Assist
Admin. Assist. (1)
Archives
Librarian (1)
Polokwane
Sosh-North
Sosh-South
The Arts
Head (1)
Head (1)
Head (1)
Head (1)
Info / Info.
Lit. Train
Librarian (1)
Lib. Assist:
Circulation /
MM / Shelf
Attendant /
Int-LibLoans (1)
Head:
Soshanguve
(1)Current:
Director
Witbank
Lib. Assist:
Int-LibLoans +
Continuous
Res. Admin
(1)
Lib. Assist:
Circulation
(1)
Student
Shelf
Attendant
(2)
Info
Librarian (2
+ P/T 1 A/H
Info. Lit.
Train / Info
Librarian (1)
Lib. Assist:
Circulation /
MM (1 day,
1 redepl, 4
A/H Stud
Assistants)
Student
Shelf
Attendant
(2)
Lib. Assist:
Continuous
Res. Admin
(1)
Lib. Assist:
Int-LibLoans (1)
Student
Shelf
Attendants
(2 day + 2
A/H)
Manager (1)
Current: Dep.
Director Client
Services (1)
Info Librarian
( 3 – day,
P/T 1 A/H)
Circulation
Librarian
Lib. Assist:
Circ / MM (4 +
2 redepl –
day, 3 A/H
Student
Assistants)
Lib. Assist:
Continuous
Res. Admin
(2 + 1redepl)
Lib. Assist:
Int-Lib-Loans
(1)
Information
Resources
Management
Manager (1)
Student Shelf
Attendants (3
day + 3 A/H)
Note: Secr
redpl within
the library
Acquisitions Libr.(1)
Lib Assist:
Acquisitions (5),
(1 vacant )
IT & Systems
Librarian: Catalog.(4)
Lib. Assist: Inform.
Res Processing (2)
Note: 1 redundant
move to other lib.
System Librarian: Custom Systems (1)
Cont Res Librarian (1)
Manager (1)
D/bases Content Librarian (1)
System Librarian Millennium (1)
Electronic Content Librarian (1)
IT Suport Engineers (2)
Info
Librarian (1)
Lib. Assist:
Int-LibLoans/
Cont. Res.
Admin (1)
Lib. Assist:
Circulation /
MM (3 day,
1 redpl. , 2
A/H Stud
Assts)
Student
Shelf
Attendants
(2 day + 2
A/H)
Ga-Rankuwa
Head:
Ga-Rankuwa
Current:
Director (1)
Info Librarian
(3 day, P/T 1
A/H)
Info. Lit. Train
Lib. (1 Temp)
Circulation
Librarian (1)
Circ / MM
Lib. Assist (3
day, 3 A/H
Stud Assts)
Lib. Assist:
Continuous
Res. Admin
(1) 1 x Temp)
Int-Lib-Loans
Lib. Assist (1)
Student Shelf
Attendants
(2 day + 1
A/H)
Note: Lib
Assistants:
3 redundant
to be redpl to
other lib.
5 redpl to
other lib.
Science
Head (1)
Info
Librarian (2
day, P/T 1
A/H) Lib
Assist: Info
Lit Train (1)
Lib Assist:
Circ (1) P/T
(1 +
Leseding 2,
1 redundant
1 redepl) 4
A/H Student
Assistants
Lib Assist:
Int-LibLoans/
Continuous
Res. Admin
(1)
Student
Shelf
Attendants
(2)
Pretoria
Head: Pretoria
(1 New)
Current: Acting
Director
Manager Client
Services (1)
Info Librarian (5
+ 1 vacant))
Info Librarian
P/T (1 day, 1
A/H ) Lib.
Assist: Info
(1 Vacant)
Info. Lit. Train
Lib. (1)
Circulation
Librarian (1)
Lib Assist: Circ
/ MM ( 6 day)
3 redundant)
2 redeployment
6 A/H
Student Asts
Lib.Assist:
Cont. Res.
Admin (1.5)
Int-Lib-Loans
Librarian (1)
Lib Assist: IntLib-Loans (3.5)
Student Shelf
Attendants (6
day + 2 A/H))
Archives Lib
Assist: Vacant
(0.5)
Interim- post merger scenario…
 Exco consists of the acting Executive Director,
heads of 10 individual libraries and three
centralised support services managed by LIS.
 Of the 10 libraries 3 bigger libraries are all in a
radius of 30Km (19 miles).
 Smaller libraries are between 110 and 300km
away from the main library.
 Polokwane is situated 300km away from the
main library.
 Head of library reports to both CD and LIS
Executive Director.
Funding
 Library receives information
resources and operational funds via
the office of the LIS Executive
Director.
 Campus Director is informed of the
total amounts and control the
operational expenditures.
 In terms of the operational budget
significant improvement during the
first year of the merger even after
62% budget reduction.
Funding….
 Not much change with regard to
information resources.
 Funds allocation formula was the
same as the formulae prior to the
merger.
 Average book and journal price
based on previous years
expenditure were taken into
consideration.
 2006 – no funds for information
resources
SERVICES AND FACILITIES
 Library facilities and services at Polokwane are
still the same as before the merger.
 Core business is Information provision.
 Information service provision is adversely
affected due to inadequate infrastructure and
resources
 Library houses an excellent collection of
journals and electronic databases.
 Infrastructural limitations have an adverse effect
on collection building
 The library offers the following services:
Services and Facilities…
 Provision of Information to all
Faculties on Campus
 Research support
 Training and Orientation
 Identify and evaluate information
needs of the clients
 Journals, books and multimedia
circulation
 Inter Library Loans
Services and facilities…
 Do not boast world class library facilities.
 It is 122 square meters.
 Shelf area, current awareness services,
study area and 2 electronic resource
centre with 26 work stations.
 Recommended reading space is 2,3
square meters.
 Practically – 53 students can be provided
with study space at a time.
 Current facilities:
Services and facilities
120 seating space
Of the 120, 80 are regularly
shared as an alternative lecture
hall
No seminar room
No classroom for information
literacy training
No facility to cater for students
with disabilities
Services and Facilities
ERC picture
CHALLENGES
 Geographical separation form main
campus has a direct impact on the
holistic management of the library.
 Over the years it has proven impractical
for the overall LIS head to visit far laying
sites.
 Planning of Library was typically guided
by operational needs rather than by
systematic knowledge of how student
learn
Challenges…..
 Staff from Polokwane must travel a day
before the meeting and overnight after for
safety and security reasons.
 Practically it means that the librarian is
away 12 working days a year for
management meetings excluding the
impromtu ones.
 During these times the library is run by
library assistants – non qualified.
 Other meetings are by tele/video
conferencing to reduce traveling time and
cost but it surely does not make it for the
unavailability of an information librarian
during the meetings.
Challenges
 Information service at Polokwane campus
of TUT is highly compromised
 By far less than the bare minimum that can
be offered to university students
 Library facilities utilized beyond capacity
 Supported by a 2006 survey conducted by
directorate of quality promotion
 Students alluded to the inadequate
facilities and limited hours of library access
 All these factors combined makes
managing TUT Polokwane Library a
challenging task
Merger impact




Non-voluntary merger - resistance
Resistance to change and job securities
Brought along a multicultural LIS at TUT
Brought together a community that
previously worked in independently
 A platform to share professional
information and resources
 Smaller Libraries - a significant increase
in operational budgets- though not yet
enough
 To date the merger process is still
unfolding much to the discomfort of staff
Recommendations
 Appointment of more qualified staff
and acquire new facilities with
essential technological features to
redress the current short-comings
State-of-the art Library and ERC be
built to provide comprehensive
information retrieval
Recommendations…..
A classroom dedicated for
teaching and information
literacy instruction
All relevant stakeholders have
to be involved in the planning.
Recommendations…..
A need for a complete turnaround
strategy towards providing LIS to
Polokwane students
This has to be timeously
corrected if the Library is to
support the learning missions of
the university it supports
Conclusion
 It remains the responsibility of
executive management for a decision
to improve service delivery and
infrastructure to enhance the learning
environment
 In this position my management skills
have been put to a rigorous testing
 This position requires specific and
particular skills to render efficient
service
Conclusion
Polokwane library of TUT is vital
component of teaching and
learning, TUT management has
to avail resources for creating
and maintaining an intellectual
environment to nurture student
learning and student life to foster
research and life long learning.
Failure to provide the above, will
yield undesirable results to all
academic offerings on campus.
Conclusion….
It will be in TUT’s best interest to
focus on the challenges above, and
act in a way that the primary client’s
needs are totally uncompromised to
ensure that Tshwane University of
Technology lives up to its name a
‘University of Technology”
Conclusion…
Thank you for
listening!
Inkomu…..