2014 LIMPOPO LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 2014 Limpopo Librarian of  the year Ms MMM Mokgele with the New 2014 - 2016 Branch Chairperson Ms A Chuene

A ADORNED LIS PROFESSIONAL



Ms Magriet Lotz

After 23 years of service and  immense contribution to the LIS profession, LIASA Limpopo Branch and the province solemly long for Magriet Lotz. She was a senior librarian at the Polokwane Municipal Library children’s section. Magriet holds a Maters Degree in Theology a true professional at its best.

She developed the library awareness package for our Grade 7 outreach project; the Mayoral Debating tournament that she ran for 15 years; and ensures that no one left the library without needed information. She has created the famous mascot Koketso; her artistic ability for creating displays and her special system for classification of children’s books is priceless. On behalf of the province and LIASA Limpopo Branch we thank you for your selfless service and contributions.

Happy Retirement Magriet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Madichakga

CELEBRATE NATIONAL BOOK WEEK : 1- 7 SEPTEMBER 2014

South Africa commemorates National Book Week every first week of September. It is an initiative of the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture.

National Book Week 2014 is commemorated under the theme: “Going Places”. It focuses on the power of books and how they can ‘figuratively’ and ‘literally’ take South Africans to places. Events are planned in all the provinces and will include reading in indigenous languages, storytelling and motivational talks, word-a-thons, poetry sessions and book debates.

Reading statistics report that only 14% of the South African population are active book readers, and a mere 5% of parents read to their children. National Book Week is an important initiative in encouraging the nation to value reading as a fun and pleasurable activity and to showcase how reading can easily be incorporated into one’s daily lifestyle.

What are you doing in your library, area and community to promote this event?

 

Madichakga Malahlela

LIASA LIMPOPO BRANCH 2014 AGM AT POLOKWANE GOLDEN PILLOW LODGE

Dear LIASA Limpopo Members and Non Members,

 

LIASA Limpopo Branch invites you all to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held as follows:

DATE               : FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2014

VENUE             : POLOKWANE GOLDEN PILLOW LODGE

TIME                : 10H00-13H00

Some of the Issues on the 2014 Agenda are:

Ø  Chairperson’s report

Ø  PRO’s report

Ø  Treasurer’s report

Ø  Announcement of the Librarian of the Year 2014

Ø  Announcement of new BEC Members 2014-2016

Ø  Acceptance speech by the new BEC Chairperson

 

 

2014 UL TURFLOOP CAMPUS OPEN WEEK PROGRAMME: LIBRARY STAFF SHOWCASING LIBRARY RESOURCES AND ENCOURAGING THE LOVE OF READING

ANSWERING THE BIG QUESTION; WHAT IS LIASA DOING FOR ME ? BY LIBRARIAN OF YEAR 2013

It’s  so interesting that at last we question our existence as LIASA. I agree with all those who define us as LIASA and have to ask ourselves what it is we are doing as LIASA and not committee members. I am aware that sometimes we do not attend crucial meetings. LIASA is achieving a lot such as;

South Africa is hosting IFLA for the second time. Remember IFLA was established in 1923. We first hosted it in 2007. Some members have attended IFLA conferences for free in overseas countries.

-          We have LIASA conferences where we share ideas in terms of our services, products and address challenges as well as provide solutions to such challenges.

-          LIASA has managed to secure Carnegie grants used provincially to build libraries

-          Right now it is busy pushing that LIASA becomes a regulatory body where the move is to ensure that universities should offer 4 year degrees (still debates are going on about 3 year ones)

o   Make sure that libraries are run by qualified librarians

o   Pushing for a  code of conduct and if we have enough membership we will be able to be recognised as a professional body. Once a professional body we’ll have to be registered for one to work as librarians in the same way as doctors, teachers and nurses. No one will work without a degree in LIS if we remain members.

o   Young librarians and students are given  a chance to read conference and seminar papers. Who is benefitting?

o   Through LIASA we attend workshops at a very low cost and some workshops were fully sponsored by LIASA.

o   Curriculum has improved as academics meet regularly to address such challenges and they do invite senior managers “employers” to assist us in terms of required skills. Right now as a country we need systems  librarians, research librarians and archivists to mention a few. We have this information from attending LIASA meetings.

 

There are so many benefits and its best if we raise some issues when we have meetings. What we have to do is recruit more members and promote us as LIASA.

 

 

Best regards

Ntsala, Morongoenyane

 

LIASA LIMPOPO BRANCH MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Dear LIASA Limpopo Branch Members and Non-Members
 

The current membership figures for 2014 is shocking we have only 132 paid up members as on 7h30 this morning. The worst part is that the branch has lost members instead of retaining, the branch executive committee pleads with members to renew their LIASA membership in order for us to retain our membership challenge. We have a target of 152; we need at least 20 members to be on the running.

We have 15 Members took an instalment payment option methods and they haven’t paid their second instalment. Please ensure that the instalment payment is settled before the 1^stof August 2014.The branch always exist because of its members and without members the Limpopo Branch will seize to exist. Limpopo Branch will always strive to improve its branch membership and retention. I believe we are bigger in hearts and determined to prove ourselves against all odds.

We have done so well as a branch and we will remain the winning branch together as a team and even when my term in office is coming to an end these coming weeks, am going to live with a big smile on my face knowing we have made a difference, brought hope, humour, cohesion and good governance to the branch and am happy to have worked with members of your calibre am eternally grateful and honoured

Regards

Madichakga Malahlela
PRO: LIASA LIMPOPO BRANCH
Tel: 015 268 2368. Fax: 015 268 2198. Cell: 071 1658 717
E-mail:  Madichakga.phoshoko@ul.ac.za

KEEPING THE LEGACY ALIVE : 67 MINUTES

University of Limpopo Library staff gear up seven month since the death of iconic leader and former president, Nelson Rolihahla Mandela to give 67 minutes of their day back to their community. Library staff members donate toys, books, clothes, and food and non-perishable items to Itumeleng Orphanage at Makanye Village, Mankweng on the 18 July 2014.

 

 

LIASA UPDATE BY Ms UJALA SATGOOR: LIASA PRESIDENT 2012-2014

Dear All

Kindly find the below LIASA Update by the LIASA president Ms Ujala Satgoor.  Most importantly I want all of us to read the last paragraph regarding her apathy concern in the LIS field.

Dear Colleagues

It has indeed been a while since our last update. The theme "Celebrating libraries in 20 years of democracy” has informed many of our activities in 2014. I’d like to report on the following activities and developments within LIASA, as well as share my observations:

• Membership and the Voters Roll – 2014 is an election year and it is imperative that every LIASA member actively participates in nominating/seconding or availing themselves for branch and national portfolios, and exercising their right to vote. I must commend the members who responded to our various calls to register and/or renew their membership so that they met the deadline of 31 May 2014. The final Voters Roll will be available on Friday 20 June 2014. 
• 2014 Electoral Officer – Ms Laila Vahed, Director: Library Services, University of Zululand, has been appointed the 2014 Electoral Officer. She will oversee the national election process for the portfolios of President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary and Public Relations Officer. The official communication in this regard will be sent out by Ms Vahed. 
• Branch Seminars - I must commend all those branches that succeeded in hosting the seminar on Librarians as agents for social change, community development and democracy. We will only begin to realise the enormity of our responsibility and the opportunities that exist when we begin to engage with civil society or our respective constituencies. I’m encouraged by the level of discussions and engagement at the various events and look forward to sharing the outcomes of these seminars.
• LIASA Roadshow - the aim hereof is to visit every branch, meet with the BECs and members as well as heads of library services in every province. This level of engagement is to ascertain the challenges, levels of support, and membership issues as well as visiting libraries to see the conditions under which colleagues function and the communities they serve. 
• Thus far we have visited the Northern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape. We will be visiting the North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga on 23-25 June 2014. It has indeed been a humbling but empowering experience! I have the utmost respect for library and information workers who diligently provide services in far flung and disparate libraries. Undoubtedly there is a lot of work to be done to elevate the role of libraries and the value it adds to developing individuals and communities. 
• SAQA Professional Body Recognition – the final submission of the LIASA documents has been made to SAQA and we are hopeful that  this will be approved by the Board which will sit late in June 2014. We will keep you apprised of developments.
• IFLA 2015 – the first announcement has already been circulated and appears at http://conference.ifla.org/ifla81. We are currently working on the details of the final announcement which will be made available at the 2014 IFLA/WLIC in Lyons.
• SA Book Fair – Ingrid Thomson and Mandla Ntombela represented the LIASA Executive at the SA Book Fair. I wish to acknowledge the National Library of South Africa, Naomi Haasbroek, Fadeelah Davids, Laddy McKechnie, Alison Garlick and all the LIASA members who helped and popped by the stand. This was a great opportunity to promote LIASA and the Top 20 Librarians Choice. 

Furthermore, we can look forward to: 

1. 2014 Librarian of the Year – the call for nominations will be circulated very soon! I know that this process will continue to attract strong and dynamic librarians who will serve as exciting role models for the profession
2. SLYSIG National Conference, 15-16 July 2014 – I invite all school librarians to register for this exciting conference! The closing date for registration is 04 July 2014, so don’t leave it too late! For further details, visit  http://liasaslysig.wordpress.com
3. SCECSAL XXI, 28 July –01 August 2014, Malawi - http://www.scecsal.org/conferences/scecsalxxi.html
4. IFLA /WLIC 2014, Lyons, France, 16-22 August 2014 – We will have the opportunity to invite the world to Cape Town and actively promote South Africa during this week. If you are attending the WLIC, please do let us know so that you can also form part of the team
5. LIASA Conference 2014 – the 16th Annual LIASA Conference will be held on September 22-26 2014 at the Birchwood Conference Centre, Gauteng with the exciting theme “Celebrating libraries in 20 years of Democracy: Continuing the Dialogue…" The Early Bird registration closes on 10 August 2014. Please ensure that you are a paid up LIASA member to benefit from the reduced registration fee. For further details, visit  http://liasaconference.co.za/
• Due to repeated requests to extend the date for the submission of abstracts, the Conference Programme Committee has extended the due date to 20 June 2014. So if you are keen to share your thoughts, best practice and experience at the LIASA Conference, you still have a few days to submit your abstract.
6. Discussions on the IFLA Trends Report - a mail has been circulated soliciting your observations and opinions, please do engage with this. We need to compile a country report on these trends so I urge you to study the report and respond accordingly.

In addition to the above, I wish to share my concern regarding the following:

1. LIASA Sustainability – at the 2013 AGM the Treasurer shared with the membership the importance of retaining membership at 1600 to ensure LIASA’s sustainability. Presently we have 1200 paid up members for 2014 - those of you who have not renewed thus far please do the right thing! LIASA can only be strong as its membership.

At this stage, I must register my concern at the apathy and passivity that prevails amongst members and the broader profession. Despite every attempt to raise the visibility of LIASA, provide strong leadership, meet and engage with members, highlight the      benefits of professional membership, provide opportunities for further development, initiate discussions on critical LIS issues, improve communication and administration, etc I cannot understand why we persist with the problem of membership retention. We are lauded by other associations for what has been achieved and is being done, yet our own fraternity does not appreciate and respect the importance of the Association. Having visited many libraries around the country, I can declare that a library is as good as its librarian! This can only happen if the people working in libraries are exposed to innovations, best practices and knowledge sharing which comes from professional membership! As I begin to wrap up my term, I know that we can make huge strides as  a profession and that there are exceptional LIS workers in the field, but I also feel despondent!

 

Best regards

Ujala

 

Ms Ujala Satgoor

LIASA President

president@liasa.org.za

www.liasa.org.za

 

"Celebrating libraries in 20 years of democracy"

 

*Director: Library Services

Rhodes University

u.satgoor@ru.ac.za 

TEL: 046 603 8079

FAX: 046 603 7310

Skype: ujala.satgoor

 

Chairperson: IFLA 2015 National CommitteeMember: National Council for Library and Information Services

Member: IFLA Africa Standing Committee

LIASA ROADSHOW COMING TO LIMPOPO ON THE 24 JUNE 2014




LIASA President 2012 – 2014 Ms Ujala Satgoor

 

 

 

The Chairperson

Mr. Maropene Ramabina

 

and

 

The Chair-Elect

 

Ms. Abigail Chuene

 

Will appreciate your presence to capture and be part of this historic moment when LIASA President 2012 – 2014 Ms Ujala Satgoor and her team visit the LIASA Limpopo Branch. The branch received the 2013 best branch president award which worth R7000.00. This award is only bestowed to the branch which displayed high level of professionalism, integrity, transparency, unique cohesion and good governance

 

 Date: 24 June 2014

 

 Venue: Polokwane Auditorium Library Gardens

 

Time: 09h00

 

 

LIASA is a professional non-profit organisation, uniting and representing all institutions and people working in libraries and information services in South Africa which strives to unite develop and empower all people in the library and information field into an organisation that provides dynamic leadership in transforming, developing and sustaining library and information services for all people in South Africa http://www.liasa.org.za

2014 RETIG WORKSHOP IN PICTURE