Malawi Library Association mourns passing on of Mr Geoffrey Salanje

It is shock and grief again for the SCECSAL Fraternity after the passing on of Mr. Geoffrey Francis Salanje from Malawi. Mr Salanje worked for University of Malawi as a Librarian and later transferred to work as College Librarian for Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources formerly Bunda College of Agriculture where he has been serving as the University Librarian. 

Mr Salanje was a the President of the Malawi Library Association from 2005 to 2008 and Publications Officer in the current MALA Executive as well as current National Coordinator for EIFL in Malawi. He was also a key member of the SCECSAL Organizing Committee which was held in Lilongwe in 2014. Mr. Salanje passed away suddenly after a pneumonia attack on 27th August and was laid to rest on Sunday 29th August 2021 in his home village. He will be greatly missed by the LIS fraternity all over Africa and beyond. 

May His Soul Rest in Perfect Eternal Peace. 

The late Geoffrey Francis Salanje
22nd April 1961-27th August 2021

Call for papers - First National Research Dissemination Conference on Library and Information Science, Malawi

The Malawi Library Association and Mzuzu University’s Department of Information Science have issued a call for papers to be presented at the First National Research Dissemination Conference on Library and Information Science to be held on 28-29 October 2021 at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Malawi. 

The theme of the conference is “The Role of Libraries and Information Centres in the implementation of the Access to Information Act”.

For more information including updates on the conference, including sub-themes, registration, and accommodation, visit the Malawi Library Association website.

Malawi Library Association commended for its role in training LIS personnel

By Robert Chalochiwawa

Malawi Library Association (MALA) has been commended for its role in the training of personnel in

The graduating students

Library and Information Science Studies in the country.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of 68 students from various institutions held at Domasi College of Education in Zomba on Thursday, Principal of Chancellor College, Professor Richard Tambulasi, said MALA is playing a vital role in producing qualified staff in public and private institutions.

“As a person coming from an academic institution and being an academician and researcher, I value the importance of the library and the work of a librarian. An academic institution cannot operate without a library and its staff,” he said.

Tambulasi said libraries, archives and documentation centres play a key role in providing electronic and printed information for different uses including academic purposes.

“Literary, every sector in humanity such as military, the academia, public and private sectors, including media, need the library both electronic and print,” he said.

He, therefore, assured MALA that Chancellor College would continue hosting the course for librarians.

Taking her turn, MALA President, Gift Kadzamira, said the association would continue contributing towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and being an active player in the implementation of the Access to Information Act.

She added the association would ensure that issues in the Marakesh Treaty are incorporated into Malawi’s Copyright Act.

According to the MALA President, her association advocates for professionalism and strives that its members are innovative and passionate leaders who are responsive to the clients’ needs.

She revealed that plans were underway to adopt a strategic management plan which would help develop the sector further.

MALA has been supporting the library course since 1979 and has produced over 1, 000 graduates who are working in various libraries and Information and Documentation Centres in Malawi.

Fire destroys Mzuzu University Library

Malawi Library Association (MALA) has learnt with great shock and disbelief about the fire incident

The Library on fire. [Photo credit: Maravi Post]

which occurred at Mzuzu University Library on Friday 18th December, 2015 in which over 45 000 books, journals, and related resources as well as equipment, furniture and fittings got burnt down to ashes and some got badly damaged by the blaze. This is a very big loss, not only to Mzuzu University but also Malawi as a nation. Mzuzu University Library was a model library in the provision of modern library and information services in the country. All the books, journals, equipment, furniture and related fittings were carefully selected in line with modern standards. It was one of the richest reservoirs of knowledge in Malawi and beyond.

Malawi Library Association is therefore very saddened that such a model library and a hard-earned reservoir of knowledge has been lost in a fire incident. The situation is now very worrisome considering that the expensive books, equipment and other resources lost in the blaze as well as the damage caused to the library building cannot be replaced any time soon. This will adversely affect the delivery of academic programmes at the University. It is also important to note that the situation will not only affect Mzuzu University community, but also the membership of the Malawi Library Association as most of our members were benefitting from Mzuzu University Library in different ways.

In view of the fore-going, MALA would therefore like to extend its heart-felt sympathy to management, staff, students, and surrounding communities of Mzuzu University about the sad loss of our model and precious Mzuzu University Library. It is our sincere hope that all parties concerned about this situation will be able to respond positively to any calls to support Mzuzu University to re-build its library.

Richard Sabawo     
SECRETARY GENERAL, MALA    
          
Fiskani Ngwira
PRESIDENT, MALA

Social media and librarians in the SCECSAL region

Today’s sessions at SCECSAL 2014 included a session on social media. Charles Banda, from the Copperbelt University Library and a PhD candidate at the University of Botswana, presented a paper focusing on the adoption of Web 2.0 in public university libraries in Zambia. The paper was based on a survey of professional librarians at the University of Zambia, the Copperbelt University and Mulungushi University. It generated a lot of interest and discussion and the participants.

The main finding by Charles was that, while most librarians have the facilities, i.e. the Internet both at work and at home, to access and use social media platforms, the use is largely for personal social networking than for professional networking or library related work.

Charles’ findings are similar to the ones in a study that I conducted in 2012 with a colleague, Dr Rehama Chande-Mallya from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Library in Tanzania. The purpose of our study was to establish the extent to which library and information professionals in the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL) region were using social media applications for professional networking. Our findings showed that although the professionals were adopting social media, its use was more for social networking than professional networking purposes.

Why are most library and information professionals in the SCECSAL region not using social media for professional networking and/or library related work?

After all most of them have access to the Internet and social media platforms. They also have access to ICT tools such as computers and mobile technologies i.e. smart phones and tablet computers such, i.e. iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, etc, that facilitate mobile access and use of social media. They also have been to universities and attained the level of education that could make them appreciate the importance of social media in their work and professional networking. They are also already using social media for personal social networking and therefore already know how to use and manipulate the tools. For university or academic librarians, they also have a huge army of library users who can be targeted with social media based information services - the students. Millions of young people, especially students in secondary schools, colleges and universities in Africa, use social media.

Why then are most librarians in the region not using social media for professional networking or providing social media based library and information services?

I would be glad to hear your views through the comments facility on this blog post.

SCECSAL 2014 opens in Lilongwe, Malawi

SCECSAL 2014 opened today at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Emmanuel Fabiano, officiated at the opening ceremony. The Malawi National Dance Troop entertained the participants with a series of dances from various regions of Malawi. Below are photos from the first day of the conference.



SCECSAL participants arriving at the conference venue



Prof. Joseph Uta & Dr Augustine Msiska arriving at the conference venue



Malawi National Dance Troop entertaining participants



SABINET exhibition at SCECSAL 2014



Ms Margaret Ngwira and Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata



Participants enjoying tea and snacks

 

Dr Emmanuel Fabiano, Minister of Education, Science and Technology at the opening session

SCECSAL 2014: Airport welcome

All participants traveling to Malawi for the SCECSAL 2014 Conference should inform SCECSAL Protocol about their flight schedules for proper planning on how to welcome them at the Airport.

Please, send the flights details (names, date, airline/flight number and arrival time) to:

Felix P. Majawa
Chair Protocol Sub-Committee
Email: fmajawa@yahoo.com OR fmajawa@gmail.com

Any changes to flight details should also be communicated to SCECSAL Protocol.

Social media reporters for SCECSAL 2014 wanted

Are you planning to attend SCECSAL 2014?

A social media reporter at work during the ICT4Ag Conference.
Source: CTA ARDYS

I am looking for library and information professionals to volunteer as Social Media Reporters during the SCECSAL 2014 conference in Lilongwe, Malawi, 28 July - 1 August. These should meet the following requirements:

1. Will already be attending SCECSAL 2014 conference
2. Own a WiFi enabled laptop or a tablet (i.e. iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc.)
3. Have some experience with using social media (at least one of the following platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Flickr, and YouTube)

Social Reporters will be part of the SCECSAL 2014 Social Media Team and will be involved in a coordinated, live reporting of the proceedings of SCECSAL 2014 on various social media platforms.

If you are interested in this experiment, please drop me a note at: chisenga_j@yahoo.co.uk. Please, put Social Media Reporter in the subject of your email

Justin Chisenga

SCECSAL 2014: A Selection of entertainment, shopping and eating places

The Malawi Library Association has issued a list of selected entertainment, shopping and eating places for the benefit of SCECSAL participants. Click on the link below for details.

• Selection of entertainment, shopping and eating places

Pre-SCECSAL event: BSLA workshop, Lilongwe, Malawi, 26 – 27 July 2014

An IFLA Building Strong Library Associations (BSLA) programme preconference to SCECSAL XXI under the auspices of Malawi Library Association, will be hosted by IFLA in partnership with IFLA Regional Office for Africa on 26 – 27 July 2014 at Sunbird Capital Hotel, Lilongwe, Malawi.  IFLA invites library associations attending SCECSAL to apply to participate in the workshop.

IFLA's successful Building Strong Library Associations (BSLA) programme is being through a series of convenings and projects at the regional level in Africa, Asia and Oceania, and Latin America and the Caribbean from 2014. This workshop is an outcome of the Africa Regional convening held in Kumasi, Ghana, in February 2014.

The workshop will include training from the BSLA programme, group work, discussions, and practical activities to take back to national associations to implement at the national or regional level. During the workshop, associations will identify their own needs for further activities and development and form action plans for implementation. The workshop language will be English.

Expected outcomes
To build a strong library sector that benefits society, associations need a strong foundation in representation, governance, organisational development and strategy. The long-term goal of the programme is to build the foundation for library associations to assist their work in representing the interests of library users, telling the story of libraries and gaining policymaker support and partnership.

The workshop will:

• Reinforce inter-country networks and expertise to support development in the regions;
• Increase understanding and adoption of IFLA policies and manifestos to support high quality library and information services.

Register to attend the workshop

Registration is open until 30 April 2014. Attendance at the workshop is at participants’ own expense. Associations that have not participated in BSLA workshops previously are particularly encouraged to attend.

Workshop participants should have:

• Demonstrated, current active leadership within their national or regional association;
• A depth of understanding of issues that have a current or expected impact on the library and information services sector on a national and regional level;
• The ability to use their knowledge and experience to develop the capacity of their Association after the convening.

To register to attend the workshop, contact:

Lindy Nhlapo
IFLA Regional Manager for Africa
IFLA Regional Office for Africa
Tel: +2712 429 6374
        +2711 471 2826
Fax: +2712 429 6130
Mobile: +2772  7145 125
lnhlapo@unisa.ac.za
iflaafrica@unisa.ac.za  

Please include the following details to complete your registration:

1. National or Regional Association name
2. Names of the representatives that will attend the workshop, and their position in the Association
3. Library association profile: does it provide services and run activities for members, have a strong governance structure, a clear direction and strategic plan? Please outline the objectives for your association’s current strategic plan, and an overview of progress towards these goals.
4. Needs assessment: How will your participation in the workshop  complement any existing development projects that the association is undertaking? What are some of the Library Association's strengths? What are some of the challenges facing the Association?

SCECSAL XXI 2014 Update

Conference Papers

The Main Organizing Committee for SCECSAL XXI 2014 would like to remind presenters whose abstracts were accepted that the deadline for submission of full papers is 29th March, 2014. The SECCSAL and MALA websites and SCECSAL blog have the Guide for Authors for the full papers. Presenters are advised to have their papers peer reviewed before submission in order to increase chances of acceptance.

The Committee so far has no sponsorship for presenters or any conference participants. Acceptance of papers, therefore, does not mean that authors will be offered sponsorship. All prospective presenters whose abstracts were accepted are being advised to start sourcing sponsorship for their attendance to the conference.

Information on Visa

1. We are expecting delegates from countries in the SCECSAL region and beyond. All countries in the SCECSAL region do not need a visa to enter Malawi except those from Uganda.
2. Delegates from Uganda can have their Visa processed from the Malawi embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Alternatively, it can be processed right here in Malawi. 
3. If the Visa is processed right here, then the delegates will have to pay an application fee of MK10,000 each. In this case, we will need a copy of a passport with the holder’s photo well in advance to forward it to Immigration Office.
4. More information about the Malawi visa application will be provided later on if need be. Otherwise contact Felix Majawa using the following email addresses (fmajawa@yahoo.com or fmajawa@gmail.com) for more information. 

Yellow fever

It is a requirement that all visitors to Malawi they must be inoculated against Yellow fever; please bring evidence to show at the airport upon arrival.

Please send any queries about the conference to:

• Gray Nyali Chairperson, SCECSAL XXI 2014 Main Organizing Committee (gnyali@hotmail.com)
• Gift Kadzamira Secretary, SCECSAL XXI 2014 Main Organizing Committee (gkadzamira@ncst.mw)
• Geoffrey Salanje Chairperson, Publicity and Publications Sub-Committee (gsalanje@bunda.luanar.mw)

SCECSAL Author Awards 2014 - Call for Nominations

The Malawi Library Association is inviting nominations for the SCECSAL Author Award to be presented at SCECSAL XXI Conference scheduled for  28th July - 1st August 2014 at Sunbird Capital Hotel, Lilongwe City, Malawi.

Guidelines

The guidelines for submitting the nominations are available on the SCECSAL Website on the Author Awards page .

Publications published in 2011 2012, 2013, including 2014 (the year in which the award will be offered) are eligible for the awards.

Submission of Nominations

All nominations and inquiries should be forward to:

Mr. Geoffrey F. Salanje
Chairperson
SCECSALXXI - Publicity and Publications Sub-Committee
C/o Bunda Campus
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Science (LUANAR)
P.O Box 219
Lilongwe, MALAWI
Cell No: (265) (0)9 99 930 892
Tel No : (265) (0)1 11974112 (Office), (265) (0) 1 277308 (Home)

E-mail: gsalanje@bunda.luanar.mw or salanje@yahoo.com

Please copy:

Mr. Gray L. Nyali
Chairperson
SCECSAL XXI Main Organizing Committee
C/o National Library Services
P.O. Box 300134
Capital City
Lilongwe 3, MALAWI
Cell No. +265 (0) 999 955 880. Tel. +265 (0) 773 362
E-Mail. gnyali@hotmail.com

Closing Date

The last day for receiving nominations is: 30th May 2014.

Note

Library and information professionals who wish to be considered for the Awards should liaise with their national library and information associatons.

Malawi Library Association announces SCECSAL XXI, July 2014

DATES: 28th July - 1st August 2014
VENUE: Sunbird Capital Hotel, Lilongwe City - Malawi
THEME: Information and knowledge management as a driving force for socio-economic development in Africa
SUB-THEMES:

1. Information and communication technology (ICT) for knowledge-based economies
2. LIS education and socio-economic development
3. The impact of global credit crunch on African libraries and archives
4. Knowledge and information in health care delivery services
5. Conflict management: the role of archives and records
6. Social media and socio-economic development
7. Information literacy for socio-economic development
8. Knowledge and information for persons with special needs
9. The impact of libraries and information services in shaping knowledge economies
10. The role of agricultural information services in socio-economic development

CONTACTS

Mr. Geoffrey F. Salanje
Chairperson
SCECSALXXI - Publicity and Publications Sub-Committee
C/o Bunda Campus
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Science (LUANAR)
P.O Box 219
Lilongwe, MALAWI
Cell No: (265) (0)9 99 930 892
Tel No : (265) (0)1 11974112 (Office), (265) (0) 1 277308 (Home)
E-mail: gsalanje@bunda.luanar.mw or salanje@yahoo.com

Mr. Gray L. Nyali
Chairperson
SCECSAL XXI Main Organizing Committee
C/o National Library Services
P.O. Box 300134
Capital City
Lilongwe 3, MALAWI
Cell No. +265 (0) 999 955 880. Tel. +265 (0) 773 362
E-Mail. gnyali@hotmail.com

ABSTRACTS

• An abstract should be of approximately 500 words, Times New Roman Font 10; align left, but justify text under your abstract
• An abstract should have author (s) details (name, occupation, position, organisation, city, country, email address, fax number and mobile number)
• Title of conference paper (Times New Roman 14; sentence case; centre)
• Keywords: Maximum seven key words that closely identify key issues addressed in your Paper.

Those wishing to submit abstracts for consideration must consult the Author Guide to Submitting an Abstract and a Full Paper which also has the addresses where the abstracts should be sent.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Deadline for submission of  abstracts   - CLOSED
• Notification of acceptance of Abstracts  - 30th November, 2013
• Deadline for submission of complete papers - 29th March, 2014
• Notification of acceptance of paper   - 27th June, 2014

#HASHTAGS, TWEETS AND POSTS

• #Hashtag for tweets: #scecsal2014
• Other social media: scecsal2014