Preparations on track for an exciting XXIII SCECSAL conference 2018

Participants urged to take advantage of early bird registration fee

Preparations for the XXIII SCECSAL Conference to be hosted by the Uganda Library and

L-R: Prof. Kikongo-Bukenya, Ms. Sarah Kagoda-Batuwa,
Mr. Haumba Eric Nelson, Mr. Robert Buwule, Mr. Justin Chisenga
and Ms. Sarah Kagoda-Batuwa [Photo: Charles Batambuze] 

Information Association (ULIA) in Entebbe from 23 to 28 April 2018 are on track.
This was made known to Mr. Justin Chisenga when he held informal consultations with some members of the SCECSAL Local Organizing Committee (LOC) last Friday in Kampala at the Makerere University.

Dr Sarah Kaddu, ULIA President, informed Mr. Chisenga that her Association had confirmed the reservation for conference facilities at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, conference papers were undergoing peer-reviewed process, and library and information professionals in Uganda were ready to welcome their colleagues from the SCECSAL countries and beyond.

Dr Kaddu also urged library and information professionals from around the world planning to attend the SCECSAL conference in 2018 to take advantage of the reduced early registration fee of US$360 and register by 31 January 2018, after which the fees would be US$400 for registrations between(1 February – 30 March 2018 (late registration) and US$430 for  registrations from 1 to 24 April 2018 (onsite registration).

On his part, Mr. Chisenga expressed delight at the progress made so far and urged the members of the LOC to quickly publish the preliminary conference programme to enable potential participants to plan their visit to Uganda.

“For many, decisions as when to arrive and depart from the conference city are based on the activities planned for the event, and therefore timely knowledge of what the programme would be is very important”, Mr. Chisenga told LOC members.

Also present at the meeting were Prof. Kikongo-Bukenya, a SCECSAL veteran; Ms. Sarah Kagoda-Batuwa, ULIA Treasurer; Mr. Charles Batambuze, ULIA Secretary General; Mr. Haumba Eric Nelson, LOC Member; and Mr. Robert Buwule, member of the LOC.

Registration for the 4th edition of ASIRA online course opens

Registration for the 4th edition of the online Access to Scientific Information Resources in Agriculture (ASIRA) course is now OPEN (till October 15th; Sunday 23:00 CEST)!

The course runs for 3 weeks from 30th October to 19th November 2017.

The main goal of the course is to provide a platform to enhance the visibility, accessibility and usability of data and information in the agricultural domain, particularly in low-income countries.

Who can apply?
Academics, researchers, librarians and postgraduate (master and PhD) students who work in the fields of agricultural sciences can apply to the course. Group A and group B Research4Life eligible countries, respectively, have the priority in the selection process.

Online Registration Form: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GDLYZJS

Further information:
http://aims.fao.org/activity/blog/call-applications-asira-online-course-access-scientific-information-resources

Nomination for 2018 SCECSAL Author Awards opens

The SCECSAL Secretariat and the Uganda Library and Information Associations (ULIA) are pleased to announce the opening of submissions for the 2018 SCECSAL Author Awards to be presented to winners at the XXIII SCECSAL Conference in April 2018 in Entebbe, Uganda.

SCECSAL Author Awards, in form of cash and a certificate, honours and recognizes individual works by library, information and knowledge professionals in the SCECSAL region in two categories - Best Author (Journal Articles and Chapters in Books) and Best Author (Books).

Only works published from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017 and focusing on any area or theme in the library, information and knowledge field/work in the SCECSAL region are eligible for the 2018 awards.

Library and Information Associations in the SCECSAL region should review the guidelines for the Awards available on the SCECSAL website and submit their nominations by 31 December 2017.

Individual authors are also encouraged to nominate themselves through their national Library and Information Associations.

Send the nominations along with the copies of the works using any reputable courier services to:

John Paul Anbu K.
President
Swaziland Library and Information Association
University of Swaziland Library, Kwaluseni Campus
Kwaluseni, Matsapha M201
SWAZILAND
Tel: +268 2517 0153
Mobile: +268 26239865
Email: anbuj@uniswa.sz

After sending the nominations by courier service please send the tracking number to  anbuj@uniswa.sz with a copy to sarkaddu@yahoo.com.

SCECSAL Secretariat issues a call for bids for XXIV SCECSAL Conference in 2022

Mr. John Paul Anbu K (r) and Mr. Justin Chisenga (l)
consulting during the SCECSAL conference in 2016 in
Ezulwini, Swaziland
[Photo: Khosie Ndalangamandla]

The SCECSAL Secretariat, hosted by the Swaziland Library and Information
Association (SWALA), on Tuesday issued a call for bids for hosting the XXIV conference of the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL) in 2022.

The call was distributed on the SCECSAL discussion forum for Presidents and Chairpersons of the SCECSAL member Associations on the Dgroups platform.

The host for the XXIV SCECSAL conference will be confirmed in Entebbe, in April 2018, thus consolidating the 2016 decision of the SCECSAL General Council to select future conference hosts four years in advance.

In an interview with the SCECSAL Forum Social Reporter, Mr. John Paul Anbu, SWALA President, welcomed the decision to announce the SCECSAL conference hosts four years in advance.

“Selecting hosts four years in advance gives a chance for the hosting country to plan well in advance. This also provides an opportunity for the associations that are not very active to put their act together to host a successful conference”, Mr. Anbu said.

Eligible member associations

Participants from Lesotho at the SCECSAL 2008
conference in Lusaka, Zambia [Photo: Justin Chisenga]

The SCECSAL General Council recently adopted new guidelines for selecting the hosts of future conferences and under these guidelines only SCECSAL member Associations from Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland are eligible to bid for the 2022 conference.

The Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) is set to organize the XXIII SCECSAL conference next year and the Namibian Information Workers Association in 2020.

The new guidelines divide SCECSAL into three sub-regions -  Eastern: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda; Central: Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and Southern: Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa – and forbid a sub-region from hosting consecutive conferences unless circumstances dictate so and the decision is approved at least by two thirds of the members of the SCECSAL General Council.

“Rotation of SCECSAL conferences among sub-regions provides equal opportunity for the associations in the sub-regions in terms of hosting and equal opportunity for participants to visit other sub-regions for conferences”, Mr. Anbu said.

The four countries in the Southern sub-region have all hosted SCECSAL conferences in the past with Lesotho first hosting the conference in 1980 and later in 1996; Botswana in 1986 and in 2010; South Africa in 2002; and Swaziland in 1988 and 2016.

Deadline for bids

The closing date for submitting the bids, which should adhere to the new guidelines, is 31 January 2018.

All bids should be submitted to:

The President
Swaziland Library and Information Association
P.O. Box 2309
Mbabane, H100
SWAZILAND
Tel: +268 2517 0153
Fax: +268 2404 3863
Email: anbuj@uniswa.sz