Dr. Gracian Chimwaza to join expert panel on Partnerships for Sustainable Library and Information Services

 At the XXVII SCECSAL Conference

Dr. Gracian Chmwaza

As the library and information services (LIS) community across Africa prepares for the XXVII SCECSAL Conference in Livingstone, Zambia (27 April - 1 May 2026), one of the notable experts to look out for in Livingstone is Dr. Gracian Chimwaza, a seasoned leader whose career has been defined by developing capacity, strengthening institutions, and advancing access to information and knowledge across the continent.

On 28 April 2026, Dr. Chimwaza will take part in a high-level expert panel discussion on “Building Partnerships for Sustainable Library and Information Services.” This session will bring together experts to explore how strategic partnerships with government departments, international development agencies, NGOs, communities, and the private sector can contribute to strengthening African libraries and information services in Africa and transform them into engines of sustainable development.

A leader in capacity development and knowledge access

Dr. Chimwaza serves as Executive Director of the Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA), an organization widely recognized for its work in strengthening research capacity and improving access to scientific and scholarly information across Africa. He holds a PhD in Information Science from the University of Pretoria (South Africa) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Thames Valley University (United Kingdom).

With a career spanning training, research support, and knowledge management, he has led numerous initiatives, working with various categories of partners, aimed at empowering librarians, researchers, and institutions in Africa. His work has consistently focused on equipping professionals wit
h the skills and tools needed to navigate an increasingly digital and data-driven information landscape and facilitating South–South and North–South collaborations in strengthening library systems, fostering knowledge exchange, and positioning African libraries as key drivers of sustainable development.

From delivering training under global programmes such as Research4Life to engaging with international organizations, Dr. Chimwaza has played a critical role in bridging information gaps, particularly in underserved regions.

Championing strategic partnerships

A defining feature of Dr. Chimwaza’s work is his emphasis on partnerships. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with universities, research institutions, international agencies, and donor organizations to expand access to knowledge resources and strengthen institutional capacity.

This collaborative approach aligns perfectly with the theme of the SCECSAL panel he will join. 

Dr. Chimwaza’s practical experience in designing and managing multi-stakeholder initiatives positions him as a key contributor to this conversation.

Join us in Livingstone and be part of the conversation on building strategic partnerships to drive the transformation of library and information services across Africa..  

Register at: https://conference.scecsal.org/

IAALD and ITOCA announce updates on upcoming fourth Africa Conference

IAALD Africa and ITOCA have announced updates on the upcoming fourth IAALD Africa Conference to take place from 30 May - 1 June 2018 at the Leriba Hotel, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa.

The theme of the conference will be Agricultural Innovations, Information and Knowledge: Catalyzing the Attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063.

Paper presenters from South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Gambia, among other countries, are scheduled to speak at the conference and will cover sub-themes including e-agriculture and services, access to agricultural information, knowledge management services, capacity development for farmers, empowering women and youth, and open data for agriculture and nutrition.

Participants at the conference will also have an opportunity to register for one of the following CPD (Continuing Professional Development) training free of charge:

• The ‘Knowledge Management Ecosystem’ concept and tools Workshop (KME), 
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Workshop (MEL) 
• Grant Writing & Resource Mobilization Workshop (GWRM)
• Developing and Managing Open Data Repositories (ODR) Workshop

The conference programme is available on the IAALD Africa website.

Individuals wishing to participate in the conference and in nay of the above CPD courses should register at:

• Participants within South Africa: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q22JZHW
• Participants outside South Africa: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IAALDconference

For further inquiries, please contact the conference coordinator, Ms Amanda Makwangwaidze at amanda@itoca.org

ITOCA -IDS Pre-workshop Information Literacy Seminar in Pictures.

Dear members

Here are the pictures from the ITOCA -IDS Seminar (better late than never Chief Editor). Enjoy!

A Report on Strengthening Information Literacy Interventions; Using Creative Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Sunday 5th December, 2010 saw a gathering of eminent librarians, information specialists, development experts, etc to participate in the above workshop. The day-long workshop which was held in one of the meeting rooms at the Students Centre of the University of Botswana was organized by Information Training Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA) and Institute of Development Studies (IDS) of UK. The workshop had four parts; these were:

• Paper presentations
• Panel discussions
• Group discussions
• Plenary

The workshop was ably facilitated/chaired by Dr Mark Hepworth, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Science, Loughborough University in UK. Among the participants were six persons who participated in the Web 2.0 and Social Media in the Agricultural Environment workshop from 1st - 3rd December, 2010; these were Dr Doris Matovelo, Gray Nyali, Alice Sebunjo, Mercy Moyo, Blessings Chataira, and Geoffrey Salanje.

During the paper presentations, participants listened to four papers on:

1. Availability, access and use: re-understanding the e-journal problem by Jonathan Harle, Programme Officer (Research and Libraries) ACU, UK and Kondwani Wella, College Librarian, Kamuzu College of Nursing, University of Malawi.
2. Building searching skills using learner-centered approaches in an African context by Siobhan Dugigneau, Information Literacy Manager, British Library for Development, IDS, UK and Gracian Chimwaza, Director, ITOCA, South Africa
3. Building capacity: lessons learnt from an intensive training health information training programme in Vietnam by Peter Burnett, Head of Library Development, INASP, UK.
4. An institutional approach to embedding IL programmes across the curriculum: University of Botswana case study by Babakisi Fidzani, Deputy Director of Library Services, University of Botswana.

These papers stimulated alot of discussions, comments and questions among the participants.

These were followed by a panel discussion whose panelists were Dr Silas Oluka (DeLPHE project/ University of Botswana and Copperbelt), Dr Akakandelwa Akakandelwa (University of Zambia), Elizabeth Mlambo (Univeristy of Zimbabwe), Siobhan Duvigneau (Institute of Development Studies, UK) and Bettie de Kock (Univeristy of Pretoria, South Africa). The panel was chaired by Julie Brittain. Panelists briefly participants what there institutions are during in the promotion of information literacy.

Partcipants were then split into three groups based on their lnterest of the topics under discussion. The topics were: Pedagogical innovation and assessment of training (pre and post assessment); Use of new technologies in information literacy; and Embedding information literacy programmes into institutions.

Finally, the workshop had a lively plenary after group reports. Then, the workshop facilitator summarized the findings from the three groups.

It was clear from the worshop that information literacy was beyond library orientation or library user education; and that all types of libraries should embark on information literacy.