Reflecting on my first SCECSAL Conference: Insights from Bosco Buruga

By Bosco Buruga, Librarian, Muni University, Uganda

It is exactly one week since the XXVI SCECSAL Conference ended in Mombasa. A truly inspiring experience of some sorts for the delegates both first-timers and regulars. The conference was a vibrant gathering of brilliant minds, each sharing their unique research findings and perspectives. We asked some delegates specifically those attending the region professional showpiece for the first time to share their insights about the conference and this is what they had to say. 

The conference was a transformative experience that allowed me to deeply appreciate the LIS landscape.

My name is Bosco Buruga, a librarian at Muni University, and an executive committee member of the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) representing Northern Uganda. I would like to share some of my experiences at the SCECSAL XXVI 2024 Conference and Assembly held in Mombasa, Kenya from 22nd to 26th April, 2024. This conference was not just an event, but a transformative experience that allowed me to deeply appreciate the library and information science landscape in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa.

Mr.Bosco Buruga presenting his paper during SCECSAL XXVI

When I learned that the 2024 SCECSAL Conference was going to be hosted by the Kenya Library Association, I saw it as a golden opportunity for me to attend the first SCECSAL Conference in my career. I immediately sprang into action, strategizing on how I could participate in this life-enriching conference. 

The first step was setting a goal for myself: to broaden my professional network and gain knowledge from the conference presentations. The second step was responding to the call for abstracts. I, along with two other colleagues, wrote an abstract and submitted it to the local conference organizing committee. I am grateful that our abstract was accepted, and we were able to submit a full paper, marking the beginning of a truly enriching journey. Our paper was Applying SWOT analysis to assess drivers and barriers of using e-resources among selected academic libraries in Uganda.

My dream of attending the SCECSAL XXVI 2024 Conference at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort, Convention Centre & Spa Mombasa almost died because I failed to get funding from my institution to pay for conference fees, accommodation, and transport. I decided not to disappoint myself by missing the golden opportunity to attend my first SCECSAL Conference. I borrowed money and ventured into an exciting trip of about 1,700 km on the road using a bus from Arua City in northern Uganda to Mombasa, Kenya, for this important professional event of my life. It took me three days to reach Mombasa and another three days to return to Arua after the conference. Some Ugandan colleagues who flew from Mombasa arrived in Kampala before I started my journey from Mombasa to Nairobi city.

The sacrifice that I made to attend SCECSAL 2024 enabled me to achieve the following:

1. I had the rare opportunity to represent the president of the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA), as a SCECSAL delegate. This enabled me to attend the SCECSAL General Council Meeting. You cannot imagine my joy in representing ULIA and attending a meeting of Presidents of Library Associations in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. The sacrifice I made was worth it because I networked and knew the leaders of the African Library Associations in person. I am happy I actively represented my country well because I made valuable submissions in the meeting.

2. The conference presentations were rich in content and aroused my desire to do more research and build collaborations and networks. I was moved by the president of the Library and Information Association of Zambia (LIAZ) 's presentation on supporting SDGs initiatives by establishing a children's information centre in a public hospital. I am reflecting on her presentation and developing a concept that will be used to source supporters and possible donors for establishing such an information centre in our regional referral hospital.

3. I was able to present my conference paper and received very good feedback from the conference participants. The positive reception has motivated me to respond in the future to other calls for abstract submission from SCECSAL and/or any other relevant professional conferences.

4. I met esteemed personalities in the profession, such as Prof. Clara Chu, Prof. Maria G. N. Musoke, Dr. Justin Chisenga, Dr. Kay Raseroka, Madam Getrude Kayanga Mulindwa, and Ms Jacinta Were. I was blessed to have tapped knowledge from these celebrated personalities in SCECSAL. May God give them more years to mentor us in the profession. 

5. I attended the Cultural Evening, which was characterised by a dancing competition from diverse African cultures and an awards ceremony. Africa is blessed with beautiful dances, but the time for the cultural evening was not enough. I was blessed with another opportunity to receive an award on behalf of Phenny Birungi (SCECSAL Presidents Award) and another for ULIA (SCECSAL Hosts Award).

Ugandan delegates performing during the cultural evening

6. Throughout the conference, I had the opportunity to attend various sessions from exhibitors, ranging from library systems or technologies to library information resources. All the sessions provided unique perspectives and valuable takeaways, making the conference enjoyable and less boring.

In a nutshell, the SCECSAL Conference 2024 was a success because I enjoyed all the aspects of the conference, ranging from paper presentations, workshop sessions, and Country SDGs reports to SCECSAL Country reports. A crucial take-home assignment is that, as a Ugandan librarian, I need to get involved in documenting and sharing my library's contribution to supporting the implementation of the SDGs. I will now be an ambassador of SDGs in my Library Association. I have already recommended the SCECSAL conference to my young colleagues in the profession because it offers them an opportunity to expand their professional network and fresh insights and perspectives that will enrich their work moving forward.

Mr. Buruga receiving an award on behalf of Phenny Birungi

I have started preparing for the SCECSAL conference of 2026, which the Library and Information Association of Zambia will host in the city of Livingstone. This is my time to visit the home of the Victoria Falls. God willing, I will have to be physically in Zambia to consolidate my established professional networks, get new ones, and participate in knowledge exchange in the SCECSAL region by presenting conference papers and listening to other presenters. God bless SCECSAL and its leadership.

We need to interest ourselves with the new technologies for linked data

The web has evolved from the global documents space of both documents and data. This  evolution is underpinned by a set of best practices for publishing and connecting structured data on the web, known as Linked Data. According to Winny Akullo Nekesa, Manager Libraries at NSSF Uganda, librarians need to familiarize themselves with the latest technological advancements in order to effectively organize data and integrate it  with other systems so that we can easily share with our users. Although some librarians still feel challenged in understanding the concept of Linked data, many of them in Uganda  

Ms Winny Nekesa, Manager Library, NSSF Uganda

In separate presentation, Ms Esther N. Tobias, a chief librarian from Namibia government ministry noted that some libraries in Namibia exclude marginalized users due to the fact that libraries fear that the majority of their users will feel uncomfortable or unsafe if the marginalized groups are allowed to enter the library.  

These were highlighted as SCECSAL 2024 entered its fourth day at PrideInn Paradise Hotel, Mombasa Kenya.

Professor Isaac Kigongo-Bukenya passes on

Dear SCECSAL fraternity, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing on of Professor Isaac N.M. Kigongo-Bukenya. Professor Kigongo- Bukenya has been a pillar of LIS not only in Uganda and SCECSAL region but globally. Professor Kigongo-Bukenya will be fondly remembered for his immense support to SCECSAL since its formation in 1974. 

Prof. Kigongo-Bukenya had participated in 15 SCECSAL conferences and played key roles at the conferences including as a paper presenter, conference paper reviewer and key note speaker. Professor has also been a LIS trainer and mentor to many librarians in Uganda, East Africa, Africa and world over.

Professor Kigongo passed on today 20th May, at around 2:54pm. We shall immensely miss you Professor. 

May His Soul Rest in Perfect Eternal Peace. 

R.I.P: Prof. Isaac N.M. Kigongo-Bukenya

EASLIS, CoCIS host Workshop on Digitalising LIS Curriculum.

The East African School of Library and Information Sciences (EASLIS), College of Computing & Information Sciences (CoCIS), Makerere University in partnership with King’s College London (KCL) recently hosted a workshop on digitalizing the curriculum from 7th to 9th:, October 2019. The workshop theme was: “Towards an Education Programme for Digital Information Science in East Africa”, attracted a total of 37 participants from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria, many of whom were academics and practitioners. In her introductory remarks, the workshop coordinator, Dr. Sarah Kaddu highlighted the aims of the workshop as to:  ensure that participants gain a plan of digitalised curriculum in 20th century, identify the key components of the digital curriculum, come up with the requirements of the digitalised curriculum, and, also draft an outlie curriculum an information science programme as they saw it fit.

In his welcome remarks, the Dean of EASLIS Professor Constant Okello -Obura noted that there was need for information professionals to reflect on the current trends, discover what is new in the world, and understand the skills and competencies required for the changing times. He also emphasized the need for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th IR) skills and competencies which appreciates the new technologies used currently. Professor Obura also highlighted the need to develop smart ways, and to discover methods to make information responsive to the demand for the situation out there in the world.

In attendance, was the Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS) Prof. Tonny Oyana who also represented the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics. In his remarks, Professor Oyana noted that digitalising the curriculum is at the forefront of the College of Computing and Information Sciences. He specified that a lot needs to be done in terms of considering the structured, semi structured and unstructured data.  In terms of disseminating information, Prof. Oyana pointed out that there are different types of consumers for example, children, gender component, old age, and the need to cater for all this audience.

Participants of the Workshop

On issues concerning the level of detail that is required (content), Oyana noted that there are behavioral components determined by the different audiences, such as issues of costs and as well as standards. He advised all the information professionals to be aware of all the laws, polices and standards within the country and beyond. He gave an example of the recent Uganda Data Protection Act that was passed earlier this year. He reminded all the stakeholders that digitalizing the curriculum requires hardware, software and human resources. 

Some of the topics covered during the three day workshop included: The Job Market for Digital Information Experts, the (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums- GLAM),  Resources and Strategies for successful implementation of digital information science education curriculum, practice and research in East Africa, research data management, Computational Archival Science – Computational Methods and Digital Archives and Information Ethics in Digital Archiving among other. Among the facilitators were Mark Hedges and David Jordan from King’s College London. 

The workshop was a huge success and of immense benefit to all the participants. Participants noted that the job market for digital archivists exists; but currently, they are out sourced. It was also noted that in most cases, the records managers are not part of the team that designs the systems and yet they are expected to run these systems. It was agreed that there is a crucial need for LIS professionals to work together with IT professionals. It was evident that there is a huge importance to look at IT as a tool and not as replacing Librarians and or Information Professionals since the role of the librarians/Information professionals is to connect users to the information they need. 

Workshop participants in a group discussion

It was also noted that presently, there is no curriculum that prepares learners to be digital experts; it only stops at the elementary. Therefore Library and Information Science schools should introduce options in the curriculum so that students can have more time and have hands-on with the digital aspects. On the role of the students, much emphasis was put on changing the mindset of students in order to explore the opportunities for becoming digital experts. Furthermore, some participants felt the need to conduct tracer studies for the digital aspects and the employers’ needs. 

In his closing remarks, Prof Constant Okello Obura noted that LIS schools needed the advice of employers, urging the employers who were present to keep in touch with LIS schools so that they can get the right graduates. He also advised the Uganda Library and Information Association to take up the initiative and support the implementation of this digitalized curriculum.

Uganda and Lesotho ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

Expert panel discussion on the Marrakesh treaty during SCECSAL 2018 

The Republic of Uganda and Kingdom of Lesotho have become the 36th and 37th countries respectively in the world to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty. 

It’s exactly two weeks today since the SCECSAL 2018 general assembly resolved that all member countries who are signatories to the Marrakesh Treaty push for the ratification of the multilateral agreement. 

During the Expert Panel Discussion on the Marrakesh Treaty on the 27th April 2018 in Entebbe Uganda, it was unanimously agreed that member countries should take on this task seriously and this will form the basis for future discussions like in Namibia 2020. 

The massage was well received as two SCECSAL member countries Uganda and Lesotho have joined the ever growing list of countries who have ratified the treaty. Other countries in Africa who have already ratified the treaty are: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Tunisia and Mali. 

During SCECSAL 2018 in Entebbe, Ms Beatrice Guzu the executive secretary National Union of Women with Disabilities said: "Before the treaty, one could not access information from other countries in a format suitable for blind persons. This situation resulted in reproducing what was already available at an extra cost just because sharing such material is blocked by the copyright jurisdiction". 

The treaty therefore acknowledges the legitimate commercial interest of the publishers who have that as a living and argued that by this sharing; no one is injuring the publishers because they are not publishing it in accessible formats for blind persons. 

In other words their target population excludes the blind which would by no means reduce their profits if the treaty holds.  Before the treaty, less than 5% of all books published were made accessible to the blind in the world. It was difficult to have current books in accessible formats including Braille, audio or large prints. 

Accordingly, global uproars have called for ratification in all member countries. This would ensure that published material in accessible format can be exchanged across the borders of those countries that have ratified the Treaty.  In response to the global calls, Uganda and Lesotho have joined the list of countries to ratify the treaty.  

This is a very strong statement in the history on the two African countries and for visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities. 

We congratulate the two countries and we look forward to domesticating this into the respective national legal framework. 

The said treaty will enter into force, with respect to the Republic of Uganda, on July 23, 2018 and with respect to the Kingdom of Lesotho, on July 30, 2018.

Congratulations to all!

Important Information for XXIII SCECSAL Delegates

Final Programme

The National Organsing Committee (NOC) XXIII SCECSAL 2018 is proud to announce the release of the final conference programme for the XXIII SCECSAL  due in Entebbe next week.  Over fifty library and information experts are expected to present papers and posters as well as participate in the expert panel discussions at the conference. You can now find a copy of the final program on the ULIA and SCECSAL websites. 

Weather in Entebbe and Uganda

The country is currently experiencing heavy rainfall and the weather is expected to be more cloudy than sunny for the next three weeks. You are kindly advised to carry less light clothes and more heavy clothes especially for outdoor activities like cultural gala, excursions and evening walks. Entebbe is very cold at night because of the great Lake Victoria. 

Visas

By now, delegates should have applied and received their visas or about to receive them for delegates who are required to have Ugandan visas before boarding the plane. Those who are eligible to obtaining visas on arrival should ensure that they possess the necessary paperwork to allow them enter Uganda. These include a valid passport, yellow fever vaccination card, return air ticket, invitation letter from ULIA, proof of residence (Hotel Booking) extra. These may vary according on your country of origin but you are strongly advised to carry along all and others. 

Cultural evening and related events

The cultural evening is the opportunity given to showcase cultural presentations from the participating countries. Every country is invited to present  a 5 minutes performance giving a sample of their culture (dance, song, etc.). We take your attention on the timing due to the quantity of countries performing. Delegates are advised to come well prepared with their traditional presentations. Come fired up to challenge the reigning champion Lesotho. 

The hosts have organized a number of tours for delegates on Wednesday, 25 April 2018. The tours, classified into two categories, will include visits to the Namugongo Martrys' Shrines, Uganda Museum and Buganda Kingdom Kasubi tombs, all under Category I; and to the Source of the Nile and Sezibwa Falls and the Crocodile Village – Buwam, under Category II. The cost per person, to be paid to ULIA, is US$20 for Category I tours and US$40 for Category II. Conference delegates planning to go on any of the tours should indicate their preference to secretariat@ulia.org.ug not later than 20 April 2018.

SCANUL-ECS 2018 Pre conference 

The customary pre- conference is co-hosted by NLU and CUUL. The hosts are working in close partnership with the organizers of the Twenty-Third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII). SCANUL-ECS will be held on Sunday 22nd April at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe. The pre-conference will ride on the theme: Positioning National and University Libraries to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The delegates’ fee for this pre-conference is 50USD per delegate.  Contact haumban@gmail.com, or akatungisa@yahoo.com/akutungisa@nlu.go.ug for details of this pre-conference. 

N.B. The fees (50 USD) paid at the SCANUL-ECS are NOT in any way part of the fees paid for SCECSAL. 

      

Culture and Atmosphere around Entebbe

Entebbe is a town on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, in Central Uganda about 38 kilometers away from the capital city. The town is relatively quiet during the day and extremely quite during the night save for the sporadic echoes of aircrafts landing and taking off from the main airport in the area.  The area is endowed with busy beaches and  so many gorgeous features to view as well as the lakeside Uganda Wildlife Education Centre which protects native animals in wetlands, forest and savanna habitats. Nearby, Entebbe Botanical Garden has diverse plants, birds and monkeys. Also close by is the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which protects orphaned chimps. Come ready to view all the above and more. Entebbe has a pleasant climate for you to enjoy – it is on Lake Victoria and you can reach various choice destinations from here, most of them a short drive, or boat ride, now even  by plane or helicopter.  Don’t miss out on what Entebbe and the surrounding area has to offer .

Power Sockets

In Uganda, type G sockets are used for electricity connections. They are commonly and cheaply available on the local market.  The standard voltage in Uganda is 240 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Uganda, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V.

Airport pickups and Mode of transport. 

Our visitors who will safari Uganda have got variety of transport means which you can use when you are in the country. These include local motorcycle transporters  commonly known as “Boda-Boda”, Commuter Taxis, Special Hire vehicles, passenger buses and Uber. Foreign  delegates are advised to seek advice from their local counterparts on which mode of transport to use while in Uganda. Boda Bodas are fun to use and explore but you are highly advised to use it only if you are wearing a head gear (Helmet). 

Food. 

Meat or chicken stews are popular in Uganda served with rice, chapatti, ugali (a stiff maize porridge) or matoke (a cooked plantain/banana mash). For a sweet dish, locals enjoy a type of doughnut called mandazi. With Uganda's many lakes and rivers, fish are an important food. However, almost all the hotels in Uganda offer continental cuisines ranging from 5 to 20 USD.

Airport Pick and Drop

The Organizers of SCECSAL 2018 are offering complementary airport pick and drop for delegates arriving from 21st of April before 10 pm. Delegates who are interested in this service should send their flight details to Mr. Jospert Chelangat email: jochelangat@gmail.com and hotel of  residence. Most hotels offer complimentary pick and drop. Find out from the hotel you booked or else, give us your itinerary and we shall pick you from the airport upon arrival. A team of volunteers and officials will be stationed at the Airport Arrival Terminal with the huge Poster marked “SCECSAL 2018”. Kindly introduce yourself to that team on arrival at Entebbe International Airport and they will give you the necessary assistance.

On behalf of ULIA and the SCECSAL 2018 National Organizing Committee, we look forward to warmly receiving you in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. . 

MMU hosts ULIA’s 3rd regional workshop for IFLA International Advocacy Programme

Workshop participants 

Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) hosted the first of its kind International Advocacy Programme for all western Uganda librarians. Sponsored by IFLA, in association with ULIA (Uganda Library and Information Association), the western Uganda regional workshop rode on the theme “Role of Libraries in the Implementation of UN 2030 Agenda and SDGS”.

The third IAP workshop was held from Monday 6th to Wednesday 9th November 2017 at MMUs’ famous Saaka Main Campus, 8 Km off Fortportal town. The western university touches the quiet and tiny Lake Saaka just below the magnificent Rwenzori Mountains, offering a beautiful view of 

mountain sceneries all of which make the campus very unique. The workshop attracted thirty five participants from across the western region. Among those who addressed the participants during the colourful opening ceremony, are: Prof. John Kasenene the Principal, Mountains of the Moon University (MMU). 

Ms. Margaret Kahiika- Chairperson LC5 opening the Workshop

Professor Kasenene spoke on the “importance of advocacy, community outreach, value of librarians and the librarians’ roles in changing the mind-sets and attitudes of people. He highlighted the need to package relevant information to serve all diverse groups with the right information so that they apply it to their daily needs and supporting the realisation of the SDGS. He requested ULIA to continue effectively serving communities as one of the new areas to address if we are to impact on our society positively. Prof. Kasenene appreciated ULIA’s role in advocacy issues. 

He warned ULIA on the igger task she has to set a strong profession, “from hunters to good information citizens”. The participants were challenged by the vocal professor who had set up Kibaale Science Centre which is serving the community by providing the necessary information. 

Ms. Margaret Kahiika- Chairperson LC5 officially opened the workshop. She noted that Kabarole district is prioritizing at  least four SDGS as per needs of each community: poverty eradication, quality education, good health, water and sanitation and climate change so that they could ably account to the communities they serve on order to make reasonable impact by 2030. She further pointed out the importance of retooling librarians so that they improve the information provision to effectively impact the communities they serve. 

ULIA president Dr. Sarah Kaddu gave an overview of the IAP workshop, emphasising the importance of sustainable development as a process which requires steps to follow, facing challenges and reflecting on what went wrong and restart all over again for sustainable development; and importance of having quality leaders for quality library services provision. Kaddu, also the IFLA IAP trainer further talked about advocacy and lobbying, the advocacy planning cycle, developing an advocacy plan to support the un 2030 agenda, identifying programmes to support SDGS, facilitated the role play and writing advocacy plans to support 

                     Some participants carried along their infants

the un 2030 agenda. 

Mr. Eric Nelson Haumba, one of the beneficiaries of the IAP– talked about the UN 2030 agenda, Uganda’s vision 2040, Uganda’s national development plan and the role of libraries in the un 2030 development agenda. 

Participants praised ULIA for having chosen Kabarole district and for having imparted knowledge and skills on a very new area in library science- advocacy and having enlightened them on SDGS and what the roles of librarians could be to support development and in realisation of the un 2030 agenda and SDGS. Many were heard to say: "this is my first time to hear about SDGS. I had heard about the SDGS but i didn’t know what was involved and what roles library and information professionals could play".  Mr Hatega Emmanuel of Kisoro Community Library in Kisoro district was all smiles and praises about ULIA and IFLA. He promised to start awareness campaigns immediately on SDGS so that people in Kisoro district would know about SDGS and also promised to support the policy and political leaders with their development agendas. He added: we, the western region participants thank IFLA- the funders and assure them that their efforts and sacrifice was not in vain because we resolved to go out as very active and pragmatic ambassadors of the UN 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGS gospel. 

Speaking after the three day workshop, the IAP workshop coordinator Ms.Winny Nekesa-Akullo noted that the workshop was very practical, a great success and she’s expecting a better ultimate IAP workshop that will be held in central Uganda between 27th -29th  of November, 2017.  At the end of the three days, participants had drafted their advocacy programmes to share with their institutions. 

Well-done ULIA.

SCECSAL 2018 Call for Papers Deadline fast approaching.

THE TWENTY THIRD STANDING CONFERENCE OF EASTERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA LIBRARY AND INFORMATION ASSOCIATIONS (SCECSAL XXIII), WILL BE HELD AT THE IMPERIAL RESORT BEACH HOTEL ENTEBBE, UGANDA FROM 23RD–28TH APRIL 2018. 

SCECSAL XXIII in Entebbe will build on the fine tradition of this conference being the leading forum in Africa for headlining the role of library and information institutions in cultural and social development. Uganda Library and Information Associations (ULIA) is still welcoming proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. The papers are expected to include both the theoretical and practical elements of Library and Information Science and Records Management. There’s only a week to go until the call for abstracts officially closes on 30th April, 2017. Interested parties are encouraged to get their proposals/ abstracts in as soon as possible to: scecsal2018@ulia.or.ug

For more information about the conference please visit the links below:
http://www.scecsal.org/

http://www.ulia.or.ug/

SCECSAL 2018: Second Announcement and Call for Papers, Posters and Workshop Proposals

The Twenty-Third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII), Entebbe, Uganda, 23rd – 28th April 2018

Call for Papers

The SCECSAL XXIII Organizing Committee has the pleasure of inviting Library and Information Professionals to the twenty third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII) to be hosted by the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA), in Entebbe, Uganda.   

ULIA welcomes proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. The papers are expected to include both the theoretical and practical elements of Library and Information Science and Record Management. 

Theme: Positioning Library and Information services to achieve Sustainable development: Innovations and Partnerships.

Sub Themes:
1. Inclusive library and information services for national development
2. Universal literacy through library and information services
3. Broadening LIS partnerships to achieve SDGs
4. Innovations in LIS Education
5. Innovations in the delivery of Library and information services
6. Trends in Gender and information services
7. Library and Information Services advancing open governance
8. Agricultural information services and food security
9. Bettering health through Library and information services
10. Open data, Open science and Intellectual property
11. Data science and LIS institutions
12. Cloud Computing and Information management
13. Indigenous knowledge and preservation of cultural heritage
14. Effective records management to fight corruption
15. Promoting Information Ethics for sustainable development


Requirements for submission of Abstracts for papers:
Abstracts of not more than 300 words, must address the theme and sub-themes, and should have the following details:
i) Title of the abstract;
ii) Name(s) of the author(s) with official titles or professional role;
iii) Author’s affiliated institution;
iv) E-mail contact of the corresponding author, and;
v) A maximum of four keywords.

The abstracts must be submitted to email: scecsal2018@ulia.or.ug 

Important Dates: 
Submission of Abstracts:      30th April 2017
Notification of acceptance:   June 2017
Submission of full paper:      September 2017
Review of submitted paper: October 2017
Submission of camera ready paper:  December 2017

Call for Posters

ULIA welcomes proposals for Posters to be presented at the conference. The posters are expected to include the practical elements of Library and Information Science and Records Management. 

Poster Presentation Format and Guidelines

1) Your topic could be described on a printed poster with text. 

2) The language of the conference is English and therefore text on the posters should be in English. 

3) The recommended standard poster size should range from 841mm wide x 1189mm high 900mm wide x 1900mm high. If you also include text, it should also fit within the recommended area 

4) It is important that applicants describe in their abstract how they intend to present the project in the poster format – what kind of visual materials they will use, for example, photographs, data samples, graphs, et cetera, and how these illustrate the project or a particular aspect of the work. The poster has to be an experience in itself for the one who looks at it – and should show awareness of the format of a poster-session and its purpose to engage the viewer in conversation.

5) The abstracts should be in a structured format (Introduction, methods, findings, conclusion and recommendations)

6) The poster should focus on either the general conference themes or one of the sub-themes

7) Presenters of a poster will be expected to be present on 23rd – 28th April 2018 in order to explain their posters and to hand out any leaflets, or other information materials, they have available for viewers of their poster. Each presenter can therefore only present one poster. Any organization that submits more than one application should indicate a priority to their submissions or confirm there will be enough staff members available for the presentation.

8) A jury representing the SCECSAL Program Committee will review all submissions and decide which posters will be accepted.

Poster proposal submissions should be made to the email: scecsal2018@ulia.or.ug  as a file attachment with the subject of SCECSAL2018 Poster Proposal

Important Dates
Proposal Deadline - 31st July 2017
Notification of Acceptance - 31st August 2017

Call for Workshop Proposals

ULIA welcomes proposals for workshops to be conducted during the conference. 

Organization and Submission Procedure

The aim of the conference workshops is to emphasize emerging topics of particular interest to the conference attendees not specifically covered in the main Conference. Each workshop may include a mix of regular papers, invited presentations and panels that encourage the participation of attendees in active discussions.

Proposal submissions should be made to the email: scecsal2018@ulia.or.ug  as a PDF file attachment with the subject of SCECSAL2018 Workshop Proposal.

Priority will be given to proposals that not only address an exciting topic but also promise a creative format likely to generate lively interactions and foster new ideas. Examples include bringing practitioners and researchers together, as well as facilitating multi-disciplinary discussions that can lead to high impact and transformative exploration. 

Proposal Template

Each workshop proposal (maximum 1-2 pages) must include:

1. Title of the workshop (Within the main conference sub themes)

2. Description of the technical issues to be covered, emphasizing the timeliness of the proposed workshop

3. Number of participants not exceeding 30 per workshop.

4. Workshop Organizers (names, affiliation and contact information)

5. A short biography of the organizers (up to 200 words)

6. Names of potential participants, such as program committee members and invited speakers 

7. Planned format of the workshop, including

a. Duration of the workshop: Half-day, Full-day and tentative schedule

b. Preferred day of workshop: Between Monday 23rd and Saturday  28th April 2018

c. Unique, creative and novel workshops formats are strongly encouraged and will be given particular consideration.

8. Equipment required

Important Dates

Proposal Deadline:                   31st July 2017

Notification of Acceptance:     31st August 2017

Registration Details:

Early bird registration- Feb 2017- Jan 2018     -           $360  

Late Registration -      2018 -30 Mar 2018              -          $400 

On-site Registration   - 1st April 2018 - 24 April 2018     -  $430

For more information about the conference please visit the links below:

http://www.scecsal.org/
http://www.ulia.or.ug/

SCECSAL 2018: First announcement and call for papers

The Twenty-Third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII), Entebbe, Uganda, 23rd – 28th April 2018

 Call for Papers

The SCECSAL XXIII Organizing Committee has the pleasure of inviting Library and Information Professionals to the twenty third Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL XXIII) to be hosted by the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA), in Entebbe, Uganda.   

SCECSAL is a bi-ennial conference founded in Nairobi in 1978, after the dissolution of the East African Library Association. It is the biggest conference for Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals on the continent and its purpose is to provide a platform for learning and sharing experiences on LIS developments in the region. Currently the conference has Library and Information Association members from the following countries:  Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

SCECSAL XXIII in Kampala will build on the fine tradition of this conference being the leading forum in Africa for headlining the role of library and information institutions in cultural and social development. Best practices and cutting edge innovations in fields as diverse as documenting and preserving national literary heritage and arte facts; driving the research, scientific and scholarship agenda; promoting mass literacy and; open government, human rights, democracy and accountability will be shared and showcased in the plenary presentations, workshops, posters and a conference exhibition.

This conference is coming at a time when countries in the region have made marked advances towards the attainment of Education for All (EFA) goals as noted by UNESCO. Equally to be noted, is that the same countries have registered tremendous progress in other development areas including: agriculture, health, governance, human rights, culture etc. It is therefore a timely opportunity for the library and information sector to develop a regional agenda for boosting their contribution to their countries’ development programmes especially in the context of the UN agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Investments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) especially in respect to Internet sub-marine cables and national backbones have grown, with attendant funds for ‘last mile coverage. Accordingly, the library and information sector in the region has been at the forefront of adopting measures to enhance access to information such as building institutional repositories, developing electronic collections including eBooks, e-journals; and the use of e-readers in public libraries to promote reading. There are still many challenges that have to be overcome for library user communities to have a full experience of hybrid library and information services such as lack of local content, varied pricing models, subscription licensing and privacy concerns.

It is in view of the above issues that members of SCECSAL will in 2018 convene in Kampala to draw up joint strategies for advocating and advancing library and information development in the region to facilitate LIS to play their cultural, educational roles and support innovations.

Objectives of the Conference

1. To devise strategies that will enable LIS inclusion in national development plans;

2. To provide a platform for learning new initiatives and innovations in the field of LIS from within the region;

3. To promote partnerships, networking and professional exchanges within and outside the SCECSAL region

Participants

Participants will include, among others: Librarians, Archivists, Records Officers, Information Scientists, Publishers, Authors, Book Distributors, Academics, Researchers, ICT Innovators, Literacy Experts, Policy makers and other persons with an interest in the Library and Information Sector in the SCECSAL region. As the conference has grown in importance over the years, participants are expected to come from the SCECSAL member countries as well as West and North Africa, Europe and United States.

ULIA welcomes proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. The papers are expected to include both the theoretical and practical elements of Records, Library and Information Science. 

Theme: Positioning Library and Information services to achieve Sustainable development: Innovations and Partnerships.

Sub Themes:
1. Inclusive library and information services for national development
2. Universal literacy through library and information services
3. Broadening LIS partnerships to achieve SDGs
4. Innovations in LIS Education
5. Innovations in the delivery of Library and information services
6. Trends in Gender and information services
7. Library and Information Services advancing open governance
8. Agricultural information services and food security
9. Bettering health through Library and information services
10. Open data, Open science and Intellectual property
11. Data science and LIS institutions
12. Cloud Computing and Information management
13. Indigenous knowledge and preservation of cultural heritage
14. Effective records management to fight corruption
15. Promoting Information Ethics for sustainable development

Requirements for submission of Abstracts for papers:

Abstracts of not more than 300 words, must address the theme and sub-themes, and should have the following details:
i) Title of the abstract;
ii) Name(s) of the author(s) with official titles or professional role;
iii) Author’s affiliated institution;
iv) E-mail contact of the corresponding author, and;
v) A maximum of four keywords.

The abstracts must be submitted to email: scecsal2018@ulia.or.ug

Important Dates:
Submission of Abstracts :      30th April 2017
Notification of acceptance:   June 2017
Submission of full paper:      September 2017
Review of submitted paper: October 2017
Submission of camera ready paper:  December 2017

For more information about the conference please visit the links below:

http://www.scecsal.org/

http://www.ulia.or.ug/

                                         

15th AHILA BIENNIAL CONGRESS: 17-21 OCTOBER 2016- CALL FOR PAPERS

THE BIENNIAL CONGRESS: 17-21 OCTOBER 2016

The Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA) announces the 15th Biennial Conference which will be held in Kampala, Uganda from 17-21 October 2016. AHILA was founded in 1984 with the aim of improving provision of up-to-date and relevant health information; encourage professional development of health librarians; promote information resource sharing in Africa and exchange of experiences as well as promoting the development and standardization and exchange of health databases in Africa.

Congress theme: “Access to and utilization of health information in Africa: New challenges, new solutions!” 

    Potential authors are notified that the deadline for abstract submission has been extended to 30^th June, 2016. 

For details click on  http://www.ahila.org/index.php

SCECSAL 2018 heads to Uganda

The SCECSAL General Assembly on Friday, 29 April, in eZulwini, Swaziland, endorsed the Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA)'s bid to host the XXIIIrd Standing Conference of Eastern Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations in April 2018.

The Nambian Library and Information Workers Association (NIWA) will be on standby to ULIA and thus the favourite to host SCECSAL in 2020.

ULIA will be hosting the conference for the third time, having done so in 1990 and 2004.

SCECSAL 2014 cultural evening

South Africa

Zambia

Uganda

Kenya

Dancing to Kukere by by Nigerian recording artist Iyanya

Namibia

Botswana

Traditional dancers from Malawi

Sounds from SCECSAL 2012 Cultural Evening

Uganda Library and Information Association - Winners SCECSAL 2012 Cultural Evening

Final Dance at SCECSAL 2012 Culltural Evening