Module 2, Session 1: Library resources and support

[Alando]

#3053

The key lessons from the presentation are:
1. The importance of understanding the students’ information landscape as this landscape may differ depending on the background of the student
2. The importance of assessing the students’ level of skills and even assessing it from the onset of the supervision so that I can understand the skills that need to be developed in the student
3. That there are alternative ways of assessing the impact of academic work e.g. Plum

[Nelson]

#3055

This session on information literacy has made me to realize the importance of the librarian in supervision. I have many times directed my students to go for Library orientation but i hardly follow them up and encourage them to use resources from credible sources such as Google Scholar. Thank you team for enlightening me on various avenues to information in Post graduate supervision.

[Jamin]

#3098

These are the resources that my institutions library offers as well as those that it does not offer.
1. What relationship do you and your students have with the library?
There is a supportive and good working relationship as the library staff help students access material they need both from the physical library and through online services.
2. What kinds of library support services are there for your postgraduate students? Provide details.
– Orientation to my postgraduate on how to use the library services. The library private learning space to postgraduate students and the National Collections section that is reserved for Post graduate students and faculty.
– The library offers e-library services to the students at all levels. The library through special requisition, puts on reserve or short loan rare material for my PG students.
– The library also subscribes for journals that PG students can access online or from the shelves.
3. How do you access your own library’s holdings?
– Register as a user to access borrowing services of books available. The library can also reserve for use for already borrowed books.
4. How do you keep up with the latest research in your field?
– I use internet search and subscription to available sites that give alerts.
5. What online databases does your institution use?
– There are several and include among others: ResearchGate, JSTOR, Emerald, PROJECT MUSE, OXFORD, Lexis Nexis Law, AGORA, African Journey Online, Google Scholar, HINARI, PubMED, UNESCO publications, World Bank Library, OARE, E-bray, Directory of Open Access Journals etc.
6. Which referencing software does your institution provide? (For example: Endnote, Refworks, Zotero, Mandeley and Paperpile)
– None
7. What are the procedures that you need to follow to use your institution’s interlibrary loan system?
– We have no explicit procedures but you need to visit the libraries physically.
8. What referencing and style guides are available to you online at your institution? Currently none. But there is a physical APA manual availed to PG students.
9. What is an open access is Open access?
– This refers to the practice of making peer-reviewed scholarly research and literature freely available online to anyone interested in reading it.
10. Do you know how to create a search alert?
– Go to google.com/alerts in your browser.
– Select Great Alert.

[Frea Haandrikman]

#3169

@Mary M.

Thank you for your kind words! Information Literacy is a journey in itself, since it’s always changing. Even the experts cannot stop learning.

[Kelly]

#3186

What relationship do you and your students have with the library?: It is well. We have a school librarian whose turn around time for assistance is 05 working days.
What kinds of library support services are there for your postgraduate students? Provide details: The school’s librarian attends school board meetings to alert the school about new developments in terms of services, eg, access to websites
How do you access your own library’s holdings?: A visit through appointment, emails and portal.
How do you keep up with the latest research in your field? I drop key words of the problem i need to understand to the school’s librarian. In five working days i get relevant articles.
What online databases does your institution use?
Which referencing software does your institution provide? (For example: Endnote, Refworks, Zotero, Mandeley and Paperpile)
What are the procedures that you need to follow to use your institution’s interlibrary loan system?
What referencing and style guides are available to you online at your institution?
What is an open access site?
Do you know how to create a search alert?

[Kelly]

#3188

I realised that i don’t no much about the significance of our school’s librarian. She used to send us websites the university has access to and i didn’t take the responsibility upon myself. All was about to refer my students o the librarian. I learned much about the Information Landscape of each of the students. If i can establish the IL of my students at the initial stage, i will be able to guide the in terms of their reading.

[Theodora]

#3196

I do not know of any reference manager officially provided by my institution. However, I have found Mendeley to be helpful.

Orientations given to registered UG and PG students afford students the opportunity to know what the library offers and how to get their way around accessing relevant resources for their studies.

Attending conferences and seminars, online searches and subscribing to journals in my discipline are good ways of keeping in touch with current trends in my areas of interest.

[Pauline]

#3210

Our library provides support for access to both hard copies or resource materials as well as online journals. This was facilitated by the PERI initiative and we continue to access some online search databases. Documents that require subscription may not be accessed this way and the library handles this on a case basis.

[Pauline]

#3211

Over the years I have relied on sources outside our library for reading materials and have not engaged with it outside referring students there. This module has made me realise the importance of my involvement and I have found that through such interaction we can enrich the support the library can offer by recommending services to the librarian as well as additional search engines relevant to our students; hence participate in enhancing the services offered.

[Hlanganipai]

#3372

These are the resources that my institutions library offers as well as those that it does not offer.
1. What relationship do you and your students have with the library?
The relationship is very good. I make constant meetings with the librarian and at times together with my students.
2. What kinds of library support services are there for your postgraduate students? Provide details.
The library offers students an orientation to both undergraduate and postgraduate on how to use the library services. The library also provides learning spaces to the postgraduate students in the library in the form of cubicles to study. Database training and other online services are also provided to the students. Other services include a specific librarian for postgraduate students who will be responsible for research-related matters.
3. How do you access your own library’s holdings?
Both staff and students have to register with the library to access library services such as online material, books on shelves, and interlibrary loans.

4. How do you keep up with the latest research in your field?
I usually use internet search through google scholar, whereby I use a customised search according to years. I am also subscribed to linked in where recent articles and research related material is posted.
5. What online databases does your institution use?

The most common ones I use include JSTOR, Emerald, EBSCO host, Lexis Nexis Google Scholar, and Directory of Open Access Journals.

6. Which referencing software does your institution provide? (For example: Endnote, Refworks, Mandeley, Endnote and refworks.

7. What are the procedures that you need to follow to use your institution’s interlibrary loan system? This doesn’t work effectively and efficiently as it used to be in the past. Presently, one must just walk to the particular library physically and borrow the book one needs. One fills in a form and the book is brought to the library where the application is made. But because of the E-library and books, this is getting out of vogue.
8. What referencing and style guides are available to you online at your institution? Currently none. But I encourage my students to use different referencing style guides from the internet. Such as Chicago and APA referencing guides
9. Do you know how to create a search alert?
No. that information is the one which I need the librarian to assist me with.

[Joram]

#3411

This session has jolted my mind on how much as a supervisor i take for granted some of the resources in the library. However, all library users are expected to register to access and to abide by the rules.Students have access to both reading materials available as well as the e-resources. In addition the university offers reading carrels to PG depending on availability.This is important given that office space is limited.Students however need to differentiate scholarly sources and the mountains of information n the internet

[Joram]

#3412

To access library one has to be a registered user and abide by the laid down guidelines. Students have access to books in the open shelves as well as e-resources both . Besides the library has carrels for use by PG but depends on availability. This an important space given the limitations of office space for use by PG.The students however need sensitisation to differentiate scholarly materials from the mountain of resources available in the internet. The lack of reference managers available to students is a challenge in organising research reports

[Lynette Louw]

#3649

The key lessons for me from this session is that as scholars and supervisors we are inclined to take for granted issues regarding the information landscape. Firstly, there is the assumption that all post graduate students, especially those from the same HEI of employment, have the digital skills for research, are aware of the support from the library, are informed about information literacy aspect such as Open Access and having an online presence (ORCID-ID). Even though I involve the librarian in sharing information about the library, how to use data bases, how to use reference tools for instance, in this session I have become more aware of incorporating the “starting points’’ highlighted in the presentation into my own research methodology sessions.

[Author]

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