Towards a Framework for Information and Resource Sharing between Fisheries Libraries in Africa

1. Towards a Framework for Information and Resource Sharing between Fisheries Libraries in Africa Paper presented at the 31st IAMSLIC Conference, Rome, Italy, 10-14 October 2005 Margaret Shaw Librarian South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity Grahamstown South Africa m.shaw@ru.ac.za www.saiab.ru.ac.za

2. South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)

3. SAIAB’s Vision & Mission • Vision: Serving Africa’s needs in understanding fisheries and aquatic environments. • Mission: To be ‘an interactive hub … generating, disseminating and applying knowledge to understanding and solving problems on the conservation and wise use of African fishes and aquatic biodiversity.’

4. SAIAB’s Fields of Research • Research fields • Taxonomy • Systematics • Genetics • Biology • Ecology • Total of 40 projects and programmes • 27 marine and estuarine • 13 freshwater

5. SAIAB Communication & Education • Disseminate research findings • Promote science awareness • Outreach • Environmental issues

6. Margaret Smith Library (shared facility with Rhodes University Library)

7. Conditions for Co-operation & Sharing – A Framework for Analysis • There must be Africa-specific resources to share. • There must be capacity to share amongst fisheries libraries. • There must be momentum and sustainability for sharing.

8. Context for Sharing • Africa’s development challenges and benefits of sharing fisheries information and resources. • Opportunities and possibilities • Constraints

9. Condition One: There must be Africa-specific resources for fisheries libraries to share • Directory of Fisheries and Aquaculture Information Resources in Africa • ODINAFRICA’s AFRILIB and OdinPubAfrica. • Web-based systems and services to disseminate academic journals published in Africa (AJOL)

10. Condition One: (cont.)There must be Africa-specific resources for fisheries libraries to share • International databases – coverage of African publications (ASFA, CABI, ABAFR, FFW). • Linkages with tertiary teaching and research institutes (DATAD, SAIAB-Rhodes University, IDS-University of Zimbabwe). • Specialised local collections of African fisheries and aquatics literature.

11. Condition One:Conclusions • Low levels of research, data generation and publication by African fisheries researchers. • Policy frameworks for contributions of science and technology to development • Building capacity in science is critical for sustainable development in Africa • Necessary growth of universities as creative centres of professional and research development. • Despite limits, there are significant resources to share.

12. Condition Two: Libraries must have the capacity to share Capacity to share is influenced by overlapping aspects: • physical and infrastructural features • the organisational structures • staffing capacity and development • information literacy, electronic and ICT facilities/digital/internet/e-mail/digitizing projects • benefits of links with Higher Education

13. Condition Two: (cont.)Reflections on SAIAB’s capacity to share • Relatively well-resourced • Organisation and internal operation • Information literacy developments • Role of the librarian in education and research

14. Condition Two: (cont.)ICT – Advantages and Constraints • Uneven and limited ICT resources in Africa: • Digital capacity • Internet connectivity • Benefits of Internet access – FFW and ABAFR/MOFR usage

15. Condition Two: Conclusions • Capacity to share requires significant investment in the physical, organisational and staffing resources of fisheries libraries. • Internet operation and access is critical to capacity to share: • availability of Internet in African libraries • information literacy of African librarians & users • supply of e-resources by African institutions • access to e-resources for African institutions

16. Condition Three:There must be momentum and sustainability for sharing • Sharing will be sustained if there is significant demand and sufficient capacity to respond. • Examples of momentum and sustainability: • ASFA – new input centres in Nigeria, Mauritania and Tanzania. • PERI-INASP • AGORA – dramatic expansion

17. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project • 13 Fisheries Libraries with SAIAB and FAO FIDI as supply hubs for document delivery

18. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project

19. Countries involved in Network

20. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project • Statistics of document request and delivery, 2002-2005

21. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project • Grahamstown Workshop and WorkPlan for 2004 – Priorities identified: • Identifying and auditing technology needs • African serial holdings - IAMSLIC Z39.50 Union List • Mapping fisheries information • Online services such as AGORA and PERI

22. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project • Grahamstown Workshop and WorkPlan for 2004 (cont.) • Improving the capture, preservation and dissemination of African fisheries publications -- print and digital • Expanding the network and creating country focal points in Nigeria (NIFFR) and Malawi (Bunda).

23. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability FAO-SAIAB Network Project • Grahamstown Workshop and WorkPlan for 2004 (cont.) • Developing standardised methodologies (indexing, storage and retrieval) • Exploring funding proposals for network sustainability.

24. Condition Three: (cont.)There must be sharing momentum and sustainability • AFRIAMSLIC Conference Proposals – September 2005 • Capacity audit of fisheries libraries in Africa, particularly IAMSLIC members • Increased entry of serial holdings on to the IAMSLIC Z39.50 Union List. • Establish co-ordinating centres for collecting and digitizing African resources: marine (KIMFRI) and freshwater (SAIAB).

25. Conclusions • Co-operation and sharing requires interaction of three conditions: • Resources available • Despite limits, there are significant resources • Capacity to share • Despite constraints, capacity exists • Momentum and sustainability • Examples provided, together with new possibilities and directions

26. Thanks Thanks to Jean Collins for her involvement in, and support of, networking activities between fisheries libraries in Africa, and to FAO for financial support for the networking project and attendance at this conference.