Launch of the 21st century strategy video

The Executive Committee of the Department of Library Services (DLS) has embarked on a new strategic project plan and identified nine high-level focus areas in order to achieve the goal of creating a 21^st-century library.

These nine focus areas and their drivers are:

1. Create a digital scholarship centre - Driver: Mr Isak van der Walt
2. Enable the management of research data at the University of Pretoria - Driver: Dr Johann van Wyk
3. Transform analogue and other formats to digital objects for preservation and ease of use - Driver: Dr Johann van Wyk
4. Create specialised services for research - Driver: Mrs Suzy Nyakale
5. Create specialised services for teaching and learning - Driver: Mrs Gerda Ehlers
6. Investigate the library collections - Driver: Julene Vermeulen
7. Create research, learning, innovative and collaborative spaces - Driver: Ms Ephenia Peu
8. Create entrepreneurship and fundraising abilities - Driver: Mr Sean Kruger
9. Create digital self-services - Driver: Mrs Marguerite Nel

In support of this new strategic plan the Marketing Office created a video featuring the library director, Mr Robert Moropa and Deputy Director Dr Heila Pienaar and the focus area drivers showcasing the focus areas and their progress. The video shoots were done in September and after editing the official and final video was launched on the 30 October 2018: https://youtu.be/a64q6iQK1OQ  

To date the video has received 1003 views on YouTube and the feedback from librarians and the UP community was extremely positive:

Maropene Ramabina, Law Librarian at the University of Venda: “Excellent work UP Library. Please keep shining”.

Roelien Clarke, Principal Librarian: Digital Library Services at Rhodes University: “Well done Elsabe! Impressive what you are doing at UP Library!”.

Theresa Mofana, National Librarian at The Independent Institute of Education: “Wooowww, congratulations University of Pretoria – this is an amazing step in the right direction to steer the library into the digital space and enhanced response to users’ needs.”

Wallace Isaacs, Deputy Director: Student Recruitment and Enrolment , University of Pretoria: “This is informative and interesting.”

Esew Michael: “This is a great initiative. With this how can the library be said to be irrelevant in the 21st century? It is high time the libraries across Africa receive necessary funding to be equipped with the requisite technology.”

Bright Avuglah: “When visionaries lead the library, this is the result! Great work UP DLS.”