Reflections from the Digital Repository Workshop at MUHAS (12-15 June 2012)

Academicians, librarians and ICT specialists from Tanzanian universities and research institutes have been urged to establish digital repository to enhance access to research outputs in their institutions and beyond. Officiating the opening of the digital repository workshop at MUHAS, the Chairperson of the Senate MUHAS Library Committee, Prof Temu said that "our institutions generate a lot of research information, most of which is available in local, regional and international journals. However, there is also equally important information lying on our shelves in the form of research results, reports, dissertations, theses, and undergraduate final year reports that may be useful to inform new researches or even contribute to policy. Thus after this workshop, all these information will be easily accessible and thus its use will be abundant to those who produced them and a few stakeholders. This four days digital repository workshop is an important step in enabling establishment of repositories in our institutions to enhance access and dissemination of research findings".

The workshop has brought  together, librarians, ICT specialists and academicians from Tanzania and outside Tanzania, particularly Malawi, Kenya and Nigeria. The workshop is organized and facilitated by Information, Training and Outreach Center for Africa (ITOCA), and its collaborating partners Muhimbili University of Health and allied Sciences (MUHAS), Cornell University in USA, Institute of Development Studies, UK, and Royal Tropical Institute of Netherlands.

Prof Temu further added that MUHAS Library has organized not less than ten workshops on the management of e-resources and web 2.0 technologies, but this workshop is the first of its kind as it aims at imparting skills on digital repositories which is important in increasing visibility of research outputs in our institutions. The Guest of Honor further added that through this workshop, participants will have an opportunity of sharing your views on how to enhance the quality of research and education by establishing digital repositories in their institutions.

Advanced Online Searches Workshop for MUHAS Students (20th June 2012) - open for registration

Organized by the Directorate of Library Services (MUHAS)

Target group:  undergraduate/ postgraduate students

 Date: Wednesday, 20th June, 2012

Time: 2-4 pm

Venue: library ICT training room

Content: construction of a search query, Boolean logic, Googlelogy, and use of HINARI&PUBMED database

Note: interested participants are requested to submit their details at the special reserve section, MUHAS library

Call for Papers: 13th Congress of the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa

Call for Papers: 13th Congress of the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa  The conference will be held in the city of Praia in Cape Verde and will not only provide a valuable platform for sharing experiences and knowledge but it will also provide an opportunity for the participants to enjoy the beautiful island of Cape Verde.
The Organising Committee invites the submission of papers for presentation at the conference. Papers should reflect the conference theme: "Enhancing Access to Health Information in Africa: Research, Collaboration and Innovation"
The abstracts should be guided by the following sub-themes:
Global partnerships and access to health information in Africa
Empowering end-user access and use of health information
The role of ICT in enhancing access to health information in Africa
Promoting research among healthcare providers through access to health information
Strengthening library and information networks at country level

Abstract submission guidelines
The abstract should be approximately 300 words, single spaced, A4 page size, 12 point font size and in word format.
Indicate names of all the authors and underline the name of the author presenting the paper.
 Include name of institution, city, country and complete address and contacts of the author(s).

Abstracts should be submitted via email. Abstracts to be sent to Osvaldina Brito dina1982@hotmail.com. and copied to the following 2 emails: bsmcec@yahoo.fr. chipo@itoca.org.
Abstracts should be sent by latest:    30 June 2012
Deadline for submitting full papers:    31 July 2012

Call for Papers: Libraries: the Amazing Gateway to Knowledge and Power!

Date: 9-10 August 2012

Location: The Auditorium, Pasila Library, Helsinki City Main Library, Helsinki, Finland

The IFLA Africa Section is sponsoring an IFLA Satellite meeting to be held in The Auditorium, Pasila Library, Helsinki City Main Library from 9-10 August, 2012.

The Congress offers an opportunity to present library research outcomes and innovations in a multi-disciplinary international forum. In line with the theme of the 78th Africa Section chose the theme: 'Libraries, the amazing gateway to knowledge and power!' IFLA Africa Section invites Librarians, Information Scientists and other stakeholders to submit proposals (abstracts) for papers at the Africa Section Satellite in Helsinki, Finland.

Sub-Themes

• Libraries: gateways or gatekeepers?
• Web 3.0 in libraries now: amazing, exciting!
• Information literacy: enhancing access to knowledge and power in virtual environment
• Open access and knowledge libraries
• Partnerships and collaboration: inspiring and exciting opportunities for libraries as gateway to knowledge and power

 

Submission Guidelines

The proposal must be the original work of the author(s) and should be written in either English or French. Each abstract must contain:

• Title of proposed presentation
• Outline of the proposed presentation (no more than 350 words)
• Name(s) of presenter(s)
• Position or title of presenter(s)
• Presenter(s) employer or affiliated institution
• E-mail address, Telephone/fax numbers
• Short biographical statement of the presenter/s, with digital photograph

Please send proposals by 17 June, 2012 by email to:
Rosemary Gitachu
Secretary, IFLA Africa Section,
e-mail: gitachur@yahoo.com

 

Important Deadlines

• June 17, 2012: Deadline for submission of abstract
• June 30, 2012: Notification of acceptance/rejection of paper
• July 15, 2012: Deadline for submission of full paper

All proposals will be evaluated by a refereeing team of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Africa Section.

 

Submissions

All proposals must be in before 17 June 2012.

 

Please note

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation can be issued to authors.  Presenters are advised to approach their parent organizations for sponsorship.

 

Congress Attendance Grants

The Finnish National Committee and IFLA have worked hard to secure funds for Conference Participation Grants. Up-to-date information is available on our Conference Participation Grants webpage.

2013 ProLISSA Conference - 5 to 8 March 2013

Progress in Library and Information Science in Southern Africa

Seventh biennial DISSAnet Conference
UNISA, Pretoria
5-8 March 2013
5-6 March 2013: Doctoral Forum
7- 8 March 2013: Conference

Venue: Saint George Hotel, Pretoria

Conference Themes

Information in modern society is valued as an essential component in the daily lives of people, both on individual and organisational levels. Increasingly we expect information to meet our needs through technological interventions or interactions. Indeed, recent technological developments have accentuated contemporary conceptions of the Library and Information field as an intersection of information, technology, people and society.

Contributions are invited that address current research issues related to the LIS field. Themes that may be addressed are wide and open, but an advanced academic level of discourse is required. Inter alia the following broad themes will be addressed at the conference:

• Information and knowledge management
• Research trends in library and information science
• Information seeking and retrieval
• Information organisation and representation
• Information for development
• Indigenous knowledge and indigenous knowledge systems
• Information communication technologies
• Information law, ethics and philosophy
• Information dissemination
• Informetrics
• Library and information science education and training
• Archives and records management

Doctoral Forum (5-6 March 2013)

The Doctoral Forum is part of the biennially held DISSAnet series of conferences which endeavour to showcase South African and African research in the broad field of Information Science. Abstracts are invited from Masters and Doctoral students with a panel of experts about their research activities or output.
Deadlines for submission of papers

• 11 June 2012 - Extended abstract (500- 800 words), sent to mnkennp@unisa.ac.za
• 30 July 2012 - Notification of acceptance / rejection of the submitted abstract
• 31 October 2012 - Full completed paper

Contact information
For more information contact Dr Luyanda Dube at dubel@unisa.ac.za

A workshop on evidence based practice at MUHAS (25-27 June 2012)

Once again, the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) through its MUHAS-Library will organize a Three Days workshop on Evidence based practice through the DELPHE project

The workshop will be conducted at the MUHAS - Undergraduate Computer Lab. 

Date: Monday, 25 - 27 June, 2012 Time: 9 am to 4.00 pm.

Facilitators: Information, Training and Outreach Center for Africa (ITOCA), South Africa 

Target group: MUHAS academic staff, MNH medical doctors, clinicians, librarians from Tanzania Library Services Board

Programme of the training

• Introduction: what is evidence based practice?
• ASK: The importance of research questions in evidence based health care
• ALIGN: Research design, bias and levels of evidence
• APPRAISE: Behind the numbers: Understanding healthcare  statistics: Science, speed, and the search for best evidence
• APPLY: Critical appraisal: Making better decisions for evidence-based health care
• ACQUIRE: Searching for healthcare information: Assessing harms and benefits
• Turning evidence into practice

Click here for more details regarding the workshop

The MUHAS library catalogue is now available

You can search and retrieve bibliographic records of  books, Journals and CDROMs that are available at the MUHAS Online Public Access Catalogue. Click here to access the LIbrary Catalogue