Directorate of Library Services
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Item Tanzania Modern Librarians in Research and Development Enquiry: A Literature Review(Library philosophy and practice (e-journal). 6644, 2021) Mwilongo, Kardo; Kotoroi, GladnessThe modern and advanced development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has influenced various changes in the universe and resulted to phases of paradigm shifts and affected individuals, groups, organizations, institutions and states. The globalization of everything has similarly modernized and impacted the academic libraries and librarians. Modern academic libraries strive and undertake this development in facilitating sharing of research data and outputs with its potential stakeholders for Research and Development (R&D). Librarians and have to adapt new and emerging technologies, deploy the web technologies for cyberspaces, smart or digital library information and services, transform to embedded librarians for dynamic collaboration and partnership with stakeholders in sharing experience, research data and products for innovative R&D. Professionalism and personal competencies are the panacea for the modern librarians to remain relevant in the new environment. Technology and knowledge gaps lead to challenges that the modern libraries have to address and sustainably maintain their visibility, collaboration and sharing of research data and products for R&D. More important, modern libraries have to fully embrace the digital innovations, promote linkages and collaboration with R&D institutions or centres. Moreover, they have to integrate various innovative policies which foster sharing of research data and products and to make technology and innovative R&D among the core components of the university functions.Item Developing e-resources utilization strategies for Tanzanian higher learning institutions: A case of Mzumbe University(Dar es Salaam University Press (DUP), 2021) Mosha, Goodluck E.; Siyao, Peter; Nyakwaka, David O.This paper aims to examine the development of e-resources utilisation strategies for Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania taking the case of Mzumbe University. Data for this study were collected from three major sources: five Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania (UDSM, SUA, MUHAS, CBE, & NM-AIST), e-resources usage statistics from COTUL subscribed databases for the MU library and views from the MU library users. Usage statistics from COTUL subscribed e-databases provided quantitative data which were supplemented with experiences from five visited HLIs and views from MU internal stakeholder forums. The study outlined the roles and functions of all Mzumbe University organs in promoting and advocating the use of subscribed e-resources. The MU organs ranged from the university management, schools, faculties, and directorates including the library, institutes and the MU students’ organization. Specifically, MU Library was assigned the role of training users, creating online e-resource discussion forums, improving library websites, acquiring e-resources remote access software, promoting and advocating e-resources use, and employing knowledge ambassadors. The study identified challenges encountered in implementing the strategies which include poor ICT infrastructure, shortage of librarians with e-resources skills and interest, the meagre budget allocated to the library, insufficient specialized subject contents from subscribed databases, and poor cooperation between academic staff and the librarians. Since the library renders cross-cutting functions to the University, the task of promoting e-resources usage was recommended to be played by every organ at the University. The University is urged to speed up subscription /acquisition of e-resources remote access tools which will be enhancing e-resources utilization. Additionally, the maximum utilisation of e-resources will be fully achieved by changing the mindset of lecturers and students from relying solely on print to e-resources. This study was not able to extract all usage statistics from the 24 databases at Mzumbe University because some database vendors particularly free databases do not release COUNTER statistics. Based on the findings of this study, Mzumbe University Library may: decide and inform COTUL on which e-resource databases to renew; propose measures to improve the usage of e-resources and lay down University-wide e-resource strategies to improve utilization strategies. This paper is based on original usage statistics provided by the e-resource vendors in the COUNTER format and interviews administered to some selected respondents. Related literature has been reviewed and used, and appropriate citations and references have been acknowledged. The paper has been checked through Turnitin plagiarism detecting software.Item The role of newspapers in the dissemination of climate change information in Tanzania(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2021) Siyao, Peter OnauphooNewspapers make an important communication channel for disseminating many kinds of information. However, there are concerns in many developing countries such as Tanzania that important developmental topics such as climate change are not often given adequate coverage and prominence; instead much attention is paid to topics such as politics, entertainment, crimes, and advertisements. This study established the coverage of climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers for a span of 10 years. Specifically, it sought to determine the frequency of reportage given to climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers, determine the level of prominence given to climate change information by Tanzanian newspapers, establish the sources of information used by newspaper journalists to obtain climate change information, and assess the use of newspapers in accessing climate change information by selected peri-urban newspaper readers in Tanzania. Quantitative data were collected through content analysis and survey whereas qualitative data were collected through key informants interviews. The sample size of the study was 1,600 newspaper editions, 44 newspaper journalists, and 153 peri-urban newspaper readers. Purposive sampling technique was used to select newspapers, regions, and key informants. Snowball sampling technique was used to select peri-urban newspaper readers. Systematic and simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain newspaper editions and journalists. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20 whereas qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. This thesis was developed in paper format. The first paper analysed the level of attention given to climate change information by Tanzanian newspapers. The results indicate that Tanzanian newspapers had very few (684; 0.84%) articles on climate change giving yearly average of 68.4 articles. Chi-square test indicates a significant difference at 5 percent level of significance (χ2 = 21,765, p-value < 2.2e _16) between the level of coverage of climate change articles and that of other topics in the selected newspapers. These findings suggest that Tanzanian newspapers do not pay adequate attention to climate change issues. The second paper analysed the level of prominence given to climate change information by Tanzanian newspapers. The findings indicate that of the 684 climate change information articles published in 10 years, only 53 (7.6%) articles appeared on the front pages of the six Tanzanian newspapers, giving yearly average of five articles for all newspapers and only one article for each newspaper per year. Chi-square test shows a statistical significance at 5 percent level (χ2 = 10.000; p-value<0.002) between placement of articles on the front and inside pages. These findings suggest that climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers is not given the required level of prominence. The third paper assessed information sources used by Tanzanian newspaper journalists to collect climate change information. The findings indicate that 64 percent of climate change experts and 34.1 percent of daily events such as community meetings and other social gatherings were the main sources of climate change information consulted by newspaper journalists in Tanzania. Other sources of information were less consulted. These include libraries and information centres (2.3%); brochures, magazines, and bulletins (5.6%); journals (11.4%), books (14%), and internet websites (22.7%). Challenges such as abiding by journalistic norms to balance news in climate change (91%), low motivation (77.30%), lack of interest in climate change (75%), financial constraints (68.20%), lack of awareness on the available sources of information (63.64%) and limited knowledge on climate change (61.36%) prevented newspaper journalists from seeking and reporting climate change information. The fourth paper assessed the use of newspapers by peri-urban newspaper readers in accessing climate change information. The findings show that newspapers (65%) are important sources used by peri-urban newspaper readers to access climate change information. Peri-urban newspaper readers experienced challenges such as inadequate coverage of climate change information (87%), unreliability of climate change information (84%), low prominence attached to climate change information (82%), cost barriers (78%), inadequate community information centres and public libraries (73%) in peri-urban areas. These were reported as constraints that impeded newspapers from accessing climate change information. In view of the foregoing findings, it is concluded that coverage of climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers is very low. This is reflected by the few number of climate change articles in these newspapers. Similarly, the level of prominence attached to climate change articles is very low. This means that Tanzanian newspapers have not adequately played their role of reporting developmental issues including climate change. Increased coverage of climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers is necessary for the government and general public to direct their efforts to climate change adaptation, coping, and mitigation strategies. Furthermore, newspaper journalists prefer to consult interactive sources to obtain climate change information because they allow a two-way flow of information, they are easily accessible, and they use and provide instant responses. Likewise, climate change information consumers prefer to use newspapers written in Kiswahili which is understood by majority of readers and those which have high news coverage and circulation. The following recommendations are made: (i) Government and private media houses should formulate and introduce clear guidelines and policies of ensuring that the levels of coverage and prominence of developmental issues including climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers are increased. (ii) Government, private newspaper media houses, climate change researchers, organisations involved in the fight against climate change, and journalism colleges should collaborate and devise strategies aimed at building capacity to newspaper editors, journalists, and reporters of dealing with climate change information. This can be achieved by introducing climate change journalism course which will in turn lead to the acquisition of specialised skills and knowledge in writing and reporting evidence based scientific developmental issues findings including climate change in the print media such as newspapers. (iii) Newspaper media houses should overcome barriers that impede coverage and reportage of climate change information. One way of overcoming such barriers include the provision of adequate financial resources to newspaper journalists which will help them acquire necessary resources including ICTs and for meeting other necessary expenses such as travel and accommodation which in turn will enable them to participate in research works for increasing coverage of climate change information in the newspapers. (iv) Climate change information generators such as Tanzania Meteorological Agency should repackage and disseminate reliable climate change forecast that address the needs of the public through popular newspapers with national status. (v) National and local government authorities should provide adequate financial support to public libraries in establishing community information resource centres in peri-urban areas for enabling newspaper readers to access developmental information particularly climate change through Tanzanian newspapers at no or minimal costs.conference proceeding.listelement.badge A 14 - years mapping of research productivity of the School of Business academicians at Mzumbe University, Tanzania: A bibliometrics analysis(Dar es Salaam University Press (DUP), 2021) Shemahonge, Adam H., ; Mosha, Goodluck E. , ; Siyao, Peter O.The purpose of this study is to determine the research productivity of the School of Business (SoB) academic staff at Mzumbe University between 2007 and 2020. The study employed a mixed approach to data collection. A total of 58 SoB academic staff were used in this study. Quantitative data were extracted from google scholar using the Publish or Perish (PoP) software. Qualitative data were collected using an interview guide. The quantitative data were analysed using a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet whereas qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that a total of 253 publications were recorded for all 14 years yielding a low yearly average of 18.07 publications for all academicians and an average of only 4.4 publications for each SoB academician. Individual productivity analysis shows Dr. Hawa Tundui as the top-ranking academician with 20 publications. The distribution of citations for SoB academicians has Dr. Ernest Mwasalwiba ranking first with 924 citations. The authorship pattern at SoB was dominated by single-authored publications 100 (40%) followed by two-authored publications 87 (34%) with an average of 0.49 degree of collaboration. The subject-wise distribution reveals that SoB academic staff are more interested in writing on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and business areas. With regard to the journal of preference, most of the SoB scholars prefer to publish in the Uongozi Journal of Management and Development Dynamics (UJMDD). This bibliometrics analysis was limited to SoB. Other studies should cover all MU schools, faculties, directorates and other campuses. To improve the growth of research and publications at MU, collaborations in research and publications; formulating a friendly and favourable research policy; awareness creation about online research platforms such as registering on Google Scholar among MU academicians, Research Gate and ORCID among others and capacity building in publishing skills are highly recommended. This is the first time a bibliometrics analysis has been conducted to determine research productivity at MU and which covered a field of business in Tanzania.