Research Articles (Library and Information Service)

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Browsing Research Articles (Library and Information Service) by Author "Raju, R."

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    The public library as a critical institution in South Africa's democracy : a reflection
    (LIBRIS, 2010) Raju, R.; Raju, Jaya
    South Africa came out of apartheid rule in 1994. This transition has brought with it its own set of challenges including that of access to information, an essential pillar in upholding a democracy. In this transitional period, South Africa is reliant on every possible institution to contribute to the growth of its fledgling democracy. It is clearly evident from the literature that democratic societies are dependent on such institutions as public libraries to uphold fundamental principles of democracy. This paper reflects on the public library, within the South African context, as an essential institution in the growth and sustainability of democracy through equitable access to information and knowledge. The paper discusses issues such as the public library and its role in equitable access to information, the contradictory environments within South Africa, recreational reading and the public library scenario, lifelong learning, and the public library and the educational system. Other issues such as support for indigenous materials and adult literacy are also addressed in the paper. The authors conclude that the real concern in South Africa today is the gulf between the “haves”, of any colour, and the “have-nots” and the capacity of the public library to bridge that gap via its contribution to the reduction of illiteracy, poverty and unemployment, the scourge of Africa and South Africa. It is a given that public libraries play a critical role in the propagation of democracy, especially in a continent that has been plagued by dictatorships and military rule.
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    Stellenbosch University’s AOARI platforms : opening access to African scholarly content
    (African Academy of Sciences, 2013-06) Raju, R.; Smith, Ina
    In the current knowledge economy, Africa is relegated to the periphery of knowledge production as it is considered to be more of a ‘consumer’ of the world’s knowledge as opposed to a ‘producer’. There is sufficient evidence to show that a significant factor contributing to this low research output is limited access to scholarly content to support research. An influential element to this limited access is the exorbitant cost of information. Exacerbating this status is that research conducted by Africans is not easily accessible to the international audience, as the dissemination of African research content is severely prejudiced by the propensity of international publishers to focus on output from the north which generates larger profit margins. This prejudice relegates Africa further into the status of being a silent and invisible contributor to research production.