University of Cape Town Continuation of the Library School
Naomi Haasbroek, LIASA President wrote: "It is my pleasure to confirm that the University of Cape Town has approved the continuation of the Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies from 2012 onwards. Master’s and Doctoral Degrees will also be offered in 2012 and beyond.
LIASA communicated with the Vice-Chancellor of UCT, Dr Max Price in January 2011, expressing our dismay and concern at the announced closure of the Library Department. We were subsequently invited to meet with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Danie Visser on 19 October to discuss the possible continuation of the PGDipLIS. Following a very fruitful meeting and discussion, I received an official letter this week from Prof Visser confirming the continuation of the LIS courses at UCT."
Our members' reaction:
Congratulations and well done.
Mareza Grandia
Tullow Library
Great news. There are so few library schools around so this is positive news for future librarians. Congratulations on your efforts and success in this matter.
Regards
Denise Nicholson
Congratulations , it was sanding (sic)to just think of UCT library school closing.
Well Done
Oonayang Dilebanye
Thanx Naomi. This is indeed an achievement. We have also informally talked to our Vice-Chancellor about the possibility of reopening the Library School at UFS. He asked me to write a proposal, at least for 2013 onwards. Regarding the UCT one, do you think they can accommodate undergraduate students as part-time?
Keitumetse Betsy Eister
Hallo Naomi
Baie geluk, wel gedaan, ons is baie bly met die verwikkelinge.
Groete
Joey van Zyl
This is job well done Madam President. This is what we always tell people what LIASA is all about. I wish all of us can emulate your contribution to the development of the profession. Keep up the good work.
Phil (Lekau Thosago)
Great stuff, Naomi! LIASA played a really valuable role here.
Peter Lor
Dear Naomi
Well done again! I did the LIS Postgraduate Diploma at UCT on the strength of an arts degree from Edinburgh University 24 years earlier and am most grateful for the opportunity to do it there and then use it!
Best wishes for a happy Christmas and a very good New Year.
Yours sincerely
Pat Gordon
Agreed. The last LIASA conference was again testimony to the growth and strength that is happening in our profession and to our association. The strength of the leadership of LIASA was evident too. Well done.
Julia Paris
A VERY big "thank-you" to the LIASA President, Naomi Haasbroek, to Reggie and Jaya Raju, Gwenda Thomas, Joan Rapp and to the many friends and former students of the UCT Department of Information and Library Studies. Your support has been vital in persuading the University of Cape Town to allow the LIS programme to continue: when our protests, as a group of staff, were not successful it was the library profession in South Africa (and beyond) that demonstrated that it has a voice and knows how to use it. ADVOCACY WORKS!
Emeritus Professor Peter G. Underwood
Indeed, Peter. Now let's make it the best Library School on the continent.
All the best
Dr Susan Myburgh
School of Communication, International Studies and Languages University of South Australia Adelaide
Dear All
It was shocking to hear that gradually our profession is dying , more and more tertiary institutions are phasing the degree ofInformation Studies.
It is like we are taking the spirit of reading and learning which we should continuously instill in our children.
To everyone who voiced his/her opinion to make this work I want to say “ bravo”you really made us proud.
Long live to LIS profession
Ms.Rosina Rachidi
Well…well, easy is said than done, but on this ONE – it took the power of self-efficacy, resilience and advocacy of a collective intellectual thinking powder and LIASA Leadership collective to make it happen. Earlier this year when I heard Prof Peter Underwood in one of their collection development workshops narrating the sad story of the UCT Library and Information Science being closing their shop - it crossed one’s mind that this is indeed the demise of the profession in the country. The profession has witnessed similar moves in the last two decades or so of some of the LIS schools closing down. With the same spirit of advocacy, the power of positive thinking unleashed and witnessed on this one – certainly we can do more and reason the case for reopening of such schools in the country.
We need more of this advocacy power, collective leadership and resilience to continue reasoning the very same existence of LIS schools and the profession in the country and in Africa at large. Well-done to LIASA membership collective and leadership for having made this happened for the sake of the profession!!!!!Our hearts were really bleeding seeing the demise of one of our progressive and productive LIS schools in the country. ADVOCACY WORKS!!!!
Best regards
Benny Malefetjane Phaladi