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SALLP 2003 Training Programme
CANDIDATES' INSIGHTS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMME
Whilst in the United States, each participant forwarded reports to their line managers and the LIASA National Office. However upon their return to South Africa, and having been given some time to resettle, they were requested to forward an insightful report on their experiences with particular emphasis upon the impact the SALLP has had on them as individuals and professionals. Some of their comments are as follows:
"We have been encouraged to come back and share the ideas with the colleagues. This has been a challenge for me.
I did not know how I would do it now that I had to face it alone, not as a team. It is a time where I appreciated
teamwork, where you do not have a solution someone else will try something. Fortunately I was asked to share my
experiences at the Management meeting and it was a good start. I also gave a presentation at the Mpumalanga SALGA
(South African Local Government Association) meeting. My confidence and my positive attitude have been refined."
Euginia Nkosi
"Participating in South African Library Leadership Project (SALLP) has liberated me from the "spiderweb"
of thinking locally and has exposed me to the world's best Library Management Practices. I have been nominated by
the Department for an Emerging Management Development Program which is relevant or related to the SALLP program."
Morris Mabasa
"Being a SALLP participant opened doors for me! It gave me the necessary boost to believe in my abilities and myself,
and it definitely raised my profile as a librarian. Our local Mayoral Committee recently commented on the quality of
my report to Council and predicted that the SALLP Project will have a positive impact on the Rustenburg Library Service.
Future challenges include applying for the post Section Manager: Branch and Community Development, as well as completing
my research on HIV/AIDS and the role of librarians. I feel positive that being part of the SALLP team will also give me
the strength to make a success of this." René Schoombee
"At the heart of the gruelling pain of getting selected to participate in the SALLP program, lay a rewarding trip and a life-changing visit to remember! The experience at the MC, afforded us an energising, insightful, enlightening and wonderful opportunity, exposure and practical experience in many aspects of world-class librarianship and information ideas and practices. Our professional horizons have been broadened! The innovative project boosted our confidence and a diverse range of
skills. The awareness of professional responsibility and contribution by libraries and librarians to civil society
could not have come at a better time when the focus of LIASA is on Libraries as AGENTS of change." S'bu Thembela
"I would support the idea of mentorship, because I learn so much more if I see something being done in practice,
rather than to listen to an academic discussion with no or very little practical applications. Though I can't
implement everything I saw and experienced as is, the challenge for me would be to tweak some of the plans and
adjust it to our own needs. The most important thing I realized is that being in South Africa does not
automatically mean we can't compare with international standards. In fact, not only can we compare ourselves
with the rest of the world, we can stand our ground and be proud of the service we render."
Doraliza Ackerman
"What an exciting and innovative project! SALLP has been one of the most rewarding and satisfying projects
I have ever participated in my humble 10 years as a professional librarian. Having been a middle academic library
manager for the last 4 years, participation in the SALLP PROJECT has afforded me the opportunity to continue my
contribution to the LIS field and has greatly energised and empowered me to take on the challenges facing the LIS sector."
Bonga Makrwede
"Our programme was packed and many thoughts have been left with us about libraries, LIASA, as well as our own personal development.
The challenge now is how to implement all, or at least some of what we learnt. I will always regard this as a
turning point in my professional career." Nazeem Hardy
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