An overview of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the LIS schools of Eastern and Southern Africa

Abstract

Explores and analyses the status and use of ICT in LIS Departments/Schools in selected Eastern and Southern African countries in relation to learning, teaching, research, academic administration, and resource support. ICT is dealt with in the context of information storage, retrieval, communication, interactive learning, MIS and use technologies. Qualitative methods were mainly used in information collection, analysis and reporting. Opinions of Directors/Heads of LIS Departments/Schools or their representatives in seven countries were collected by an e-mailed open-ended questionnaire that was sampled purposively. The conclusion is reached that although many LIS schools in the region increasingly exploit and use ICT, underdeveloped infrastructure, inadequate resources and lack of adequate skills among staff to explore the technologies extensively, maintain existing disparities. Although students and lecturers have an overwhelming interest in learning about and using ICT, LIS institutions in South Africa (that are better endowed with regard to infrastructure and resources) exploit ICT more effectively and to a far greater extent than their counterparts in other sub-Saharan African countries. Other hidden variables are also identified and discussed. The paper provides useful information for comparative studies as well as an agenda for research on auditing ICT capacity in LIS schools in the region.