Page 7 - Annual Report 2023

1 INTRODUCTION
“If you wish to move more mountains tomorrow, you must begin by moving stones today.”
Inspired by the African proverb, we determined the “stones” that had to be moved in 2023 to construct a remarkable Unisa LIS for the benefit of humanity. In order to better serve humanity, Unisa LIS has welcomed many modes of knowledge communication, used technology wisely to improve library services, pushed for open access to information, and honoured the past in order to foresee the future. In keeping with the University’s strategy to migrate to fully online by 2030, the LIS continued to expand its print collection to digital content.
To guarantee the accessibility of LIS resources for Unisans and the general public via special membership, the print budget was reduced, and e-resources were increased, with allocations being made towards the Programme and Qualification Mix (PQM) and programmes focusing on catalytic niche areas. This report’s coverage of several initiatives and developments attests to the LIS’s trajectory to digital transformation, which will make it possible for users to access resources from anywhere in the world, as well as to ensure the visibility of Unisa researchers. This report covers the whole life cycle of information resources, that is, from development and acquisition of the collection to information organisation, preservation and access to disposal.
For the 2023 academic year, our top priorities were to embrace indigenous languages and systems, increase the visibility of LIS and Unisa researchers, align our collection with Unisa’s strategy, embrace open access through transformative agreements, digitisation and digitalisation, as well as the Unisa Institutional Repository (UnisaIR), and to improve the acquisition of electronic sources. Unisa LIS focused on promoting effective access to information and the expansion of knowledge retention and sharing among staff and students in the context of social, organisational and individual needs requirements. As this report emphasises, a strong national, regional and international network in the LIS sector was also established. In addition to enhancing Unisa’s impact rating and global footprint, Unisa LIS made all of these efforts to support the academic project by boosting research production, throughput rate and Unisa’s reputation in the national, continental and international arena.
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