Page 6 - Library Annual Report 2019

1.About us
The Department of Library and Information Services is positioned within the Portfolio of Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation. The Portfolio focuses “on strengthening Unisa as the leading provider of postgraduate programmes in Africa and on being a leading research institution where innovative thinkers can ourish, and innovative ideas are rewarded.”
The Department of Library and Information Services operations are primarily focused on the continent of Africa, but there are no regulatory or self-imposed geographical limits placed upon the acquisition, development, processing and delivering of information resources, or upon any of the other projects in which the Library may engage. The department uses every means to overcome the transactional gap between itself and the student caused by distance and time to bring the Department’ services to students wherever they are and at any time. The Department of Library and Information Services focuses on two dimensions of the academic enterprise:
• support through information resources, and • client services
1.1. Department of Library and Information Services Vision
The Department of Library and Information Services seeks to realise its vision – “Towards the leading open distance learning library in Africa” – through the provision of access to global information through services designed for the Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) environment. The Department of Library and Information Services is committed to provide quality library and information services to all its users by upholding the following values:
• Client satisfaction
• Diversity
• Equitable access to information in all forms
• Fair use (while respecting copyright and preventing plagiarism) • Innovation
• Intellectual freedom, and
• Quality service
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