8th, South African LIS context. Group Dynamics Simulation Games

the National library is the foundation of other library so its leadership should be strategically and carefully appointed. Library Information Associations South Africa’s humble beginnings, challenges, achievements and structures and management.

The president of LIASA Naomi Haasbroek unpacked the vision and mission of LIASA and its role in the South Africa in the 21st century. Since LIASA’s inception in 1997 the objective was to unify librarians from all different spheres to speak in one voice, this is still relevant today. Librarians should support and nurture their profession especially because there is a decline of the profession and shortage of qualified librarians. Therefore it is important that each and every librarian should begin to answer the following question:
what are you doing to the profession?

Rene Schoombee what a passionate and innovative librarian. She is living the act of advocacy by educating the community which is the essentials of information society. According to Rene no circumstances, resources and lack of rewards should stop us from becoming true library advocates. By doing so we will be living for a purpose and that is more fulfilling than any reward, and door will open in an amazing ways.

It is very clear that librarianship is evolving. If we stay where we are surrounded by books, we will definitely face out as a profession. We have to go out there and find the future products and find clients because neither the products nor the clients are in the library.

PAMOJA, Learning through play, without realising we have acquired the importance of roles of positions. Knowing and understanding the purpose, policies and procedures that govern your industry is important. Negotiation skills, communication skills, value system and the culture of ones organization because we remain ambassadors’ of our organizations so we must represent our organizations with pride and dignity.

7th, HBDI Personal and group profiling and CAMPBELL Leadership descriptor Tool

I have enjoyed the journey to self discovery with Prof. Ann, de Boer. This has given me an understanding of why I do things different from others and that there is nothing wrong with that, And that I should always remember to accommodate others and communicate and engage with them in a way that will make sense to them as a leader. Our differences does not make us any lesser or greater, it simply means we are unique and special in our own way.

Reflecting on exercises of learning about self from Campbell leadership descriptor tool, it helped me to discover my areas of development and how I should draw self plan on how to practically work on these areas systematically. I was also able to indentify my strength and how to sustain these areas. It was also interesting to discover that the is no perfect leader and that we need to complement each other, because even bad leaders are excelled in other areas. Lastly I have learned that self retrospective is crucially important increasing ones self knowledge and emotional intelligence. What was interesting is that as much as work is important having FUN (personal energy) is equally important and necessary.

6th, WEB 2.0 Technology in the workplace

I have realized how fellow librarians are concerned about keep track of new technological trends, that is, web 2.0. They take time and efforts to and explore these tools in order to develop other. These colleagues also took time to analyse, their daily duties and investigated how these tools can change and improve the way they work. For example Johan van Wyk and Antoinette Lourens presented a clear distinction among web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. And how we could practically apply to our works situation. And this is something that they have tried and tested so we could their blogs and wikis as reference. I was also impressed with the way they prepared their training program.

• My intention is to critically analyse the content of my existing Blogs, i.e. MPhil entrepreneurship and EMPS.
• I am going to embark into marketing my blogs to the targeted clientele.
• I am going to encourage and train the web 2.0/ 3.0 tools other information specialist in the EMS faculty library.
• I will frequently visit and post on my Blogs
  To reinforce my management and leadership skills
• I am going to be involved in the management performance systems as tool that will manage talent in EMS faculty library.
• Since I am passionate about coaching and mentorship I am going to develop and structure my programs.
• I am going to draw a personal goal plan and manage my career development.

Reflecting on exercises from Campbell leadership descriptor tool, it helped me to discover my areas of development and how I should draw self goal plan on how to practically work on these areas systematically. I was also able to indentify my strength and how to sustain these areas. It was also interesting to discover that the is no perfect leader and that we need to complement each other, because even bad leaders excelled in other areas. Lastly I have learned that self retrospective is crucially important increasing ones self knowledge and emotional intelligence. What was interesting is that as much as work is important having FUN (personal energy) is equally important and necessary.

Day 1, 5th November 2010

I was missing my kids already, the fact that the Leadership program commenced on a Friday made it worse. I thought we were going to settle down and then the program will unfold the following day oh boy was I mistaken.

My EXPECTATIONS:

• I would like to learn new practical ways that I could apply to my everyday job, ways that will help me to work efficiently and effectively.
• I would also want to reflect to my management and leadership style, with the intention of developing where necessary.

This is because:

From January 2010 my tasks were to manage the EMS library. I had to administer and review library programs, look into policies, procedures and resolving issues regarding library operations and staff. I had to work very closely with the office that looks into the library quality surveys and audits to identify library issues and customers’ needs, and plan for responding to the identified needs.

I managed staff responsible for function of a library. Make sure that the staff is well trained to perform their job e.g. shelving, researching, and preservation etc.

I motivate, develop and direct EMS library staff as they work. I had to identify the best people for the job. As well as identifying problems and review related information and evaluate options and implement solutions

I am also responsible for Business Management Department, which is also regarded to be the best in South Africa especially in their MPHIL and DPHIL in ENTREPRENEURSHIP programs. The lecturers are very busy and they expect their student to produce colloquiums, dissertations and thesis of high standard. To support these students one need to be well equipped around research techniques, marketing, integrating web 2.0 tools and negotiation.

I have also taken a role of mentoring junior information specialist in the EMS faculty library. For me this is crucially important as it takes time to master the art of becoming a refined information specialist whose responsibilities are to adapt within the ever changing information environment and to develop training programs that will meet this dynamic environment. For example more and more as information specialist we are faced with the e-teaching and learning dynamics so our training programs should be designed in such a way that it integrates with the curriculum and it also demonstrate the objectives/outcomes of your training program.