Staff matters

Johannes Moropotli resigns

This year was unfortunately the year in which our much loved colleague Johannes Moropotli had to leave us.

Johannes Moropotli retired at the end of April 2014 after 33 years and one month’s service at the library. He started working as messenger at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Agricultural Research Council as early as 1970. He joined the veterinary library in April 1981 when it was still housed in the old main faculty building.

At his farewell function attended by colleagues, family and friends on 16 April, we took a trip down memory lane reminiscing highlights of Johannes’ time at Onderstepoort.

Erica van der Westhuizen, head of the library until August 2009, had the following to say:

“Johannes and I come a long way. In fact he was part of my 28 years of OP life from the beginning. When I started here in Nov 1981 as head of the faculty library he was already there, an essential part of the 3 person library team.

Johannes’ post in those beginning years was “bode” or library messenger. With his trusty bicycle (it lasted in more or less working order till quite recently!) he was a well-known fixture in the OP environment. Those early years were cosy at the faculty – staff and students were fewer than today so we got to know our library clients rather well!

In those pre-computer and pre-internet days lecturers and researchers got their information in paper format. It was Johannes as library messenger on his bicycle who delivered all their articles in brown cardboard files. Prof le Roux was the Dean in the early 8o’s and he would complain if his file looked a bit shabby!

Those were the days of Johannes’ sporting achievements, namely as Comrades marathon runner. With encouragement and support from Prof Koos Coetzer he was our pride and joy – there wasn’t another UP library who could boast of such an achievement! In fact, when a book was published to celebrate UP’s centenary, the Vet Library was especially mentioned for its Comrades runner!

Johannes’ fitness was a great help with our move in 1987 from the old library to the Sir Arnold Theiler building. We were still only 3 staff members and we had to undertake the move of books and equipment on our own, using the feed trucks kindly provided (and fortunately driven) by the Faculty.

Those were indeed interesting times!

As the computer age and the role of the internet in information provision expanded, Johannes’ role took on extra dimensions - from messenger to electronic information provider to information creator in the e-environment. Today Johannes can look back on his important contribution in providing an effective information service. From the electronic distribution of publications to faculty and students including external users, some even beyond SA’s borders, to the digitization of the first research accounts on animal diseases in Africa as published in the early SA veterinary journals. It is Johannes’ help in digitizing the OP Journal of Veterinary Research which has made this important early research accessible worldwide.

Johannes, na 44 jaar is dit nou tyd vir die welverdiende rus. Ons se baie dankie vir al jou harde werk, jou volgehoue vriendelikheid en geduld met al die vrouens van die biblioteek en jou lojaliteit. Geniet jou aftrede, ons beste wense vergesel jou!

Erica Makulu”

In her speech the library’s Deputy Director: Client Services, Lindiwe Soyizwapi, referred to recent interviews for Johannes’ post and the high standards that were set because it was felt that Johannes was almost irreplaceable! All the colleagues agreed that Johannes’ personality made him such a pleasant person to work with and that his smile and positive attitude will always be treasured.

It was a proud Johannes who delivered the last speech before everyone enjoyed refreshments and further conversations.

We will miss Johannes dearly but wish him well and pray that he may have a blessed retirement with his family.

Lucas Mmalefahlo joins the library staff

Fortunately Lucas Mmalefahlo joined our staff from 1 July to fill the empty space Johannes has left. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Lucas and we believe he will enjoy his time with us as he has already settled in well.

Maria Mtsweni gets rewarded for 20 years’ of service

We are very proud of Maria who has completed 20 years’ of service at the University of Pretoria.

Maria began her career at the Department of Library Services in February 1994 when she started working at the Basic Medical Sciences & Dentistry library on the Prinshof Campus. She was initially responsible for journal shelving and photocopying. Her position changed in 2002 when she obtained a National Diploma in Library & Information Practice from the then Technikon South Africa. With her newly acquired skills she started working at the circulation desk in 2003 and in 2007 accepted the additional responsibility of interlibrary loans. In November 2010 she stated working at the Jotello F Soga library.

Mid-year post

Since our last entry at the beginning of January a lot has happened and we’d like to share a few news snippets.

Book launch

During February we hosted a book launch for Prof William Beinart & Dr Karen Brown for their book “African Local Knowledge & Livestock Health: diseases and treatments in South Africa”.

William Beinart is Rhodes Professor of Race Relations and a Fellow of St Antony's College, University of Oxford. He played a leading role in setting up the African Studies Centre at Oxford and was its director from 2009-13. He has published widely on environmental and rural issues in South Africa and was commissioned by Oxford University Press to write a book entitled Twentieth Century South Africa which has been an academic best seller. His main environmental publications include “The Rise of Conservation in South Africa” and “Prickly Pear: the social history of a plant in the Eastern Cape” with Luvuyo Wotshela. He has also written extensively about the political and social history of the Transkei and researched land reform issues.

Karen Brown was a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine at Oxford and is now a researcher at the African Studies Centre. She has published a number of articles on environmental and veterinary history in South Africa, covering subjects such as silviculture, wildlife conservation, the evolution of veterinary science in South Africa, entomology and tsetse control. Her book “Mad Dogs and Meerkats: A History of Resurgent Rabies in Southern Africa” was published by Ohio University Press in 2011. She also co-edited “Healing the Herds: Disease, Livestock Economies and the Globalization of Veterinary Medicine” which looked at the history of veterinary medicine from a global perspective.

A presentation on their book by the authors and an interesting discussion afterwards lead to a memorable evening enjoyed by everyone who attended. The audience included staff and students of the Veterinary Science Faculty, researchers from the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and other interested parties. Prof Pete Irons, Head of the Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, made some concluding remarks.

Information literacy training

We completed the information literacy training for the 2nd year undergraduate veterinary science students during February and March and the assessment results indicated that our labour was not in vain! Next year we are planning to implement clicker training to ensure that we improve on engaging the students and creating a more interactive learning experience.

First issue of Infomania

We published the first issue of our newsletter Infomania in May which you can read online here

Final LibQual feedback

Final feedback for the LibQual survey that was done during August 2013 was communicated by the Department of Library Services’ Assistant Director: Marketing & Quality Assurance Mrs Elsabé Olivier in June this year. You can view the feedback here

A journal publication by one of our colleagues

We are very proud of our colleague Tertia Coetsee who published an article on “Key professional principles for South African academic librarians” with Sandra Weiner from the Purdue University library. The article was published in the Mousaion: South African journal of information studies, a journal of the Department of Information Science and the Department of Library Services at the University of South Africa. Coetsee, T. & Weiner, S. A., 2013, ‘Key professional principles for South African academic librarians’, Mousaion: South African journal of information studies 31(3), 110-126.

A visit from students of the University of Limpopo

On 19 June approximately 28 Information Studies students from the University of Limpopo visited our library. The visit was requested by their lecturer Mr Lefose Makgahlela. They endeavour to expose their students in their final year to as many different libraries as possible and asked that we give them an overview of our library and take them on a guided tour. The other half of the group visited the library of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute where Mr David Swanepoel addressed them. We experienced the students as very motivated and interested and believe that they have benefitted from the visit.

A “Relationship building workshop”

On 26 June four of our library’s information specialists attended a relationship building workshop facilitated by Dr Madeleine Nolte, Head of Student Support at the University of Pretoria. The workshop was presented at the Merensky library on the Hatfield campus and was arranged by Lindiwe Soyiswapi and Hilda Kriel. Dr Nolte specialises in student relationships and leadership development. The workshop was presented around the theme of “How to woo your professor” and challenges and practical advice on successfully managing interactions with your clients and applying effective communication skills were covered. Antoinette Lourens, information specialist for Production Animal Studies and Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies gave a presentation on what wooing clients meant to her. Danie Malan, information specialist for Economics, Financial Management and the African Tax Institute also shared his impressions.