27
estimated to have increased to 7.5 per cent in 2008 from 7.1 per cent in 2007. The increased GDP is mostly driven by the service economic activities which were expected to contribute 43.3 per cent to total GDP in 2008. Agricultural economic activities were expected to have grown by 3.3 per cent in 2008. This decline from the 4.0 per cent growth rate realised in 2007 reflects the sharp decrease in food crop production in 2008 caused by inadequate rainfall in some parts of the country.
Livestock, hunting and forestry sub- activities are expected to have grown at a slightly higher pace as a result of improved livestock extension services, measures to curb the illegal export of logs, and reductions in licence fees for forestry and hunting (United Republic of Tanzania 2009).
28
and academic programmes (Southern African Regional Universities Association 2012).
The University of Dar es Salaam library is located within the university. It is the largest library in Tanzania which serves more than 7000 users comprising academic staff, researchers and students. It also serves a significant number of local users, ministries, research institutes and other institutions of higher learning, as well as regional and international researchers. The University of Dar es Salaam Library automated its services in 1998. About 90 percent of its manual catalogue database can be accessed electronically through the Online Public Access Catalogue. The library has also organized 12 faculty / departmental /institute libraries and has integrated the bibliographic information held by these libraries in a union catalogue in order to facilitate access to the information available on campus (Nawe 2003:419).
The mission of the library is to become the centre of excellence in information provision in the country, and to provide scholarly information resources to its current and future academic community to support the core functions of the university, which are teaching, research and service to the community. Currently the library has two sister libraries located at the two constituent colleges of the University of Dar es Salaam namely Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) and Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE). The library provides technical expertise to college, school and departmental libraries established at the main campus (University of Dar es Salaam 2013).
Since its establishment, the University of Dar es Salaam has expanded not only in academic programmes but also in student enrollment. For example, student enrolment rose from 2000 in the 1980s to almost 10,000 in 2003 and currently it is over 15,000. Due to the changes that are taking place the library expanded its services and reading materials, both print and electronic. The library has about 600,000 volumes of books and 2, 800 journals of which 146 are current print journals, manuscripts, macro materials, and maps and so on. The library also subscribes to full text electronic journals and bibliographic databases. The latter two
29
items are made available at a price negotiated through the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) under the Programme for Enhancement of Research Information (PERii) (University of Dar es Salaam 2012).
In addition the library has developed local content databases. Materials that are not available in the library can be obtained from other libraries through inter-library loan or electronic document delivery services. The library is a member of Database of African Theses and Dissertation Network (DATAD). To date the UDSM Library has contributed over six thousand records of abstracts of theses and dissertations to the DATAD database (University of Dar es Salaam 2013).
The new library organization structure has three departments namely Reader Services, Technical Services and Research and special collections. These are subdivided into sections; Acquisitions, Reference, ICT, Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, Law and East Africana. In addition to the provision of information services, the university library also conducts Library and Information Science training at Master’s and PhD levels. Furthermore, senior library staff are also involved in teaching, research and consultancy services (University of Dar es Salaam 2013).
The University of Dar es Salaam Library is a National Depository of materials published in Tanzania and has a rich collection of Tanzanian publication materials which are housed in the East Africana Collection, including government and university publications. There is also a concerted effort to collect materials on Tanzania published outside Tanzania, which form the core of the East African Community, the Liberation Movement and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (University of Dar es Salaam 2013).
2.3.2 The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and the University Library The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1992, and officially launched in 1994. The establishment of OUT was based on the need to expand higher education. The need arose because of the high secondary
30
school output each year and the limited number of places in the existing universities.
The Open University of Tanzania is the only institution offering degree courses through the distance learning system in Tanzania. Since 1994, distance education has been an integral part of the higher education system in Tanzania. The Open University of Tanzania offers degree courses in the following areas; art, commerce, science, law and education. The Open University of Tanzania’s headquarters are located at Kinondoni area in Dar es Salaam (Msuya and Maro 2002:183).
The main library of the Open University of Tanzania is located at OUT’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam. It provides library and information services to staff and students residing in Dar es Salaam. In those regions where there are branches of the Tanzania Library Services (Public library) the university has placed books and other reading materials. These collections are specifically for Open University of Tanzania students and are managed by Tanzania Library Services Staff. The University has established Information Units in all regional centres. Some reading materials and course manuals are placed there for the students. When the students join the university for the first time, they are issued with an information pack consisting of background information on the Open University of Tanzania. Regional centres also conduct orientation programmes every year to equip students with basic information on how to study through distance learning (Msuya and Maro 2002:185).
2.3.3 Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) and the University Library
Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) was established as a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam through the Government Notice No. 202 published on 22nd July 2005, under section 55(1) of the University of Dar es Salaam Act No. 12 of 1970. The college is located at Chang’ombe near the National Stadium where the former Dar es Salaam Teachers College was located (UDSM 2007, Dar es Salaam University College of Education library 2013).
The college was established to address the acute shortage of graduate teachers and experts in the education sector in Tanzania which resulted from the expansion of
31
primary education enrolments through the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP) and the creation of the new secondary schools through Secondary Education Development Programme (SEDP). The College comprises three faculties: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FoHSS), Faculty of Science (FoSc) and Faculty of Education (FoED) (UDSM 2007, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
Dar es Salaam University College of Education Library was established in September 2005, following the establishment of DUCE. It is a learning resource centre which provides various information resources and services to the community of the university to support learning, teaching, consultancy and the general pursuit of knowledge. The mission of the library is to satisfy the user’s community information needs through developing relevant collection information resources in all formats such as print and electronic resources. Dar es Salaam University College of Education library has four sections: these are reader services; technical services;
Information and Communication Technologies; and research, publication and training (UDSM 2007, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
Reader services promotes the welfare of the community users of DUCE. It makes sure that user’s information needs are met through proper shelf arrangement, reference services, circulation of information resources, user guidance on the use of information resources and implementation of library rules and regulations. In addition it maintains user statistics, facilitates interlibrary lending services, stocktaking, library collection evaluation and marketing of services and information resources (UDSM 2012, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
Technical services deals with selection and acquisition, classification and cataloguing of information resources of the library, in addition it involves library collection development management and planning, weeding of information resources of the library, preserving and conserving library information resources by providing technical support such as book repairs, binding of newspapers and official gazettes (UDSM 2012, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
32
Information and Communication Technologies maintains library computers and coordinates internet services, develops reviews and implements the library ICTs policy and guidelines to ensure use and application of ICT facilities in the library. In addition it administers the library’s Online Public Access Catalogue, bibliographical data entry and is also responsible for selection, acquisition and installation of library software and hardware. As well it maintains the website, blog and other library web based pages available on social networks (UDSM 2012, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
Research, Publication and Training is a section which prepares technical proposals for training and funding in the area of information management, designing and maintaining library newsletters, books and other document reviews, conducting research in the area of library use, organizing various training for the library staff and users of the library such as information literacy, customer care, editing and reviewing library documents (UDSM 2012, Dar es Salaam University College of Education 2013).
2.3.4 Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU) and the University Library
Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University is in Lushoto, Tanga region, situated at Magamba in Usambara Mountains. SEKOMU started as a constituent college of Tumaini which then was called Sebastian Kolowa University College of Tumaini (SEKUCO). In February, 2006 renovation of Campus A started. On 6 July, 2007 the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) granted Sebastian Kolowa University College a certificate of provisional registration and on 28 October, 2007 it was inaugurated. In October, 2008 the buildings of former Magamba secondary school started being used as Campus B. On 02 November, 2010 Tanzania Commission for Universities granted Sebastian Kolowa University College full registration. On 28 June, 2012 Tanzania Commission for Universities granted Sebastian Kolowa University College approval to be known as Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU) (Sebastian Kolowa University College 2012).
33
On 28th October, 2007, the first students were received at Sebastian Kolowa University College and registered under the programme of Bachelor of Education Special Needs. Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Sciences in Eco-tourism and Nature Conservation were added in 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 academic years respectively. During the past four years, the number of registered students has been rising as follows: in 2007/2008, 138 students; 2008/2009, 438 students; in 2009/2010, 850 students; and in 2010/2011 there were a total of 1331 students (Sebastian Kolowa University College 2012).
Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University is a Christian University that offers all its programmes through the guidance of and obedience to the Word of God and by conducting and promoting higher education, learning, research and consultancy through scientific fact-finding and enquiry. Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University aims to develop “the potential and talent of everybody, including those who have disabilities”. Joining Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University is meant to be “a unique opportunity to learn that disability is not inability” (Sebastian Kolowa University College 2012).
Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University Library is located on campus B within the university. The library supports the core functions of the university which are teaching, research and consultancy. The library has a collection of 28,000 volumes of books, 1000 print journals and 2,000 audio visual materials such as CD-ROMS.
The library also subscribes to full text electronic journals and databases (Sebastian Kolowa University College 2012).
The services provided by Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University Library are lending services, reference services, and current awareness services (CAS) and selective dissemination of information (SDI). In addition photocopy services and newspaper reading services are provided. The library can accommodate 420 users at a time (Sebastian Kolowa University College 2012).
34
2.3.5 St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT) and the University Library St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT) is located at the heart of Tanzania, in Dodoma, the capital and the seat of the parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. Dodoma is also home to the headquarters of the Anglican Church of Tanzania. The main campus is located in Kikuyu area, about 1.5km southwest of the town centre on the Mtera-Iringa highway. The university also has a centre in Dar es Salaam; St Mark’s Centre at Buguruni Malapa and centres within Dodoma Municipality; DCT Msalato Centre on the Dodoma to Arusha road to the north of Dodoma and sites within Dodoma town where the extension education programmes are based (St. John’s University of Tanzania 2011).
The idea to establish and operate a university by the Anglican Church of Tanzania started at the Synod meeting held in 1999. Archbishop Donald Mtetemela emphasized the importance of establishing an Anglican Church University to provide higher education in a range of disciplines that would respond to Tanzania’s need to eradicate extreme poverty, hunger and disease and thus provide greater life expectancy and quality to its people (St. John’s University of Tanzania 2011).
The main campus library is located within the university. It is an essentially part of students’ academic life and the general academic community as a whole. St. John’s University of Tanzania library was moved to new premises in 2009, thus raising the seating capacity from 200 to over 500 readers at a time. The library serves a population of approximately 3,000 students as well as over 100 academic staff members and some external borrowers. The library has 110,000 volumes covering a diversity of scholarly information resources to meet the teaching and learning needs of both students and lecturers (St. John’s University of Tanzania 2011).
Facilities offered by the library to the user’s community are lending stock, a special reserve collection, reference collection and E-library. Lending stock refers to books which are borrowed for home reading. Special reserve collections are materials which are on high demand and are used within the library. The reference section contains materials which are for reference and not reading cover to cover such as
35
dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, manuals, atlases, directories, compendiums, almanacs and bibliographies. An e- library is the section which houses computers connected to the internet. The computers are intended for academic purposes only and users of the section are authenticated. There are 46 network ports available within the library for students to access the internet using their own laptop computers (St. John’s University of Tanzania 2011).