"The result of a workshop held during the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Librarians (SCESAL) held in Johannesburg in April 2002, this volume reviews current reader development activities by public libraries in different regions of Africa. It includes accounts and case st
...
udies by contributors from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, covering predominantly work with children, but with three papers devoted to adult reader development. An introduction provides a summary of the papers, and reviews factors such as availability and accessibility of relevant books, the importance of building partnerships with other interested sectors, aspects of training, monitoring and evaluation, and the need for the establishment of reader development policies." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2213)
more
"This wide-ranging dissertation examines the policies and practices of six sub-Saharan Africa university presses in five African countries (in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe), to investigate how far the presses have adopted, and/or have adapted, their policies to suit the environmen
...
t and special needs of Africa. The study examines the extent to which current constraints impede their publishing activities and publishing strategies. The author finds that there is “a serious absence of competition and cooperation between the presses surveyed”, lack of aggressive fund raising strategies, together with weak or non-existent policies for commissioning and list building, and without a clearly defined subject focus. The author also examines the various strategies adopted by the presses to adapt to the rapidly changing scholarly communications environment. In his conclusions he recommends the setting-up of a continent-wide consortium of African university presses, with each press “to operate as a Trust in order to enjoy autonomy as a private company, but be registered as a non-profit organization.” The author calls for more active collaboration among African scholarly presses (including joint publishing ventures, sharing of resources and expertise, reciprocal distribution, etc.); much stronger emphasis on the use of new technology, particularly print-on-demand; makes some suggestions regarding possible sources of funding for the presses, and recommends further research into the effect of ICTs on university press publishing in Africa." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2281)
more
"In these two volumes, readers will find comparative, in-depth essays on the press systems of 232 countries and/or territories. World Press Encyclopedia (WPE) is unique and valuable to users because, in addition to essays on each country’s press system, WPE also contains custommade graphs and stat
...
istical tables, as well as regional maps, useful appendices, and an extensive index. This comprehensive, authoritative source of information allows for easy comparison between essays with a standard format or set of “rubrics” used whenever possible (see section titled “Essay Components”). Each essay also features basic data information—such as official country name, literacy rate, language(s), and number of daily newspapers—clearly marked with headings at the beginning of each entry. Additionally, WPE’s contributors include scholars, professionals, and educators from across the United States and around the world; each essay has a byline. Although this is the second edition, WPE has been completely reconceptualized and 100 percent revised from the first edition, which was published in 1982." (Introduction)
more
"A valuable information resource that provides a country-by-country analysis of the “book chain” in 18 English-speaking Africa countries, together with an annotated directory of the major players that make up the book chain within those countries. Four introductory essays provide overviews of bo
...
ok and library development in anglophone Africa from different perspectives. These are followed by country surveys, each prepared by a book professional from the country concerned, most of them librarians. The final section, a 170-page Directory of Selected Organizations in the Book Chain in Anglophone Africa, provides listings of the major players in the book chain in each of the countries covered, including professional associations, major publishers, printers, booksellers and libraries; regional and international bodies supporting book development, and training institutions for librarianship and the book industries. Each entry gives full address, telephone and fax numbers, email addresses (and Web sites for some), and many entries include a short description." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 196)
more
"The project ran from November 98 to May 2001, involving 13 rural women’s clubs in the Mpika district of Zambia, 600 km north of Lusaka. The clubs recorded their discussions of development issues or requests for development support; the tapes were sent to a radio producer in Lusaka, who recorded a
...
response from a relevant service-provider or politician. The discussion and response were edited into one programme and broadcast as a regular weekly programme by the national broadcaster, ZNBC. The clubs listened to the programmes and discussed them at their weekly meetings. This evaluation assessed the development impact of the project, principally by talking to members of the clubs and others in their communities. An audience survey was also carried out, in three different areas. The main findings of the evaluation were: The project has brought substantial material benefits and new information to the communities. To some extent the clubs and communities have been empowered to access development inputs themselves, though the mediation of the radio programme producer has also been an important factor; The success in achieving material benefits for the communities was probably a strong force in building community support for the clubs in the early months of the project, but now their role in providing information and stimulating discussion is equally appreciated; The Clubs have not achieved material benefits specifically for their own incomegenerating activities, which was the original aim of the project, and which they see (on a video) happening in Zimbabwe. Income-generating is still the clubs’ main purpose, so the project should seek to help them strengthen their income-generating activities; The project has stimulated intense discussions, in the clubs and the communities, about social issues. The clubs’ ability to discuss and present issues clearly is greatly appreciated by men and young people in the communities; There is an emerging perception of a role for the clubs as educators for their communities. They are confidently passing on their own experience, and information from outside sources, as well as “hosting” outside experts in their radio programmes; The programmes are widely listened to and appreciated all over Zambia." (Summary)
more
"This case study shares recommendations and details the lessons learned during a communications project to improve media reporting on tuberculosis (TB) in Zambia. Project partners Relay and the health research consortium TARGETS, brought together journalists and TB researchers in Zambia to explore s
...
tigma around tuberculosis and to explore areas of potential conflict and collaboration. Health researchers then acted as expert advisors to journalists who produced a series of national newspaper articles and radio programmes on both national and community radio. The case study describes the partnership between Relay and TARGETS and includes several useful recommendations for organisations interested in undertaking similar projects to report research." (Panos website)
more
"The synthesis of literature quoted in the bibliography and the country reports portrays the public library movement in Africa as being very weak, with numerous problems regarding financial constraints, lack of human resources, outdated materials and poor use. The only sector of the African populati
...
on that uses public libraries is school children. However, each country report illustrated that children do not use the materials held in the library but use libraries primarily as places for study, because they are quieter and more spacious than their homes. The consensus of opinion seems to be that African librarians need to rethink what a public library is all about, in terms of what is needed, what will be used, and what is sustainable in Africa. Perhaps some new and more viable visions will result. In particular, public libraries in Africa need to start to be more aggressive and introduce services that are attractive to the users. Librarians must begin to know their potential users, and not only assume that they are school children. More dynamism and more involvement of the user community, extended to all users - school children, adults, literates, non-literates and neo-literates - are required for the improvement of public library services." (Synthesis Report Abstract, page 3)
more
"This paper seeks to fill a necessary qualitative gap by focusing on the conceptual and operational characteristics of Radio Icengelo as a case study. Radio Icengelo is a Catholic-run community station launched in 1995, and situated in Kitwe on the Copperbelt province of Zambia. The paper further ex
...
amines issues such as: conceptions of Radio Icengelo’s ‘community’; the nature and management structure of the organisation; the workforce; funding and sustainability; editorial policy; staff training; programming; languages; licensing procedures and relationship with government. The project later teases out the role Radio Icengelo plays in terms of social marketing campaigns. The analysis will be looked at in relation to the main features of community radio as postulated by advocates of a participatory approach to the media (McQuail, 1994; White, 1990). Community radio as an alternative medium, is marked by - diversity and plurality, accessibility and participation by the community and non-profit driven (McQuail 1994). The project concludes by highlighting the community radio’s potential to foster social marketing campaigns, using Radio Icengelo as a case study." (Abstract)
more
"This book explores the use of participation in the monitoring and evaluation of development programmes. Part one of the book provides a general overview of participatory monitoring and evaluation, synthesising literature surveys and regional reviews of practice around the world. Part two presents c
...
ase studies that illustrate the diverse range of settings and contexts in which participatory monitoring and evaluation is being applied. Part three raises the key issues and challenges arising from the case studies and the workshop proceedings, and proposes areas for future research and action." (Adult education and development, 2001/1)
more