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SUA BRIM Students Conclude Field Practical Training at SNAL, Praised for Commitment and Dedication

Fifty Bachelor of Records and Information Studies (BRIM) students from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) bid farewell to the Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL) after completing a five-week Field Practical Training (FPT) program. Held at both Edward Moringe and Solomon Mahlangu Campus libraries, the program provided hands-on experience and garnered praise from SNAL management for the students' commitment and passion.
During their FPT at SNAL, spanning from March 13th to April 18th, nearly fifty BRIM students engaged in various tasks aimed at bridging classroom learning with practical experience. Tasks included sorting, digitizing, organizing, and cleaning documents, providing students with invaluable skills applicable to real-life scenarios in library and records management.
"The FPT program goes beyond skill acquisition; it's about problem-solving and customer service," remarked a spokesperson from SUA. "By working alongside SNAL staff, students gained insights into collection evaluation and management, setting the foundation for their future careers."
At the farewell ceremony held at the Solomon Mahlangu Campus (SMC) library building, SNAL management commended the students for their exemplary participation and dedication during the training period. "FPT was not merely a requirement; it was a trans formative experience," stated Prof W. Mtega, Director of SNAL represented by Senior Human Resource Office Mr. Malaki. "These students demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a dedication to excellence that will serve them well in their future endeavors."
Students also expressed appreciation for the supportive environment at SNAL, noting the cooperation and passion exhibited by staff members. "We expected a strict and rigorous training environment, but instead found ourselves welcomed with open arms," shared one student. "The experience has truly broadened our understanding of library management."
Looking ahead, SNAL management extended an open invitation for students to return for further learning opportunities, emphasizing the importance of ongoing professional development in the field of Records and Information Management.
As SUA BRIM students bid farewell to SNAL, they carry with them not only certificates of completion but also a wealth of practical knowledge and experience. Their time at SNAL has equipped them with the skills and resilience needed to excel in the dynamic field of library and records management. With gratitude for the transformative experience, they look forward to applying their newfound expertise in future endeavors.

Read this article in kiswahili: Wanafunzi wa SUA BRIM Wahitimisha Mafunzo ya Vitendo Katika Maktaba

1.Steps to identify trusted publishers for your research
visit https://thinkchecksubmit.org/

2. Guide to scholars on journal selection for publishing.
I would recommend using below white-list selection tools that enable avoiding predatory journals,
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• Directory of Open Access Journals
• Scimago
• Scopus preview
• Web of Science
• Web of Science Match Manuscript
• AJOL
• INASP Journal Online Project

Some publishers have a service that aids in selecting a journal:

• Taylor and Francis Call for papers
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Prepared at Sokoine National Agricultural Library
Knowledge management section

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Open data is advocated by many researchers around the world. SUA researchers have been experiencing in promoting open data because of having no server for such purpose. In order to address this challenge, SNAL have set aside a portion of SUAIR for the new initiative to establish SUA Open Data repository. https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/5307

Other researchers from SUA who have published open data are

a. YEESI Lab dataset - https://www.zenodo.org/record/7729285

b. Bio diversity dataset from Department of Ecosystems and Conservation - https://www.gbif.org/dataset/search?publishing_org=a8864fd2-f4f9-40b1-bd9d-a8767e12b9ab

We should promote open data for open science so that researchers and its community benefit more from its usefulness. According to PLOS the benefits of open data are namely, ensuring reproducibility; inspiring trust, opening opportunity to earn credit to academic member of staff and preserving data record and marketing your institution (visibility) - https://www.yeesi.org/news#h.4hzdecqwu5it

For SUA staff seeking space to publish research data contact Mr Zabron Tandika and Mr Stephano John at SNAL.

The Tanzania Institute of Education (TET) is a public institution within the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology with the main responsibility of interpreting the education policy in the country and putting it into curricula and programs of learning materials with the aim of providing quality education at all levels of education Kindergartens, primary, secondary and teachers training colleges.

TET has an online-Library which contains all TET publications including books, videos, audio and question

To join the online Library follow the following steps:

1. For a new user register or use google account (gmail and password) through the address https://ol.tie.go.tz

2. Enter the TET website through the address www.tie.go.tz and then click on the E- Library

3. You can use the mobile app by clicking on the word download in the log in page

Library and information services provided to community members of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) through Sokoine National Agricultural Library – SNAL were appreciated by librarians and academic staff members implementing a project titled Navigating the digital landscape: universities partnering for change (NIAGARA) which involves four countries.

The appreciation was brought out during familiarization visit by the project team at Sokoine University of Agriculture on 17th March 2023 when they visited both libraries at Edward Moringe campus (EMC) and Solomon Mahlangu Campus (SMC). They commented that the library services almost the same from their countries but with little differences of which during the three (3) years of implementation of project NIAGARA participating universities will benefit a lot from each other.

 Project NIAGARA team members in a group photo at SNAL, EMC

The main aim of the NIAGARA project is to utilize the partnership between universities in Zambia, Tanzania, Poland and Norway as to improve and expand information services by developing libraries’ ICT infrastructure and librarians’ digital competencies. At SUA the project NIAGARA is under the Department of Informatics and Information Technology.

The project will strengthening the digital infrastructure in partner university libraries in Tanzania and Zambia so as to benefit all students and staff and ensure inclusive and equal access to library and information services. It will also examine current digital competencies needed for efficient provision of library and information services.

SMC Library Supervisor Mr. Jabir Jabir (with white shirt) briefing NIAGARA team members on SNAL activities at Edward Moringe Campus Library.

NIAGARA project will develop and implement short-term courses where primary target groups are Higher Education Institution (HEI) librarians and Library and Information Services (LIS) students in Zambia and Tanzania. Further target beneficiaries are all students and faculty members (including those with fewer opportunities) working in the four countries. NIAGARA relates strongly to UN SDG4 which addresses on Quality education and Reduced inequality.

NIAGARA is composed of seven work packages (WPs): WP1: Management, WP2: Digital competency assessment, WP3: Education and Research support, WP4: Inclusion and equity, WP5: Infrastructural capacity, WP6: Blended mobility, and WP7: Dissemination and sustainability. Some important outputs are open courses and interactive learning materials on digital competency and data management.

Information and outputs will be accessible through the project website and social media. Knowledge gained from the project will be informative for policy makers and leaders in higher education as well as governing bodies in regions that are looking to increase citizens’ digital competencies and even out digital divides. The results will be transferable to other HEIs, library and information science educators, and academic libraries and will contribute to scholarly discussions and research on issues related to open access and accessibility.

In Tanzania universities participating are Sokoine University of Agriculture (which implements WP3), and University of Dar es Salaam (which implements WP2). In Zambia, the two universities are Barotseland University and University of Zambia, from Norway they are Høgskolen i Innlandet – INN and OsloMet universities and from Poland is Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Jagielloński, UJ) .