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Formation | 1997 |
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Type | Library Association |
Purpose | The Association that connects the LIS sector and promotes the development of South Africa through access to information. |
Headquarters | 228 Johannes Ramokhoase street (Previously Proes Street), Pretoria (Annex to the National Library of South Africa) [1] |
Location | |
Region served | South Africa |
Membership | Approx. 1500 |
Official language | English |
President | Mr Nazeem Hardy (PL) |
Website | www |
The Library and Information Association of South Africa [2] (LIASA) is a professional non-profit organization, representing institutions and people working in libraries and information services. The LIASA National Office is located on the Pretoria campus of the National Library of South Africa (NLSA). [3]
The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) was launched on 10 July 1997. The launch marked the end of the process of unification of all existing library organisations in South Africa, which had been initiated in January 1995, during the Conference on Libraries and Information Services in Developing South Africa (LISDESA), which was an initiative of the two largest existing organisations at the time, the South African Institute for Librarianship and Information Science (SAILIS) and the African Library Association of South Africa (ALASA). It was at LISDESA that the first Steering Committee for the Unification of Library and Information Stakeholders (ULIS) was elected and given the mandate to carry forward the process for a new organisation. [4]
At the ULIS-1 conference, held in July 1996 in Johannesburg, an Interim Executive Committee (IEC) was elected and mandated to draft a constitution for discussion by all the stakeholders. The IEC, supported by the Provincial Support Groups (PSGs) representing all nine provinces in the country, arranged the Constituent Conference (aka ULIS-2) at the University of Pretoria in July 1997. [4]
Approximately 450 library and information workers representing all nine provinces in South Africa attended the Constituent Conference. The primary focus was to debate and approve the draft constitution. All delegates were given the opportunity to discuss and propose amendments. On the final morning the final edited draft of the constitution was presented and accepted unanimously. The delegates also voted for the name of the new organisation. A Transitional Executive Committee (TEC) was elected to manage the Association, to prepare for the election of the first Representative Council, and to organise the first annual conference, which took place in November 1998. Of significant note, the acronym LIASA, pronounced as "liyasa", in the Nguni languages, means "the dawning". [4]
Peter Johan Lor, former State Librarian and former IFLA [5] Secretary General, is listed as the very first LIASA member.[ citation needed ]
The Representative Council is made up of the five elected officials (President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Public Relations Officer), the Chairs and Chairs-Elect of the LIASA Branches, Chairs of the Interest Groups, as well as the Editors of LIASA-in-Touch [6] (the official magazine) and the South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science (SAJLIS).
The Executive Committee [7] is made up the five elected officials and four additional Representative Council members. Elections are held every two years and each portfolio is held for a two-year term.
The Library and Information Association of South Africa has 10 branches [8] one in every province and two in Gauteng. Each branch has a committee elected from its paid-up members. Every branch arranges its own meetings and functions, and compiles its own constitution in alignment with the LIASA constitution.
LIASA has 10 Interest Groups [9] that serve as platforms for membership discussions that cover various areas of interest and specialisation. Members may choose to belong to two (2) Interest Groups at the time of registration. A national meeting of each Interest Group is convened at the annual LIASA Conference. Several Interest Groups have organised pre-conferences at the annual conference, which have exposed members to further training and skills development by experts in the field.
IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, [10] of which LIASA is a member organisation, invites bids from different countries to host its annual World Library and Information Congress and Assembly. It attracts approximately 3500 international delegates to this annual congress.
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The LIASA Conference is held annually [12] during September or October, and since 2011 the Conference rotates between the cities of Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg/Pretoria. This Conference serves as an opportunity for LIASA members to showcase best practices; learn about national and international trends; and meet experts. [13]
In 2001 LIASA [14] was tasked with the responsibility of initiating a week during which all types of libraries across the country raise the profile of libraries and market their services in an effort to contribute to the understanding of the important role that libraries play in a democratic society, advancing literacy, making the basic human right of freedom of access to information a reality, and to promote tolerance and respect among all South Africans.
After extensive research into the history of libraries in South Africa and consultation with the membership the following proposal was accepted: "That the week within which 20 March falls should be national library Week. In the event of this day failing within a weekend, then the week preceding it would be celebrated as national Library Week."
This is in recognition of the establishment of the first public library by a government proclamation on 20 March 1818, the South African Public Library, now known as the National Library of South Africa (Cape Town Campus). Furthermore, Human Rights Day is celebrated on 21 March and the South African Bill of Rights recognizes and upholds the freedom of access to information as a basic human right. The linking of an important historical event with a crucial date in this new democracy received wide acceptance.
The President of LIASA serves a two-year period, and may be re-elected for office. The following is a list of the current and past presidents of the association: [15]
LIASA has two official publications, namely:
Valli Moosa is Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Commission and Chairperson of the Constitution Hill trust. He was born in Johannesburg and is a veteran of the South African freedom struggle. Valli worked closely with Nelson Mandela during the settlement talks, served as negotiator for the ANC, and participated in drafting the South African Constitution. He served in President Mandela's cabinet as Minister of Constitutional Development, and in President Mbeki's government as Environment Minister. Valli joined the corporate sector in 2004 and currently serves on the board of Sappi Ltd. He has previously served on the boards of Anglo Platinum, Eskom and Sanlam. Valli served as a facilitator in the global climate change negotiations for a number of years. He previously served as President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as Chairman of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and as Chairman of WWF(SA).
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is an international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. A non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, IFLA was founded in Scotland in 1927 with headquarters at the National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague. IFLA sponsors the annual IFLA World Library and Information Congress, promoting access to information, ideas, and works of imagination for social, educational, cultural, democratic, and economic empowerment. IFLA also produces several publications, including IFLA Journal.
Maite Emily Nkoana-Mashabane, formerly known as Maite Mohale, is a South African politician who served as the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. She was Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2018 to 2019, and previously served as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation from 2009 to 2018. Nkoana-Mashabane is also a former member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).
Peter Johan Lor was Secretary General of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, first National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of South Africa, a scholar of international librarianship, and a professor of librarianship.
The Library Association of Ireland (LAI) is a professional body representing librarians in the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1928.
Helena R. Asamoah-Hassan is a Ghanaian librarian who is the present Executive Director of African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA), the Board Chair for the Ghana Library Authority and the Secretary General of African Regional Memory of the World Committee
The history of libraries in South Africa had its start with libraries formed for private use which later were made available for the general public. In 1761, the most extensive of these early private collections, owned by Joachim von Dessin, the secretary of the Orphan Chamber, was left to the Cape consistory of the Dutch Reformed Church specifically to form the basis of a public library for the advantage of the community.
Loida Garcia-Febo is a Puerto Rican American librarian and library consultant. Garcia-Febo served on the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) 2013-2015 and 2015-2017 and she was a member of the executive board of the American Library Association 2015-2020 serving as a board member and president. She was president of the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA) from 2009 to 2010.
The World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) is an international conference held annually by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) for the library and information services sector. It brings together over 3,500 participants from more than 120 countries. It sets the international agenda for the library profession and offers opportunities for networking and professional development. The congress also offers an international trade exhibition.
The Southern African Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Association (SAUHMA) is an organisation of voluntary members with a special interest in the subject of underwater and/or hyperbaric medicine, recognised by the Council of the South African Medical Association as a special interest group. The Association promotes the practice and facilitates the study of underwater and hyperbaric medicine. Membership includes members and associate members, and may include medical practitioners; registered nurses; registered paramedics; qualified hyperbaric chamber operators; diving instructors; dive operators, and any other person with a special interest underwater or hyperbaric medicine.
South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC) is a non-profit consortium of member institutions aimed at negotiating the procurement of, and securing access to information resources on behalf of its members.
Sinikka Sipilä is a Finnish librarian, president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions - IFLA from 2013 to 2015 overseeing the Lyon Declaration global petition connecting library associations and librarians with the priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sipilä was IFLA president elect 2011–2013 and a member of the governing board from 2007–2011 and held the position of secretary general of the Finnish Library Association 1997–2015.
Donna Wills Scheeder was an American librarian who was president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) from 2015 to 2017, under the theme "Libraries: A Call to Action". Scheeder participated in the IFLA Governing Board for 6 years.
Ellen Remona Tise is a South African librarian, president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) from 2009 to 2011, under the theme "Libraries Driving Access to Knowledge (A2K)". Her work has focused on library associations and the open access promoted from the library sector.
The African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA), commonly referred to as AfLIA, is an international not-for-profit organization headquartered in Accra, Ghana. The Association is registered under the laws of Ghana as an NGO. It is managed under the general guidelines of its Constitution and by-laws.The Institution is currently being led by Dr. Helena Asamoah-Hassan as the Executive Director.
Helen Kay Raseroka is a librarian who was born in Kwazulu-Natal (Sudáfrica) with Botswana citizenship. She is a former President of The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) from 2003 to 2005, under the theme "Libraries for lifelong literacy".
Christine Deschamps is a French librarian. She was president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) from 1997 to 2003. She wanted to lead the library sector towards a truly international work, and make it more inclusive for those whom English was not their first language. She stated that she wanted her presidency to be remembered as a pragmatic mandate.
The Zimbabwe Library Association (ZimLA) is an association that represents library, records, archives and information professionals in Zimbabwe. Membership for those who wish to join the association is voluntary.
The 48th National Conference of the African National Congress (ANC) took place from 2 to 7 July 1991 at the University of Durban–Westville in Durban, Natal. It was the first national conference of the ANC since the organisation was banned by the apartheid government in 1960 and marked the ascension of Nelson Mandela to the ANC presidency, which since 1967 had been held by Oliver Tambo.
The European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA) is an independent association of European library, information, and documentation associations and institutions. Created in 1992, EBLIDA was born out of a perceived long-standing need for European libraries to cooperate on common issues they faced, particularly those brought by a lack of integration of libraries into European policies and strategies. EBLIDA focuses primarily on European library legislation, the impact of the library on society, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Europe. It is composed of a Council of members, an Executive Committee, a Secretariat, and optional bodies such as Standing Committees and Expert Groups. It is also represented by an elected President and appointed Director. As of March 2023, EBLIDA has 122 members from all European Union countries, representing approximately 70,000 individual libraries and 100 million library users across Europe.