Creating leaders in their field of expertise is what the Durban University of Technology strives for.
For Dr Shirlene Neerputh, graduating with the first PhD in Library and Information Studies, within DUT’s Faculty of Accounting and Informatics, is a dream come true. Dr Neerputh obtained her PhD – a first for DUT Libraries – today (15 April 2014) at the Fred Crookes Sports Centre, Steve Biko Campus.
Titled: Academic integration of Universities of Technology (UoTs) Libraries in South Africa, Dr Neerputh’s dissertation focused on the emerging role of the UoT library to enhance academic success. The dissertation was supervised by Professor Peter Underwood, a former UCT (University of Cape Town) professor and Professor Prenitha Singh from DUT.
“I wanted to transform the perception of academic libraries in particular, UoT libraries to become an integrated proactive partner in the academe. My justification of the study stemmed from the current local and international trend for academic libraries to become proactive partners in teaching and learning through academic integration and leadership in promoting the university’s mission and goals,” she said. The objectives of her study were achieved by the identification of the following key academic integration programmes: embedded information literacy programmes, resource collection and development, faculty collaboration and partnerships to promote academic success, research scholarship and open access initiatives, social media networking as well as reading and writing programmes.
“This study, which took three years to complete, found that while academic integration has gained momentum in UoTs in South Africa, greater effort should be made in collaboration with academics in embedded information literacy and blended learning, open access and scholarship, reading and writing programmes and collaboration in postgraduate interventions. The findings also revealed that while most libraries internationally have embraced reading and writing programmes, libraries offering reading and writing programmes to enhance academic success are relatively scarce in UoTs in South Africa. It is recommended that the subject librarians engage in academic integration practices by supporting the curricula and research programmes, improving institutional outcomes, improving collaborations, building intellectual or knowledge centres and providing relevant information to students and staff within a knowledge society,” she said.
The mother of three who works as Manager of Academic Services within the University’s Library Services, said simultaneously juggling her studies and research time was a difficult task. She has worked in the field of higher education for 27 years (at DUT). Besides obtaining a PHD, she has also presented and published an article titled: Academic integration of Information Literacy at the Durban University of Technology in promoting lifelong learners. She has graduated from the Carnegie Library Leadership Course at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2010 which was funded by the Carnegie Corporation in New York and has presented a paper at the IFLA Northumbria Conference in Italy in 2009 titled: Measuring performance of the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Library: a South African Higher Educational perspective for enhancing Information Service Provision.
– Shirlene Neerputh
Pictured: Dr Shirlene Neerputh, who graduated with the first PhD in Library and Information Studies at DUT (after the merger).
