Following the repeal of the remaining national Covid-19 regulations on 22 June 2022 and a statement issued by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel on 24 June, the Library (SU Library and branches) has decided to implement the following changes:
Number of clients and booking system
From 27 June 2022, the Library no longer has a limit on the number of clients and the buildings can be filled to capacity. The booking system in most of the Library venues will no longer apply, except at the Makerspace, Auditorium and some group study seminar rooms in the SU Library.
Sanitisation stations and social distancing
The Library will retain the sanitisation stations inside its buildings and where possible, clients are urged to continue maintaining social distancing.
SU access cards
Staff and students are reminded to always be in possession of their SU staff/student cards to access the Library buildings. No access will be granted without these cards.
All visiting researchers and academics must make prior arrangements through their faculties and departments to gain access to the Library.
Complaints about noise levels
Following complaints about high levels of noise in the Library, staff and students are reminded to adhere to the Library rules. The Library has designated quiet spaces where talking is not allowed. This rule will be strictly applied in the second semester.
Were you one of our 1 147 clients who “spoke” and completed the Library’s survey last year? Your responses have enabled the Library to identify where we need to improve, as well as where we are doing well. How is the Library responding? Below, we present what “You said” and how “we’re acting”.
1. IT
You said…
We’re Acting…
Provide easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own
· The Library is developing video tutorials and more courses on SUNLearn
Make it easy to locate information on the Library website
· The Library has made interim changes on the website
· We are also looking at redesigning a client-focused website with better navigation
Make it easy to access information to use by myself
· With us creating video tutorials and improving the Library website, it will be easy to access information independently
Make it easy to use my devices (laptops, smartphones and tablets) to access Library e-resources and services off-campus.
· The Library is developing videos to guide you on how to access resources from your devices
· We are willing to hear any further challenges and we will address them
2. Collections & information resources
You said…
We’re Acting…
Improve print &/or e-journal collections that I require for my work
· We will continue to actively negotiate and lobby for additional funding to improve print &/or e-journal collections that are required for the learning, teaching and research needs of academics and students.
· In addition, the Library will continue to involve you (clients) in spending our library acquisitions budget and will communicate information to faculties annually. Faculties are also given an opportunity to review their journal titles.
3. Research support
You said…
We’re Acting…
Improve research support (such as helping me manage my references, research data, guiding me in terms of open access publishing and helping me track my research impact)
· We are increasing our marketing efforts through the Library Research News blog, library guides, social media and targeted e-mails. We will continue to investigate new platforms to market our services to you as our client.
We are pleased to inform all stakeholders of the completion of the SU Library Refurbishment Project. Construction work began in February 2021 and was completed at the beginning of May 2022. The handover of all the spaces to the Library was officially done on 13 May 2022. Save for some snagging, the project is now complete.
The project ran in three overlapping phases:
Phase 1 of the project consisted of renovations of the client service desk, short loans and related staff work areas and staff toilets as well as the refurbishment of lower-level toilets.
Phase 2 of the project entailed work in the central section of the upper level that involved the installation of new students’ study and work areas, and the completion of new flooring.
Phase 3 comprised the renovation of the entrance foyer, access control and new security area and the installation of the adjacent reading area as well as new work desks for students along the double volume space.
We would like to thank all clients for demonstrating high levels of tolerance, understanding and patience during these refurbishments. Disruptive as they were, these renovations have ensured that clients have access to comfortable and effective spaces that befit a world class Library in a world class research-intensive University.
The Library and Information Service is pleased to announce that three new Read & Publish agreements have been signed with peer-reviewed publishers that will enhance the publishing of articles in open access (OA) publications. These agreements have been negotiated by the South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC), of which Stellenbosch University (SU) is a member. This is in addition to the OA agreements signed in 2021 with Cambridge University Press (CUP), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
SANLiC is a non-profit consortium of academic libraries aimed at negotiating the procurement of and securing access to information resources on behalf of its members, the aim being to deliver a cost-effective result benefiting all members on a national level.
Emerald journals
The Emerald/SANLiC agreement for 2022-2024 is a Read & Publish OA agreement that provides read access to our Emerald subscriptions, as well as permitting corresponding authors from SU to publish a capped number of articles as OA without paying APCs in Emerald gold and subscribed hybrid journals.
The caps on the number of articles for all participating SANLIC members are:
2022 = 111
2023 = 134
2024 = 158
This works on a first-come-first-served basis. Emerald will track the number of articles published and keep the SANLiC office informed.
SAGE journals
The SAGE/SANLiC agreement for 2022-2024 is a Read & Publish OA agreement that provides access to the SAGE Premier journals collection of more than 1 100 titles, and will also permit corresponding authors from SU to publish an uncapped number of articles as OA in the hybrid journals listed in the SAGE/SANLiC agreement, without paying author processing charges (APCs).
Corresponding authors from SU will also receive a discount of 20% on Pure Gold Open Access Journals. There are a small number of exclusions where SAGE is contractually prevented from offering this discount. A list of excluded journals is available from the publisher.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) journals on the SAGE platform
The SAGE/SANLiC agreement for 2022-2024 is a Read & Publish OA agreement that includes access to the IMechE journals. The agreement will also permit corresponding authors from SU to publish an uncapped number of articles as OA in the IMechE journals.
This collection includes the 16-part Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers as well as two other key peer-reviewed engineering journals. Complimentary access to files going back to 1997 is included, with conditions.
Wiley journals
The Wiley/SANLiC agreement for 2022-2025 is a Read & Publish OA agreement that will be phased in over this period. It will provide SU clients reading access to more than 1 400 Wiley journals. In 2022 SU authors may publish free of charge in Wiley’s hybrid OA journals only. However, there is a cap on the number of articles that can be published without paying APCs, for all participating SANLiC members on a first-come-first served basis. 2023-2025 will see the inclusion of Wiley Gold OA journals and Hindawi journals. Read the full press release here.
How do these agreements influence SU researchers’ workflow?
Researchers submit their articles to a publisher as usual. The publisher will automatically give you the applicable OA benefit once the article is accepted for publication.
Enquiries about these agreements: Ms Caretha Nel. Tel 021 808 4433, or email caretha@sun.ac.za
More information regarding SU OA initiatives is available on our website.
This is a further update about the ongoing refurbishments at the Stellenbosch University Library following our previous communication.
The renovations consist of upgrading the existing facilities and infrastructure to accommodate clients’ needs and create a contemporary aesthetic for the SU Library while maintaining the integrity of the existing building. The primary focus of the project is to provide clients with comfortable and effective spaces in which to work while making it easier to use and navigate the library.
It gives us pleasure to inform you that the project has proceeded well despite a few snags and that it is nearing completion.
Due to overlap among the phases, we have now decided to inform you what has been completed and what is outstanding.
Completed areas
We are delighted to inform you that the Circulation area and student study areas as well as the Upper Level student ablutions have been completed and are in use. Please note that all client ablution facilities on the Upper Level of the SU Library are now gender neutral.
Refurbished student study areas
The reshelving of the books and journals was completed and books and journals are now accessible.
Self-check-in/out machines
The self-check-in/out machines have been installed at the Circulation Desk on the Upper Level and are in use.
Completion of remainder of work
Work that still needs to be completed at the main entrance includes the leisure reading area as well as the installation of aluminium windows, doors and the flooring.
Outstanding work in the leisure reading area will involve the installation of student study areas and new furniture. Once this is complete, newspapers and leisure reading books will be displayed to clients.
In addition to the above, the computers, printing, e-information kiosk and photocopying areas on the Upper Level are not yet in use. Network installation for these will be completed and activated by mid-April.
The completion and handover of the project is now expected at the beginning of May 2022.
We thank clients for demonstrating tolerance, understanding and patience during these refurbishments. We assure you that these renovations are necessary to ensure that you have comfortable and effective spaces at the completion of the project.
Some tears were shed on Friday, 28 January 2022, as Library and Information Service staff bid farewell to two colleagues: Ms Amohelang Boyce (Figure 1) and Mr Philip de Villiers (Figure 2).
Amohelang, a person with grace, was praised for her dedication and persistence in completing her work. Amohelang has accepted a position at another university.
Philip de Villiers retires after 12 years of service to the Library as head of the Metadata Management division (formerly Cataloguing). Philip’s kindness and care towards his staff was highlighted. Philip shared his motto that “happy staff are productive staff”.
The Library wishes Amohelang and Philip well.
Figure 1: Ms Amohelang Boyce (left) receives a farewell card and flowers from Ms Ellen Tise and Ms Mimi Seyffert-WirthFigure 2: Mr Philip de Villiers (left) receives a retirement card and gift from Ms Ellen Tise with Ms Ilse de Lange looking on
This is an update about the ongoing refurbishments at the Stellenbosch University Library following our previous communication to you.
The renovations consist of upgrading the existing facilities and infrastructure to accommodate clients’ needs and create a contemporary aesthetic look for the SU Library while maintaining the integrity of the existing building. The primary focus of the project is to provide clients with comfortable and effective spaces in which to work while making it easier to use and navigate the library.
We are pleased to inform you that there has been tremendous progress with the project but also some delays, many of which were Covid-19 enforced.
Phase One
Despite the challenges, we are pleased to inform you that phase one of the project has been partially completed.
The students’ ablutions on the lower level have been completed and are in use (see pictures below).
Completed ablution facilities on the lower level of the SU Library
The client services and short loans sections on the upper level have been upgraded and are operational as from 22 November 2021. See pictures below.
The client service and short loans desk
Refurbished study areas on the upper level with new furniture
The study and computer areas on the upper levels are almost complete. The network is still to be installed in these areas and is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2022.
Phase Two
This phase includes refurbishment of clients’ ablution facilities on the upper level, the reading area and the security gate. Work on these is in progress and scheduled to be completed by mid-March 2022.
There is ongoing work in the central section of the upper level. New flooring will be installed, and shelves will be re-assembled and books and journals reshelved.
Phase Three
The remaining construction will comprise the renovation of the entrance foyer, access turnstiles and installation of the new Tattle Tape security system.
Work will now be completed by the beginning of 2022.
During all phases of the construction, there is ongoing work to ceiling spaces and services for data activation.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused during the refurbishments. However, you can take solace from the fact that you will have access to comfortable and effective spaces at the completion of the project.
A unique collection recently launched by the Stellenbosch University (SU) Library sheds new light on how resolving the South African foreign debt crisis of 1985–1986 paved the way for Nelson Mandela’s release and the transition to democracy. It was donated to SU by Sir Claude Hankes (formerly Hankes-Drielsma) and was officially launched on Friday (7 May 2021).
Ms Ellen Tise, senior director of SU’s Library and Information Service, says the University is very privileged to receive a collection of this magnitude and historical value. It tells the story of the sovereign debt crisis that struck apartheid South Africa in the latter half of 1985, which forced government to declare a temporary moratorium on all short-term debt repayments.
Tise explains: “Due to overseas perceptions of South Africa’s political, domestic and economic outlook during the debt crisis, a major withdrawal of foreign bank credit to South African banks and businesses ensued. A ‘standstill’ on capital repayments in respect of the $14 billion foreign debt held by the banks was proclaimed. Negotiations with the banks ensued, and Dr Fritz Leutwiler, former president of the Swiss National Bank, was appointed as independent mediator, since several banks refused to deal directly with South Africa for political reasons.”
Leutwiler, in turn, requested Sir Claude Hankes, then chair of the Price Waterhouse and Partners management board, to mastermind the strategy for him and appointed the firm to provide the infrastructure. Sir Claude, knight commander of the Royal Victorian Order, had previously been involved in resolving the debt crises of Brazil and the Philippines respectively, which resulted from irresponsible lending policies by Western banks.
Significant addition to SU Library
Described as an “episode in the end game of the anti-apartheid struggle” (DD Bradlow, Don’t waste a serious crisis: lessons from South Africa’s debt crisis, 2016), the role of the 1985 debt crisis in South Africa’s transition to democracy should not be underestimated.
Says Sir Claude: “Few have ever fully understood how critical the resolution to the crisis was for the future of this great country. Far from prolonging the apartheid era, it facilitated the orderly change that took place.
“The challenge was to agree a rescheduling of South Africa’s debt based on the economic and political reality, unlike the rescheduling of debt to many other countries, where banks had forced unrealistic terms, which resulted in rescheduling again and again, at great cost. Against all odds, an agreement was reached.”
According to Tise, the collection illustrates just how far-reaching and potentially threatening the crisis was for the National Party government, and the key part it played in South Africa’s history.
“The process of dealing with the crisis seems to have been run as a rather clandestine operation, so the collection is likely to present new evidence to researchers interested in the issue. Correspondence with individuals such as business magnate Dr Anton Rupert, British-born anti-apartheid cleric Reverend Trevor Huddleston as well as former president PW Botha forms part of the collection and shows the breadth, depth and reach of the debt crisis.”
The withdrawal of lending to South Africa brought the country to the brink of even greater chaos.
“The collection is a record of how the crisis was averted,” says Tise. “It provides insight into how, with the help of Anton Rupert and Harry Oppenheimer in South Africa, the strategy to deal with the US banks’ unrealistic approach resulted in a lasting agreement. It became the only rescheduling of sovereign debt that did not have to be renegotiated subsequently.”
Sir Claude adds that the collection also shows how the crisis and the handling thereof “subsequently allowed British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and German chancellor Helmuth Köhl to send an ultimatum to president Botha to stand down” in order for South Africa to become a democracy and allow for Nelson Mandela’s release. In fact, included in the collection is a letter from Nelson Mandela to Leutwiler, written in 1994 in Mandela’s capacity as president of the African National Congress. In the letter, Mandela acknowledges Leutwiler’s central role in renegotiating the country’s foreign debt in the 1980s, and putting pressure on former president Botha to release him and his comrades from prison.
Of immense research value
The collection, which comprises general correspondence, press cuttings, memoranda, timetables of events, and minutes of meetings, constitutes a unique resource for researchers.
“Currently, there is renewed interest in the history and impact of economic sanctions against South Africa, as well as interest in what factors led to the eventual power shift in the South African government at the time,” says Tise.
“This collection serves these research interests well and could cast new light on what happened behind the scenes between 1985 and 1987. It provides unique insight into the world sentiment towards South Africa and its apartheid policies at the time. Moreover, it reveals the role that South Africa’s sociopolitical turmoil played in discussions, and the decisive impact of social stability in the perception of a country’s creditworthiness.”
According to Prof Eugene Cloete, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU, this addition to SU Library’s Special Collections forms part of an ongoing diversification of the University’s library collections.
“Over the past few years, the manuscripts collections have been diversified by adding collections that tell the story of South Africa’s road to democracy and its more recent history.”
Some of these include the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, IDASA and digital Vrye Weekblad collections and, most recently, the donation of the entire run of Noseweek.
“This debt crisis collection is an excellent addition, and it is a privilege for the University to be entrusted with preserving this knowledge. It does more than simply add to our collections; it creates a community of learning and knowledge-seeking,” says Prof Cloete.
Glimpse of the past, and guidance for the future
Prof Thuli Madonsela, incumbent of the chair in social justice in SU’s Faculty of Law and guest speaker at Friday’s launch event, says the collection is of enormous geopolitical significance, and part of the seismic shift that led to democracy in South Africa.
“It gives us a glimpse of past events unknown until now, and also a sense of where we are going. It reminds us that, at some point, South Africa was at an inflection point where it needed to decide whether to go left or right, and the leaders concerned had to choose between fear and hope in order to move forward. It seems to me that they chose hope.”
Madonsela adds that South Africa happens to find itself at another inflection point today, having to deal with debt and other concerning issues.
“Do we increase our debt as a country so that we can pay for inclusive development in line with the sustainable development goals and our constitutional promise of a democracy that is founded on social justice and fundamental human rights?” she asks.
“And how do we deal with matters such as land and climate change? What seems to be emerging to me through the backstory of this collection is the power of communication, and that, going forward, we need to have sufficient consensus on these matters.”
The collection will be available for research purposes as from 1 July 2021 and is housed in the Manuscripts Section of SU Library’s Special Collections.
Make-up of the collection
The SA foreign debt crisis 1985/86 collection is divided into four broad categories:
Banks. This section contains correspondence to and responses from chairpersons of overseas creditor banks, a summary of the banks’ technical responses, lists of banks contacted, and the debt amounts at each institution.
Material relating to the South African Debt Standstill Coordinating Committee
Off-the-record remarks and reflections on the entire process of resolving the crisis, providing a unique perspective
General. This includes both general and administrative correspondence, press cuttings, speeches, reports, timetables of events, and more.
Items in all categories and subcategories will be arranged alphabetically or chronologically, depending on the type of material. Eventually, a full inventory of the collection, with descriptions and summaries of prominent material, will be made available, accompanied by author, title and subject indexes, to allow researchers easy access to specific items in the collection. The collection will also be digitised in due course.
Editor: Read more about the SA Debt crisis collection and its launch here.
The entire run of 250 issues of the South African investigative magazine, Noseweek, was donated to the Stellenbosch University (SU) Library and Information Service by Open Media Trust earlier this year.
The donation includes physical copies of the magazine as well as a complete digital archive.
Published by Chaucher Publications, Noseweek sadly published its last print issue in March this year. The publication ran monthly from June 1993, with Martin Welz as editor.
The publication describes itself as “South Africa’s only investigative magazine and features irreverent, independent, inside information about business, the professions, politics and society in South Africa […] it is essential reading for anybody interested in what’s going on in the rainbow nation” (Noseweek, 2021).
The forerunner of the publication was titled Nose and was established by Martin Welz in 1983 with prize money he received as Parliamentary correspondent of the Sunday Express for an exposé of “the corruption of doctors and public health services by a major pharmaceutical group” (Welz, 1996). Nose was run until 1987 from Welz’s garage and importantly, some of these early typed and stapled issues form part of the physical collection donated to the Library.
The Noseweek collection is undoubtably a rich resource for research on contemporary South African history, politics, government, society, business and journalism. According to Prof Lizette Rabe, Chair of the Department of Journalism, SU, “It is thanks to journalism, especially investigative journalism, that South Africa’s brittle democracy has been safeguarded. Noseweek will provide rich material for further research thanks to the courageous work of Martin Welz over so many decades – from pre-democracy’s dark days of apartheid, and, since the dawn of democracy, the incredible range of corruption, fraud and state capture”.
The collection also enriches our manuscript collections which have over the last few years been diversified by the addition of more contemporary collections such as the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Collection, the IDASA collection and the digital Vrye Weekblad collection. Most recently, we received the South African Debt Crisis 1985/1986 Collection, launched on 7 May this year. This critical collection is one very significant piece of the puzzle in terms of the road to democracy in SA and the end of Apartheid.
As an independent publication, Noseweek had “unashamedly taken up the cause of the underdog, spoken truth to power and managed to survive the odds with good humour for 28 years” (Welz, 2021). The magazine often featured the line-drawing cartoons of Gus Ferguson (1940-2020), celebrated poet, publisher, cartoonist, and pharmacist.
According to radio journalist John Maytham, Noseweek has “broken many major stories which subsequently appeared often without credit to Noseweek in mainstream media and [played] an invaluable role in our media ecosystem”. He also described it as an “idiosyncratic important publication that marches to a different drum” (Maytham, 2021).
Prof Janis van der Westhuizen, Chair, Department of Political Science, describes the importance of the resource as follows: “A vibrant and active civil society constitutes the lifeblood of a democracy, with a free and independent media sector playing a key role holding state leaders accountable to the people. As a small but vocal outlet, Noseweek played a critical role in exposing corruption and the abuse of power during South Africa’s recent history. As such, it made a considerable contribution to the creation of what the philosopher Karl Popper, described as an ‘open society’ in South Africa. In as much, as one is saddened by the closure of small, independent media outlets, such as Noseweek it is heartening to know that the entire collection of Newsweek will now be available to researchers and future generations through SUN’s digital media collection.”
The Library is honoured to make this journalistic jewel freely accessible to researchers and the wider public by hosting the digital collection on our digital heritage repository, SUNDigital Collections. The collection can be accessed at http://digital.lib.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.2/16692, where all 250 issues can be searched and viewed in PDF format.
For any queries or more information, please contact Mimi Seyffert-Wirth (mseyf@sun.ac.za).
Welz, M. 1996. All the names in Noseweek [excerpt]. Publication unknown. Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Collection, Manuscripts Section, Stellenbosch University Library.
Although often overlooked and unappreciated, human dwellings are an essential part of daily life, standing at the centre of work, ceremony, socialization, and human culture. Buildings, much like other artefacts, embody the values and culture of the people who design, construct and inhabit these spaces. This Heritage Month we would like to celebrate our shared cultural heritage through our diverse vernacular architecture and exhibit the creative ingenuity of our South African ancestors.
The exhibition is comprised of items from the James Walton Collection and the André Pretorius Collection that are housed at the Special Collections of Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service, and available on SUNDigital.
Take a walk through the virtual exhibition and immerse yourself in the daily lives of the South African people, through the eyes of their homes.
Following the repeal of the remaining national Covid-19 regulations on 22 June 2022 and a statement issued by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel on 24 June, the Library (SU Library and branches) has decided to implement the following changes:
From 27 June 2022, the Library no longer has a limit on the number of clients and the buildings can be filled to capacity. The booking system in most of the Library venues will no longer apply, except at the Makerspace, Auditorium and some group study seminar rooms in the SU Library.
Staff and students are reminded to always be in possession of their SU staff/student cards to access the Library buildings. No access will be granted without these cards.
The Library is in the process of implementing a new access system for visitors (such as alumni, prospective postgraduates and school learners). Until the new system is in place visitors do not have walk-in access to the libraries. Visitors, may however, contact SU Library Special Collections, SU Library Client Service, Music Library, Theology Library, Engineering and Forestry Library, Medicine and Health Sciences Library or Bellville Park Campus Library to make an appointment to visit the library in person.
Visitors who qualify for lending privileges may use the Request a Book for Pickup service.
Were you one of our 1 147 clients who “spoke” and completed the Library’s survey last year? Your responses have enabled the Library to identify where we need to improve, as well as where we are doing well. How is the Library responding? Below, we present what “You said” and how “we’re acting”.
We are pleased to inform all stakeholders of the completion of the SU Library Refurbishment Project. Construction work began in February 2021 and was completed at the beginning of May 2022. The handover of all the spaces to the Library was officially done on 13 May 2022. Save for some snagging, the project is now complete.
