Recently three new staff members were appointed in different research-related divisions of the Library. We would like to welcome the following staff members warmly and wish them all the best:

Dr Lynn Kleinveldt has been appointed as Manager: Carnegie Research Commons at Stellenbosch University Library, with effect from 01 June 2026. Her responsibilities include strategic planning and management of the Research Commons and postgraduate support services; managing, coordinating and presenting research support workshops. She has 19 years of experience working in academic libraries and seven years of experience in academia.

Before joining Stellenbosch University, Dr. Kleinveldt was the Co-head of Department and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada. In this position, she played a vital role in building internal and external partnerships and took the lead in incorporating cutting-edge technology into the Library and Information Technology curriculum. She strives towards bridging theory and practice in library and information science, with a focus on “literacies of the digital”, ethical information use, and the strategic development of user experience, teaching and learning and research support services in higher education.

Dr. Kleinveldt’s research explores the evolving role of academic libraries in supporting teaching and learning, scholarly communication and research. Her doctoral study investigated how libraries serve the research needs of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering scholars at two universities, the gaps between researcher expectations and library services, and the professional identity of faculty librarians in research support. She is committed to advancing inclusive, user-centred library services and fostering collaborative relationships between academics, researchers, information professionals and LIS students.

Her recent research project focused on exploring the transformation of ‘search’ as we know it and what it means for the future of Libraries and Information Science in the AI Era. Dr. Kleinveldt has actively contributed to international scholarly discourse through recent presentations at leading conferences, including:

  • IFLA AI Symposia (2023–2025), where she presented on integrating generative AI into LIS and business curricula and critically evaluating online search results.
  • BCLA Conference (2025), co-presenting on user experience in libraries and enhancing student success through AI-integrated LibGuides.
  • LIASA-SCECSAL Conference (2022), where she delivered a lightning talk on embedding research data management into academic programs.

Dr. Kleinveldt served as Standing Committee Member of the IFLA IT Section for the term 2017-2023, and chaired LIASA’s Higher Education Libraries Interest Group, 2021-2023. She continues to actively participate in these library professional bodies.

Snenhlanhla Hlongwana has been appointed as Research Data Services Librarian at Stellenbosch University Library, with effect from 1 June 2026. This appointment reflects the strong alignment between her professional experience in metadata management, digital resource administration, and scholarly support services, and her growing focus on research data services and digital scholarship.

Before this appointment, she served as a Junior Librarian in the Acquisitions Division within the Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service, where she worked extensively with the library management system and vendor tools to ensure the quality of records, access standards, and usage statistics. Through this role, she developed strong expertise in metadata quality, digital resource discoverability, and ensuring reliable access to electronic information resources.

She also brings prior experience in repository and digital records management through her role as Metadata Librarian for the HSRC Zondo Commission Project. In this capacity, she was responsible for the organisation, indexing, preservation, and management of digital records generated by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, including affidavits, evidence transcripts, and exhibits. This work supported long-term access, discoverability, and future research use of the collection, and strengthened her expertise in digital preservation, structured metadata practices, and the curation of complex research data environments.

She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in information science, with research focusing on the role of institutional repositories in scholarly communication within a private dual-mode higher education context in South Africa. Her professional interests include research data management, Open Access, institutional repositories, metadata standards, and the advancement of digital scholarship. She is also passionate about responsible research practices and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in academia.

Cwayita Notshokovu has been appointed as a Junior Librarian: Scholarly Communication and started her work at the Library on 2 May 2026.

Her responsibilities include content and metadata management for digital repositories, support for the administration of the e-journal management platform and advancing scholarly communication initiatives. She is committed to strengthening research visibility, discoverability, accessibility, and Open Access advocacy.

Before joining Stellenbosch University, Cwayita served as an Information Specialist at Emeris, where she was later promoted to Postgraduate Information Specialist. In this role, she provided advanced research support to postgraduate students and researchers, including training on reference management tools, database navigation, literature review support, and guidance on identifying suitable Open Access journals for publication and uploaded student research reports into the institutional repository. She also promoted researcher visibility through training on author profile registration and researcher identifiers such as ORCID.

Cwayita holds a Master of Library and Information Studies degree obtained from the University of Cape Town. Her master’s dissertation investigated the readiness of public libraries to deliver information literacy instruction to school learners. She presented at the LIASA Annual Conference 2025 and at the City of Cape Town Public Library Seminar 2025. Cwayita is passionate about ethical scholarly practices, responsible AI use, information literacy, Open Access initiatives that enhance equitable access to knowledge.

Author: Theresa Schoeman