CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR SHORT TERM COURSES 2023-2024 INTAKE

The University of Malawi, Library department is informing the general public that it will be  offering the following short courses in its 2023-2024 calendar. Course details are as follows:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

1. Ethics and Professionalism in  Records Management in the Public  and Private Sector
Today, with the proliferation of information  technologies, records are being created  and distributed electronically every  minute. This brings its own challenges in  terms of ethics and professionalism in their  handling. Organisations have been hit  hard with improper disclosure, leakages,  alteration, destruction and deletion or  withholding of records by employees. This  malpractice is presenting an ethical crisis  in records management. This course takes  aim at sanitizing the ethical landscape in as  far as records management is concerned.

2. Elementary statistics for library  and Information professionals
Today’s top corporate managers need  to make decisions based on tangible  evidence. This evidence is generated  from statistics on all the operations of the  organisations. Unfortunately statistics is  a hard nut to crack for many. This course  therefore, is tailored for all non-statisticians  in the field of archives, Information Science,  information and records management. It  emphasizes on basic concepts of statistical  theory, data collection methodologies,  visualization creation and display, so that  participants will be able to better conduct  statistical analysis and communicate their  findings to top management for decision  making that is evidence based.  

3. Major Copyright issues in  academic libraries
Academic librarians face complex issues  and challenges in navigating the maze  that is the copyright landscape. Some  of the issues are obvious, but others are  far more subtle, particularly in a digital  environment. Issues that invoke confusion  and concern as to the applicability of the  copyright law include e-reserves, licensing,  document delivery, and fair use. The  mission of academic libraries in the most  simplistic language is to provide their  patrons access to information anywhere  and at anytime. However, how a library  accomplishes that mission within the  parameters of the copyright law is usually  debatable and is sometimes dependent  upon each university’s interpretation of the  law.  

This course will equip the participants to  become as knowledgeable as possible  about copyright. The rapid pace of  technological innovation constantly  challenges the traditional application of the  copyright law. Librarians are generally on  the cutting edge of such new technology  and have the opportunity and responsibility  to assist in educating their campuses about  the impact of copyright law on libraries,  particularly in a digital environment.

4. Records Management: Legal  Perspectives
Records management (RM) in most  institutions is rarely given the attention  it deserves. However, RM is one of the  most key functions of an institution that  deserves attention. There are several  legal and regulatory frameworks that  mandate institutions to keep records.  Most institutions in the country partially  comply with these legal frameworks.  Hence, this module will bring awareness  to the employers and all records creating  
agencies (organisations of all nature) of the existing legal frameworks in the country  regarding records keeping and how each of  these impact records keeping. Participants  will also be made aware of the implications  that may come with non-compliance.

5. Boosting online academic journal  visibility
Researchers from developing countries  face the challenge of sharing their results  in credible journals. This has caused a  significant negative impact on research,  particularly for authors in countries with  limited resources. At the moment, Africa is  a hot target of predatory journals. Authors  with limited resources in these settings  cannot afford the high fees of open
access publishing, and therefore we need  to promote the visibility of our African  journals. Since the main target of these  predatory journals are authors in their  infancy, there is need to carry out awareness  and sanitization campaigns targeting such  authors. It is also important to promote our  local journal publishers so that they meet  the minimum standards of internationally  accredited journals. In so doing, Malawian  journal publishers will attract both local  and international authors thereby curbing  predatory journals from taking advantage  of our innocent authors.

This workshop will target academics/ researchers, authors in general, librarians,  and ICT experts.

Course Fee: Mk300,000.00

Course Coordinators:
Jessy Mphunda;  jmphunda@unima.ac.mw; 0999959659
Blessings Katuma;  bkatuma@unima.ac.mw; 0999612337
Naomi Kachoka; nkachoka@unima.ac.mw;  0993871852/0881516696