Generational awareness for interactive information societies - Sophie van der Walt



Inherited work environment of each generation - Sophie van der Walt

 The Department of Information and Knowledge Management at the University of Johannesburg presented a seminar by Sophie van der Walt, an Information Search Librarian at the University of South Africa.

She presented the seminar based on her MPhil (Information Management) studies at UJ, which she completed in April of 2010. The pretext of the study is based on four different generations active in South African interactive societies, namely Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. People who can’t be classified within a specific generation, and who falls between two of the generations, are called Cuspers.

The characteristics of the different generations are reviewed with regards work performance, work-life balance, retirement, rewards, co-worker relationships and recruitment. The study focuses specifically on academic and research libraries in the South African context. Generation Y was not included, because they are not part of the workforce at the moment. It is a direct consequence of posts being frozen for nearly ten years in these academic institutions.

It is very interesting to see how the different generations react to work, the workplace, as well as to each other. The research aims to enhance co-worker relationships by identifying differences based on generations. It has the potential to facilitate management in how they approach the different generations in their staff complement. When you know how to reward your staff, you will be able to retain them for longer as well as ensure the future with middle and top managers.

The aging workforce has been identified as one of the challenges in these academic institutions. Succession planning needs to take it into account. Nearly 51% of the workforce is near retirement.
The basis of the seminar can be found in the following article, which has been published in the South African Journal of Information Management.

I think we can extrapolate the findings of this research to our own information societies in the corporate workplace. We face the same challenges with regards an aging workforce. We can also spend more time looking at generational differences, rather than only looking at cultural differences.

Who finds the same type of situation in your information libraries or archives?

Karen du Toit
Afrikaans Archivist
SABC Radio Archives

SABC Radio Archives on Twitter – follow up on #followanarchive day

Follow an Archive

The SABC Radio Archives (@SABCRadioArc) took part in the initiative of #followanarchive day on Twitter last Friday, the 12th October 2010. This initiative with the hashtag #followanarchive was first spotted on Twitter as well.

I wrote a blog post about Follow an Archive Day before the day to encourage participation, and tweeted about it, as well as communicated it on our Facebook SABC Radio Archives pages.

It was a great day seeing the tweets coming in from all over the world, and all the Archives taking part.
We had an exceptional response. I have been checking back every day, and keep on following the archives through the #followanarchive initiative.

Since last Friday we got 30 followers, and we are now following 54 more Archives or related Tweeters.

It was not only very informative about the types of Archives that exists all over the world, but also to be able to link up with each other in this medium.

I have come to realize the rich source of information that is available on Twitter for us as Archivists. It is information that is immediate and interactive.

The best part of the day: It was great fun!

Thank you Follow an Archive project leaders: Charlotte, Bente, Poulus and Anneke! You have done a great job. I hope it will become a yearly initiative as well!

Please follow us if you have not done it yet: http://twitter.com/#!/sabcradioarc

Karen du Toit
Afrikaans Archivist
SABC Radio Archives

Follow an Archive on #followanarchive day on Twitter

Tomorrow, the 12th of November, is the yearly International Follow an Archive Day on Twitter.
The SABC Radio Archives are also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sabcradioarc.
Please follow us and our fellow archives/archivists.

The SABC Radio Archives have a passion for preserving SA's Radio Broadcast History. We are making a difference by preserving our rich cultural audio heritage.

Archives and archivists are on Twitter. They have discovered the rich source of information that is Twitter. They are meeting their fellow archivists from all over the world on Twitter. Social media has introduced us to a whole new meaning of sharing and exchanging ideas!

The Follow an Archive project was the Twitter initiative by Charlotte Jensen of the National Museum in Copenhagen, Bente Jensen of the City Archive of Aalborg (both in Denmark) and Poulus Bliek & Anneke van Waarden-Koets of the Zealand Archive in Middelburg (the Netherlands).

I copy and and past from Follow an Archive:

Many people follow an archive on twitter.
Archives are important.
They preserve the history of mankind.
Your history!
If more people follow an archive
more people will get involved
in their own history,
in the history of their ancestors,
in the history of their town, their country,
in the history of the world and mankind!
Take part in your own history
and follow an archive!
Tell a friend about your favourite archive.
Tell a friend about the discovery you made in an archive.
Tell a friend how archives inspire you.
Spread the word about archives on 2010 November 12 and use the hashtag #followanarchive !

Click to Follow:
Follow an Archive on Twitter
SABC Radio Archives on Twitter
Please follow both!

Karen du Toit
Afrikaans Archivist: SABC Radio Archives

SABC in Bloemfontein also celebrated UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

Miete Motlhabane, a SABC Archivist in the regional Bloemfontein office, gives an update of how they celebrated UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on the 27th October 2010.

She started with an interview on Lesedi FM, a local SABC radio station at 9:15am. She invited the public for the exhibition during the interview. Hans Masoeu and she explained the transition of broadcasting equipment and the different mediums or formats of preservation in sound archives. They explained the importance of preserving our heritage. They got feedback from the public who were amazed at the changes in technology and how easy things have become. They demonstrated how reel-to-reel tapes were edited and how they are editing now. Members of the public wanted to know about a career in archives.

They played reel-to-reel tapes and mini disc players of old programmes from 1960s. They had an old tape specifically of Nelson Mandela giving a speech. The public showed a keen interest about the programmes they are keeping.

The SABC Media Libraries value our cultural heritage! Well done, Bloemfontein!

SABC Media Libraries celebrated UNESCO Audiovisual Heritage Day in the Eastern Cape Region as well

27-10-2010 SABC Media Libraries celebrated UNESCO World Audiovisual Heritage Day in Port Elizabeth as well.

Fikile Potelwa was  afforded  the  opportunity  by  Umhlobo Wenene FM  to  talk on  the  radio  and  explain  the  importance of  the  occasion. He declared it as a great experience.

Old  radio  broadcast   equipment,  records  and  tapes  were  on  display  at  a  designated  venue. Posters depicting the day were visible placed within the building.

They  invited  Librarians  from  the  Bayworld  museum  in  Port  Elizabeth  to  witness  the  day  at  their premises. Fikile Potelwa sketched a brief  summary about the  importance  of  the  Audiovisual  Heritance  Day  to  the  SABC  staff  and  the  invited  guests.

Historical film was shown to the audience.  Popcorn and coke were served during the occasion. It was a huge success! He thanks the interim organising committee for the day.

Photo: Fikile Potelwa / Thoko Thaiteng

How did you celebrate UNESCO World Audiovisual Heritage Day?