User:Obachi/BlogEntry: 2007 December 04 18:45:17 EAT

From KLAMediaWiki

Recommendations on how KLA can establish a proactive public library and how the WSF Materials can be preserved.

Introduction A core group of twelve members from the three East African Library Associations, America and Finland met at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies on 3rd -5th December to enhance their MediaWiki skills so as to maintain the http://www.wsflibry.org. They also discussed the idea of establishing a permanent WSF library focal point in Nairobi and developed strategies on how to preserve the already existing physical WSF Information materials.

The following were their recommendations •�The KLA secretariat to be the custodians of the materials. •�Releasing the information to Michigan University to be part of the Labadie collection. This was however reputed by one of the present member from the university who suggested that the original materials should be protected locally but digitized to make them accessible globally. It was also noted that transferring the documents would kill the morale of the librarians. •�A WSF library should be set up in Nairobi and that funds would be sourced to support the same. It was confirmed that some resources were available like a scanner and computers, all that lacked was the space. •�In setting up the library, it was suggested that the actionable themes set during the World social forum be kept and followed to maintain consistency. It was noted that there was no standard way of coming up with the themes in the different social foras that had taken place and that committees were put in place to come up with the themes. •�The fear that some of the materials collected would not fall under any class of the classification system was solved by the suggestion that we could expand the classification system to suit the materials in the WSF library. • It was also recommended that any proposed partnership on the preservation of materials should be one that would strengthen the WSF library in terms of sharing information. This would be made possible by forming links with other similar or interested institutions especially after the digitization of the materials. •�Another suggestion that was put in place was that of digitizing the WSF materials and posting them on the Media Wiki for easier and broader access. •�Also, the issue of linking intellectually was put forward where members in different places like United States would be able to refer researchers to other Librarians e.g. in Nairobi for help in terms of the availability and location of the materials of the World Social Forum. •�Scanning of all the documents collected from the forum to increase on their availability and wider access. This would also add to the ease of manipulation, like having them in several copies in many places. The scanned documents would then be posted to the media wiki. •�Funding must be sourced for the WSF library to exist. Practical and workable solutions in terms of e.g. labor and space have to be considered. •�The suggestion to preserve the materials at the KNLS headquarters, it being a public library was brought up. This was however refuted by the fact that there is no available space at the library and that it would alienate the association which is like the umbrella body. •�It was also suggested that there was need to keep in touch with the organizations that provided the materials for more updates for instance of the magazines and journals and that the library, once started should subscribe to the same and communicate with them through their websites. •�A discussion on whether the WSF collection should be part of the public library was postponed to the next day�s meeting which would have a city council officer in attendance. •�It was suggested that there was need to go private as this would ease or facilitate the functionality of the library and would avoid the complexities of putting up a parallel public library. • It was emphasized that there was need to prove to the information users that the WSF library was relevant. This would be through collecting other unique information materials to make it a special kind of a collection like MOUs, trade agreements, policies e.t.c that would not be found with ease from other places. •�Also, it was recommended that WSF Library be part of larger networks e.g. associations like coalition of the urban poor, land alliances, commissions of human rights etc, which would ensure that unique information materials from their activities are captured and made available to the library. •�Finally, it was emphasized that the idea of the WSF Library be brought out, an attractive special library be formed and the challenges would be solved later while already in the exercise. Report by Carol Wamae