SCECSAL
Biennual library conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL) is a regional forum for library and information associations in Africa. It hosts an international conference of member associations every two years, where participants share reports on the status of library science and institutions in their respective countries, and participate in educational workshops.[1]
| Standing Conference of Eastern, Central, and Southern African Library and Information Associations | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | SCECSAL |
| Genre | Library and information science |
| Frequency | biennially |
| Countries | Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Inaugurated | 1974 |
| Website | www |
Background
The precursor organization was the East African Library Association (EALA), which dissolved in the 1970s.[2][3] Perceiving a remaining need for regional connection between library associations, even after an encompassing regional library association had not worked, Tucker Kigongo Lwanga, a member of the Kenya Library Association, first proposed the creation of SCESCAL in 1972.[2][1]
Lwanga, along with Jafred Shalimba Musisi, Francis Otieno Pala, Isaac M. N. Kigongo-Bukenya, and Ellen Namhila are credited with putting on the first conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1974.[3] The organization began life with the name Standing Conference of Eastern and Central African Librarians (SCECAL), before changing slightly in 1977 to include information workers who were not necessarily librarians.[1]
Administration
They support library programs in aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[1][4]
Member organizations submit biennial country reports on the development of their national libraries, as well as proposals for regional initiatives, and other obligations. These reports are presented at the General Assembly of SCESCAL.[5]
In October 2023, the organization's structure was re-adapted. The Secretariat is a position held by a member association and is currently held by the Eswatini Library Association.[6]
The most recent constitution for guiding the organization was adopted by the SCECSAL General Council in 2024.[7][1]
Presidents
Secretary General
Chairperson of Organizing Committee
- 2010: Kgomotso Radijeng[8]
Members and partners
Member associations have had varying levels of participation, as well as different names over the years.[1] Only organizations from the following nations are eligible for membership: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[9]
Member associations
| Name | Country | Joined | Years hosted | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana Library Association |  Botswana |
1974 | 1986 | [10] |
| Kenya Library Association |  Kenya |
1974 | 1978, 1998, 2012, 2020, 2024 | [3] |
| Lesotho Library Association |  Lesotho |
1978 | 1980 | |
| Malawi Library Association |  Malawi |
~1982 | 1982, 1994 and 2014 | |
| National Information Workers Association of Namibia (NIWAN) |  Namibia |
~1998 | 2000, 2021 | [11] |
| Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) |  South Africa |
2002 | 2002 | |
| Eswatini Library and Information Association (ESWALA) |  Eswatini |
~1985 | 1988 | [6] |
| Tanzania Library and Information Association |  Tanzania |
1974 | 1974, 1992 and 2006 | |
| Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA) |  Uganda |
1974 | 1990, 2004 and 2018 | |
| Library and Information Association of Zambia (LIAZ) |  Zambia |
1974 | 1976 | |
| Zimbabwe Library Association (ZimLA) |  Zimbabwe |
1980 | 1984 |
Partners
SCECSAL has collaborated with other associations. In 2022, the biennial conference was held in conjunction with the host's own original conference, the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA)'s conference.[12]
Conference editions
Member associations host the conferences, and occasionally the conferences have been hosted in collaboration with other events.[1]
| Date | Edition | Location | Theme and notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | I | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Libraries and their impact on education, economics and culture in developing countries | [2] |
| 1976 | II | Lusaka, Zambia | Libraries and information services as instruments of transition to the 21st century in Africa | [2] |
| 1978 | III | Nairobi, Kenya | The development of information systems: an African approach | [2] |
| 8 - 13 December 1980 | IV | Maseru, Lesotho | Book promotion and the sharing of resources in Africa | [13] |
| 1982 | V | Blantyre, Malawi | Libraries for national development | [14] |
| 1984 | VI | Harare, Zimbabwe | Information for national development | [15] |
| 1986 | VII | Gaborone, Botswana | Libraries and literacy | [16][17] |
| 21 - 29 July 1988 | VIII | Mbabane, Eswatini | Library and information services for the disadvantaged groups | [18] |
| 21 - 29 June 1990 | IX | Kampala, Uganda | Bibliographic control in 1990's and beyond | [19] |
| 1992 | X | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Improving access to information and knowledge for socio-economic and technological development in Africa | [20] |
| 1994 | XI | Blantyre, Malawi | Libraries and freedom of Information | |
| 9 - 13 December 1996 | XII | Maseru, Lesotho | Libraries & information services in the 21st Century and beyond | |
| 27 - 31 July 1998 | XIII | Nairobi, Kenya | Information for sustainable development in the 21st Century | [7] |
| 10 - 15 April 2000 | XIV | Windhoek, Namibia | Information 2000: a Vision for the SCECSAL region | [21] |
| 15 - 20 April 2002 | XV | Johannesburg, South Africa | From Africa to the World - the globalisation of indigenous knowledge systems | [22] |
| 5 - 9 July 2004 | XVI | Kampala, Uganda | Towards a knowledge society for African development | [23] |
| 10 - 14 July 2006 | XVII | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Libraries as a bridge to an information and knowledge society in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. | |
| 15-18 July 2008 | XVIII | Lusaka, Zambia | Libraries and information services towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) | |
| 6 - 9 December 2010 | XIX | Gaborone, Botswana | Enhancing democracy and good governance through effective information and knowledge services | [8] |
| 4 - 8 June 2012 | XX | Nairobi, Kenya | Information for sustainable development in a digital environment | [24] |
| 28 July - 1 August 2014 | XXI | Lilongwe, Malawi | Information and knowledge management as a driving force for socio-economic development in Africa | |
| 25 - 29 April 2016 | XXII | Ezulwini Valley, Eswatini | Digital transformation and the changing role of libraries and information centres in the sustainable development of Africa | |
| 23 - 27 April 2018 | XXIII | Entebbe, Uganda | Positioning library and information services to achieve sustainable development: innovations and partnerships; 50th anniversary. | [4][25] |
| 8 - 11 February 2021 | XXIV | Windhoek, Namibia | Inclusive libraries and information services towards achieving prosperity for sustainable development; Postponed from 20–24 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |
| 4-7 October 2022 | XXV | Johannessburg, South Africa | Against all odds: Resilience of libraries in a post-truth world - Reimagining, repurposing and rediscovering libraries in a post-truth world; Joint event with LIASA's Annual Conference. | [9] |
| 22-26 April 2024 | XXVI | Mombasa, Kenya | Re-imagining library and information services in the digital era | [26][27] |
| 27 April - 1 May 2026 | XXVII | Livingstone, Zambia | African Libraries and Information Services at the New Crossroads | [28] |
| 2028 | XXVIII | Ezulwini Valley, Eswatini | [6] |
Committees and programs
In 1986, a parliamentary librarian committee was formed among SCECSAL attendees. This group split off into the Association of Parliamentary Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa (APLESA) in 1994.[29]
Awards and notable winners
SCESCAL Author of the Year Awards
Journal Articles/Chapters in Books Category
In 2002, the winners of the Journal Articles/Chapters in Books Category were Jenny Raubenheimer from the University of South Africa and John van Niekerk from the Medical University of South Africa.[30]
In 2018, the winner of the Journal Articles/Chapters in Books Category was Jaya Raju from the University of Cape Town.[30]
Books Category
In 2000, the winner of the Books Category was Maurice Lundu from Copperbelt University, for two books: The Library in the Service of Society: Philosophical Foundation (1995) and Political Economy of Information on Development, Democracy and Security in Southern Africa (1996).[30]
In 2018, the winner of the Books Category was Maria Musoke from Makerere University, for her book titled Informed and Healthy: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on the Value of Information to Health Care. 1st ed.[30]
SCECSAL Best Conference Paper and Presenter Award
The award was first introduced in April 2000 at the XIV SCECSAL Conference in Windhoek, Namibia.[31]
The winners in 2000 were Kingo Mchombu (University of Namibia), Charles B. M. Lungu (Copperbelt University), and Stephen Mudogo Mutula (University of Botswana).[31]
The winners in 2002 were Justin Chisenga (Rand Afrikaans University), Andrew Kaniki (University of Natal), M. E. Kutu Mphahlele (University of the North), and Brught Nkhata (Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre at the University of Botswana).[31]
The winners in 2018 were Chiku Mnubi Mchombu (Human Rights and Documentation Centre at the University of Namibia).[31]
SCECSAL Excellence Awards
This award was created in 2018. The conference did not occur in-person in 2020, due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and winners instead received their awards at the 2024 conference.[32]
The 2018 winners were Tucker Kigongo Lwanga, Jafred Shalimba Musisi (posthumous), Maurice Chifwembe Lundu (posthumous), Isaac M. N. Kigongo-Bukenya (posthumous), and Dr. Justin Chisenga.[32]
The 2020 winners were Dennis Ocholla, Jacina Were, and Nomsa Nqobile Victoria Mkhwanazi (posthumous).[32]
The 2024 winners were Velenasi Mwale Munsanje and Maria Musoke.[32]
The 2026 winner was Gladys Kemboi (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).[33]
SCECSAL 50th Anniversary Awards
The 50th anniversary conference of SCECSAL was held in 2024, in Mombasa, Kenya, and presented special awards to people who had made significant contributions and represented their respective organization throughout the organizations' history.[34]
SCECSAL Presidents Award went to the individuals who were in charge when their association had hosted an edition of conference for the first time. These included Dr. Helen Kay Raseroka, Ellen Namhila, and Ellen Tise.[34][11][35]
The SCECSAL Recognition Award was presented to individuals who had made significant contributions to the growth and success to SCECSAL, specifically. These people were Stephen Mudogo Mutula, Dr. John Tsebe, Dr. Helen Kay Raseroka, and Kingo Mchombu.[34][4][11]
The SCECSAL Hosts Award was presented to the Tanzania Library Association, the Kenya Library Association, the Malawi Library Association, and the Uganda Library Association for hosting the conference at least three times since its inception.[34]