WSU LIBRARY DIRECTOR APPOINTED INTO CHELSA EXCO

The Senior Director of Library and Information Services, Dr Tyson Mabunda has been elected to serve as an executive in the Committee for Higher Education Libraries of South Africa’s (CHELSA) Marketing Portfolio.

CHELSA is an organisation that seeks to improve library and information services for public higher education and research in South Africa through the transformation of existing library practices in Higher Education.

“Being part of CHELSA aligns perfectly with WSU Vision2030 by transforming library practices to meet new realities and enhance our impact regionally, nationally, continentally, and globally. It’s a tremendous benefit for WSU to be a member of CHELSA and serving on the exco amplifies our commitment to providing the best scholarly resources and fostering innovation and impactful research,’ said Mabunda.

As part of his duties, Mabunda will lead efforts to enhance the visibility and impact of higher education libraries, advocate for improved library services, and work on initiatives that promote equitable access to information resources across South African universities.

This includes enhancing the use of technology within the Higher Education environment and developing information access policies for Higher Education libraries.

Additionally, CHELSA provides access to information nationally through services such as inter-library loans where researchers can access books that are not available at WSU, and permits researchers to use the collection of another university library through a letter of introduction.

“CHELSA plays a key role nationally in transforming Higher Education Library and Information Services to ensure their fitness for purpose in the digital age,” said Mabunda.

Mabunda said the appointment to the exco will significantly benefit WSU by ensuring that its library practices are at the forefront of transformation and innovation in the digital age.

“The portfolio drives the implementation of the marketing strategy of CHELSA. Moreover, we will promote the corporate brand of the organisation through proper website management, digital marketing tools, etc, and ensure that the latest information, news, accomplishments, and progress reports of current projects are well communicated.”

By Ongezwa Sigodi