ICIL-Africa 2024 - 15 October 2024

Scientific Session – Chairperson: Dr. Mathew Moyo 

Lecture Hall - 13:00pm – 14:45pm

 

Meet the Scientific Session Chairperson

Mathew Moyo holds a Masters and Doctoral degrees in Information Science, in addition to graduate qualifications in Knowledge and Information Systems Management and Leadership. His experience in academia spans more than 25 years. He has worked in various management as well as academic and research roles. Apart from his current role of a Chief Director, Mathew is affiliated to the Social Transformation Research Area where he continuous to make a contribution as a researcher. His work interests are in the areas of Governance and Leadership, Mentorship, Capacity Building, Teamwork, and Strategy, among others. His research interests are in the areas of Information Literacy, Information Behaviour, Research Data Literacy, Knowledge and Information Systems Management, among others. In his current role as a Chief Director, Mathew is affiliated to a number of professional organisations and boards, including serving as the General Chair of the International Conference on Information Literacy (ICIL-Africa), which is a sister conference to the European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL). He has presented papers at national and international conferences and appreciates collaborating with colleagues in similar research interests and area of expertise on both national and international levels

---

Title of the 1st Presentation

Revolutionizing Information Resource Description and Cataloging with Generative AI (Download the presentation)

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, particularly ChatGPT, has completely revolutionized the traditional processes within the library and information science domain, especially in bibliographic cataloging and metadata production. This PechaKucha presentation offers a concise yet profound exploration of how ChatGPT capabilities are reshaping the practices of discription and extracting Data from information resources and creating metadata for it.
Gone are the days of manual data entry and laborious metadata creation. ChatGPT swoops in as a digital assistant, automating and streamlining these processes with remarkable efficiency. Librarians now have the luxury of dedicating more time to strategic tasks, thanks to ChatGPT's ability to swiftly generate accurate metadata in various formats without requiring deep technical knowledge.
The advantages of leveraging ChatGPT in bibliographic cataloging are manifold:

- Time and effort savings in metadata creation and cataloging record generation.
- Seamless handling of both descriptive and subject cataloging tasks.
- Ensuring high-quality cataloging records through automated checks and validations.
- Simplified migration between different metadata schemas without data loss or inconsistencies.
- Utilizing ChatGPT's capabilities for image analysis to extract relevant metadata, further enhancing cataloging efficiency.

Imagine a scenario where ChatGPT seamlessly analyzes textual descriptions, images, and even audio inputs to categorize and tag library resources at lightning speed. ChatGPT will optimizes metadata creation workflows, and elevates cataloging into a highly efficient and accurate endeavor, ensuring that library collections are organized and accessible with unprecedented precision and ease.

Author 

Dr. Mohamed Elzalabany, Egypt

Biography

With nearly two decades of expertise in library automation endeavors, Dr. Mohamed's career has been a dynamic journey spanning various roles such as libraries' capacity building, strategic planning, system implementation, training, and data migration across diverse information institutions. As the CEO of Egyptian Prime Vision and a seasoned library technology specialist, he leads initiatives focused on enhancing information preservation and accessibility through innovative solutions. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge includes pursuing a Ph.D. at Cairo University, where he is dedicated to researching research data repositories. This academic journey enriched his understanding of cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications in information management..

Big data in libraries between complexity and simplification (Download the presentation)

Abstract

Today, big data is no longer only a major factor in the business world, but it has crossed this into almost all sectors, and day after day it is being put to new uses in various fields. If libraries work to collect, organize, preserve and retrieve intellectual production with the information and data it contains. And if data is the first building block of the information edifice. It behooves us, as librarians, to take advantage of this data and employ it to achieve the libraries’ goals of facilitating and facilitating the access of information to those searching for it.
 However, this role is no longer a preferential, complementary role and a favor from libraries to their societies, but rather it has become an existing necessity and inevitable competition, especially with the needs of the current generation of users and their high expectations from library services, and the development of competition from the web and electronic sites that make information and its sources available to the user, and social networking networks. And the opportunities it provided to benefit from the exchange of information and its sources, and from viewing users as participants in the processes of producing and recycling information. This may lead to pulling the rug from under the feet of libraries, in whole or in part, after they had dominated it for decades. Hence, the need has imposed on us, as trustees of library affairs, to develop, follow, and keep pace with the existing development in society’s needs for information, and in the opportunities that we can employ, and the threats that arise from it. It will transform the destination of researchers from the library to the web and its environment.

Author 1

Dr. Ahmed Bassiouni, Egypt

Biography 

Dr. Ahmed Bassiouny has been working and still working since 2001 in the field of libraries at the Library of Alexandria, moving between serving the public, cataloging, and classification. Which gave the researcher accumulated experiences that combined work and studies In 2014 he had his PhD. Degree from Libraries & Information Science Department, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, Egypt. Thesis title: Islamic History in Dewey Decimal Classification & the Classification of Library of Congress: A comparative study. With the recommendation to print thesis and exchanges between universities. In 2016, he had his Master Degree - MBA - Master of Business Administration from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. In 2008, he had an equivalent Master Degree, Supplementary hours doctoral (Ph.D. Preliminary) Libraries & Information Science Department, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, Egypt, Excellence. He Also had Master Degree in Islamic Civilization from Institute of Mediterranean Studies, Andalusia History and Islamic Civilization Department, Alexandria University, Egypt, Post Graduate Diploma in Islamic Studies, from the Higher Institute of Islamic Studies and Research , Cairo and the Preliminary Master (with distinction) from Department of Libraries, University of Alexandria. He graduated from Faculty of Arts Alexandria University with a Bachelor Degree in Library & Information science. Currently, he is Preparing to upgrade for research assistant professor. He has worked on hundreds of researches on various branches of library science, Islamic history and Administration.

 

 

Emerging Technologies and Higher Education Libraries: a bibliometric analysis of the global literature (Download the presentation)

Abstract

Historically, evidence through annals of history underscores Buddhist Takshshila, Alexandrian, and Assyrian libraries as being synonymous with higher education (Bevis, 2019). However, at the cusp of the millennium contemporary Higher Education Libraries (HELs) began aligning to the digital environment vis a vis Internet (Marion and Fixson, 2021). Fast-forward twenty-three years and HELs are witnessing a seismic shift again due to emerging technologies, notwithstanding the Internet (Ashiq et al., 2021). Data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, assistive technologies, the Internet of Things, and mobile technology, are reimagining HELs (Gunapala et al., 2020). Therefore, this paper explores emerging technologies through the lens of a bibliometric study as it aims to provide valuable insights related to higher education libraries. To do this, data from Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases was collected and combined using RStudio software. Results and findings related to publication growth trends, annual growth, core journals, impact and productivity of authors, most cited documents, collaborations, network mapping, and country contributions on emerging technologies and higher education libraries are analytically presented in this paper. Conclusions plot trends that can be beneficial to HELs worldwide over the next decade.  

Author 1

Dr. Mousin Omarsaib, South Africa

Biography 

Dr. Mousin Omarsaib is currently employed at the Durban University of Technology in South Africa as a Subject Librarian. He is also integrated into a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the Information Systems Department - Library and Information Science as a Guest Lecturer at the Durban University of Technology. Within this context, he has designed cutting-edge content for modules he lectures in for the Library and Information Science programme. Mousin's niche areas include digital pedagogies, information literacy, knowledge management, indigenous knowledge, meta-literacies, assistive technologies, adaptive spaces, and emerging technologies in modern libraries, systematic reviews, and bibliometric analysis. He has more than twenty years of experience in the academic library environment. Within the context of his research focus areas, Mousin has six research outputs

Author 2

Ms. Sara Bibi Mitha,South Africa.

Biography

 Sara Mitha is a postgraduate librarian at the Durban University of Technology. She is responsible for library research support to postgraduate students in the faculties of Accounting and Informatics, Arts and Design, and Management Sciences. She has recently taken up the position of postgraduate librarian for the Applied Sciences, Built Environment and Engineering, and the Health Sciences faculties. Her experience is primarily in academic libraries, and she has approximately 20 years of experience at the University of KwaZulu-Natal libraries before joining the Durban University of Technology Library. She was selected amongst other librarians to spend 3 months visiting US libraries funded by the Carnegie Foundation. She has authored three publications in the library and information science field. Her interests are information literacy, bibliometric analysis, and systematic reviews.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Knowledge Generation Between Acceptance and Rejection as a Tool to Enhance Project Based Learning and Professor’s Social Sustainability in Private Higher Education Sector in Egypt. (Download the presentation)

Abstract

The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in education became popular leading to technological advancements in all ways of life.
This effect might have been catalyzed due to drastic changes encountered in the last recent years as a result of COVID-19 pandemic forcing online education which took a new turn after ChatGpt. 
Thus, the aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of digitalization as a tool on social sustainability of academics in the Egyptian private higher education sector. The digitalization here is a reflection to the intensity of artificial intelligence usage in enhancing the performance of professors and its reflection on their quality of life. Moreover, the degree of facilitation and progress it can provide educators in order to give the best educational experience they can provide to their students. 
This study will rely mainly on two theories and their backgrounds. The first one is the theory of project-based learning as a tool in enhancing the quality of education by using AI. The second is Martec’s Law, which is a derivation of the law of accelerating returns. 
The study is aiming to address two main assumptions: the first is: Using artificial intelligence as a tool that can facilitate, enhance and provide variety of ways for professors to engage their students on line and in class. 
The second assumption will be based on measuring the degree to effectiveness and performance advancement seen by professors in their social sustainability.
Enhanced experience of the students will be measured by their rates of attendance and engagement. The amount of impact on project-based learning is going to be measured by the degree of reliance of professors on digital learning methods (eg. McGraw connect) and their reliance on using artificial intelligence in constructing them. The data will be provided by professors through a constructed survey.
Professor’s social sustainability will be measured by: quality time saved and related career advancement.

 

Author 1

Dr. Hala El Sedafy Bakry, Egypt.

Biography 

Doctorate of Business Administration, Faculty of Commerce: Business Administration Department; Ain-Shams University. • Masters of Business Administration (Human Resources Management Track) (Arab Academy) • Bachelor: Faculty of Commerce (Ain-Shams University) (English SectionAccounting Major). (High Honors) List of Publications: • Investigating the moderating role of employees’ leadership style expectations on the relationship between actual leadership style used and performance levels. An Empirical study on the Egyptian Private Sector Pre and During Covid pandemic. (Journal of Business and Environmental studies, Volume 13, Issue 3, Pages 645-683) https://jces.journals.ekb.eg/article_267351_e79b83dc94c1593b8e40f9723983c8 d0.pdf •The Impact of Reverse Management Practices on Corporate Performance Levels: An Empirical Study for the Egyptian Chemical Sector During Covid Pandemic. Journal of Alexandria University for Administrative Sciences. Volume 59- No.2- March 2022. 

Author 2

Dr. Rasha Ismail,Iraq.

Biography

 Dr. Rasha Ismail holds a Ph.D. in Business Process Management from the University of the West of England, in 2010 and an MBA in MIS/E-payment from the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, Egypt. From August 1996 to September 2012, she worked in career teaching until she got promoted to Assistant Professor at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), Egypt. Rasha is currently working at the University of Hertfordshire as an Associate Dean of the School of Business and a Program Leader of Business Administration. She has published research about business process modeling, the transition to e-business, and process improvements in education and industry. Rasha Ismail received an award of high-rank publication (Q1) from AUM in 2019, she was also awarded certificates for attending conferences and presenting papers, as well as a certificate of appreciation as a reviewer from IBIMA, in addition to certificates of appreciation from AUM for her efforts for leading and directing students’ Academic Activities and lately in 2021, she received an excellent certificate of appreciation as an invited speaker from 4th International Conference on Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence (MLMI 2021)

Author 3

Eng. Mazen Tarek Khalil, Egypt

Biography

A mechanical engineer fresh graduate looking to explore opportunities both in research and industry. Highly enthusiastic about the concept of product design through its initial stages up to its final stages. Extremely interested in the automotive, biomedical, maritime, and oil and gas fields.

 

 

 

The Age of AI: Examining adoption of AI among Academic Libraries. (Download the presentation)

Abstract

Libraries’ operations and service have been improved tremendously due to the influx of technology. Most academic libraries have introduced more technology- based tools to support research, teaching, learning and scholarship in their parent institution where they are situated.  References can be made to technology-based tools in academic libraries like the use of conversational user interface of Primo (San Jose State university’s Martin Luther King library), Library Retrieval System (University of Technology-Sydney), CRZR  that is cloud-based intelligent humanoid robots with face recognition characteristics, data management, bookshelf management and research here in Africa at University of  Lagos.The purpose of the study is to find out how AI will change the job of librarians in academic libraries in Ghana. To ascertain the level of adequate usage of the basic IT tools, and expertise readily available for the libraries operations in free access of information and  find out if academic and research libraries are aware of the use of AI and find out if these libraries use the AI in any way in their library operations currently. The study employed a qualitative approach of research with a population of ten (10) participants from University of Ghana Balme and Ghana Technology University Libraries. Semi-structured interview was employed for the study with thematic content analysis used to analysed the data generated. The findings revealed that both academic libraries have been automated using Library Management System of a kind, developed institutional repositories, etc. The finding revealed that Balme library use AI features in some their reference services whereas Ghana Technology University library do not. Both libraries have IT support for all IT issues in the libraries. However, none of the libraries have the three AI features (face recognition, data management, and the bookshelf management. It was therefore recommended that management must acquire more IT facilities 

Author 1

Ms. Jennifer Antwi, Ghana.

Biography 

Jennifer Kyerewaa Antwi is a PhD Student in Information Studies at University of Ghana-Legon-2023/24 She holds Mphil degree (2019), MA degree (2015), Bachelor Of Arts in Information Studies and Political Science (2012), Diploma in Librarianship (2018), all from University of Ghana, Legon. She is currently working with Accra Technical University, Accra and has worked with Central University, Mountcrest University Colege , Presbyterian University Libraries. She has been an intern at Central University, University of Ghana Business School, Koforidua Technical University and Accra Technical University Libraries. She attended S.D.A College of Education at Asokore-Koforidua and taught at Oda S,D.A Basic school as her first station form 2001 to 2003 then she moved to Awukugua S.D.A Basic school from 2003 to 2009.

---

 

Watch the Recording 

Download the Zoom Recording (Will be available Soon)

Session Photos