Conversations on UNESCO OER Recommendation and Open Knowledge: An overview for African librarians

AUGUST 8, 2023

The Africa Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) recently published “The UNESCO OER Recommendation and Open Knowledge: An overview for African librarians”, with funds from Neil Butcher and Associates (NBA).

This has led to a deluge of questions on;

• the open knowledge ecosystem in Africa,
• what the UNESCO OER Recommendation is,
• where African libraries fit in,
• the role of African librarians as pertains to the UNESCO OER Recommendation and the entire open knowledge ecosystem and
• what actions need to be taken, what networks need to be built, what trainings are necessary for effective implementation of the UNESCO OER Recommendation in the African library sector.

AfLIA has had a robust relationship with OER Africa. This led to a WhatsApp group being set up in July 2021 to serve as a platform for all discussions about OER. This group of librarians on that platform has been engaging vigorously on OER, Open Licensing, and issues around the open knowledge ecosystem in Africa. It is natural that these librarians are on hand to answer the questions posed above. 

Thus, there will be two panel discussions on the UNESCO OER Recommendation and Open Knowledge: An overview for African librarians on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th August with these librarians. 

On Wednesday 16th August, the conversation will focus on what African libraries of all types have been doing about OER and how OER may be a veritable pathway for achieving SDG 4 in Africa.

On Thursday, 17th August, the discussions will focus on the next steps on tackling critical issues such as – how can African librarians learn more about OER and be able to teach their user communities? What are the practicalities of Open Licensing for African librarians? What stakeholders should African librarians work with in promoting the concept and practice of OER? How can librarians lead in-country and cross-border collaborations on creating, processing, disseminating and possibly generating standards for fact checking that promote the sustainability of OERS? Can African librarians advocate for a central database of OERs in Africa?

Dates

Day 1: 16th August 2023 @10am UTC

Day 2: 17th August 2023 @2pm UTC

Registration details

Click on the button below to book your space for the session. Kindly note that once you register, you will receive reminders about the event. Attendees only need to register once to be part of the two-day panel discussion.

Discussants

David Koech is a Passionate Librarian from Kabarak university – Kenya, Research4life master trainer, Young African Library Leader, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and open educational resources (OER) advocate, Kenya Sign Language Interpreter and Basic Russian language conversant. David is currently training Kabarak University staff, Kenya Basic Sign Language to promote community outreach services.

Esther Simon Ngamba is a librarian and IT professional from Tanzania. She has a diploma in Library, Archives and Documentation studies, a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Studies, and a Master’s degree in IT for Project Management. She has worked with the Tanzania Library Services Board and the College of Business Education. She is also the creator of the Library Users Alert Message System (LUAMS). Esther is married with three children.

Dr. Florence Amaka Nwofor is a librarian and LIS educator with over 25 years of experience. She was born in Limbe (Victoria), Cameroon and holds degrees from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and the Anambra state College of Education, Awka. She is a respected lecturer and Head of Department of Library and Information Science at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. She has published extensively in local and international journals on various topics in librarianship. She is a member of various national and international professional bodies and champions dedicated free access to knowledge and promotes mentorship for improved library service delivery.

Alkasim Hamisu Abdu is a librarian and researcher at the Yusuf Maitama Sule University Kano, with a background in library science, education, and finance. He is a PhD candidate in Library and Information Science at the Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and holds postgraduate diplomas in Banking and Finance and Education. Alkasim is passionate about scholarly communication and open education. He is the Secretary of the Nigerian Library Association Kano State Chapter and his major areas of research interest are scholarly communication and open education with keen interest in advocating for the use of OER in the Nigerian Educational system.

Dr. Hope Chikaodi, is a Librarian working with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. She’s a member of Nigerian Library Association and a passionate Wikibrarian who believes in the importance of opening up knowledge.

Dr. Fidelia Mbowheing WHONG is currently working as a digital librarian at Kashim Ibrahim Library Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria and she is passionate about empowering individuals through access to knowledge and information. She holds a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science (LIS) from the University of Nigerian Nsukka, Enugu State.

Dr. Gift Eyisi is a Chief lecturer in the School of Information Technology, Library and Information Science Department, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State Nigeria. Her core interest areas are children’s literature, types of libraries, library and information science in the society and Open access as a veritable pathway for disseminating research findings.

Technical Requirements

Upon registration, reminders will be sent to all registrants periodically. This webinar will be hosted on Zoom Conferencing Platform. Participants, who do not have Zoom on their mobile devices and or computers, need to download, install and create an account on Zoom ahead of time (CLICK TO DOWNLOAD). Webinar attendees are encouraged to join early, preferably 15 minutes before the start of the webinar, as one may need time launch the application. The speaker will use a webcam to connect with attendees. Audio and video for the session will be streamed over computer speakers. Attendees are therefore encouraged to connect with a headset or earpiece for maximum utility.

Webinar Materials

A list of resources and further information will made be available at the end of the webinar, to enable thorough engagement with the webinar content. All registrants will have access to the presentation slides. The webinar recording will be uploaded on AfLIA Youtube Channel soon after the webinar to facilitate continuous engagement with the webinar content by webinar attendees and non-attendees. Please note that this webinar does not involve certificate of participation.

Queries

For further enquiries and any assistance relating to the webinar, contact us at afliacomm@aflia.net.