UNILISA Conference

Call for abstracts

Access to and sharing of information in the digital age have become basic human rights and are enshrined in the bills of rights of most African constitutions. Access to information enables people to make informed decisions that can improve their lives. Therefore, communities with access to timely and relevant information are better positioned to eradicate poverty and inequality, improve agriculture, provide quality education and facilitate health, culture, research and innovation. This is aligned with the United Nation’s 2030 Development Agenda - particularly with Target 16.10 of its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which calls for ensuring public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms. Inspired by the UN 2030 Development Agenda, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) affirms that increasing access to information and knowledge across society, assisted by the availability of information and communications technologies (ICTs), promotes sustainable development and improves people’s lives.

In spite of its obvious benefits, access to information remains a major challenge in Africa. In South Africa, for example, statistics reveal a lack of information and knowledge services for the young and unemployed in the rural and un-urbanised townships. Issues such as illiteracy, disability, poverty, poor ICT infrastructure, limited Internet access, restrictive copyright and access to information laws amongst others are prevalent.

The conference provides an opportunity for academics, researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders to critically examine the role of African archives and libraries in promoting public access to quality information at the global, national and local level, in an era where there is particularly large appetite - and aptitude - for information.

The organisers of UNILISA 2019 call for the submission of abstracts that deal with any of the following broad themes:

  • Open data movement
  • Open access
  • Personal data protection
  • Copyright and intellectual property
  • Data curatorship
  • Block chain technology
  • Indigenous knowledge systems
  • Information governance
  • Information and knowledge management
  • Media and information literacy
  • Accountability and transparency in information
  • Digital preservation
  • Bibliometrics, biometrics and bioinformatics
  • User and information services
  • Social media and LIS
  • Archival diplomacy
  • Legislation
  • Cloud and grid computing
  • Green computing
  • Libraries and digital libraries
  • E-government
  • E-learning
  • Enterprise information systems
  • Organisational semiotics
  • Intelligent information systems
  • Network security
  • Big data and data mining
  • Risk management
  • Mobile computing and applications
  • Technopreneurship
  • Information search and retrieval
  • Internet security/Cyber security
  • Knowledge economy, evaluating and sourcing knowledge
  • Information society and social networks
  • Mobile networks
  • Robotics
  • Cybersecurity
  • Information security
  • Ethical and privacy concerns
  • Current trends in LIS research
  • Disability and inclusiveness

Abstracts for the conference should be forwarded to Prof Bosire Onyancha at onyanob@unisa.ac.za  and to Dr Jacobs to ejacobl1@unisa.ac.za

Last modified: Mon Aug 07 18:03:37 SAST 2023