Tanzania Workshops
PERI Electronic Resources Sensitization Workshop , Dodoma Parliament, 18 April 2008
The workshop objective was to sensitize the Members of the Parliament in Tanzania on the role and importance of electronic library and information resources. Majority of the participants were Members of Parliament who were in the Social Services Parliamentary Committee and its support staff. The Librarian of the Parliament and the Chairperson of the Social Services Parliamentary Committee, Hon. Omari Kwaangw’-MP-Babati, assisted the facilitator Prof. Paul Manda from the University of Dar es Salaam Library. Content covered was deemed as very important for politicians and decision makers and there was appreciation for the opportunity this workshop presented. It was recommended by facilitators and participants that another similar but extended workshop be presented in the near future.
PERI Electronic Resources Sensitization Workshop, The State University of Zanzibar, 30 March 2008
This one day workshop was presented by Prof. Paul Manda, University of Dar es Salaam Library, to twenty participants from the Zanzibar House of Representatives. It was successful in its aim to raise awareness of available electronic resources and there were a number of requests for similar workshop to help develop on the search skills acquired. The local organiser, Amina Hilika of The State University of Zanzibar, reported positively on the event content and outcomes which he says “has contributed to the capacity building of the Members of the House of the Representatives in Zanzibar”.
The Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SUAL) hosted three training events on access and usage of e-resources for 82 participants during July 2007. Prof. Paul Manda from the University of Dar es Salaam Library and Mr. Alfred Sife from SUAL were lead facilitators and the local co-ordinators and co-facilitators from SUAL were Mr. Andrew Malekani and Dr. Angela M. Chailla. It was well received and considered by participants as a very good beginning for future workshops on sensitization and training of academicians on usage of e-resources.
Training workshop, Tanzania, July 2007
Other Workshops also held in Tanzania include:
State University of Zanzibar also hosted a workshop on Electronic journals and Resources from 6-8 August 2007, which had 26 participants. This workshop was very well received and requests were received for more workshops and also at other venues as indicated by the following quote "such workshops should be conducted in other higher educations instiutions throughout the country".
Tumaini University/Iringa College University hosted two workshops on Electronic Journals Access and Usage in June of 2007 which provided training for 76 participants. The locally identified need for this training was confirmed in the feedback with participants seeing this as a first step to accessing e-resources and requesting further and regular training.
Health Information/Introduction to Internet at Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS). Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Tanzania provided training for 20 academic and research staff. This focused on availability and access to health related electronic resources and ran from 16-20 April 2007. All participants found the workshop extremely useful to their daily activities ie.teaching, researching and information provision.