Joan Soulliere, Editor
Kgomotso Moahi is a citizen of Botswana and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Library and Information Sciences. I had an opportunity to speak with her about her background and the state of library and information science education inn Botswana. As effective professionals, it is important that we know the state of libraries, information centers, and professional library and information science education around the world, not simply that of our own school or nation.
Kgomotso started her doctoral work at SIS last Spring after a varied career working in and teaching library and information science. Her primary area of interest is management of health information. Kgomostso received her MLS from the University of Sheffield in Great Britain. Upon completing her degree, she returned to Botswana to work as a documentalist at the National Insittute of Development Research and Documentation at the University of Botswana. The objective of ther work was to create a bibliography on all published material relating to health and sickness in Botswana to determine what research had been done and what still remained.
Finding information relating to health and sickness in Botswana involved traveling overseas to conduct research and obtain copies of articles not avialable in Botswana. Kgomotso explained that while the government in Botswana did indeed produce reports relating to health, health care and sickness in Botswana under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, sometimes such government information is simply not made publicly available. Reports are generated, printed, and stored unread in boxes.
Upon completing her work at the Institute, Kgomotso started teaching at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana, which grants certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate degrees for individuals interested in paraprofessional work, as well as a professional Master's degree. Kgomotso's teaching experience sheds a good deal of needed light on the true disparity among library and information science education programs and conditions around the world and the need for librarians to not assume technical parity.
Kgomotso taught Intro. to Computers, Information Systems Analysis and Design, Database Management, and Information Networks (LANS and WANS). These courses were primarly taught to provide students and future practitioners with technological awareness. The majority of students go back to work situations with little or no technology but with the intent that they will be prepared for the future, no matter how far away it may seem.
Kgomotso stated that the technology was so behind, that by the time she left Botswana to come here, only the Univeristy library had computer access and capabilities. The Internet was taught on a purely theoretical basis with no way of actually gaining access and working with the technology. Kgomotso asked and answered the question, "Why are we doing this?" Her reply, "Because we live in hopes."