Connecting the Academic Library in a digital age: Building collaborative linkages and partnerships. A Narrative Review
Objective: To explore standards, policies, and frameworks that universalise the adoption of digital platforms to enhance resource sharing among academic libraries in Southern Africa.
Methods:This narrative review was conducted between October 2022, to February,2022, where an extensible search through Google Scholar, Emerald, and Ebsco was done. Additional searches were conducted from reference lists of relevant studies to identify publications that could have been omitted in database searches. The study adhered to the preferred reporting items for conducting a systematic review using the PRISMA checklist steps were followed to enhance rigor. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by three independent reviewers. Out of the 363 articles that were obtained, 8 met the inclusion criteria and were included for review and analysis.
Findings: Countries in southern Africa have made efforts to develop formal resource sharing platforms in most cases Library consortia for example the INNOPAC Millennium in Lesotho and South Africa, and MALICO in Malawi, and ZALICO in Zambia. Resource sharing was critical for the survival of academic libraries in Zimbabwe. The study found out that resource sharing was the only option to overcome the challenges of the paywall. Other platforms include inter lending collaborations, training and workshops. Academic libraries are able to cooperate through these bodies, share their scare resources and network effectively. In Southern Africa, the adaptation of common standards and protocols was reported. However, efforts are still underway in this area to develop legal binding structures that can guide the transactions of these professional cooperation.
Conclusion:The need to develop policies, standards and frameworks to govern resource sharing is critical. However, this should be coupled with International recognised standards in addition to national policies and framework to guide resource sharing activities.
