Customer Service Workshop

This week, the Central Library Programme of the UEM-Sweden Programme organises a workshop on library customer service.

Exciting things going on in the library.

Invited to the workshop are librarians within the library organisation working closely with library users and it is led by Malin Utter from the Swedish School of Library and Information Science and Tove Lekselius from the Library, both at the University of Borås. Supporting with translations when the English language becomes challenging, is Demócrito Manyissa, from the UEM library.

Demócrito Manyissa, Malin Utter and Tove Lekselius discussiong during a coffe break.

Presentations are usually shared with participants -- and here on the blog.

Updates on activities

Master students

If you work at the Central Library you have probably noted that Professor Elena Maceviciute is around between the 24th and 28th of September. Elena from the Swedish school of Library and Information Science is in the country to introduce our six master's students to the programme, to teach digital library management, but also to meet with library staff and managers for a couple of short workshops. Elena is programme supervisor of the international master's programme that the students are admitted to, and if you are interested in her research, please go to her research profile via this link.

Professor Elena Maceviciute. Photo: University of Borås

Annual Planning Meeting

Later on in October, library director and University of Borås team member Svante Krisetnsson will participate in the Annual Planning Meeting of the Sida-UEM cooperation together with library director Horacio Zimba, coordinator .

Master teaching again

Besides Digital Library Management, the master's programme focuses on information retrieval and technologies for digital libraries this semester. Fereshta Westin, lecturer from the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, gives input on basic technology between October 22nd and 26th.

UEM-Sweden 40 years of research cooperation

On the 13th of November, the 40 years of research cooperation between Sweden and Mozambique are marked through a scientific conference at the university together with the Swedish embassy and representatives of both countries. The Central Library team will on the Swedish side be represented by the coordinator Veronica Trépagny.

UEM Central Library. Photo: Veronica Trépagny

Admission of master's students

As the semester starts in Sweden, we are happy to announce admission of six UEM students to the master's programme library and information science Digital Libraries and Information Services (SSLIS, University of Borås).The programme takes two years to finalize, with thesis writing the last semester. It is a distance mode programme, which means that the students will be studying online. Since the approach is also blended learning, the students will travel to Sweden to take part in a course on digitisation of cultural heritage material next semester. They will also have to travel to Sweden to defend their thesis. But teachers will also come to Maputo to teach. This means that Professor Elena Maceviciute will be at UEM between the 24th and 28th of September for teaching in the programme, but also for shorter sessions with UEM staff. More information on the other presentations and/or workshops to come.

University of Borås Campus. Photo: Anna Sigge.

Team visit to Sweden

Curious about what Horacio Zimba and Democrito Manyissa did in Sweden last week? As part of our cooperation, we have exchange on the agenda, as well as finding ways to contribute not only to library development, but also to education in library and information science at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM). And what we do, we aim to do together.

Team trapped in the House of Knowledge,
 sculpture by Jaume Plensa on campus. Photo: Maria Idebrant

The first days of the stay were spent in Borås, where the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, SSLIS, is found at the University of Borås (UB). Horacio and Democrito, together with Veronica Trépagny (team leader, SSLIS), Svante Kristensson (library director, UN, member of the team) and other UB staff had meetings and discussions around:

• library schools
• education in library and information science at SSLIS and UEM
• potential future education in library and information science
• research in library and information science at SSLIS
• research education 

Democrito Manyissa with Malin Utter and Maria Ringbo,
discussing bachelor's education.

Horacio Zimba with Daniel Kristiansson

Horacio and Democrito spent time in the university library at the UB and held meetings on competence buildning input next year (work shop discussions). Daniel Kristiansson, the UB research officer assisting in the Sida research training partnership programmes, took part in many of the meetings and contributed to the planning and delivery of the UEM stay in Borås.

Lunch meeting after research discussions, with Åsa Söderlind
(study director, research education) and Jan Nolin (research leader,
professor), as well as Maria Ringbo...
Democrito, Veronica and Horacio. Photo: Maria Idebrant

Another partner of the cooperation ins the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH). So the last part of the trip was spent there. The BTH library was visited and discussions on BTH input in fields such as information literacy were held. Anna Stockman is deputy team leader and responsible for the cooperation at the BTH library.

Democrito, Claes Lennartsson, head of school at SSLIS,
and Horacio.

Welcome to the Central Library Programme at UEM

Welcome to our blog - and don't forget to subscribe

This is where the library team working within the Sida Research Training Parntership Programme cooperation between Swedish universities and the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Mozambique are going to communicate. Here, we will share what we are here for, what our aims are, what we do and how you can learn more. We want to include all librarians and library staff working within the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane libraries in our communication, but others are also welcome to follow us. 

The Sida research cooperation aims at creating an environment even more conducive for research and the formulation of problems and theories adressing Mozambique's own challenges. For any research based university, a modern research library is needed. The vision of the central library of the UEM is "to be a modern research library and center of excellence in technical and scientific information". As (also) described in the concept note for the Central Library Programme,  its  mission is further to "bring together necessary information resources for teaching and research a at Eduardo Mondlane University in particular and in the country in general".