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ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES CONSORTIUM STRATEGIC PLAN 2002 – 2007

MEMBERS

The Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium (ZULC) has been set up by university libraries in Zimbabwe to promote resource sharing among members in view of the financial challenges that university libraries face in their acquisition and provision of information resources. The current members of this organization are the libraries of the following institutions:

1. Africa University
2. Bindura University of Science Education
3. Midlands State University
4. National University of Science and Technology
5. Solusi University
6. University of Zimbabwe
7. Zimbabwe Open University

VISION

Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium’s vision is to provide maximum and unfettered access to information resources, both print and electronic, to the clientele of member institutions.

MISSION

To promote and foster scholarship within universities by providing maximum access to information resources that support teaching, learning and research activities.

ENVIRONMENTAL/SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

Internal strengths

· Financial support is received from parent institutions. · The University of Zimbabwe has the advantage of having qualified and experienced staff because of its age and is therefore in a position to play a nurturing role for young universities. · Existence of information resource collections within universities. · Goodwill, perseverance and commitment of staff. · Some libraries have a long history of development, eg. UZ

Internal weaknesses

· All university libraries acquire information resources, library equipment, hardware and software, etc. on an individual basis thereby missing out on price discounts as well as duplicating information resources. · Libraries approach donors individually, thereby creating unhealthy competition and quite often not achieving very much. · Libraries do not share manual and online catalogues or human expertise. · Libraries have been passive when it comes to marketing their services and articulating their needs to the society at large. · University libraries have no forum where matters of common interest can be discussed.

Threats

· There is generally a low level of local donor support from industry and commerce and private individuals. · External donor funding is dwindling as the years go by. · Government grants to universities are falling in real terms · Libraries do not receive the recommended 4% to 10% of the university’s budget to fund the acquisition of information resources. · Universities are operating in a very harsh economic environment.

Opportunities

· Library consortia already exist in South Africa, Europe and North America and cooperation with these can be pursued. · The university library user community in Zimbabwe is growing as a result of increased universities and distance learning programmes. · The knowledge society is demanding more information and information services despite the financial challenges being experienced.

Strategic issues

· There is need for university administration to allocate between 4% and 10% of their operational budgets to university libraries. · Duplication in operations must be reduced or eliminated and benefits from available resources must be maximized. · The Consortium will approach donors on programmes of common benefit to institutional members. · Efforts should be made to automate library catalogues. · There is also a need to establish and strengthen ties with other university libraries consortia for purposes of developing and enriching ZULC.

CONSORTIUM ACTIVITIES

In 2002 the Consortium plans to carry out the following:

1. Directors of the seven member Libraries plan to visit the two successful regional Consortia in South Africa. Cape Library Cooperative (CALICO) in the Western Cape and the Gauteng and Environs Library Cooperative (GAELIC) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa.

2. The Directors plan to combine their visit to South Africa to include attendance at the forthcoming meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Central and Southern African Librarians (SCECSAL 2002) to be held in Johannesburg April 15 – 19, 2002. This will enable them to network on the issue of Consortia with a variety of Librarians from the rest of Africa and abroad.

3. Training Activities to include:
(a) Launching ZULC : A one day workshop to launch the Consortium will be organized at the University of Zimbabwe. This will be both a marketing forum as well as a forum at which each member library, potential members will get to understand what the consortium can offer. Who we are? What is ZULC? Why?
What the Vision of ZULC is?
Where we are at the moment?
How we plan to proceed?
The workshop is meant to develop a set of shared values for ZULC, as well as an opportunity for ZULC to find and agree on means of Evaluating the Consortium activities.
b) After the formal launch, Library Directors will be expected to take the concept and formally introduce it to the rest of their staff and institutions Directors and their staff have to understand the consortium’s ideals and future. They have to believe in it and identify with the project for it to succeed.

4. Consultants
As part of the launch, the Consortium plans to invite two experienced consultants who are renowned experts in Library Consortium/networks formation to make presentations at the launch.

5. The Five Work Groups will each organise a one day workshop on their area of specialization in the course of 2002. e.g. using the Internet for research, Using Library of Congress and AACR2; SABINET training, training for InterLibrary Loans Librarians.

6. Fundraising
The Consortium plans a series of short training workshops for library professionals in Zimbabwe as a way of raising funds.

7. Strategy and Tools for Communicating
Most member libraries have e-mail and Internet services running. The Consortium hopes to make effective use of these tools for communicating.
Where a member does not have these tools, the Consortium intends to encourage the setting up of these tools with expertise and assistance from the consortium.
Other tools of communication include telephones, fax and postage. These services are fairly well established and are available in all member libraries.

EVALUATION

Performance standards need to be set by each of the working groups to facilitate measurement of their work. Performance measurement will be a component of the Directors’ workshop at which criteria and standards for the performance of the consortium will be set.

BUDGET

BUDGET REQUEST FOR A GRANT

Payment Schedule

Instalments	Date	Other Funding	OSI
		US$5 800.00	US$64 878.69

Bank Name and address (To be advised. A foreign currency account will be opened once funds become available)

BUDGET SUMMARY

1. Project Title : Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium
2. Project Period : March 2002 – February 2003
3 Expenses

a) Equipment	US$13 717.00
b) Administration	US$ 6527.51
c) Educational Supplies	US$ 1023.18
d) Contracts, Consultants and Honoraria	US$ 2 700.00
e) Travel	US$37 774.33
f) Other	US$ 3 750.00
TOTAL	US$65 492.02

BUDGET DETAIL

1. EQUIPMENT/CAPITAL PURCHASES

Notes
The consortium needs basic office equipment for the secretariat to use for administrative purposes. In the first year of operation, it is not envisaged that such equipment will be more than a computer, printer and filing cabinet.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST (Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
Computer .Pentium III, 20gb HDD, 850mhz	1	288 000	288 000	4 800.00
Software (Windows; MS Office, Antivirus)	1 ea	n/a	120 000	2 000.00
Fax Machine	1	120 000	120 000	2 000.00
Laser Printer	1	250 000	250 000	4 167.00
Filing cabinet	1	45 000	45 000	750.00
TOTAL	5	n/a	823 000	13 717.00

2. ADMINISTRATION

Notes
One conference to launch the consortium will be held during the year as well as one training workshop for each of the four project teams, (four workshops in all). Most of the administration expenses have to do with preparation for these events, publicity, telephone calls etc.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
Office Supplies a. Diskettes b. Bond paper c. Stapler / Staples d. Spiral binder & consumables e. Pens f. Pencils/erasers g. Other stationery h. Writing paper i. Storage cabinet	5boxes 20reams 1 1 5 boxes 1 box ea 5 pads 1	1 800 1 800 700 1 800 500 150 60 000	9 000 9 000 700 260 000 9 000 500 3 000 750 60 000	150.00 150.00 11.67 4333.33 150.00 8.34 50.00 12.50 1000.00
Telephone / Faxes	n/a	n/a	10 000	166.67
Postage	600	12.00	7 200	120.00
Conference Banners	2	6 000	12 000	200.00
Name tag holders	100	90.00	9 000	150.00
Invitation cards	150	100.00	1 500	25.00
TOTAL	n/a	n/a	392350	6527.51

3. EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES

Notes
Training equipment and related support material to be used during the training workshops.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST (Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
LCD and overhead projector hire	1ea	n/a	7 000	116.67
Overhead projector slides	5boxes	5000.00	25 000	416.67
Whiteboard markers	5	250.00	1 250	20.84
Magic markers	10	150.00	1 500	25.00
Course handouts	40	480.00	19 200	320.00
Writing pads	40	150.00	6 000	100.00
Pens	40	35.00	1 400	24.00
TOTAL	n/a	n/a	61 350	1023.18

4. CONTRACTS, CONSULTANTS, HONORARIA

Notes
It is envisaged that one or two members of one the established consortia in South Africa (e.g. GAELIC or CALICO) will be invited as resource persons at the conference/launch of ZULC. Consultations will have to be held with members of the big consortia in South Africa.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST (Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
Accommodation for 2 people	3nights	6 000	36 000	600.00
Meals for 2 people	4 days	3 000	24 000	400.00
Per diem for 2 people	4 days	1 500	12 000	200.00
Honoraria	2	15 000	30 000	500.00
Workshops Resource persons (honoraria)	4	15 000	60 000	1000.00
TOTAL	n/a	n/a	162 000	2700.00

5. TRAVEL

Notes
The Council of Directors will be meeting once a month in the first year of operation. Travel expenses include such local travel to meetings, to the conference as well as tickets for a consultant from South Africa. The Council of Directors also plans to visit consortia in South Africa. Included in this section are the expenses for both local and international travel as well as per diems. Four workshops for each of the project teams will be held to which team leaders will travel.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST (Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
Directors’ travel to meetings	11	75 000	825 000	13750.00
Directors’ travel to South Africa – Airfares (Harare-Jo-burg-Cape Town)	7	23 780	166 460	2 774.33
Directors’ per diems for 12 days	7	10 500	882 000	14 700.00
Local travel (Project team leaders)	n/a	n/a	300 000	5 000.00
Per diems (when travelled to meetings)	n/a	n/a	93 000	1 550.00
TOTAL	n/a	n/a	2 266 460	37 774.33

6. OTHER

Notes
Lunch for invited guests is planned for the day of the official launch of the consortium. An estimated 150 people will be invited.

ITEM/DETAILS	QTY	UNIT COST (Z$)	TOTAL COST(Z$)	TOTAL COST(US$)
Lunch & drinks	150	1 500	225 000	3 750.00
TOTAL	n/a	n/a	225 000	3 750.00

(NB: Exchange rate used: US$1 = Z$60)

ESTIMATED BUDGET TOTAL

Z$3 930 160.00

US$65 492.02

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