1. DIGITAL INCLUSION: Libraries connecting communities in the last mile
Buhle Mbambo-Thata
Executive Director
UNISA Library

2. Part 1 Entrenched on Development

3. UN 2030 Pillars (

4. A peaceful and secure Africa.
A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development.
An integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance.
An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law. 
A peaceful and secure Africa.
An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics.
An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.
Africa as a strong, united and influential global player and partner.

5. National Development Plan
Active Citizenry
Freedom of Access to Information
Teaching and research targets
A library in every community

6. Part 2 The Africa we want depends on all of us

7. The Africa we want

8. Africa’s Population- a continent of hope
Continental interdependence
Some statistics
65 % population below age 40
5 of the world’s fastest growing economies
Ours is a continent of hope!

9. White paper highlights
Integrated policy
Freedom of access to information
Open access
Effective and fair competition
Empower citizens
Access for all populations including those in rural areas
A commitment to bringing rural communities into the 21st century.

10. Part 3 Some opportunities
Government policies promoting investments in ICT infrastructure and undersea fibre optic cables mean that a lot more African scholars will have access to decent internet connections.
Internet penetration rates, both web and mobile, in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya are above or close to the world average of 32%.
large licensing organisations, such as Creative Commons, into the African market could reinforce existing legal frameworks and sensitise communities on intellectual property and copyright law
Part 3 Some opportunities

11. Costs of Broadband needs be reduced
Research Networks and collaboration
Africa’s digital citizens
Mobile: “If what the youngsters have is mobile phones, then that is what we have to work with,” Vosloo (2011)

12. 65% - 70% of Africa’s people own a mobile phone
Connectivity increases every year – mobile cell coverage expands
Opportunity for inclusivity
However UNESCO statistics indicate that most mobile phones in are not smart phone and therefore limited in functionality

13. Part 4 Library Digital initiatives

14. African digital initiatives
Digital Libraries- strong on local knowledge digitization
Botswana- Public Libraries connected to Internet partnership with BMGF
Ghana Library Authority (GLA) Mobile health Information
Public Library Innovation programmes
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda- agriculture a and health information
South Africa: where are we?
1154 libraries are connected to the internet
International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publication and Electronic Information for Libraries have funded training for librarians in Africa, but much more training is still needed to institutionalise open access

15. Public access to internet through libraries
Through the conditional grant 1154 libraries offer internet services to the public.

16. Public Library: only point of access
Libraries are safe. Funded by tax payers

17. Children section- reading e-books

18. Part 5 Conclusion

19. Living no one behind
Connecting next billion requires Multi sector approach that ensures none is left behind
Digital local content production
ICT White paper refers to infrastructure provision for remotest areas
Connecting rural libraries -a development imperative
Source:
Slide indicates some ways to overcome the 3 levels of the Information Gap listed below:
No 1. Access divide to information resources
high quality research papers are mostly published in English journals
(Li et al., 2008; Chen, 2004),
No 2. capability divide (the inequality of the capability to exploit information resources
No 3. outcome divide which refers to the inequality of outcomes (e.g. learning and productivity) of exploiting information resources in given contexts.

20. Conclusion Libraries promoting active citizens.
Evidence of services for digital citizens.
ICT White Paper will facilitate remote access .
Libraries are bridging the digital divide - connecting citizens- building the Africa we want.

21. Thank You
Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata