The Fresh-in-office Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Academic Affairs (DVC AA), Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang (Pictured Right) has started his duties with a promise to advocate for more funding for the University Library. Dr. Okello Ogwang was appointed DVC AA effective 1st Dec.2013 for a five year term. He was speaking at the Library End of year party on Friday 13th Dec. 2013 at the Forest Park Resort – Buloba.

His remarks followed a speech by the University Librarian, Prof. Maria Musoke, who pointed out that the Library was constrained in its plans partly due to limited resources.

“Makerere University Library has automated most of its functions amidst challenges of limited bandwidth and unstable internet and challenges of  a sustainability budget for equipment that will go obsolete after a few years,” she explained.

Prof. Musoke (Right) also pointed out that the Library grapples with an inadequate budget to power the generator when needed. She however expressed confidence that the Library will be in position to handle these constraints when the Development fees are released to it.

“In 2011/12, we had planned that after the extension to the Main library, the next extension will be the Medical Library which we had put in our financial year’s budget. However, the Library Development fees, which are expected to build the library, are not yet released. We request the Guest of Honour to assist us on this matter,” she said.

Guidelines set by the National Council for Higher Education recommend that 10% of the University’s budget should be spent on the Library. In his response, Dr. Okello Ogwang vowed to make this issue one of his priority areas since Libraries are a key factor to ensuring quality teaching, learning and research. “Today’s libraries are not only repositories and access points for electronic, print, audio and visual materials; they are the foundations of the evolution of the world,” he said.

“I pledge my support to the Library concerning the budgets for weekend duty, evening transport, maintenance of equipment and facilities, generator fuel and renovation of the old library building,” he added.

He also promised to look into the Council Resolution (2007) in relation to the Library Development fees. The DVC AA congratulated all Library Staff for the hard work exhibited, especially in demystifying the belief that Information Systems have not worked in Makerere.

As part of the celebrations, the different sections of the Library were rewarded for their outstanding performance, which saw the Africana Section (Pictured Above) take lead with 70.85% overall performance, followed by the Digitalization Unit at 70.3%. Amongst Colleges, the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS)–Pictured Left, took lead as the College whose performance was based on the submitted activity plan. Mr. Brian Wamala (Pictured Below) took home the Library's Dedicated Staff Award 2013.

The University Library Staff celebrated a number of achievements for the year including a working information system, a functional new Library extension building and the Makerere University Institutional Repository that has contributed the highest number of richfiles. These files have enabled Makerere University’s webometric ranking to progressively improve to the 4th position in Africa as of Aug 2013.

The Library Staff were grateful to all internal and external stakeholders who have contributed to betterment of the Library including Makerere University Staff, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Sida SAREC project, the University of Bergen and the Mortenson Center – U.S.A.

Article by Marion Alina, Public Relations Office