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    Demystifying Design Thinking in an Academic Library.
    (2020) Ganessingh, Ray; Benny, Aleesha
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    Creating an Income-generating Culture for Sustainability at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus Libraries.
    (2019) Alleyne – Cumberbatch, Ayaana; Adams Baptiste, Beverly; Ganessingh, Ray; Chinnia-Benny, Aleesha
    Budget cuts at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine, Campus Libraries, led to the organization seeking avenues to sustain itself. Consequent to this and the need for self-sustaining income generation, the Campus Libraries accepted an invitation offered by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to tender for its Evidence-Based Portal project. Local, regional and international institutions tendered and in 2018 the UWI St Augustine Campus Libraries won the Consultancy to Index, Enter and Upload identified documents to the EvIDeNCe Portal which was borne out of the 10th EDF Programme of Support for Health Systems Strengthening for Prevention and Response to Outbreaks of Zika and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases in the Caribbean. To do this, an evaluation of the UWI library’s skills, competencies and resources was completed to assess the library’s ability to meet CARPHA’s requirements for the project. The areas assessed were:  Project management competencies  Level of experience with the MedCarib database and software  Cataloguing, indexing, abstracting and data entry in the project recommended software  Digitization expertise  Equipment and technology This library initiative was the first step in demonstrating library sustainability which brought the following benefits:  Funds to assist in library projects  Training in the use of an updated BIREME software for the MedCarib database  Opportunity to collaborate with other professional and paraprofessional staff; new linkages with local and Caribbean stakeholders  Raising awareness of the MedCarib initiative It is recommended that libraries and other information institutions should continuously examine and find ways to market their resources and services while harnessing their internal knowledge base and creative resources, since combined, it forms a guidepost towards income-generating opportunities and library sustainability.
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    The Green Library Model for Sustainability: Toward New Horizons in Higher Education.
    (2019) Alleyne – Cumberbatch, Ayaana; Adams Baptiste, Beverly; Ganessingh, Ray; Chinnia-Benny, Aleesha
    Poster presentation title: The Green Library Model for Sustainability: Toward New Horizons in Higher Education. Abstract Green libraries serve as a vehicle for long-term visibility and sustainability, and The University of the West Indies (UWI), Medical Sciences Library (MSL), has positioned itself to support green libraries while championing the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the steps taken at the MSL to support green libraries initiative: • Energy conservation: by turning off the lights, air condition units, printers, and computers, and monitors when the Library is closed; using LED light bulbs • Recycling: keeping “one-sided used” prints to write on; re-using of envelopes; using old books to make decorations • Automation of services: Ask-a-Librarian; booking of study rooms and computer labs; discontinuing the use of reserve slips • Purchasing of e-journals and e-books, instead of print journals and books Implementing “going green” strategies have resulted in the following: • 10% reduction in the use of paper • 15% reduction in the cost of office supplies • 50 % reduction of in the cost of purchasing print journals and books • Reduction in printer and copier usage Budget cuts has caused the MSL to revisit its expenditure. One of the expenditure items removed was the rental of plants. However, to replace this expenditure a project is being developed to encourage staff to volunteer for an in-house library beautification project. Overall, staff supported the activities at the MSL for the green library model. Additionally, the library was able to save in the cost of expenditure by employing these “going green” strategies.
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    Access to Information in the English-Speaking Caribbean
    (2010-05-19T13:14:07Z) Renwick, Shamin
    The paper proposes to describe the status of information access illustrated by examples drawn from the English-speaking Caribbean and to suggest strategies for Librarians to enhance their management of future developments in the electronic information explosion. Though the information superhighway is becoming a reality in more developed countries, it has not yet materialized in the Caribbean. This can be demonstrated by the limited access to Internet in most territories. At the regional level, librarians experience varying degrees of difficulty in accessing information. Problems revolve mainly around a lack of telecommunication links and funding. There have been a number of networking efforts and the establishment of specialized information systems but the full potential of these have not been realized as a result. However, at the national level in most states access is much better and, though, there has been improved bibliographic control, information retrieval and document delivery systems users, especially researchers, claim to have little or no access to information. The information superhighway promises to be a panacea but it bring its own complications. So librarians and library associations will have to recognize the need for reassessment of their role and responsibilities in electronic age.
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    Directory of Caribbean Agricultural Information Sources
    (2009-10-28T16:02:12Z) Renwick, Shamin; de Freitas, Claudette; Pagán, Liz M.