Creating an Income-generating Culture for Sustainability at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus Libraries.
Date
2019
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Abstract
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.
Description
`This poster was presented at the Association of Caribbean University, Research Institutions and Libraries (ACURIL) Conference which was held in Aruba from June 2-6, 2019.
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.
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Keywords
Academic libraries -- Economic aspects -- Trinidad and Tobago