2012 FOSS developments in Kenya | EIFL

“In a fast changing knowledge marketplace, libraries are increasingly relying on technology that enables them to innovate and respond quickly to the evolving technological environment. Lack of funds for license fees, a growing need for open access to scholarly information, flexibility, and sustainability are some of the reasons that may explain the gradual increase in the use of free and open source software, and the adoption of open standards in Kenya.   In November 2011, EIFL-FOSS held a Regional Training Seminar in Dar es salaam, Tanzania, with the support of UNESCO. The seminar brought together library directors and IT/FOSS librarians from 14 African countries. Kenya was represented by a library director, Rosemary Gitachu, and its EIFL-FOSS coordinator, Evan Njoroge. The participants were introduced to various FOSS tools ... In January 2012, Evan Njoroge presented an advocacy presentation to the Kenya University Librarians' Committee (KULC); an audience of more than 25 policy makers in charge of the various university libraries in Kenya. They were taken through the FOSS Advocacy Toolkit so as to assist them in understanding FOSS and to enhance their capacity in making decisions about adopting FOSS. One of the most useful FOSS tools for information consolidation and dissemination, SubjectsPlus was introduced to them. The tool received an overwhelming support and a national training workshop was proposed.  On April 2012, a three day national workshop on DSpaceand Digital repositories funded by EIFL and organised by the Kenya Library Information Consortium (KLISC) was conducted with a total of 26 participants. The participants were taken through in-depth training on repositories, specifically on DSpace.  The EIFL-OA programme invited new proposals for national or institutional open access advocacy campaigns to reach out to research communities.  Evan Njoroge, together with the Kenya EIFL-OA coordinator, Rosemary Otando, submitted a proposal titled ‘Knowledge without boundaries: Advocacy campaign in Kenya for open access and institutional repositories’, a proposal that won along with10 other grantees. The project activities include: organising meetings/workshops; to advocate for open access policies; to the top level managers/policy makers, librarians, researchers, postgraduate students, authors, and editors; and installation of DSpace repository software to KLISC member institutions. It is a follow up on the members who attended the April workshop and had expressed an interest in implementation...”