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KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2007-04-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our weekend break allowed us to get a glimpse of another area of South Africa, and this country continues to amaze us! We had the rare opportunity to explore the KwaZulu-Natal province with our wonderful friend and guide - Zwai!

We had the opportunity to explore Durban's coast and beaches, a traditional Zulu village, the beautiful Drakensburg Mountain range, a wine estate in the Midlands and the beauty of the Free State province.

We are learning much about this country. We want to thank our friends here in Pretoria for sharing their time with us so that we can get a more personal glimpse into the South African culture.

Traveling the world - online!

2007-04-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

The IFLA project continues as we gather and verify data on countries around the world. During the second phase of our project we continue our online research and quest to verify data submitted by various countries. We are gaining a new perspective on the challenges faced by libraries worldwide and are fascinated by the responses to questions regarding internet use, privacy, filtering, freedom of expresson, and the promotion of women's literacy.

Their is much work to be done yet on the project. We are thrilled to be involved in the overall process and wish the IFLA research team much success as the project continues over the next few months.

Majestic Scenery, Majestic Animals…and homework too!

2007-04-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

It has been one full week now filled with exploration and learning. We are discovering more and more about the lifestyle and culture of South Africa. We had a wonderful weekend filled with majestic scenery and a rare glimpse of the wildlife.

I had the opportunity to travel to Mpumalanga, the province just east of Gauteng (the province where we are staying). Mpumalanga, “the place of the rising sun” borders the Kruger National Park and is home to some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.
We traveled thru the mountains and hiked to some of the most amazing viewing points in the area. We saw God’s Window, the Pinnacle, the Three Rondavels (three huge rocks with tops that look like traditional African hut roofs), The Bourke’s Luck Potholes (“nature’s wishing well”, a complex of smooth cylindrical potholes and rock sculptures hollowed out by whirlpools created at the meeting point of the Blyde River (‘river of joy”) and the Treur River (“river of sorrow”). The area is filled with lush forest areas and beautiful waterfalls. The whole experience was amazing.

On Sunday we visited the Lion Park and got up close and personal with some 4 month old lion cubs. Allisa was holding hands with one the cubs and did not want to let go! The guided drive through the park took us to 4 different lion camps. They are big hungry creatures! We also saw some other wildlife such as cheetah, hyena, zebra, impala, and springbok.

IFLA / FAIFE 2007 World Report

2007-04-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

The project has begun… On Tuesday we were warmly greeted by Prof. Theo Bothma, Head of the Department of Information Science at the University of Pretoria, School of Information Science. Over coffee he explained a bit more about the project we will be working on. Currently, IFLA’s Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) is working on the data collection for the 2007 World Report. This will be the fourth time that IFLA/FAIFE will be publishing a World Report on the state of intellectual freedom and libraries worldwide. Similar to the 2005 report, this year’s report will again address the following themes: Anti-terror legislation and libraries, Women and freedom to access to information, and HIV/AIDS awareness and libraries. The data collection process consists of questionnaires that are distributed to IFLA members, National Libraries, and Library Associations worldwide. Our job will be to assist in the data collection process by conducting Internet research and verifying data on the questionnaires. With the outstanding search strategies that all of the SOIS students have acquired thru education and experience, the project is going quite well.

Everyone we have met here at the University has been very kind and welcoming. The faculty and staff at the School of Information Science are amazing and have helped us to get settled in quite quickly.

South Africa - April 2007 We have arrived!

2007-04-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 6th, 2007, SOIS MLIS students Reagen Thalacker, Alissa LaChapelle, Rebecca Buchman, and SOIS Academic Staff member Rebecca Hall arrived in Pretoria, South Africa to assist with IFLA’s Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) 2007 World Report.

We are all very excited to be here and feel very fortunate to be a part of this project. We arrived late afternoon on Saturday (April 6th) and spent the first few days getting acquainted with the area. We are staying in very nice accommodations right next to the University of Pretoria campus and just a few blocks away from Hatfield (a college community filled with shops, restaurants, bookstores and cafes).

The area is very nice and the weather has been beautiful. (We are all very sorry to hear about the snow storms rolling thru the Midwest. We hope everyone stays warm and safe). So as I was saying, the weather is great, it’s been sunny and in the high 70s low 80s each day.

As the project progresses, we will continue to post our activities to this blog. Please feel free to send us questions or comments. We’d be happy to hear from you. (Oh, did I mention that it’s sunny and warm here? Oh, yeah, that’s right, I did mention that!)

Warmest :) Regards!

Dean Britz has arrived...

2006-08-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Even after a very long flight (14 hours) Dean Britz still had the energy to join the group for a nice traditional Korean dinner. Welcome Dr. Britz...

Topic maps anyone?

2006-08-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you encounter an instructor who is so energetic and excited about sharing his/her knowledge that it inspires you and makes you interested in a topic that you've never thought you would ever have any interest in learning about in your entire life... This is what I experienced today when meeting Dr. Sam OH at Sungkyunkwan University. Believe it or not, Dr. OH made me want to learn more about classification and ontology, do a little data modeling and run out create a few topic maps. Who would have imagined... Thanks Dr. OH and thanks also to Dr. Wonik Shim who shared with us knowledge on usage statistics of e-resources. Here are a few links to some resources they shared.
http://www.ontopia.net/
http://www.projectcounter.org/index.html

The photo above is of Sungkyunkwan University, the first national education institute in Korea - founded in 1398.

A familiar face...

2006-08-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday’s tour brought us to the Sookmyong Women’s University(http://lib.sookmyung.ac.kr) where we received a tour of their newly renovated library. The $10 million renovation resulted in an amazing library that would make the most unmotivated student (although I truly do not think there area any in this country) want to study. The newly renovated library has incorporated the latest technology and the most user friendly features into its design. The details that have gone into this library have made it a remarkable example of beautiful form and outstanding function. From the information kiosks at the front enterance, to the dedicated student study areas and endless computer access, this library uses technology to enhance the learning experience for all who venture inside.

Another unique feature of the library is its World Women Writers Gallery featuring works and profiles of prominent women writers both Korean and from abroad.

The highlight of the tour for me was seeing Dr. Yunkeum Kim Chang once again. Dr. Chang is an old friend who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago when she taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The library tours begin...

2006-08-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

We have toured several libraries over the past few days and have learned a lot about Korea’s commitment to preserving their historical resources and providing high quality library service to the country’s students, researchers and scholars.

Many of the libraries we have visited are using the countries most valuable resource – the Korean peoples’ strong work ethic and their advanced technology to gather and make available historical, cultural, and scholarly documents.

Fantastic digital library projects are being developed in many of the libraries we visited.

The National Library of Korea (http://www.nl.go.kr)
The National Library of Korea is the representative library in Korea. It opened in 1945 and it maintains 5,906,632 publications. During our visit we had the opportunity to meet the Chief Executive of the National Library of Korea, Mr. Kwon Kyung Sang as well as the Director of Library Services, Ms. Chi-Ju Lee. Ms. Lee gave us a brief overview of the history of the library and shared with us her trailblazing efforts in the development of the KOLIS -Korean Library and Information System as well as her involvement in their very successful digitalization project.

National Assembly Library (http://www.nanet.go.kr/english/)
The National Assembly Library (NAL) which opened in 1952, serves the members of the National Assembly as well as the general public. Some of the services provided are:
Legislative Information Services
Legislative Reference Question & Answer Service
Legislative Knowledge Database
Foreign Information Research and Translation
Policy Chronicle Information Service
Internet Resources Service
Foreign Law Information Service
Reference Database
Since 1998, the National Assembly Library has been involved in the digitalization of its collection. The NAL Digital Library provides catalog, abstract and full text information on-line.

Tradition, Culture, and everyday life...

2006-08-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

We are outsiders looking in on this beautiful country filled with tradition and fascinating history. We immerse ourselves in the Korean experience, yet we still only get a glimpse of what truly is a “Dynamic Korea”.

The first few days of this experience have been filled with exploration and learning. The National Folk Museum of Korea located inside Gyeongbok Palace gave us a glimpse of the lifestyle, traditions and culture of Korea from different periods of time. The National Museum, Korea’s largest museum, displays artifacts and national treasures that tell the story of the people and culture of Korea. But, among all of these beautiful artifacts, I found myself surrounded by something even more precious, two Korean families who we met and who shared with us a bit of their lives. The children of these two families were very polite and very eager to learn English from us. I was just as eager to learn from them. My most pleasurable experience with these families was our tour of the National Museum. Kelly and I challenged 8 year old Seong to a scavenger hunt of Korea’s national treasures. He was thrilled when he found one of the many artifacts listed on the museum map, and were amused by his excitement and 8-year-old energy.

We had many wonderful meals during our first few days in Korea in the area around Sinchon & Ewha University as well as in Itaewon, an area very near the US Army base and an area very popular with foreign tourists. Also, thanks to Sarah’s wonderful communication and navigational skills, we explored other areas of the city such as Insadong, an area filled with handicraft shops, narrow alleys with tea shops, restaurants and beautiful old buildings.

To blog or not to blog?... that is the question.... (technical note for students)

2006-08-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

And the answer is... TO BLOG, because it is required by all students for this study abroad program!!! This blog is being hosted by Blogger and is being used to document the activites and experiences of the UW-Milwaukee, SOIS study abroad program in South Korea. There are many different blogging options available online. Find the one you feel most comfortable working with. Many have the same features and options, so it pretty much is a matter of taste.

Some options to check out are:
BLOGGER: www.blogger.com
MOVEABLE TYPE: www.sixapart.com/movabletype/
BLOGLINES: www.bloglines.com

Check them out and feel free to stop by with any questions. Good luck!

Night life near Ewha...

2006-08-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

We have arrived....

2006-08-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to South Korea and welcome to Ewha Womans University. All students have arrived from various locations throughout the US. (Rick from Texas, Becca from Brooklyn, Diane from Idaho, Sarah from Illinois, John from Ohio, and Kerry, Eve, Kelly and myself (Rebecca) from Milwaukee).

We are staying at the world's largest university for women, Ewha Womans University, located in Seoul (Shinchon). We are staying in great accomodations in the International House Hanwoori Hall located at the very top of steep hill overlooking the city. The veiw is amazing!

The Korean experience has been nothing but pleasant. I have been genuinely amazed at the friendly, helpful and welcoming nature of all people associated with the University and the Korean people in general. Our first night in Korea was an unforgettable adventure that included a traditional Korean meal of Bulgogi -marinated and grilled barbecued beef and a walk thru the narrow streets and the maze of neon lights, shops, cafes, and bars near the University. Our evening ended with a brief stop at the subway station to retrieve our transit pass to explore the city to our hearts content. Not only have we arrived, but we are now on our way...

Printing Culture & History in Korea (Study Abroad)

2006-07-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

This course provides a hands-on learning experience on international librarianship from the view of South Korean professionals, and IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)’s activities at its annual world gathering in Seoul, Korea. Korea is officially recognized by UNESCO as having invented the first metal printing method in the world, more than 200 years before Gutenberg's printing device was introduced. Students will learn Korea’s contribution to the areas of printing, archiving, organizing, and preserving materials in history by a series of lectures from Korean experts, ranging from government officials and practitioners to library and information science professors. For the last 5 days in Korea, students will participate in the 72nd IFLA conference and learn how international cooperation in libraries in the world is conducted. Lectures and discussions will be conducted mainly by Dr. Wooseob Jeong and guest speakers together, in many cases, with Dr. Jeong’s translations of guest speakers’ lectures in Korean.