Collection and Cataloguing of African Indigenous Knowledge at the Public Libraries in South Africa and the United States of America: A Comparative Study

Madireng Monyela; Asania Maphoto; Olanike Olayini

doi:10.25159/2663-659X/20995

Authors

Madireng Monyela University of Limpopo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5862-8093
Asania Maphoto University of Limpopo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2035-1505
Olanike Olayini Indianapolis Public Library

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659X/20995

Keywords:

African indigenous knowledge , indigenous knowledge systems, collection development, cataloguing, public libraries

Abstract

African indigenous knowledge (AIK) is marginalised from knowledge collection, organisation, and retrieval in libraries. Libraries were originally designed to serve the Western populations, stocking books that reflected Western interests and that were supplied to local branches through library system headquarters by the formal publishing and bookselling sectors. Existing Western knowledge organisation standards and policies used in libraries are incompatible with documenting AIK. This study sought to investigate the collection and cataloguing practices of AIK in public libraries in South Africa and the United States of America. The study was grounded in the interpretivist paradigm and employed a qualitative research approach. The target population comprised two public libraries in South Africa and two in the United States of America. Focus groups were used to collect data from 12 librarians who were purposively selected. The findings indicated the absence of policy and guidelines for collecting and cataloguing AIK. The study recommends library collaboration with the community in the establishment of policies and guidelines for AIK collection and description.

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