MICHELLE HOFFMAN / Sroll
Robinah Kalemeera, head librarian for Nkumba University, visited BYU-Idaho’s David O. McKay Library to expand her skills and explore the highlights of the surrounding tourist spots.

Uganda university librarian trains at BYU-I

Susan Coss COS03002@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

From halfway around the world, Robinah Kalemeera, head librarian for Nkumba University in Entebbe, Uganda, came to expand her librarian skills by studying BYU-Idaho’s David O. McKay Library.

About three years ago, David Pigott, professor of history, asked his African History class what they could do to aide the people in Africa. As a group and with the help of school administration, books were collected around campus to send to a university in Africa.

A missionary couple, the Binghams, who had been serving in the area, recommended Nkumba University. Money was raised to ship the books and they were sent under the direction of Pigott and Kalemeera.

Pigott went to Africa for eight days to follow up on the books and see the university. “After seeing Uganda firsthand, I realized that this part of Africa has the potential to be a prosperous land,” he said. “What is lacking is education and training among its industrious and hard-working people. This project is really a drop in the bucket, but it is a start.”

Nkumba University has about 3,000 students and less than 10,000 books, most of which are old, Pigott said. The books donated through the project are newer and more up to date.

“The spirit behind the project was to improve the quality in Africa, to help where we can,” Pigott said.

The Nkumba University Library plans to influence the modern interactive technologies to provide new solutions in effective retrieval, display of information and inventory management of the University Library to benefit its users and library management team, according to Library Modernization Project, Nkumba University Manual.

The project includes a seven-story and more advanced library. Project costs are estimated at around $3.95 million.

With all these new improvements coming in the future for Nkumba University Library, Kalemeera came to BYU-Idaho to train and to see how the library operates.

“It felt good to see their library and see how they provide services like circulation, special collections, references, periodicals, general management and challenges,” she said.

Kalemeera spent her time in the library for a little under three weeks learning to upgrade and provide new services for her library back home.

The Nkumba University Library plans to influence the modern interactive technologies to provide new solutions in effective retrieval, display of information and inventory management of the University Library to benefit its users and library management team, according to Library Modernization Project, Nkumba University Manual.

During her time on campus, she would go to different departments within the library to learn the technological advances in computer memory and the organization of files. She learned equipment such as digitalization and how it is used in the library.

While in Idaho, she had the opportunity to stay in BYU-I-approved housing, see the campus and visit Yellowstone National Park.

“I saw geysers, hot springs and cowboys,” Kalemeera said. “They were exciting to look at.”

Not only did she get a taste of the potato life, but she also got a taste of the Latter-day Saints. Even though Kalemeera is a Seventh-day Adventist, she attended some of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ services and a Latter-day Saints’ baptism and saw how the home teaching system works.

“I liked the services and the way that they were run,” Kalemeera said.

Kalemeera was impressed with the hospitality of the library staff and students.

“The students here are so keen and focused on their studies. I commend the school on their grooming standards,” she said.

Kalemeera would like to say thank you to the library staff and administration for taking time out of their busy schedules to train and befriend her.