http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4645 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:15:38 GMT 2026-07-20T15:15:38Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4907 From locked storerooms to learning hubs : reimagining community libraries for self-directed learning in rural Uganda. Lugya, Fredrick Kiwuwa; Mukungu, Isaac Purpose – This study aims to explore how primary school learners in rural Uganda can be supported to engage in self-directed learning (SDL) within the competence-based curriculum (CBC), focusing on the potential of community libraries and low tech digital tools as enabling infrastructures. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative dominant mixed-methods design guided by Critical Incident Technique was used, using structured surveys (n = 100 pupils), semi-structured interviews (30 pupils, f ive teachers, five headteachers, one district education officer) and ten focus group discussions (three to five pupils each) across ten primary schools in Busia District, Uganda. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings – While 97% of pupils receive homework, only 37% have textbooks at home; digital tools are absent. Only 16% identify parents as homework helpers; and 29% fail to complete homework due to domestic labour demands. School “libraries” function as locked textbook storerooms − 82% of pupils have visited, but access is teacher mediated and transactional. No facilitative services, diverse collections or conducive learning spaces exist. Research limitations/implications – Findings are context specific to one Ugandan district. Longitudinal and intervention research is needed to test the proposed library reconfiguration model and its impact on SDL competency development over time. Practical implications – This study recommends a multilevel strategy: transforming school book storerooms into curated resource and guidance hubs; adopting a “low tech first” digital approach (solar audio players, offline digital libraries); training community facilitator networks; and integrating library-based SDL support into national curriculum and policy frameworks. Originality – This research addresses a critical gap by centring rural learner perspectives and positioning community libraries as dynamic, facilitative hubs within SDL discourse in a low-resource Sub-Saharan African context. It extends SDL theory by demonstrating that in contexts of extreme scarcity, Garrison’s self- management dimension requires a “foundational” layer of basic resource provision. Keywords Self-directed learning, Rural education, Community libraries, Competence-based curriculum, Digital tools, Uganda Research paper Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4907 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4680 Reframing library search as cognitive work : introducing the Library Search Analysis (LSA) model Lugya, Kiwuwa Fredrick; State, Nassali Eliz Information behaviour research has evolved from a traditional focus on information sources to a user-centric perspective. While Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is a well-established framework for analysing complex sociotechnical systems in domains like process control and aviation, its application remains nascent within the specific context of library and information science, particularly for modelling endogenous user search behaviour. This paper posits a novel theoretical integration, arguing that CWA’s constraint-based, work-centred framework provides a uniquely powerful lens to move beyond descriptive models of information seeking. We propose a refined, user-centred application of CWA to dissect the complex interplay between the library environment, organisational structures, user tasks, and cognitive strategies. This approach offers a novel methodological pathway to generate design requirements for information systems that are not merely usable but are cognitively congruent, supporting the adaptive expertise of library users. By bridging CWA’s systemic rigour with the nuanced realities of information behaviour, this paper aims to advance both theoretical discourse and practical design paradigms within information science. Keywords: Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) ; Information Behaviour ; Library Search Strategies ; Cognitive Ergonomics ; Constraint-Based Analysis ; Library Search Analysis (LSA) model This article proposes reframing library search as cognitive work by introducing the Library Search Analysis (LSA) model, based on Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA). It argues that while existing information behavior models describe user actions, CWA’s constraint-based framework provides a systemic approach to analyze how library environments, tasks, and cognitive strategies interact. The LSA model adapts CWA to diagnose self-directed search behavior and generate design requirements for cognitively congruent information systems. This integration offers both a theoretical advance in information science and a practical tool for researchers and designers to enhance user support in complex information environments. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4680 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4646 Enhancing access and efficiency: the role of library research guides in supporting academic success at Busitema University. Lugya, Fredrick Kiwuwa This mixed-methods study evaluates the implementation, perceived impact, and systemic barriers of standardized research guides at Busitema University, a multi-campus institution in Uganda. Through concurrent qualitative and quantitative data collection—including in-depth interviews with 30 students and 15 lecturers, openended surveys (n = 142), and document analysis—the research identifies both the transformative potential and critical limitations of the discipline-specific guides. Findings reveal a significant awareness gap, with 55 % of interviewed students unaware of the guides' existence. Among regular users (40 % of interviewed students), concentrated in Engineering and Health Sciences, self-reported data indicated perceived time savings and enhanced research efficiency. The study highlights the pivotal role of lecturer-librarian collaboration, with successful partnerships in 8 of 15 cases correlating with higher reported guide engagement. However, institutional constraints—such as lack of recognition for collaborative work, cited by 73 % of non-adopting lecturers—and infrastructural challenges, including weekly internet outages faced by 75 % of rural students, significantly hindered scalability and consistent access. The research demonstrates how localized content curation, incorporating 336 Ugandan policies and 524 scholar profiles, enhanced contextual relevance and addressed decolonial pedagogical aims. Persistent issues with content currency, including broken links reported by 23 % of users, underscored sustainability challenges. Based on these findings, we propose an integrated intervention framework grounded in library and pedagogical scholarship: (1) LMS integration for seamless curricular embedding, (2) incentive structures to formalize faculty collaboration, and (3) participatory update cycles to maintain resource relevance. These evidence-based recommendations contribute to global conversations on equitable resource access, offering a replicable model for balancing standardization with contextual flexibility in resource-constrained academic environments. Journal article Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12283/4646 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z